Scratch

September 12, 2016
Martin collects interviews from her online magazine, Scratch, and pairs them with new and reprinted essays to demonstrate that the mysterious economics of literature create wildly different versions of writerly success. The writers, including Alexander Chee, Jonathan Franzen, Roxane Gay, and Jennifer Weiner, recount an assortment of amusing anecdotes, hard-headed pragmatism (Nick Hornby: “I do understand I’m working in a marketplace”), some tongue-in-cheek ribbing (J. Robert Lennon: “Art and commerce are not separate. They are not even different”), and a few harrowing tales of poverty, discrimination, and despair. The collection pokes holes in cherished cultural myths about the writing life and examines, from various angles, the transformation when writing goes from being a dream to a job. The shared conclusion among the diverse, entertaining, often humorous, sometimes plaintive voices is that writing should be as remunerative as any other useful skill, but the work must be its own reward. Martin’s collection removes the romantic veil surrounding the production of the written word and provides some solid counseling for aspirants on what it means to offer the labors of their heart for sale in the marketplace. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency.

September 15, 2016
The founder of the online journal Scratch, loaded with information about how authors labor to earn a livelihood, collects essays and interviews that appeared online and supplements those with original offerings.In this well-organized, fascinating anthology, a host of fiction and nonfiction authors share practical tips and emotional intelligence. Among the best-known authors included are Susan Orlean, Cheryl Strayed, Jonathan Franzen, Roxane Gay, Jennifer Weiner, Richard Rodriguez, and Nick Hornby, all of whose contributions are worthy. Yet many of the most compelling essays come from lesser-known writers, some of whom have yet to publish a book. One such standout is Sarah Smarsh, a former grant writer and current magazine writer who splits her time between her native Kansas and her new home in Texas and whose first book will be published in 2017. Smarsh specializes in writing about poverty, especially the poverty of relatively uneducated whites; in her essay, she reflects on making the jump from her family's poverty to higher education and, eventually, a promising writing career. In "The Best Work in Literature," anthology editor Martin, the managing editor of Zoetrope: All Story, grapples with similar issues, sharing anecdotes about trying to pay the rent and eat properly in an economy that pays poorly for published writing. Each contributor deals directly or indirectly with the often unhappy intersection of commerce and art in the contemporary American economy. For every commercial success story--e.g., Strayed, Weiner, Franzen, or Alexander Chee--there are countless failures. At times, what can best be termed as "luck" arrives, as in the essay by Nina MacLaughlin, who explains how a piece she reluctantly agreed to write for no pay led to a book contract. Highly recommended for both experienced and aspiring authors and for avid readers who want to learn the back stories of the contributors.

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Starred review from November 15, 2016

Martin (founder, Scratch Magazine) asks writers, how do you make a living? From journalists to genre novelists, Martin brings together a compelling collection of essays on the writing life. Personal accounts, anecdotes, interviews, how-tos, and cautionary tales provide a vivid, often humorous look at the wizard behind the curtain, dispelling myths and sharing wisdom on everything from writing with a day job to buying a house. While there are a number of collections on the life of the writer, this one delivers a refreshing, diverse variety of voices that will appeal to professionals and hopefuls alike. Contributors range from the critically acclaimed to New York Times best sellers, agents, freelancers, indie writers, bloggers, artists, screenwriters, and more, with the tone of the essays ranging from serious to tongue-in-cheek. Reading like confessionals by some of the best in the business, as well as lesser-known and soon-to-be known talent, each story carries a heavy dose of truth to balance the hope and passion of beginning writers. VERDICT This is a book to be devoured. It's truly inspiring and worth a read for writers and bibliophiles alike. --Gricel Dominguez, Florida International Univ. Lib.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2016
The first book edited by Martin, managing editor of the short-fiction magazine Zoetrope: All Story, collects essays from some very famous writers and some less famous writers, that directly address the issue of money, rather than politely sidestepping it. These voices occasionally stand at a miked podium and tackle ideology and institutions but more often pull up a chair with a cup of coffee to talk brass tacks. Strayed earned a $100,000 advance for her first novel, paid in four installments over four years minus taxes and agent fees. Roxane Gay carries $130,000 in student-loan debt but recognizes her privilege and does not worry about it. Readers will greedily (pun intended) soak up such details. Meaningful for those working in any discipline are examples of navigating the intersection of work, which may or may not be paid, and the need for money to live. Essay formats range from personal narrative, to explanatory, to interviews with Martin, to how-to instructions. In her introduction, Martin suggests that writers are yearning for any scrap of information . . . about how their own profession functions economically. She's right. So, she writes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)