Welcome to Litsy!

This quote reminded me of how American Dirt gained its initial buzz: "Publishing is a business based on fiction—and not only the fiction that is packaged between covers...In order to convince harried distracted people to set aside hours or even days to read hundreds of pages of non-animated words, we in the publishing business must manufacture an aura of success around a book, a glowing sheen that purrs *I am worth your time.*"

Writers and money. That‘s the gist of this collection of essays and interviews with a variety of writers. Don‘t be surprised to find writing usually doesn‘t make you rich 😂. Still, several are insightful, particularly writers of color sharing their relationships with publishers, etc. And I can‘t help but wonder if Jonathan Franzen and Jennifer Weiner knew their pieces would be back to back 🤔 (they‘ve supposedly feuded with each other).

I really enjoyed the bite-sized bits from a variety of authors. Some of it was hard to read, emotionally, but important. Really glad I read this book.

An interesting set of essays and interviews. I didn‘t love the first couple/few essays but then I really enjoyed it. Manjula Martin is a good interviewer.

This is a group of essays mostly detailing how authors/writers began their careers and struggle to make a living in writing. Very interesting look into the world of writing and publishing.

I loved nearly every essay in this book! It's a truly thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between art and business. Highly recommend!

Excellent book gifts and choices! Very excited to delve into both of these! Reading about Writing, Oprah, coloring and hot cocoa-what could be better? And the Christmas Tree bauble is priceless 😎🎄🎁📚🎉 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻📚 @CandycaneBelle #litsylove #secretsantagoespostal #wintersolsticebookexchange Thank you, thank you!!

This entire essay- "Write to Suffer, Publish to Starve" by J. Robert Lennon- is hilarious and extremely accurate.

Bliss.

Essays in which authors are honest about how writers make money (or don't). I think I might have gotten more out of it if I were an aspiring writer, but I did enjoy the variety of perspectives. And also how the editor put Jennifer Weiner's and Jonathan Franzen's veiled critiques of each other one right after the other. Subtle!

Really loving this one on audio!

loving the sunshine today 📖☉🍵

It took me a while to get through this one because I kept getting distracted by other books, but overall I did enjoy these essays and interviews about writing and money. It's probably in between a Pick and a So-So, but there are some fantastic contributors so I'm going with Pick.

An interesting collection from writers including how they make their living and portions of their personal stories. The pieces from Jamison and Older were standouts for me and overall I enjoyed the conversation pieces (except Franzen, who came across as an arrogant prick). A bit too much of this was meh and I found myself skimming. I think picking and choosing on this one is the way to go.

On the way to the airport for a quick weekend trip (don't worry, I'm not driving), so the aliens would find me with my nook, already loaded with 300+ books, including my current read. I'd be in good shape! #funfridayphoto

Scratch is most useful for writers, but the main message of transparency can be extrapolated to other creative professions. The focus is on traditional revenue streams—publishing houses, magazines, teaching gigs, and speaking tours—but Kickstarter is mentioned. Self-publishing goes largely unaddressed. Overall, Scratch provides a good idea of the basics of the business of traditional American publishing today.

Full review: goo.gl/i6Wdn2

Great advice from real authors!

Editor Manjula Martin and contributor Cari Luna at @Powells last night for the final stop on the Scratch book tour. Standing room only! #getindie #transparency

A mixed bag, like most multi-author collections. Some essays pissed me off, some made me grin, none quite made me cheer. I did appreciate the editorial choice in how many of them were juxtaposed, especially Jennifer Weiner and Jonathan Franzen.

Leslie Jamison has inadvertently articulated what has been bothering me about this book: all the essays are written from within this binary, in which these are the ways of funding writing. The other way--to me, most important--of funding writing is ignored: the readers.

She's also the only one so far to describe these models as a binary, and her point is that it isn't a binary, so at least I agree with that. It's all one publishing world.

Love this interview with Cheryl Strayed about the realities of making a living as a writer. ❤📚

A really fascinating look at money and careers from many different writers at different stages in their careers. I didn't come away with any staggering epiphanies, but lots of nuggets of wisdom and some reassurance. I so appreciate the honesty and breadth of these essays--it's all a good reminder that everyone's mileage will vary. Now...where's the YA/kidlit version of this book?

A serious novelist, as defined by Jonathan Franzen.

Guys, I'm not serious. And I'm not sorry.

Submitted without comment.

THIS

I pay a guy.

The last thing I need is more books about writing, but I couldn't resist both of these. The 3rd is because I needed a book with a flag on the cover for #plannergirlbookbingo2017 and now seems like a good time to learn more about the history of women in America. 📚

This is why I always feel like I don't know what the heck I'm doing.

I want to agree with this statement but I find it strange, as though there's only one way to make a living as a writer. He (Alexander Chee) goes on to describe multiple things he learned and people he learned from, but all within the same model: academic or "get the book deal." The whole book seems focused on that model so far, which is its one negative to me.

Well, this will either give me hope or horribly depress me. Only one way to find out...

A book of essays where writers engage in frank discussions about money in their profession. As a part time writer who also does some personal finance writing, I found this all fascinating. I especially love when people talk numbers. Warning: people wanting to write as a full time job may devolve into a ball of anxiety after reading this book.

#TBRtemptation post! I need this book!!!!! This just-released collection of essays discusses how creative people, particularly writers, make money. Roxanne Gay, Jonathan Franzen, Nick Hornby, Jennifer Weiner, Daniel Jose Older, etc., all make contributions. Their ways, their lives, their struggles, MFA programs, teaching fellowships, literature and commerce's relationship, etc., are discussed. I. Need. This!!! #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

"When you recognise that it is work." -Nina MacLaughlin

Finished this on the flight to Maine this morning. Still in two minds about it. Some if the essays were really smart and thoughtful (especially Leslie Jamison's, which was superb), others less so. It wasn't quite the frank discussion I'd hoped for. Overall a worthwhile read, but perhaps some opportunities were missed.

I feel strongly that we're only hurting ourselves as writers by being so secretive about money. There's no other job in the world where you get your master's degree in that field and you're like well, I might make zero or I might make $5 million! We don't have any standards in that way, and we probably never will. There will always be such a wide range of what writers are paid, but at least we could give each other information.

Cheryl Strayed on what success looks like for a writer.

I received this book from NetGalley and didn't know if I would enjoy it since I am not a writer (just a reader who loves books:). I ended up devouring it, though. Very interesting essays and interviews about the financial life of a diverse collection of writers.

To recap: Scratch was an online mag about the intersection of writing and money, and it was brilliant. This book is its reincarnation, and it is equally brilliant. Fantastic insights from Julia Fierro, Cheryl Strayed, Cari Luna, Choire Sicha, Daniel Jose Older, and others. It's one I'll likely return to again and again. Place your pre-orders!

I have been very much delinquent in posting to @Litsy lately, but I wanted to share my excitement over finally cracking the spine on this ARC of Scratch. The online mag left us far too soon.

"When I was first thinking of myself as a writer back in my teens, the shorthand for that was fame. But then I started to understand what writing was and who writers were... [They're] super-famous in our world, but most of the world doesn't know them. So pretty quickly, to me it wasn't about fame—it was about accomplishment. Once you let go of that fame thing, it's the first step in really being able to focus on doing good work." — Cheryl Strayed

I knew this would be interesting, but a better word is fascinating. Essays and real talk from writer at all stages of their careers, about the business of being S working writer.

!!!