John Baker’s Blog

Should novelists just shut up and write books? Some people clearly think so. Louise Doughty in The Telegraph.

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Some authors are paying to have their books mentioned in your blog’s comment section. Dear Author has been investigating:

What I think is particularly pernicious about this is that we readers really rely on other readers to give recommendations that are free from financial interest. When a reader gives a recommendation, we presume that it is from their heart and not from their pocketbook. The idea that there are readers out there who are essentially paid commenters really disturbs me.

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Tickets for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of King Lear, with Ian McKellan in the lead role, were selling for up to $1700 in Los Angeles. I think we paid £20.00 for seats in the dress circle for the same production in Newcastle.

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