KateT

I can't tell you how heartened I am to find this site! It seems that these are glum, benighted times, when not only is the reader's voice unheard, but the writer has been gagged also!
I am a best-selling author of nine novels (one has been published under a nom-de-plume). My tenth novel has just been (self) published, and has the distinction of being the very first Indie publication to be reviewed by 'heat' magazine. You can find out more about me by going to www.kate-thompson.com, and you can find out about my latest book by going to www.loveliesbleedingthebook.com - or simply by Googling 'The Clandestine Chapters'
Thank-you so much for taking the time to read this. I really hope you will support this venture, because the Independent of 12th March reports that: 'Some of the most distinguished names in British literature attended a crisis meeting called by the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) at the British Library to discuss the plummeting income of authors and the copyright issues that threaten to make it worse. Some raged against Google's plans to make whole books available online for free.
But most were there to discuss authors' dwindling incomes: when you take away the superstar authors who are earning shedloads, the actual figure for the rest is closer to £4,000. That's less than it was last time anyone looked, seven years ago, and far less than the distant days when the Net Book Agreement kept prices high. Forget living on baked beans in a garrett; this is barely enough to buy stale bread and a tarpaulin for shelter. And it is only for the lucky ones: fewer authors are being signed up unless they're famous, advances are shrinking, and those who sell only moderately well are dropped, ending careers early.'
Food for thought, lads. Or, actually, should that read - no food for thought, lads?
PS: I'm thrilled that my top 5 books have been featured on the Booktribes Homepage, and that I've won a copy of Black Swan Green!