Writers deserve a chance as much as Michaella

Many people have expressed unease and revulsion at the prospect of Michaella McCollum earning up to €100k for a book and movie deal.

What I find harder to swallow is the increasingly cynical and exploitative nature of the publishing industry itself. There are a lot of writers who could only dream of landing a deal like the one Michaella may secure . Sadly, writers in Ireland continue to receive rejections from publishers informing them that while the sample chapters of their work are “impressive”, it’s not really marketable right now….unlike vampire/werewolf novels, Fifty Shades-type drivel, or the memoirs of a contrite cocaine smuggler.

John Fitzgerald