Writing Projects slowed by the economy. (Moved: Novels to Roundtable)

I would think that in depressing economic times like these, people are MORE inclined to buy books and escape their stress for a bit.

tomothecat said:

I would think that in depressing economic times like these, people are MORE inclined to buy books and escape their stress for a bit.

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I hope so, too, like people did with movies during the depression. But now books and movies have to compete with TV and the Internet, which is, for the most part, free.

Anyway. Here's hoping.

Nateskate said:

I'm wondering how many of you writers have felt any degree of impact from the economy?

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I've felt an impact from the economy -- not in sales or sales attempts, as you mean here, but on a personal level. I got laid off ten days ago and my ability to work on my WIPs went right out the window as I attempted to cope with the blow. So, yes, my writing projects have been slowed by the economy.

However, next week I start working with the outplacement service and one of my former co-workers gave me an ego boost by e-mailing me to say how badly they're floundering without me, plus my severance package was quite good. So, yesterday, for the first time since the lay off, I was able to write a scene. It made me feel better to accomplish that much, at least. The confidence that gave me has boosted my confidence in my ability to find a new job, even here in California, where the unemployment rate is now rapidly approaching 10%.

WendyNYC said:

I hope so, too, like people did with movies during the depression. But now books and movies have to compete with TV and the Internet, which is, for the most part, free.

Anyway. Here's hoping.

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True. But people who love books will still be bookworms, I think. When people are traveling, getting movies and music onto their ipod still costs money. TV is free but boy are programs getting worse these days....

I saw on the news a couple days ago that more people are going to libraries in the rough economic times. However, libraries are also one of the things that are getting cut when towns are working on their budgets. So I'm not sure that more people going is actually helping anything. Hopefully, since more people are staying at home now (rather than vacationing or going out to eat a lot and such), they'll get sick of TV and start reading!

Retail book sales have always suffered during poor economic times. Obviously, what with all the closings, layoffs, consolidations, budget cutbacks, and more, it's no different during this recession. Since readers buy fewer books, stores close, publishers contract for fewer books with agents and/or writers, and some print runs are smaller than usual. Library readership has always increased, as it has today. But, as kaitlin said, library budgets are being slashed and some are even being forced to close.

I have two books that are scheduled to come out this fall (from two different publishers). One has already been pushed back six months to a spring release.

During the Great Depression, my parents, instead of buying books, used to rent them from lending libraries. Do any exist now?

Also, they and many adults I knew then were voracious readers without having graduated high school and read much more fiction than many college grads do today. By WWII, they were purchasing books again.

Guess I'm glad my short stories are available through free publications online...

tomothecat said:

True. But people who love books will still be bookworms, I think. When people are traveling, getting movies and music onto their ipod still costs money. TV is free but boy are programs getting worse these days....

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Arrr! Avast!

Piracy is a very real thing. It's nowhere near the threat that the MPAA and RIAA say it is (new movies and music costing more and being terrible does not compel people to see them), but it's a budget solution for people who can't afford scruples.

Book piracy, while also a very real thing, seems to me a very inconvenient thing. Reading a pdf or text file for hours at a time? Bleh, no thanks. Buying some kind of ebook reader is a bit out of the budget as well. Especially when books are available free of charge at libraries, and paperbacks are only like $5 anyway.

I think that the recession will tighten anyone's belt, but the publishing industry is not going to die. If worse comes to worse, the publishers could just get $20B from congress and spend $15B of it refurnishing their offices. The other $5B should be enough to pay my advance.

And, on the personal note, yes. The recession hurts. It's hard to write when questions like "will I make rent?" exist. It's hard to write when you're jobsearching-- you'd think having tons of free time would make it easy. It's hard to write when you're working hard and come home exhausted. These are hard times, and, to those hit by this recession, may Ardneh guide your pens.

Time seems to think more Internet and self-publishing will be the way of the future. Note they think that more writers will write free, without payment. I'm not doing it for the money, but still, that doesn't look good. Who's not dreaming of becoming a bestseller writer and living off writing?

People who like to read will read. They will find a way. They may go the library or read online or borrow from friends and neighbors. Those who are readers will read. Those who aren't... won't affect this.

I think it would be great if we could tap into the iPod (etc) market with short and long stories to the phone, and so on. While some folks don't care for it, there are A LOT of young folks that I've seen who don't think twice about the little screen. They accept it as readily as a phone without a cord. (Note: I used to hate reading on line, but between writing so much and taking online courses, I got used to it and now have no issues... unless I try to scroll the words I'm currently trying to read.)

For me, writing has affected me primarily on a personal level. Because the economy started tanking (in Michigan) before I even finished my teaching degree, I never did get the traditional 30k/yr w/bennies job that I had planned on. So, I have four jobs. This does, without a doubt, affect my ability to find time to write.

Nonetheless, I am still convinced that my novel is good enough and different enough that, once picked up by an agent, it will be successful. Maybe even successful enough that I could work just 2 jobs! Man... that would be nice. =)

Enzo said:

Who's not dreaming of becoming a bestseller writer and living off writing?

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You don't have to be a bestseller in order to make a living off writing. It helps, of course, and your personal debt makes a difference in how your earned money is spent. But I agree with the sentiment--writing is a profession, as much as being a doctor, lawyer, or teacher. We want a fair wage same as anyone.

Outside of fiction, the magazine I work for has not suffered *yet*. Hopefully, it won't. Fiction-wise, I've only just finished writing my first novel, but I'm now in no hurry to find an agent given the current financial situation (and the huge amount of snow outside my window which will keep me busy until the end of winter anyway). I feel the pressure is off on my fiction career this year.

The Association of American Publishers (go to publishers.org) state that book sales dropped by over 14 percent last year. In November alone -- the last reported month -- sales dropped over 4 percent.

I have to think that this will impact the number of new manuscripts accepted. *groan*

The economy has definitely had an impact on my projects: book editors who used to buy several books a year, now have trouble buying one, thus my novels are still circulating.

One company I work with delayed plans for a new project with me indefinitely.

I've got a book coming out in September with another company. I just hope they don't go under.

PortableHal said:

The Association of American Publishers (go to publishers.org) state that book sales dropped by over 14 percent last year. In November alone -- the last reported month -- sales dropped over 4 percent.

I have to think that this will impact the number of new manuscripts accepted. *groan*

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I don't know about numbers, but I think the current economic climate will have an immediate impact on what kind of manuscripts are accepted.. Since money is a greater concern now, I'd expect publishers to be more interested in "safe bets" -- works by established authors, genres that generally sell well, etc. This is just speculation on my part, though.

Y'all will probably hate me for this, but I can't say I've noticed any economic downturn at all. Food doesn't seem more expensive, nor do my household bills. And I'm buying more books than ever.

scarletpeaches said:

Y'all will probably hate me for this, but I can't say I've noticed any economic downturn at all. Food doesn't seem more expensive, nor do my household bills. And I'm buying more books than ever.

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So far, my life hasn't much changed, either. That could all be moot if I get laid off in the coming months, but for the time being...

I haven't been laid off yet, but my company is on the verge of going under and the remaining workers are all taking out their stress on one another. It's a thoroughly miserable situation, and that's definitely affected my desire to write.

I'm usually pretty good at "writing through" something (breakups, family trouble, etc) but this one has really been dogging me...possibly because so much hinges on being employed.

Haven't done much book-buying lately. I did pick up a couple off Amazon recently, but those are the first purchases I've made in awhile.

As for ebooks, I've tried 'em; much as I like the convenience, I don't much care to read an entire book off a screen. Hurts the eyes.

Ironically, since I lost my job in June, I have had a lot more time to focus on writing. I think maybe the fates did it to me on purpose so I could do what I am SUPPOSED to do- WRITE.

The economic crisis hasn't really hit Australia yet. But my dad lost his job last June, and at 50, it's not that easy to find another job. He can't get welfare until he spends his redundancy, or until they expect his redundancy will run out if he spends it "sensibly."

70-something jobs have been axed at my work. Ironically, I work for a charity that provides employment services to the unemployed. We've been getting heaps more clients, but we only get funding if we find them jobs. No jobs available means less funding. More clients, less funding means the company has sacked workers and those remaining have a heap more work to do.

How has this affect me?

I'm a socialist, so have been doing a bit more political work around the economic crisis, so I guess I'm busier. I'm also worried about my dad, and my own job. This can't be good for writing.

But also, it's given me ideas. During economic crises, you can see a growth in fascist or far-right racist groups. That's pretty scary. So as a horror writer, I'm writing about that.

Not mine! See sig.

Also, I work for a magazine that promotes writers to producers of radio and television talk shows, in order to gain media exposure for their books. So far (knock on wood), we haven't seen any serious decline, and our National Publicity Summit in April is still on full steam.

I have hope for entertainment in this economy.

I honestly don't think in some cases this tanking economy will not hurt the writing market. I believe print magazines are suffering, but more and more writing jobs/gigs are coming about as the internet is growing and expanding. Publishing houses might feel the blow a tad, so that might just give first time writers a better chance at being published....hopefully anyway.

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