tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post3396026975186494294..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: Killing our darlingsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-5740360184591343992014-08-13T20:43:32.063+01:002014-08-13T20:43:32.063+01:00Timely post, Anne!Timely post, Anne!Katherine Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-24559159276536251332014-07-12T05:02:54.254+01:002014-07-12T05:02:54.254+01:00The Australian Society of Authors has actually bee...The Australian Society of Authors has actually been quite useful. For example, they did the negotiations with politicians that got us Education Lending Right and kept Public Lending Right going when a new government was planning to scrap it. But no, they're not a union - and a writers' strike here such as those in the US and UK wouldn't be much use, because publishers would just get books from overseas. :-(<br /><br />As a teacher, I have to say that, whie we're not excited to do it for nothing, we are expected to treat it as a vocation and every time there are negotiations for a pay rise the response is, "But they're teachers, why aren't they doing this for the love of it?"<br /><br />And then they wonder why there s so litte demand fr teacher studies.Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-29631752600268958552014-07-11T22:55:18.563+01:002014-07-11T22:55:18.563+01:00Now, now Anne - you know we cats are a very indepe...Now, now Anne - you know we cats are a very independent lot! :)catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-22724745519273658342014-07-11T16:53:07.314+01:002014-07-11T16:53:07.314+01:00Well, you may be right about Society of Authors - ...Well, you may be right about Society of Authors - they did after all do this survey and publicise it - and inspired by that, next time I get an actual royalty cheque I will try to close my eyes and bite my lip and hand over £100 of it to join...<br />C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-78333857899849455732014-07-11T13:48:15.373+01:002014-07-11T13:48:15.373+01:00That's a very good point, Cecilia, that writer...That's a very good point, Cecilia, that writers do themselves no favours by presenting writing as a vocation. I don't think we need something instead of the SocA, though, we just need to use it better. Nicola Solomon has done masses to get writers taken more seriously. She is good at lobbying, she has increased SocA profile within government and amongst publishers. But the Society needs the support and involvement of writers and it seems hard to get that. Of course, trying to make writers do anything is like herding cats. But we should feel strongly enough about this to help SocA fight our corner. Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-51427287239668521562014-07-11T10:53:55.635+01:002014-07-11T10:53:55.635+01:00Great post, and you're absolutely right that w...Great post, and you're absolutely right that what will suffer (is suffering?) is the non-fiction and early readers, because they take skill and experience to do well, and it matters that they are done well. You're also right about the way writers are somehow expected to o it for nothing because they love it, while no one would say that about being a teacher or doctor, however much they love their work. I wonder if part of the problem is the tendency for some writers to represent what they do as simply part of who they are - I *have* to write, I wouldn't be happy if I wasn't writing, it's in my soul to write, whether it's published or not. It's a brave author who says, I write because I'm paid and if I wasn't paid I wouldn't do it. <br /><br />The question is, what do you do about it? One author refusing their measly advance is not going to do anything. Maybe instead of the Society of Authors, we need a Writers Union. Then we could start thinking abut collective action. Equity have had some success with campaigning for actors, who have a very similar problem to writers, i.e., that some are paid such gargantuan sums that no one has much sympathy or understanding of the situation of the vast majority of actors who do the bread and butter roles for less than the living wage.<br /><br />CeciliaC.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-18545876959640938222014-07-10T07:59:52.160+01:002014-07-10T07:59:52.160+01:00That's far from right, Sue. SCBWI is not very ...That's far from right, Sue. SCBWI is not very representative of published writers. For one thing, a lot of writers who are trying to live from their writing can't afford to join SCBWI. For another, as you say, a lot of writers write non-fiction which is not a SCBWI area of interest.<br /><br />It would be interesting to know how many of the 11.5% are the sole earner in their household.Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-77732466916044266072014-07-09T23:21:07.298+01:002014-07-09T23:21:07.298+01:00Well, I've never been able to make a living ou...Well, I've never been able to make a living out of my writing, even in the days when I was able to get commissioned to do education titles like the ones you describe, Anne. I'd be glad of some of those but education publishers where I live have in recent years only been using stables of writers. I used to write non fiction but trade publishers here aren't buying that either. The only person I know who is writing full time is married, so his wife supported him while he built up his career, mostly writing education books, which are very good for bread and butter work. He admits he could never have done it if he hadn't had someone to support him. He doesn't even have to look after the kids alone because his wife also works from home! ;-)<br /><br />The impression I get from reading SCBWI magazines and blog posts is that I'm the only writer working full time at a day job. Seems that wasn't right, eh?Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-54370313276914394622014-07-09T18:04:14.431+01:002014-07-09T18:04:14.431+01:00Yes, to all.
And yes, i saw the ridic misquoting ...Yes, to all.<br /><br />And yes, i saw the ridic misquoting of Joanne H and then misquoting of the misquoting and how she then had to battle her way through piles of denseness on Twitter. <br /><br />So frustrating when there's a proper debate to be had about how we pay for the arts, and some people jump on a piece of garbled trivia.Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07847390687632715336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-52110194478935118982014-07-09T16:27:30.822+01:002014-07-09T16:27:30.822+01:00Great post, Anne. I did make the House of Commons ...Great post, Anne. I did make the House of Commons event and found it fascinating and worrying in equal measure. <br /><br />Also dispiriting is the Daily Telegraph's reporting, focusing on a single comment made by Joanne Harris and misrepresenting it so that she appears to be attacking JK Rowling rather than making a trenchant comment about the way writers are portrayed in the media.John Doughertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937505376169411724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-3933648588351055832014-07-09T16:23:38.135+01:002014-07-09T16:23:38.135+01:00This post has come just at the right time. I'v...This post has come just at the right time. I've recently done my Income and Outgoings for the Tax Year and its sickening. You know in your head that its like this, but seeing it cold-bloodedly on paper, really shocks. I can only afford to write because my husband supports me. <br /><br />Brilliantly put Anne, and as you say who else is receiving half of what they received 5 years ago and working seemingly twice as hard? Is it time to turn publishers down when they come up with ever decreasing advances, citing all sorts of expenses etc? Or will that backfire and make us poorer? Dianne Hofmeyrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18222157214605257030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-27431529844979709142014-07-09T14:39:13.466+01:002014-07-09T14:39:13.466+01:00Thanks, Anne, for such an intelligent analysis of ...Thanks, Anne, for such an intelligent analysis of the situation. It seems a wider problem for all the "creative" professions - and it's going to end up that only those people who can afford to it, will write. That means a very narrow range of people doing the writing - and as you say, that some subjects just won't get covered. Emma Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02718171070716804800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-48621385260734017282014-07-09T14:09:13.061+01:002014-07-09T14:09:13.061+01:00Thank you from me too, Anne. I wish the Mumsnet bl...Thank you from me too, Anne. I wish the Mumsnet bloggers who complain that we charge for school visits (because, among other gripes, we earn so much from selling books afterwards!) would read this. then they might understand why we have to. Off to tweet it as well. Lucy Coatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16774389681477698245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-13842070238864338072014-07-09T12:21:50.768+01:002014-07-09T12:21:50.768+01:00Hooray, Anne! So well said. I am tweeting this as ...Hooray, Anne! So well said. I am tweeting this as widely as I can and have posted it on Authors Electric Facebook page.<br /><br />Anyone who thinks 'anyone can write' should spend time as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow in universities. I met so many bright, articulate people who couldn't write a good plain sentence that made sense, let alone be beautiful.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-43710109048684857102014-07-09T11:18:01.054+01:002014-07-09T11:18:01.054+01:00Nick, I am not saying spare-time writers can't...Nick, I am not saying spare-time writers can't write well. I'm saying they will write the books they want to write, and the overlap between those and the books that children need will be small. Non-fiction in particular will suffer. Much as I enjoy writing books about science for 8-year-olds, it's not something I would do if I wasn't paid for it and I don't know anyone who would.<br /><br />Catdownunder, that is such a common and sad state of affairs. Perhaps it's because we use the same word for the functional writing of making a shopping list and the creative writing of producing a book. It's rather like saying you can paint because you can spatter Dulux onto a wall. Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-91318478452518232212014-07-09T10:56:41.001+01:002014-07-09T10:56:41.001+01:00I sometimes wonder whether the man in question can...I sometimes wonder whether the man in question can read - he seems to spend most of his library time looking at car sites on the internet! I have never seen him borrow a book.catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-4360533084581645722014-07-09T10:39:55.082+01:002014-07-09T10:39:55.082+01:00I fear that the days of the full-time writer may b...I fear that the days of the full-time writer may be numbered. It will increasingly become an activity people do in their 'spare time'. (Though some of us spare-timers aren't too bad, y'know...)<br /><br />Re. Catdownunder's comment: Wow. Saying everyone can write is like saying everyone can cook. Yes, most people can make beans on toast...Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-70558877543705490092014-07-09T10:09:33.159+01:002014-07-09T10:09:33.159+01:00Blimey catdownunder, that man clearly doesn't ...Blimey catdownunder, that man clearly doesn't read.<br />Heather Dyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16663116147353986746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-33943293644271716172014-07-09T09:52:10.048+01:002014-07-09T09:52:10.048+01:00Very well said. Someone actually said to me today,...Very well said. Someone actually said to me today, "Anyone can write a book and get it published now - you know all the e-publishing stuff. It's easy." When I pointed out that writers rarely (if ever) earn much he just shrugged and said, "Like I said anyone can write. You can't expect to be paid for it."<br />I did not bother to pursue the discussion - nothing will change his mind.catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-48279180281581593532014-07-09T08:18:38.610+01:002014-07-09T08:18:38.610+01:00Well said, Anne!Well said, Anne!Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com