In a previous blog post, I visited the topic of how authors get paid. It wasn't, I think you'll agree, an in depth look at the topic, but it is something of interest to me. And, it should probably be a topic of interest to you, if you read books. And, if you're reading this blog, you probably do read books.
Unless you've taken a wrong turn somewhere out here in the vastness of the internet . . .
Authors, generally speaking, earn far less than the minimum income standard for their writing, and rarely is it the case that a writer is able to work solely as a writer, to be able to afford a decent standard of living. There are many instances of writers earning more from giving talks than they do from sales of books. Even then, being a writer is not the profession to opt for if you want to, you know, earn enough money to live off. It's a damn struggle.
When I came across this article in The Guardian (01/06/2021), about a new initiative to get authors earning royalties from the sale of secondhand books, it put a smile on my face. And, you do wonder, when you think about it, why it hadn't occurred to anyone before now.
Out of a necessity to budget, and my bank account being almost perpetually overdrawn, I have often opted for a secondhand book when drawn beyond my will to making another book purchase. And, being slightly aware of how authors earn royalties from sales, I have felt guilt because of that. Though, I shouldn't have to - no one should be priced out of access to books.
I fully support the initiative to get authors royalties from the sale of secondhand books. We need to support our authors as much as we can. Authors don't earn enough for the time and effort they put into their work, and they earn less, on average, than they did just ten years ago. As readers, we need to support them. Otherwise, you lose it.
As an aside, I also believe in supporting independent bookshops. I know the local Waterstones is convenient, and they have some nice little gifts too. I know that Amazon isn't going anywhere. But, we need more than that. We need bookshops whose identities are informed by the local community in which they have come to being, we need bookshops that support local economies, we need bookshops that are concerned with more than the company brand.
I have allowed myself a link to the Waterstones site on this blog because I have shopped with them. But, it's just the one general link on the home page. Every link, in every book review blog post, that takes you to the specific book being discussed in that post, takes you to bookshop.org. It just sits better with me to recommend a site that supports local bookshops. Because, after all, Mr. Bezos and his ilk don't need any more money.
Though some of his employees could do with a little more . . .
As book readers, we are also consumers. We are supporters of those authors that line our bookshelves. Those authors who sacrificed house work, time with loved ones, and days out so they could get that work out of their head and onto the page, never really sure that anyone would ever read it. But, they persevered nonetheless, and they put hours, days, weeks, months, or maybe even years, into writing and editing. And, they can still end up getting paid a pittance.
I don't always shop as ethically as I could. But, I try, and being aware is a pretty good place to start.
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