The Research Into Author Incomes
I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth reconsidering this week. The Authors Licensing and Collecting Society is a marvellous organisation that helps authors by collecting odd amounts of money. For example, I recently had some few pounds because someone in Germany had been copying pages from one of my novels for use in classes in … Continue reading
I’m Constantly Being Astonished …
Okay, so I used to be a salesman. And now I’m a writer, which means I’m still a salesman. There are many rules about salesmanship. One is, that you spend a little time thinking about your potential client and make the best pitch you can based on his or her needs. You use all kinds … Continue reading
YouTube? I Tube
There are some aspects of a writing career that just get in the way. There is no other way to look at it. When I started out (twenty years ago now, God help us!) the job was easy. An author was supposed to write. As my friend Quintin Jardine likes to remind me: “Writers write … Continue reading
YouTube If You Want To
There are times when it seems like there’s no time to sit at the desk and write, and this has been one of those weeks. University was – well, mayhem is a little too polite, I guess. From nine in the morning to four thirty, Monday and Tuesday, I had no time for even a … Continue reading
Blasted BBC Again!
Blasted BBC stupidity once more! There are few things that can reduce me in moments to sheer, gibbering rage, but this one’s got me. Worked in a nanosecond. No, not one of the usual ones. Not politicians claiming their food allowances, not even politicians lying through their teeth. No, this was much, much worse. It’s … Continue reading
Inspirations
I cannot read books while writing. It really is impossible. The way a writer writes gets into the rhythms of my mind, and his cadences and use of language, all influence what I try to write for myself. It’s bad enough having to read quite so many historical books with each novel (by way of … Continue reading
Naughty Nuns and Provocative Priests
I confess, there are few topic that are more likely to upset a certain group, than allegations of misbehaviour in Holy Orders. OK, I know it’s a cliche nowadays. I accept that. Since it appears that scarcely a month goes past without a story about another bad boy in the vicarage in Ireland, or America, … Continue reading
Ruminations on Executions and Referenda
This has been an interesting few days. Guido Fawkes, God bless ‘im, has started a petition on the UK government website. Now the idea of petitions is not new, but our revered leader has decided that he will listen to any petitions, and if more than 100,000 names are added to the petition, it will … Continue reading
More Money Musings – and Publishing
A little more about money, since apparently everyone is interested in authors and their incomes. First, although people seem to understand the simple principle that “advances” are only interest free loans against future income, there is still confusion about how much authors get paid. I think it’s fair to say that the vast majority of … Continue reading
Musings on Writing – and Money
It is so tempting, having heard that a second very senior policeman from the Met has decided that his career is better off curtailed, even though he doesn’t see that he did anything wrong, to launch into a long spiel about the newspapers. But I won’t. I have interests in the story, which I’ll explain … Continue reading
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