Canelo / Arts Council England

Literary consultancy:
Some people we heard from have found that 
working with literary consultancies is earning them money, generally 
in small commercial organisations paid to provide feedback to new 
writers. This work tends to be done on a freelance basis. It can pay 
reasonably well, although people were sketchy about the exact 
numbers. It also comes with the downsides mentioned above. 
Speaking and events:
Much recent controversy has centred on the 
fact many authors do not get paid to appear at literary festivals, despite 
festivals charging for entrance to those talks. Philip Pullman resigned 
as patron of the Oxford Literary Festival in protest that authors ‘are 
expected to work for nothing’ e.g. speak at the festival for free when 
most events came with a £10-12 ticket price. While most writers are 
paid nothing, some are apparently earning fees of up to £3,000 for an 

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Canelo / Arts Council England | 
46

Literature in the 21st Century: Understanding Models of Support for Literary Fiction
appearance.
30
Without diving into the rights and wrongs of the issue, 
nor the question of the publicity value from appearing there, for most 
writers there won’t be a lot of money in speaking at festivals or other 
events. For a small number of writers there will. The familiar pattern is 
there. 
Beyond all these support models lies one further, and found in 
increasing numbers: other jobs. Recall the figures cited earlier: that in 
2005 40% of authors survived solely from their writing. Just eight years 
later in 2013 only 11.6% did.
31
For literary writers in particular that may 
be even more extreme. We are returning to the long term historical 
norm, which was interrupted for some brief and in hindsight halcyon 
days in the mid to late twentieth century, where writers cannot survive 
by writing alone.