The Authors Guild Survey’s Self-Selected Sample: More Fuel On The Fire?

First, The Bad News While some parts of the Authors Guild’s survey of writers’ income had been released earlier, the writer-advocacy organization has now produced its full report. The news, while not shocking to anyone near the publishing business, is nevertheless troubling. Some initial results, and then a bit of discussion follows. Writing-related income of… Read More

Is 'out of print' running out of time?

Never being ‘out of print’ is not good news You can’t self-publish. Because you can’t get your rights back. And your book is nowhere to be seen. Kill the entire outmoded concept of “out of print.” Instead, the contract should define when book rights are being “inadequately exploited” and therefore available for reversion to the… Read More

Hugh Howey Calls A Ceasefire

‘No Need To Come Out On Top’ It’s time to back off a bit on the arguments for self-publishing. In a classic example of “burying your lead” — along with a hatchet –the author-activist Hugh Howey quietly has signaled a stand-down to his supporters this week And he’s doing it with the note of generosity… Read More

The Authors’ Wish List Goes In: How Will The Guild Council Respond?

“Can The Authors Guild Become An Authors’ Guild?” That’s the Eislerian wit at work, sync-ing up both challenge and hope in one canny phrase, with which he kindly tweeted my recap of Friday’s #FutureChat on the issue of author advocacy. His phrasing captures the friction behind quickly but smoothly moving developments. For background, here is my piece from… Read More

And If Authors Were All In The Same Boat?

Romancing the concept of working together What professional career authors need to do, more now than ever, is work together, learn together, brainstorm together. Don’t let what you write (or what they write) keep you from interacting with other writers. Because if you’re writing thrillers or science fiction or courtroom dramas or romances, we’re pretty… Read More

#FutureChat: Authors in the hot zone

Each Friday, join us for a #FutureChat session, live on Twitter, at 4 p.m. London time, 11 a.m. New York time, 8 a.m. Los Angeles, 5 p.m. Berlin, 3 p.m. GMT. Crazy from the heat Disagreements that might cause minor annoyance on a cool day have a way of escalating when the mercury rises. Most riots… Read More