Writers' Newsletter
Issue #242
May 2023
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News |
Some of this month's news for writers from around the web.
Another Major Publisher Caught Using AI-Generated Cover Image on Bestselling Author’s Work
themarysue.com – Thursday May 18, 2023
If publishers will cut costs for Sarah J. Maas, no one stands a chance.
We, and many others, have already written at length about the threat AI poses to writers and artists, not because the AI-generated works make good art, but because studios and organizations will use them to undercut and get away with not paying artists. The worst part is that they’re already doing it: Tor got caught buying AI art for an upcoming novel, a U.K. Literary Festival recently used AI-Generated promotional art, and Studios are already trying to use AI to replace their striking WGA writers.
Therefore, this most recent incident isn’t surprising, but it is disappointing.
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How One of the Biggest Literary Agencies in Publishing Lost Almost All Credibility Overnight
themarysue.com – Wednesday May 17, 2023
The entertainment industry is going through a reckoning. The WGA has writers banding together to advocate for themselves and their work, which has given us a peek behind the curtain of the frankly appalling treatment writers have had to put up with from studios.
But that’s not the only struggle writers have been dealing with.
In the past week, dozens of authors have reported that a major literary agency, New Leaf Literary Agency, has dropped them from representation. Some of these authors were in the middle of contract negotiations with publishers and will now be left without agents representing them. Some authors were notified of this loss in representation via a 10PM email on Friday evening.
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Scots poet 'hounded' by Scotland's snobby literary elite for her views on toxic trans debate
scottishdailyexpress.co.uk – Saturday May 13, 2023
Jenny Lindsay says Scotland's proud literary culture is in danger of being destroyed because too many well-paid authors are afraid to speak out – or even join in with the trans bullies
One of Scotland's leading writers has warned the country's literary culture is being "destroyed" by the failure to stand up to extremist trans activists.
Ayrshire poet Jenny Lindsay weighed into the debate following the high-profile row over SNP MP Joanna Cherry's cancellation by The Stand comedy club.
The venue – owned by fellow Nat Tommy Sheppard – was forced into a humiliating climbdown on Friday after she threatened legal action.
But Lindsay, who was abused by a "seemingly endless army of misogynists" after being labelled a "terf" by trans activists in 2019, said the "damage has already been done".
Writing in the Daily Mail, she said: "This is a systemic issue, affecting hundreds. As the knock-on effects of the Cherry episode show, 'cancel culture' affects more than just the person targeted. This is not a healthy atmosphere for any literary culture in a democracy."
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Listings |
A selection of the new listings added to firstwriter.com this month.
New Magazine Listing: Under the Radar
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 16, 2023
A magazine of new contemporary poetry and fiction. Submit up to six poems, or short fiction up to 2,500 words. Submit only previously unpublished work.
New Literary Agent Listing: Arley Sorg
firstwriter.com – Wednesday May 17, 2023
Primarily interested in adult speculative titles, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror with speculative/fantastic elements, literary speculative fiction, and climate fiction.
New Publisher Listing: 404 Ink
firstwriter.com – Wednesday May 17, 2023
Publishes fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry. No children's books. Particularly likes humour, gritty women-led fiction, anti-heroes, parodies, the weird and wonderful, hard-hitting social issue non-fiction, inspirational stories and accessible political engagement. Would quite like to publish a crime book that’s an unusual take on the genre.
| Click here for more of this month's new listings > |
Articles |
Some of this month's articles for writers from around the web.
The 'publishing less' conundrum
thebookseller.com – Thursday May 18, 2023
Yes, publishers are overstretched — but fewer books won’t really help.
Do we need to care for authors better, rethink staff workloads and pay more attention to each book? Yes. But the short answer to "can we publish less, but better?" is: not necessarily.
Most would agree we don’t want lists reduced, teams shrunk and only safe titles published. This wouldn’t be serving readers, writers, the industry or society. So what we need is a situation where authors are better communicated with, books are given more attention, and the changed nature of publishing roles is recognised.
As someone who has tried to do exactly that, from the luxury of a fresh start with a new company, it’s worth highlighting our aims and our realisations.
How to get published in a literary magazine: ‘Whatever excites you will excite us’
irishtimes.com – Sunday May 14, 2023
Gemma Tipton offers a beginner’s guide to taking up a new cultural pursuit
If there was an Olympics for philosophical musings, Ireland’s Chat Team would surely win gold. Some get their deep thoughts down on paper, but how do you take the next step and get it in print? Lisa McInerney is editor of the Stinging Fly.
Aren’t literary magazines for people who write stuff that’s hard to read?
Absolutely not. Danielle McLaughlin says she credits the Stinging Fly with enabling her to be a writer today, “something that would once have seemed as remote a possibility as becoming an astronaut”, while Anne Enright says, when people ask her how to break into publishing, she tells them “try there first”.
How to Use ChatGPT for Creative Writing: 6 Ways
makeuseof.com – Thursday May 11, 2023
ChatGPT has far-reaching uses for many writing tasks, including informative and academic essays, copywriting, social media posts, and much more. It’s also an excellent resource for playing with poetry, short stories, and even personal essays and memoirs. Here’s how to use ChatGPT as a tool to help energize your creative writing and even overcome writer's block.
1. Work With Poetic Forms
When you're studying poetry, it's easy to get a bit overwhelmed by the variety of different poetic forms. Because ChatGPT can generate a poem in just about any form, however, it’s a fun way to play around with common poetic types, and you can endlessly tweak the prompts to create different responses.
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