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Blog - Authors Struggle to Make Ends Meet
I was scanning news headlines the other morning and saw this headline. Well established but not well-off: Canada's authors struggle to make ends meet, says study Article by Deana Sumanac-Johnson in the CBC News Now this is a Canadian article about Canadian authors, but I found it interesting and thought I’d share some of the points. I don’t know if it’s the same in the US but I’m thinking there might be similarities.Writers' Union of Canada survey says its members' incomes down by 27% from just 3 years ago When the Writers' Union of Canada recently surveyed its members about their incomes, the results were sobering: an average writer made $9,380 a year from his or her writing. That's 27 per cent less than what writers made three years ago, and a whopping 78 per cent less than they made in 1998. Last year's Giller winner Michael Redhill famously shared what was left in his bank account before he deposited the $100,000 cheque: it was $411. Reasons for declineThe Writers Union of Canada attributes the decline in authors' incomes to a combination of factors. John Degen, the organization's executive director, attributes the particularly steep drop-off in the last few years to the rise of free photocopying of written material by educational institutions. Before the Copyright Modernization Act of 2012, educators had to a pay a fee for all the photocopying they would do in a year, a fee that was redistributed as royalties to authors whose work students were...
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The Rewards and Costs of Writing
I love our group blogs. Rhobin always comes up with great topics and usually I find them thought provoking, things I may never have considered. This month it’s “How has writing rewarded you? What has it cost you?”How has writing rewarded me? Where do I start? One of the great things about writing is the writing community, whether it be online, at workshops or conferences. Writers are usually the most supportive group of people. And at a conference, the energy from other writers is amazing. I’ve made some wonderful friends through writing. And volunteering for some of the writing organizations allows me to also give back to the writing community. It’s also allowed me to see many sides of writing. The writing process, the agent and editor hunts, the publishing houses and their changes, small press, print books and eBook, indie publishing with cover artists, editors, formatters and publishing with eBook publishers. I’ve seen many changes in the profession of writing. And marketing of course. It continues to be a learning process. And learning keeps you young and the mind active, which is another reward. And there's the joy of writing The End to a story you've enjoyed writing.Writing is something I’ve always done, and I can’t imagine not writing. It allows me to express myself and talk to all those people who hang out in my head. I guess it allows me to hear voices and people don’t think I’m crazy – just a crazy writer. What has it cost...
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Christmas Shopping, Music and Decorating
Thanksgiving is a week away.The stores have been carrying Christmas stuff for sale since Halloween.Many stores have their Christmas decorations up out front and inside the store.Lots of places are playing Christmas carols.What about you?Have you got your Christmas shopping done? Gifts wrapped?I guess I’m getting old because it’s too early for me. I mean really, Christmas stuff for sale before Halloween?I like to shop in December when it feels more like Christmas – and I enjoy the Christmas music the stores play then. It has a Christmas feel. I don’t play Christmas music until December 1st. I didn’t used to put the tree up until two weeks before Christmas. It was a real fir tree and the scent permeated through the house. Now it’s artificial and I put it up earlier.People decorate their houses in November. Now some places with really cold weather I get this, but otherwise…What about you? When do you decorate and start playing Christmas music? Is your shopping already done?I’d love to hear your thoughts. Am I the only Grinch out there?
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Check out Katy Eeten and Blast From Her Past
Katy Eeten is the wife of a youth pastor and mother of two school-age boys. She works full time in the business world, but her true passion is writing. Contemporary Christian Romance Blast From Her Past, published by Anaiah Press, is her first published book. Her novella Christmas in Meadow Creek is due to release later this month, and has another Christian romance coming out next spring. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found taking walks, baking goodies, dining out, playing the piano, or spending time with her family.Character Interview Beverley: What’s your name? Sydney: Sydney HampsonBeverley: Where did you grow up? Sydney: Apricot Grove—a suburb of Bismarck, ND Beverley: During what time period does your story take place? Sydney: The present, with several flashbacks to high school about fourteen years ago. Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you? Sydney: I grew up loving God and my small but tightknit group of friends. We weren’t very popular, but we loved life. Then, when my dad left, my mom died, and my fiancé cheated on me with my best friend, I became a different person. Very closed off. I focused all my attention on my career and left my faith in the past—after all, God was obviously not on my side anymore. And to add insult to injury, a former high school bully, Grant Williams, got hired by my company.Beverley: What’s your goal in this story? Sydney: My goal is to not...
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Gratitude
Gratitude I noticed a lot of people are talking about
Gratitude on their blogs. I’ve been thinking about it and decided a I’d thought like to talk about it like to talk about it, too. For Americans, it’s Thanksgiving this month, a good time to be thankful. Canadians have Thanksgiving in October so that would be a good month to be thankful, too.For those that have a thanksgiving dinner, whatever their beliefs I’m sure they will say thanks for the food, or the company. But there is so much we have t be thankful, and maybe we need to stop a little more often to be grateful. I try to say thanks at the end of the day. I’m grateful I made it through the day. Nothing terrible happened. I’m grateful for my health. After two bouts with cancer and one with a pre-cancerous polyp you don’t take that for granted. You say thanks - often. I might be grateful for the weather, or that I had clothes to stay warm in the cold. I might be grateful for clean air with out pollution or that the pollution was less that day. You could be grateful for good food, or adequate food, a roof over your head, family, friends, your church, your religion, transportation or the girl who smiled at you when you bought groceries. Please feel free to add to this list. I’d love to hear what you’re grateful for. Someone mention a
Gratitude diary...
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It's Release Day
It’s Release Day Finally! The Foundation series– The Fourth Victim, Sara’s story is finished, edited and formatted. And I have the cover! I love it.And today is released day. It’s available everywhere. Here’s a blurb for The Fourth Victim Sara’s StorySara’s emotionally abusive husband dies unexpectedly. She’s struggling to reclaim the intelligent, independent person she was before she married. She vows never to let a man take over her life again. Now she’s part of a special team, training to help other women. Mac is responsible for training women in special ops techniques, so they are prepared when they are challenged to save other women. When he meets Sara, sparks fly between them. He wants her to quit the training and let him take care of her. Sara graduates and now she and her team have to save Sara’s daughter from a serial killer. Can Mac step back and trust her in a dangerous situation? Can Sara and Mac resolve their issues, or will they go in opposite directions? Buy Links for The Fourth Victim Sara's StoryApple - https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-fourth-victim/id1440048796?ls=1&mt=11Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-fourth-victim-9 Amazon– https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JQ97L8M?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420 Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fourth-victim-saras-story-beverley-bateman/1129787236;jsessionid=F0F8F40ED498F523C97C6F0A8F95768A.prodny_store01-atgap12?ean=2940155751731 Paperback will be available soon. If you read it, I’d love to hear what you think. You can contact me at Website – https://www.beverleybateman.com Blog - http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/ Twitter @kelownawriter Facebook Authorpage -http://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeverleyBateman?ref=hl Pinterest http://pinterest.com/okwriter Amazon author pagehttp://www.amazon.com/Beverley-Bateman/e/B008M01F5E Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/beverley.bateman.18?fref=ts Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7052567.Beverley_Bateman LinkedIn - babateman@shaw.ca Email: darkwriter2@gmail.com
