A fascinating and scary article for writers and readers alike:
Literary fiction in crisis as sales drop dramatically, Arts Council England reports
New figures show that fewer UK writers earn enough to live on, as ACE blames falling sales of literary fiction on the recession and the rise of smartphones
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/dec/15/literary-fiction-in-crisis-as-sale-drop-dramatically-arts-council-england-reports?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=256642&subid=23786111&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
By Claire Armitstead 
on The Guardian
Finally it’s official: literary fiction is in crisis, and writers across the land are burning the midnight oil in their garrets, teaching or slogging away in unrelated jobs to keep the fire ablaze in the grate. This Dickensian picture was revealed by Arts Council England today in a report that suggests it may have to shift its funding priorities in order to save a population whose economic and cultural solvency has been chipped away over the years.
So why has it come to this, and how much does it really matter? The first thing to be clear about is that people are not necessarily reading less – print sales of books across fiction, nonfiction and children’s titles rose almost 9% in the UK last year, while on Tuesday market analysts Nielsen BookScan will reveal that sales over the all-important Christmas period have risen 20%…
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Well, we went into this knowing it isn’t exactly a high demand profession, and yet before our very eyes, the writing world is evolving into something where writers write about writing (or teach, or workshop or blog about writing) in order to survive. More people than ever are writing, and fewer read. We’re becoming, as one writer put it “professional skimmers.”
A good, honest article. Thanks. I guess.
Thanks and I agree with your points.
Thanks, Christoph, and I also agree with J. B. Whitmore.
❤
Hi Christoph, As someone who had two, modest factual books published in 1984/5, by Kogan Page Ltd., of London, and was treated with respect and due payment (advance, cheque on publishing and quarterly royalties, plus small amounts from the libraries.) I take exception, today, to the insulting meagre sums paid by Amazon., Kindle and CreateSpace etc.,Serious writers shouldn’t be expected to take an ‘ology in the technical world’ (yes, I know all about necessary change etc.,) The one word answer – quite simply – is GREED. Right across the board, a handful of evil, grasping individuals and companies, are making life for the average person very difficult. Sport, publishing, the housing situation, especially in the UK:, are all being ‘puppeted’ from the obscene amounts of money being skimmed off by the wrong people. I am a peace-loving person but am beginning to understand, non-violent anarchy…
Hi Joy
I hear you loud and clear. What started of as consumer and user friendly initiative has become a cut-throat abuse of monetary power, and not just authors are concerned but delivery drivers and small companies. Bad news is that many of us, me included, are playing along by using Amazon, even if only on occasion, feeding the beast as it were.
Thanks for commenting and peace to you 🙂
I think we need some original ideas, maybe a whole new genre to re-spark people.
Frightening indeed, Christoph. That gave me goosebumps — and not the good kind! TGIF hugs.
What I’ve long suspected. So very sad.