Is Being An Author Even a Career Anymore?

The myth of The Writer looms large in our cultural consciousness. When most readers picture an author, they imagine an astigmatic, scholarly type who wakes at the crack of dawn in a monastic, book-filled, shockingly affordable house surrounded by nature. The Writer makes coffee and sits down at their special writing desk for their ritualized morning pages. They break for lunch—or perhaps a morning constitution—during which they have an aha! moment about a troublesome plot point. Such a lifestyle aesthetic is "something we've long wanted to believe," said Paul Bogaards, the veteran book publicist who has worked with the likes of Joan Didion, Donna Tartt, and Robert Caro. "For a very small subset of writers, this has been true. And it's getting harder and harder to do."

View in Browser  SHOP EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBE Has It Ever Been Harder to Make a Living As An Author? The myth of The Writer looms large in our cultural consciousness. When most readers picture an author, they imagine an astigmatic, scholarly type who wakes at the crack of dawn in a monastic, book-filled, shockingly affordable house surrounded by nature. The Writer makes coffee and sits down at their special writing desk for their ritualized morning pages. They break for lunch—or perhaps a morning constitution—during which they have an aha! moment about a troublesome plot point. Such a lifestyle aesthetic is "something we've long wanted to believe," said Paul Bogaards, the veteran book publicist who has worked with the likes of Joan Didion, Donna Tartt, and Robert Caro. "For a very small subset of writers, this has been true. And it's getting harder and harder to do." Read More Backcountry's Sale Has the Best Patagonia Deals Around Forget Black Friday—take up to 60% off outerwear, tops, and more now. Read More What's the Point of a Dress Code These Days? That's the question I had to grapple with when I received an invitation that read "Alpine Black Tie." Read More Nazi-Curious Madman Currently Under Indictment For 91 Felonies Gives Speech Over the weekend, Fulton County (Ga.) Inmate No. P01135809, the guy who used to keep Hitler's speeches handy for bedtime reading, crossed over into a declaration of outright fascism and didn't break a sweat. What is so frightening is that it was so damned easy for him to do it. Trump's rhetoric, coupled with his stated plans for his next presidency, should clarify for any thinking human being the fact that he must not be elected next year. Read More The 33 Most Thoughtful Gifts for New Parents The luxuries they undoubtedly deserve right now. Read More The 15 Best Sherpa Jackets to Buy Now and Wear All Winter Because what isn't made better by a super-soft fleece? Read More The Loki Head Writer Answers All Your Season 2 Finale Questions It's been—what's the word?—a hectic couple of months for Loki's executive producer and head writer, Eric Martin. Rolling out a six-episode television series from a billion-dollar-plus-grossing superhero universe is no easy feat, even during normal times. But doing it during an actors' strike, which pretty much shifts the promotion of said television series entirely onto your own shoulders? Phew. So when I caught up with Martin not even 24 hours after Loki's uber-chaotic Season Two finale aired, I asked him, you know, how he was doing. "Relieved more than anything," he said. Here, Martin opened up about Loki's journey to true godliness, where Sophia Di Martino's Sylvie goes next, his thoughts on Loki's critics, and more. Read More Follow Us Unsubscribe | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Esquire is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779