Author Notes #13 (October 2024)
Thriving romance writers; the lack of books for teen boys; Writers for the Voice one year on; celebrity children's authors; and an industry abuzz with AI conversations.
Welcome to my monthly round-up of news in the writing and publishing industry. I thought I’d get this one published before we’re all lost in what could be a crazy week of news. So here’s what caught my attention in October.
1.
Romance writers are thriving in a tough industry
There have been various reports in the last few weeks about romance fiction thriving in this tough industry, despite other genres struggling - go romance authors! In an interview on NPR, Christine Larson (a journalist professor at the University of Colorado Boulder) explained that these authors’ long-term successes could be attributed to an early adopter mindset around ebooks and social media, and a willingness to experiment with digital technology. Larson noted that during a 5-year period from 2009 to 2014, romance authors saw their median income rise 73% compared to a 42% drop for other authors! And romance is now one of the genres benefitting most from the rise of BookTok. It’s a great reminder that a willingness to experiment and play with different sales and marketing strategies can really pay off in the long-term. Another example of this comes from the early 2000s, when authors like Hugh Howey (Wool), who weren’t afraid to self-publish, benefited from the sudden surge in the ebook market.
And while we’re on the topic of romance writers, fellow WA author Rachael Johns has written a brilliant article about some of the myths around romance novels, which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
2.
A gap in the market for teen boys?
In a concerning article in the Bookseller called Has Publishing Abandoned Teen Boys?, author JJ Arcanjo breaks down some of the problems around marketing and industry focus for teen boys. The brevity of this article shouldn’t override the importance of this topic. I often wonder whether those of us in the book industry should be doing more to encourage young readers to prioritise reading, when they now have so many other distractions. Well worth thinking about - particularly if you are writing in the teen/YA space.
3.
Writers for the Voice and learning about truth-telling and resurgence
It’s been over a year now since the referendum on the Voice to Parliament was narrowly defeated in Australia. I’m part of a group called Writers for the Voice who were vocal in their support of the Yes campaign, and I recently received an email from Jane Novak and Nicole Abadee outlining the different ways you can support the work on the Uluru dialogue of truth and treaty. The actions below are taken from their email:
Support the Uluru Dialogue, which is operated from the University of New South Wales by Professor Megan Davis and Pat Anderson AO
Support the Justice and Equity Centre (formerly Public Interest Advocacy Centre - PIAC) in its truth-telling project “Towards Truth”, led by CEO Jonathon Hunyor CEO. Towards Truth documents how laws and government policies have impacted almost every aspect of First Nations’ lives since 1788 to today, telling the story of the systematic dispossession and disempowerment of First Nations people. It’s a hugely ambitious undertaking and there is nothing else like it anywhere in the world. Please visit the website www.towardstruth.org.au for more information.
Support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). The ILF sends books to kids in remote Indigenous communities - over 800 000 books to 457 communities so far AND publishes books in language - 126 books in 36 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages so far. The ILF receives no government funding (by choice, to remain independent) and it too welcomes donations to enable it to continue its work. Visit https://www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au/how-you-can-help to learn more.
I also found a lot of value in this article in The Conversation about the difference between truth telling and resurgence, as well as insights into the history of indigenous Australia and the University of Melbourne, which is the subject of a new book by Dhoombak Goobgoowana.
4.
Celebrity children’s authors
The Guardian recently featured an article about children’s authors understandable frustrations with the rise of celebrity children’s authors. Some of the gripes included:
celebs publishing children’s books discredits the effort, art and talent of non-celeb authors
celebs do not have to face the query trenches or suffer the many galling rejections that authors often face
celebs benefit from extra media and marketing coverage
buyers don’t care whether the book is good, they’ll still buy it for the name
I agree that all these things can be very frustrating, but I don’t know what these kinds of articles really do for authors except make us potentially more miserable and green-eyed with envy. It seems a shame to waste our valuable time worrying about this when the dollars that these celeb authors can bring in makes them an easy publishing win, and this might even give our publishers more money to support other authors. Furthermore, we can’t discount the fact that some celebs might have always dreamt of writing book for kids, in which case they should be supported in their passion and efforts. And those who are cashing in or taking writing lightly are unlikely to stick around for long. I’m not sure these are the kinds of industry problems we should be focusing on. Thoughts?
5.
Industry insights and a strong focus on AI
I recently attended HarperCollins Australia’s excellent author day, in which team leaders from the company’s publishing, sales, design and marketing teams update authors on the state of the industry and where their current focus and interests lie. There was a lot of talk about AI, which I’m going to be following up on in the next few weeks as I have a really interesting story to share with you (from a conversation with a friend) about the murkiness of using AI in the arts. There was also a lot of talk about the difference between using AI to support work processes and using AI to generate new ideas, which again I will be expanding on more in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, US and UK publishers have also joined an international petition demanding accountability, fair practice and just compensation around generative AI.
SHORT NOTES AND SHOUT-OUTS
I’m out and about this month. There are a few tickets left for the Writers of the North session at Clarkson Library on Sat 9th Nov (featuring me, Rachael Johns, Holden Sheppard, Josephine Taylor and David Allan-Petale), which promises to be great fun. I’ll be at Riverton library on the 21st Nov, and I’m also teaching a Character Masterclass with WritingWA at the State Library on 28th Nov.
I attended two brilliant events in October: the first was the inaugural Festival of Fiction, which was just a day of joy for readers and writers, and the second was an interview with the charismatic and charming Duchess of York (which was originally planned as part of the festival). I felt very lucky to get a photo with Fergie and fellow authors Rachael Johns and Anthea Hodgson! Local WA author and all-round champion Tess Woods was behind both events, expertly managing the festival and then interviewing the Duchess despite having just released a bestseller book herself (The Venice Hotel) in September. Tess has been an absolute inspiration for turning dreams into realities, and I’ve heard that next year’s festival promises to be even bigger and better! If you’re lucky enough to be in Western Australia, join the Festival Instagram so you can get tickets fast before they sell out - and if you’re not a local it’s the perfect time to visit!
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Until next time, nolite te bastardes carborundorum. Wishing everyone lots of sanity, strength and support as the world watches events unfold in the US over the coming days.
Thanks especially for #3 Sara, I shall look forward to diving into those resources.