Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 2d

This weekend’s charity shop find:

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 2d

("Recently Hillary seemed to cum later and later, like the Christmas postman.")

God Bless Jilly and RIP

bsky.app/profile/sooz...

Sooz Kempner @soozuk.bsky.social · Oct 18

🧵Some real Jilly Cooper quotes from her Rutshire Chronicles, the series of books that Rivals is from.

1) "Her breasts swayed like party balloons when the front door opens"

10

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 2d

I've read or listened to Rivals at least once every other year since the age of 16, and watched the TV show three times. What a wonder she was!

5

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 2d

Other people either laugh, or look quizzically at me and hurry away. It sometimes feels as if I’m in a Jilly Cooper novel ... one of her caricature academics – who tend to be bearded, left-wing and ‘bootfaced’, with dubious personal hygiene and ineffectual yearnings." www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v3...

Ian Patterson · Miss Dior, Prodigally Applied: Jilly Cooper

www.lrb.co.uk

1 3

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 2d

Jilly! 💔

"Jilly Cooper ’s work is not, so far as I know, much studied in universities. In the [SCR] recently, when I mentioned that I was writing this review, a Very Senior Person slumped forward with his head in his hands, muttering: ‘Oh no, soft porn!’..." 1/2

1 2 5

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Across The Pond Podcast @acrossthepondbooks.bsky.social · 7d

We spoke to Lily King about her new novel Heart The Lover, which is, among other things, a reminder of some of the good that happens in the USA: www.buzzsprout.com/1728150/epis...

121. Lily King, "Heart the Lover" - Across the Pond

Sam and Lori are joined by writer Lily King to talk about her latest novel, Heart the Lover, a wonderful exploration of love, friendship, and learning--strong ties forged in college that survive lifet...

www.buzzsprout.com

2

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Sam Jordison @samjordison.bsky.social · 5d

open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/l...

Links, tips and suggestions

Reading suggestions and important ideas from the literary world. This week, a chance for authors to strike back against , Chris Kraus, censorship (of course) and fine, fine reader recommendations

open.substack.com

3 3

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Anne Trubek @atrubek.bsky.social · 8d

I hear this a lot — that if you don’t earn out your advance the publisher still can profit. But usually ppl don’t take into account a huge host of factors. Did the publisher *print* 50k but It sold 2k? That’s a huge printing bill.

Linda Holmes @lindaholmes.bsky.social · 8d

Yep. Your book can be (very) profitable even if you never earn out your advance.

(Say I offer you $5 a day for a week to make what I estimate will be $350, because we agree 10% of what I expect to make is fair. I give you $35 in advance, but then I only make $250. Doesn’t mean I lost money.)

Lili Saintcrow @lilithsaintcrow.com · 8d

One thing this article doesn't cover is that most books don't "earn out" their advances, true--but that the magic of publisher accounting is a large component of why that's so, and an author not earning out does NOT mean the publisher didn't profit extensively.

Far from.

1 2 11

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Jonathan Gibbs @jonathangibbs.bsky.social · 11d

Heads up! We are closing in on the THREE HUNDREDTH edition of A Personal Anthology, which will be something of a landmark.

I've got some great contributors lined up, but more are needed. So if you love short stories, and can write something about a dozen of them, please get in touch...

4 9

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

The Madrid Review @madridlitmag.bsky.social · 12d

@somanydamnbooks.bsky.social @literaryfriction.bsky.social @acrossthepondbooks.bsky.social #Podcasts #readerscommunity #reading #literary

1 2 6

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 12d

Our latest newsletter contains the chance to get some beautiful signed artwork from @jamesnunnart.bsky.social , news of an All My Precious Madness t-shirt, massive glaring typos and more of the things we hope you love and expect: www.galleybeggar.co.uk/campaigns/vi...

Art that matters

Galley Beggar Mail

www.galleybeggar.co.uk

5 6

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Naomi Colvin @auerfeld.bsky.social · 12d

Sobering take on the economics of publishing in 2025 from @samjordison.bsky.social. Books are incredibly cheap compared to other forms of, uh, entertainment. That's probably got to change. samj.substack.com

Galley Beggar - Pressing issues | SamJordison | Substack

Occasional ideas about books and publishing from Sam Jordison, co-director of Galley Beggar Press, editor, author and journalist. Click to read Galley Beggar - Pressing issues, by SamJordison, a Subst...

samj.substack.com

3 6

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 12d

Our latest newsletter contains the chance to get some beautiful signed artwork from @jamesnunnart.bsky.social , news of an All My Precious Madness t-shirt, massive glaring typos and more of the things we hope you love and expect: www.galleybeggar.co.uk/campaigns/vi...

Art that matters

Galley Beggar Mail

www.galleybeggar.co.uk

5 6

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 12d

Thank you!!

1

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Martin Shaw @thebooksdesk.bsky.social · 12d

Illuminating as ever from Sam and Eloise at @galleybeggars.bsky.social: UK small publishers are genuine cultural heroes I reckon... open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/w...

What does it cost to produce a book?

Why small presses in the UK are struggling - and what can be done about it.

open.substack.com

2 3 16

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Tramp Press @tramppress.bsky.social · 13d

Please read this excellent article about the dramatic rise of costs in publishing by a truly great indie press. When you buy a book, 'you are buying a stake in the survival of our world of letters'.

Sam Jordison @samjordison.bsky.social · 13d

An article on the pressures on publishing, rising costs, what can be done about it - and how readers can also help.

open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/w...

(This ran in the Society of Authors quarterly, The Author, earlier this year. They've kindly given me permission to reproduce it on my Substack.)

What does it cost to produce a book?

Why small presses in the UK are struggling - and what can be done about it.

open.substack.com

1 9 22

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Rónán Hession @ronanhession.bsky.social · 13d

Really illuminating article. Well done Sam and Elly for putting this out there.

Sam Jordison @samjordison.bsky.social · 13d

An article on the pressures on publishing, rising costs, what can be done about it - and how readers can also help.

open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/w...

(This ran in the Society of Authors quarterly, The Author, earlier this year. They've kindly given me permission to reproduce it on my Substack.)

What does it cost to produce a book?

Why small presses in the UK are struggling - and what can be done about it.

open.substack.com

1 5 15

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

𝕵𝖔𝖗𝖉𝖆𝖓 𝕬𝖈𝖔𝖘𝖙𝖆 @jordanacosta.co · 17d

Congrats all! Brilliant news.

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 20d

Delighted that the audiobook version of All My Precious Madness, read by Paul Hilton and produced by @spiracleaudiobooks.bsky.social has been shortlisted for a Speakie in the best fiction audiobook category: www.thebookseller.com/news/the-bri...

The British Audio Awards shortlists revealed for inaugural year

The shortlists for the inaugural year of The British Audio Awards, also known as The Speakies, have been revealed and include industry names such as Hamza Yassin, AF Steadman, and Dr Rangan Chatterjee...

www.thebookseller.com

1 4

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 13d

❤️

1

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 13d

Thanks so much Jude! Hope you enjoy it.

1

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Jude Cook @judecook.bsky.social · 15d

Thank you @galleybeggars.bsky.social for another splendid proof package. Out November 2025: Gonzalo C. Garcia’s new book, Telenovela.

2 1 4

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Sam Jordison @samjordison.bsky.social · 13d

An article on the pressures on publishing, rising costs, what can be done about it - and how readers can also help.

open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/w...

(This ran in the Society of Authors quarterly, The Author, earlier this year. They've kindly given me permission to reproduce it on my Substack.)

What does it cost to produce a book?

Why small presses in the UK are struggling - and what can be done about it.

open.substack.com

1 17 39

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Sam Jordison @samjordison.bsky.social · 19d

New Links, Tips and Suggstions post on Substack. More discussion of censorship. And a heart-warming story about a man living his life as Thoreau at Walden Pond: open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/l...

I wonder if any of my colleagues in the book world who used to say exactly the same things about people they had decided had broken their perfect moral code have felt a jolt of recognition? Have they thought that maybe those weren’t the ideal lessons to teach the rightwing? That maybe we shouldn’t have given them weapons? Do they wonder why the monster they used to feed is now bitting them?

1 2 4

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

@Galleybeggars @galleybeggars.bsky.social · 20d

Delighted that the audiobook version of All My Precious Madness, read by Paul Hilton and produced by @spiracleaudiobooks.bsky.social has been shortlisted for a Speakie in the best fiction audiobook category: www.thebookseller.com/news/the-bri...

The British Audio Awards shortlists revealed for inaugural year

The shortlists for the inaugural year of The British Audio Awards, also known as The Speakies, have been revealed and include industry names such as Hamza Yassin, AF Steadman, and Dr Rangan Chatterjee...

www.thebookseller.com

6 25

Reposted by @Galleybeggars

Bluemoose Books @ofmooseandmen.bsky.social · 19d

Good morning.

Together with @littletollerbooks.bsky.social we publish a very important book

The destruction of our peat lands is of international concern.

40 nature writers incl. Rob Macfarlane - Amy Liptrot - Horatio Clare & music legend Patti Smith.

You can order here: www.littletoller.co.uk

2 72 260