[emamum]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Classic post Tealeaf! Of course she was still available for work. If she'd been called on she could have put her pen down at any time and picked it up again later on.

Originally Posted by blazey

That is the most outrageous claim I've ever heard.

Writing the book didn't make her unavailable for employment, she was a single mum! She would have paid tax on the money she earned from publishing the book so I'm pretty sure she paid much more back in tax than she received in benefits.

Some people are just bitter.

As for the way Labour are choosing to spend the money, I think it could make sense because investment into other things could generate more money to pay off more of the debt...

...but investment doesn't seem like that brilliant of a thing right now so I wouldn't get my hopes up on that

I can't imagine wanting to give that kind of money to a political party. Bob Geldof and Bono are trying to save africa, amongst many other celebrities, and good old J K Rowling wants to save Labour. You couldn't make it up could you really.

Originally Posted by jambutty

Absolute and total codswallop!

Originally Posted by Neil

It might not be true but it does pose an interesting question.

If you write a book and then publish it to make money, which period of the writing/publishing/publicising etc do you class as working?

Surely the time spent writing the book must be classed as working if you get paid for it in the end.

Originally Posted by Gayle

Perhaps she was writing in her spare time. The rest of the time she was officially unemployed.

I'm fairly sure she'll have come off the social after the first book so writing would have been her job after that.

Originally Posted by West Ender

I have been writing a book for about 4 years. I write it when I have time to spare and the "muse" is on me.

If I ever finish it and submit it for publication, and if it is accepted and published, I might make some money from it. The money would be taxed in the year in which it was earned, i.e. the year when I received payment. Any time spent preparing the book for publication and payment could not be classed as "earning" time as there would be no reward during this period. Until such time as it became lucrative, which might be never, it could only be classed as a hobby.

all of the above....