Call to Action: The Trouble with Money and Publishing

 

 

 

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Episode Notes: In this call to action, we focus on the money side of publishing, which is more troubled than ever when it comes to paying employees a living wage, taking a chance on unpublished novelists, and funding a nonprofit arts organization like Talking Writing. 

The main highlight is a report on striking workers at HarperCollins—editors, production assistants, and other unionized staff—who have been walking a picket line in New York City since November 10. TW's managing editor, Neva Talladen, interviews one of the strikers, associate editor Rachel Kambury, about why better pay matters so much to those doing the work of editing, publishing, and marketing books. The lack of diversity among publishing executives is also on the table.

As of this date, the strike is ongoing. Many authors and publishing professionals support the strike by the HarperCollins Union, which is affiliated with Local 2110 (Technical Office and Professional Union) of the United Auto Workers. As you can see in the images below, Ibram X. Kendi and Padma Lakshmi wore pins to support the strike at the recent National Book Awards ceremony.

There are many ways to help the strikers, including donating money to the strike fund and joining the picket line in New York City. You'll find links and more information below.

In this episode, we've also included a reading by Rebecca Steinitz of her essay in our current issue, "On Writing Another Novel." She conveys both the joy of writing novels and the travails of being an unpublished novelist on the high side of fifty. Rebecca's essay is a nod to NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month—which is happening right now. One of Rebecca's novels got its start during a past NaNoWriMo, in which the challenge is to produce 50,000 words in thirty days. TW salutes the work of NaNoWriMo, another nonprofit organization, and all you novelists putting in the words this month.

Our podcast host and art director, John Vogel, includes music of his own throughout the episode to keep us inspired, too.

Last but not least, I add my call for donations to Talking Writing for our end-of-year fundraiser. I make it personal, noting that I've been working pro bono as top editor and publisher of TW since its founding. Publishing and writing are personal, of course, but that doesn't mean those who control the money should assume we'll keep doing it for free.

 

So, donate to Talking Writing by clicking this button or going to TW's Donate page. Amplify the efforts of HarperCollins strikers—and honor all those NaNoWriMo novelists letting their imaginations run free.

— Martha Nichols, TW Publisher

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More About the HarperCollins Strike

 Donation Link: Strike Fund

All images © HarperCollins Union and used with permission.

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Publishing Information for this Episode

• “HarperCollins Workers Strike for Better Pay and Benefits” by Alexandra Alter and Elizabeth A. Harris, New York Times, November 10, 2022.
• “Passion Doesn’t Pay the Bills” by Sophie Vershbow, Vulture, November 16, 2022.
• “Workers at HarperCollins Publishers Begin Strike,” AFL-CIO New York City Central Labor Council, November 11, 2022.
• UAW Local 2110 Union Information: “HarperCollins Publishers.”
• On Strikers Outside the National Book Awards Ceremony: “Gunty, Keene, Perry, Schweblin, Tahir Win 2022 National Book Awards” by Sophia Stewart, Publishers Weekly, November 16, 2022.
• “On Writing Another Novel” by Rebecca Steinitz, Talking Writing, Fall 2022.
• NaNoWriMo website.
• RPM Challenge website.
• Episode Original Music: The Sound of Thinking by Eddie Sids (@ John Vogel) and used with his permission. For more music, visit the Eddie Sids Bandcamp page.