Pay us for library ebook loans, say authors

Many writers rely on income from library loans, says the Society of Authors, in calling for digital books to be included in PLR scheme

'There is no difference between ebooks and print books' … Lindsey Davis, of the Society of Authors. Photograph: Bloomberg

Authors are calling on the government to remunerate them when their ebooks are lent from libraries, calling it “patently unjust” that digital titles are currently borrowed with no payment made to the writer.

Authors are paid 6.05p every time their physical books are borrowed from the UK's public libraries, up to a maximum of £6,600, under the government-funded Public Lending Right scheme. But ebooks and audiobooks, a growing sector for library users, are not currently included in the scheme, even though the Digital Economy Act of 2010 paved the way for this to be done.

Nicola Solomon of the Society of Authors called it “terribly unfair” and said that “authors should be properly remunerated” for their work. “It's very important to understand that authors do rely on PLR – it's not just a nice little bonus. Many authors get PLR who are not bestsellers but do very well in libraries. People borrow very different books from the book they buy,” she said. “And authors can't continue to write if they are not paid for their work.”

Authors have a legal right to the payments, she said – and could even consider going to court to recover them. “Since 1992 'rental and lending right' has been a part of copyright protection. That means that authors have a legal right to equitable remuneration whenever their works are lent out,” she said…More at Pay us for library ebook loans, say authors

The heir to Martina Cole’s crown with a story of murder, the underworld, violence and treachery.

It’s 1983 and Stephanie Crouch’s life is dull. She is desperate to escape the run-down, pokey council house she shares with her overbearing family, but at fourteen years old she has nowhere to go.

When Stephanie meets East End wide-boy Barry, his cockney charm and quick tongue soon have her head over heels in love. Finally Stephanie feels like her dreary life is on the up. But too young to control their fate, Stephanie and Barry are torn apart when he is whisked away to Spain by his family.

Lonely and heartbroken Stephanie turns to Barry’s childhood friend Wayne for comfort, and their friendship soon blossoms into romance, leaving Barry fuming and promising revenge…

Ten years later Barry returns to England. Within one month Stephanie’s happy world with Wayne is turned upside down. People immediately start to point the finger of accusation at Barry, but is he the one to blame?

The Demon King still lives, stronger than ever, devouring souls in search of immortality. Against him stands the scholar Taron, a newly-minted warrior of Lemuria, and Willow, a woman of unearthly loveliness, born of mist…Taron must pass through the waterfall of molten gold that shields the secret portal to his beloved land. His brilliant mind and the speaking sword called CrystalFire are his weapons against evil. But nothing can protect him from the power of love. Willow, whom he once knew as a sprite who could dance in his hand, has been changed by a master stroke of magic into the form of a beautiful, highly sensual woman, desiring a thousand pleasures that she insists he alone can give her. Innocent and eager, Willow arouses his deepest needs and sexual hunger – and his love. He will risk all to save her, even if it means a battle to the death with the ultimate foe…

Join Jiggly Boggly as he explores the tunnels, streets and schools of London, visiting the secret homes of his marvelous Monsters… Jiggly Boggly is a Monster Caretaker with a forgetful streak. After misplacing his monster map, he begins to hear hums, howls and growls and soon knows it’s time to pack his satchel and set out to find his monsters! Created and named by school children from every borough of London and brought to life by 34 illustrators, Jiggly Boggly and the GOSH Monsters is a unique and imaginative story made by and for children, with all profits from sales of this book donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The first mention of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in The Guardian came in its Books Of The Week round-up on 15 June 1897. It’s worth quoting in full:

Dracula
by Bram Stoker

Buy it from the Guardian bookshop

Tell us what you think: Star-rate and review this book
A writer who attempts in the nineteenth century to rehabilitate the ancient legends of the were-wolf and the vampire has set himself a formidable task. Most of the delightful old supersitions of the past have an unhappy way of appearing limp and sickly in the glare of a later day, and in such a story as Dracula by Bram Stoker (Archibald Constable and Co, Svo, pp 390, 6s.), the reader must reluctantly acknowledge that the region of horrors has shifted its ground.

Man is no longer in dread of the monstrous and the unnatural, and although Mr Stoker has tackled his gruesome subject with enthusiasm, the effect is more often grotesque than terrible. The Transylvanian site of Castle Dracula is skilfully chosen, and the picturesque region is well described. Count Dracula himself has been in his day a medieval noble, who, by reason of his “vampire” qualities is unable to die properly, but from century to century resuscitates his life of the “Un-Dead”, as the author terms it, by nightly draughts of blood from the throats of living victims, with the appalling consequence that those once so bitten must become vampires in their turn.

The plot is too complicated for reproduction, but it says no little for the author’s powers that in spite of its absurdities the reader can follow the story with interest to the end. It is, however, an artistic mistake to fill a whole volume with horrors. A touch of the mysterious, the terrible, or the supernatural is infinitely more effective and credible.

It must be nice to go back into your archives to its Books Of The Week round-up on 15 June 1897. Good for the Guardian. I’ve said many unflattering things about the Guardian over the years but their book section is coming along nicely… but, who got it wrong then!!

Philip

Writing without having a program can perform, specially when deadlines, lack of structure or balancing your writing with other life priorities are not an concern. But most writers require and want to know how they are going to do their writing. They want an action strategy to measure their progress and keep them moving forward.

How to Write a Writing Action Program Despite the fact that action plans vary with each writing project, the following steps will support guide you when you prepare yours: 1. Build a master Writing Action Program document. Keep away from having components of it in distinctive files and location. You want to be able to refer to your action strategy simply and at any time. two. Set a completion date. A target date or deadline helps you stay motivated. 3. Identify the project\’s essential stages. For instance, if you are writing an report, these stages may well consist of:

Identifying the theme or angle Identify the sub-topics Assessment analysis information and facts for supporting information and interview notes for rich quotations Write the very first draft Do revisions Edit Get feedback Revise based on feedback Do the final editing and proofreading Prepare the final manuscript

four. Assign target dates for completion for each and every key stage of your project. Like the completion date, these interim target dates will preserve you motivated. five. Assign distinct dates to evaluation your progress. Place these dates on both your calendar and your action strategy. Depending on your writing endeavor, you could come to a decision to evaluation your progress every day, weekly, biweekly or monthly. 6. Review your progress. Compare your progress with the action strategy target dates. At every review, identify the successes and obstacles you have had and identify no matter if the target dates need to be moved up or pushed out.

K S Brooks, Author Of Night Undone

Larry Correia – Monster Hunter International. Is the first book of a trilogy about Monsters and the people who hunt and kill them. Monster Hunter International is an American (Where else) Company dedicated to the eradication of monsters on earth.

Our heroes are much abused as they go about there business.

Government overview and Government competition cause them more hurt than the monsters. As our hero to be throws his boss out of the thirteenth floor window we know something is wrong here. If you enjoy a tale that is mindlessly entertaining, a heavily action based urban fantasy, with an accountant who is built like an outhouse and talented fighter and shootist then this is the book for you.

Its quite long for a fantasy and is heavy on the action. I liked it or it wouldn’t be here. There are two more to go – Monster Hunter Vendetta and Monster Hunter Alpha

Written by Larry Correia and available in either written or audible form. I listen to most of my books at the moment. At least I can get on with some thing else at the same time. Why not try this book for free with a 14-day FREE TRIAL with audible.co.uk and get 1 FREE audiobook download.