Why are women now dominating the literary landscape?
irishtimes.com – Thursday July 30, 2020
he past few years have been a boon for women novelists, often young and often literary debutantes. Sally Rooney is the standard bearer of this trend. And though we should resist comparisons between two successful female writers simply for the sake of it, snapping at Rooney’s ankles is Naoise Dolan (28) with her accomplished (if slightly naive) debut Exciting Times.
Dolan’s refreshingly sharp perspective on how women are perceived, coupled with Rooney’s stratospheric success, and Anna Burn’s Milkman winning the Man Booker Prize in 2018 all point to one thing: books by, and about, women are in vogue.
This upsurge in commercial success and critical acclaim is not just the preserve of Irish women, of course. In 2019 the Booker Prize was awarded to two women (that the award was split between Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo was a disappointingly lazy cop-out from the judges and no comment on the inimitable talents of either author). And so too this year the Booker Prize longlist contains just four men out of the total 13. Women’s domination of the literary landscape seems all but complete. But of course it raises the question: Why? And why now?
How These Writers Got a Literary Agent
thecut.com – Friday July 24, 2020
What do you do if you think the document you’ve been working on maybe, just maybe, might possibly be a book? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but for some writers, the next step is to look for a literary agent who will work to sell your manuscript to a publishing house and help guide your career from a business standpoint (typically for a fee of 15 percent). Below, eight writers explain how they connected with their literary agent.
New Literary Agent Listing: Kwaku Acheampong
firstwriter.com – Friday July 24, 2020
Looking for fiction and nonfiction across most genres, though he has a special passion for new adult.
So You Want to Write?
thecut.com – Wednesday July 22, 2020
When it comes to making it as a writer, there’s no magical shortcut to success: You just have to show up and keep doing the work. But there are some things that might be helpful to know and bits of wisdom to encourage you to keep going. Below, nine writers share what they wish they’d known and the advice they would give fledgling writers.
Q magazine to close
completemusicupdate.com – Tuesday July 21, 2020
Q magazine will close after one final issue, it has been confirmed. Publisher Bauer Media had hoped to find a buyer, but seemingly no deal could be done to rescue the music magazine.
It was one of ten titles put up for review by Bauer in May. Last month it was announced that three of those ten would close, including another younger music title, the magazine spin-off of radio station Planet Rock. But Q was among five magazines that the publisher hoped might be bought by another company, with talks about a possible sale seemingly at an “advanced” stage.
Prior to that announcement the team who produce Q were pretty certain closure was incoming and put together the most recent issue as if it was the last. The prospect of surviving under new ownership allowed them to start working on another edition, but yesterday Editor Ted Kessler confirmed closure was now confirmed, making the upcoming issue the grand finale.
Writing Probably Won’t Pay the Bills
thecut.com – Tuesday July 21, 2020
It probably won’t shock you to hear that it can be difficult, if not downright impossible, to make a living as an author. Successfully selling a book doesn’t often lead to financial security, and the publishing industry hasn’t been known for its transparency on these subjects (which recent conversations like #PublishingPaidMe have worked to correct, specifically when it comes to racial inequities). In practice, making any kind of money as a writer can mean a million different things: holding down a full-time job and writing on the side, steadily applying for grants, cobbling together some combination of teaching and freelance writing gigs.
Below, six writers talk about how they make writing work financially.
Busting writer's block: Creativity-boosting writing exercises to get you going
theguardian.com – Tuesday July 21, 2020
Many of us suffer from a lack of confidence when engaging in creative projects, assuming that – to be any good – a piece of work has to wholly originate in some almost mystical act of inspiration. Anyone who works professionally as a writer will often simply realise that a looming deadline is the greatest spur to creativity.
There are no rules to being an effective writer, and when working with students I spend quite a lot of time helping them discover the times and places when they work best. For some, inspiration is most likely to strike when in they’re able to observe the bustle of life; for others it comes during absolute quiet, when the family is asleep or (in my own case) when walking. That said, whatever sparks your desire to write, you need to be able to turn it into a habit if you’re going to succeed.
The following simple exercises will help you strip away the mystery from the craft of writing. Grab a pen and paper – or your laptop – and give these a whirl…
New Publisher Listing: Romance Publications
firstwriter.com – Wednesday July 15, 2020
Publishes romantic stories that include a central love story and emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. In addition to novels, we publish novellas, novelettes, and short stories. We are currently accepting short stores (450-550) words to be published in our monthly newsletters and anthologies of short stories. Anthologies will be sold for a profit, and the authors will receive a portion of the royalties that is typically given to a single author, which is 25%.
New Agent Listing: Kevin Pocklington
firstwriter.com – Tuesday July 14, 2020
Looking for a wide range of nonfiction submissions and would like to develop a fiction list with new authors, including accessible literary fiction and crime titles.
Will The Lockdown Produce More Writing Talent?
businessnewswales.com – Monday July 13, 2020
A new survey of writers has yielded powerful evidence that writers have been more resilient to the impact of lockdown.
Whether or not we see the next big literary success story, we are on track to see a flurry of new books, unlike new film and TV content where productions have stalled.
With book downloads and Kindle sales currently going through the roof, more content and talent discovery is fantastic for avid readers. And many more people have taken up reading since pandemic restrictions locked them into their homes.
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