Monthly archive - May 2021

It has taken nearly a decade to research and write, and runs to more than 750 pages. But The History Makers, described as "an epic exploration of those who write about the past", has itself been rewritten after its author failed to take into account enough black historians, academics and writers.  Read more

When Leigh Bardugo first came face to face with her characters, she wept. In a video that was uploaded everywhere from YouTube to TikTok, the author stepped on to the Budapest set of Netflix's Shadow and Bone and embraced her heroine, Alina - or rather, the actor Jessie Mei Li in costume. "You guys look amazing," Bardugo repeats in the video, between hugs and tears. "You look so incredible.  Read more

Launching a book is difficult and book launches are getting more difficult.

For as long as I have worked in publishing, I have wondered what makes some books work and others don't. I am sure everyone who works publishing books wonders the same things. When things shift, like they did in 2020, you wonder a little more-what is still true about your incomplete view of how it all works.  Read more

In the last month, there have been a few informative articles discussing how much authors earn:

The One Where Writing Books Is Not Really a Good Idea by Elle Griffin (Substack)
How Much Do Authors Make Per Book? by Sarah Nicolas (BookRiot)
How Much Do Authors Actually Earn? by Lincoln Michel (Substack)  Read more