Feb 2025: news for emerging authors
Dear emerging authors and writers working on emerging soon-ish,
Welcome to this somewhat weighty edition of News For Emerging Authors. Who’d have thought it would only take 2025 a couple of months to let us know that the change I warned you about last month, is very much here and making itself known? Thankfully, I have waded through some long reads from February that tell us exactly what we need to know about engaging with the publishing industry at the moment. Buckle up, there may be some bumps ahead.
Jan 2025: news for emerging authors
Dear authors, creatives and those still unsure about calling themselves writers,
It’s News For Emerging Authors time again. Let’s all collectively look back at the previous month like it’s a crystal ball that could tell us our futures if we just squint hard enough and really believe.
December 2024: news for emerging authors
Dear writers and emerging multi-hyphenates,
Happy New Year! 2024 was a time, wasn’t it? I think the general consensus is that it was fair to middlin’ – but especially tough for those of us in the book writing business. With an increase in author requests for hardship grants and the constant announcement of the next "big best-selling celebrity book", the industry has felt a bit like an unwelcome desert for aspiring authors, with only a mirage of book deals seemingly on offer.
November 2024: news for emerging authors
Welcome to the November round-up. That means it’s already December, but let’s not dwell on that. Instead, I’m going to be honest with you—I had to trawl through a lot of disheartening news about the need for hardship grants among authors and the ever-present problem of chasing payments owed, before I found some nuggets of hope that will power us through into 2025.
October 2024: news for emerging authors
Dear authors, welcome to my October roundup of Bookseller headlines, articles and opportunities. There is A LOT going on in the world at the moment, and it can be easy to feel like your one little pen might not ever cut through the noise. But I think it can; you just need to make sure you’re writing towards those things you feel most passionate about. And if you’re wondering whether people will care, I’ve handpicked some headlines to inspire you with the ways a passion project can elicit real change. Shall we?
September 2024: news for emerging authors
Hello budding storytellers, and welcome to the back to school version of this column! If you were a bookworm at school like me, your "year" probably began on 1st September—when the sight of a fresh notebook gave you butterflies or the feel of a brand new pen in your hand opened up a world of possibilities.
August 2024: news for emerging authors
Hello again, and welcome to the third instalment of this series for emerging authors, where I peruse The Bookseller headlines from August and attempt to decipher what the book industry is trying to tell us.
July 2024: news for emerging authors
Welcome to the second instalment in this series designed to help break down a few key Bookseller headlines that I think you need to pay attention to this month. Specifically stuff that pulls back the curtain of publishing to reveal the tiny person operating all the machinery. A demystification of sorts.
June 2024: news for emerging authors
In this new series, I’ll be picking a handful of news stories from the last month that I think are worth your attention as an emerging writer trying to navigate the complexities of the publishing industry, and develop your career at the same time. Paywall free! So, let’s get into it, shall we?
making a bid for your writing
3 ways to kickstart your novel
writers on writing
from fascination to frustration
