‘There’s an industry-wide mental health crisis’: authors and publishers on why the books sector needs to change
After a survey revealed the stresses that authors face when placed in the spotlight for the first time, publishing houses and industry bodies have pledged extra training and pastoral care
Author and publisher welfare has been a hot topic in the books industry of late. Publishing houses, trade unions and industry bodies have scrambled for solutions following a survey by the Bookseller in which debut authors reported overwhelmingly negative publication experiences: more than half of respondents said the process adversely affected their mental health. Now, a series of measures are being rolled out across the industry in response to these concerns.
This month, Anna Frame, communications director at the independent publisher Canongate, has confirmed various initiatives are being discussed, including an authors’ handbook in partnership with the Society of Authors (SoA) and a resource pack for publishers, in conjunction with English Pen. Canongate has also announced that it will publish fewer books so that it can dedicate more time to authors.
