Ian Rankin wants tax incentives to help new authors
In a piece from The Guardian:
“The internet has plusses and minuses. Its easier than ever to get your stuff seen by people. But its harder than ever to make a living from it. Look at the money that publishers are paying for new writers … less than they paid 20 years ago. They know first novels dont sell many copies and, if writers decide… to sidestep the traditional publishing route and sell their stuff by themselves online, they’re having to sell it for virtually nothing – 99p.”
Many writers have managed to make a good living from selling their work for practically nothing, but the vast majority both have not and will not. What I want is for people to stop selling writers unlikely dreams and to start helping them build a career. More thoughts to come in a future blog post.
