Latest news with #Bateman
7NEWS
6 hours ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Former reality TV and NRL star Luke Bateman divides internet with book deal
Former NRL player turned Bachelor star Luke Bateman has divided the internet after it was revealed he had a book deal with Simon and Schuster. Bateman, who was on the Canberra Raiders list between 2015 and 2019, recently bobbed up on TikTok to excitedly tell the BookTok community that he was now invested in the group and he was there to talk all things books. 'I've loved books my entire life,' he trumpeted loud and proud in his first TikTok video that has now had more than 2 million views. 'Love fantasy ... it's my main go to ... but I've never had anywhere to really talk about it because I'm a male in a blue collar work and from the country.' He also said there were a lot of females in the community who 'love smut and spice'. That video has since had over 2 million views and there were some favourable comments, but things have suddenly turned. He recently told the community that he had signed a two-book deal and that's when questions started to get asked about the 30-year-old Queensland pine cutter. Needless to say, many aspiring writers have tried countless times to get book deals and failed. So, the question clearly was, how did this former NRL player get one? TikTok creator and activist Jeff Kissubi — who goes by the handle @blondejeff and has almost 200,000 followers — led the charge. 'Race and privilege shape who get the shortcuts,' Kissubi said. 'Black and marginalised authors, especially women and gender-diverse creatives, are out here with finished, powerful stories that still get overlooked.' Audra Winter Books was also shocked. 'Let's put this into perspective, shall we?' the account said. 'I have around the same size audience, with a completely written book and series, over 10 years of experience in writing, and a platform built solely around my concept; I struggled for three years to even secure a literary agent. 'This is why I turned against traditional publishing; it's never been truly about the story WRITTEN. There are so many talented and skilled authors from marginalized communities across this app who HAVE put in the effort, who HAVE worked to refine their skills, who HAVE worked to build their platform, and yet this is what publishing prioritizes. Yikes. 'You, as an author with a voice, should be standing up and recognising the flaw in this, if you are truly part of the community on this app with many authors who have actually written and marketed the book getting shadowed by you.' Brisbookblog said: 'I'm confused, lol - how did you get a book deal with no book written???' Another TikTok user said: 'A white man getting a book deal without having written anything? My jaw stayed right where it was.' And another: 'This opportunity is the intersection of white privilege, male privilege, and pretty privilege. Not a reflection of worth.' But there was support for Bateman too. QBD Books Australias said: 'Congratulations Luke! We can't wait to read your debut book!! 👏🤩' Another user said: 'Why the hate? Why is it about race? Why is it about gender? The double standard has got to stop. 'We made him famous. Now we are tearing him down? He did nothing wrong. Right place at the right time. Say congrats and move on! And if the book is good or bad, remember reading is subjective. Congratulations!! I wish you all the best!! This is an insane opportunity!'
The Age
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
From the NRL to Bachelor to BookTok influencer and a romantasy book deal. Meet Luke Bateman
On April 22, Bateman posted his first TikTok setting himself up as a book lover who wanted to chat about his favourite genre, fantasy, and in particular, romantasy. 'I love fantasy…but I've never had anywhere to talk about it or share those things because, obviously, being a male…from the country,' he told his followers. Why has he gained a Booktok following on TikTok? If you view the comments on any of his posts, it's obvious his audience is predominantly female. In his first post, Bateman even comments 'There's a lot of females here, and you all love smut and spice…I think I may have to have a little delve into it myself and see what all the fuss is about.' The followers lapped this up and he played up to it, his greeting quickly going from 'Hello BookTok' to 'Hello besties' which has become his trademark address. His posts are almost always filmed in a truck or in the fields, the dirt and sweat from a hard day's work still visible on him, along with his well-worn Akubra. But he's not shy to show his softer side, even crying when he posted about his new book deal. Loading And he has embraced popular romantasy books, like A Court of Thorns and Roses, which decreed him somewhat of a unicorn in the BookTok community – a rugged young man who is passionate about reading genres usually embraced by young women. What is romantasy? The term is a melding of two genres: romance and fantasy. But it's the romance side of it that is central to this sub-genre. The term was added to the Urban Dictionary in 2008 but has gained particular traction in the last decade thanks to authors like Sarah J. Maas of A Court of Thorns and Roses fame – the hashtag ACOTAR has had almost nine billion views on TikTok - and Rebecca Yarros, author of Fourth Wing. Bateman is a new but enthusiastic consumer of romantasy, even donning a cap sent to him by Dymocks which reads 'romance reader'. Who has signed him up for a book deal? Bateman has been signed to a two-book deal by Atria, a brand-new imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia. In the US, where Atria has been around since 2002, it has published bestselling authors like Taylor Jenkins Reid, Colleen Hoover and Fredrik Backman. Bateman's first book will be out in early 2027 and he says it will be a coming of age story about a young boy battling hardships and set in a fantasy world. It's a story he says he has carried with him since childhood and now it's time to get it out of his head and onto the page. Why sign him if he has no book yet? While you don't have to have written an entire book to nab a book deal, Atria publisher Anthea Bariamis says the publishing house would never sign an author for fiction without seeing whether they can actually write first. '[Luke] and I had a long meeting where he went over the scope of the series he was working on, detailing the magic system and the journey of the protagonist across the series. These are the two things that, in my opinion at least, are most important for assessing fantasy submissions,' she says. 'He then submitted a writing sample, a thorough chapter outline for book one, and a synopsis for the series. In total, we had almost 10,000 words to assess his commercial and literary potential.' Why has this sparked debate? The debate was sparked by one post made on May 26 – in which Bateman announced he had been signed by Atria – and in particular one line in that post in which he said 'I can't wait to write this book'. Loading The comments section blew up. TikTokkers could not understand how someone who had not even written a book could be signed by a major publisher. 'I'm so confused – how did you get a book deal with no book written?' one asked. But angry comments soon focused on race, gender and privilege. 'This opportunity is the intersection of white privilege, male privilege, and pretty privilege,' a TikTokker wrote. Another added: 'There are so many talented and skilled authors from marginalised communities who HAVE put in the effort, who HAVE worked to refine their skills, who HAVE worked to build their platform, and yet this is what publishing prioritises. Yikes!' And from another: 'Firstly, congratulations, I'm happy for you! I also want to acknowledge that had you been a woman (especially of colour) this probably wouldn't have happened.' But for every negative comment, there was a positive one. 'Why the hate?' one user asked. 'Why is it about race? Why is it about gender? We made him famous. Now we are tearing him down? He did nothing wrong.'
Sydney Morning Herald
15 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
From the NRL to Bachelor to BookTok influencer and a romantasy book deal. Meet Luke Bateman
On April 22, Bateman posted his first TikTok setting himself up as a book lover who wanted to chat about his favourite genre, fantasy, and in particular, romantasy. 'I love fantasy…but I've never had anywhere to talk about it or share those things because, obviously, being a male…from the country,' he told his followers. Why has he gained a Booktok following on TikTok? If you view the comments on any of his posts, it's obvious his audience is predominantly female. In his first post, Bateman even comments 'There's a lot of females here, and you all love smut and spice…I think I may have to have a little delve into it myself and see what all the fuss is about.' The followers lapped this up and he played up to it, his greeting quickly going from 'Hello BookTok' to 'Hello besties' which has become his trademark address. His posts are almost always filmed in a truck or in the fields, the dirt and sweat from a hard day's work still visible on him, along with his well-worn Akubra. But he's not shy to show his softer side, even crying when he posted about his new book deal. Loading And he has embraced popular romantasy books, like A Court of Thorns and Roses, which decreed him somewhat of a unicorn in the BookTok community – a rugged young man who is passionate about reading genres usually embraced by young women. What is romantasy? The term is a melding of two genres: romance and fantasy. But it's the romance side of it that is central to this sub-genre. The term was added to the Urban Dictionary in 2008 but has gained particular traction in the last decade thanks to authors like Sarah J. Maas of A Court of Thorns and Roses fame – the hashtag ACOTAR has had almost nine billion views on TikTok - and Rebecca Yarros, author of Fourth Wing. Bateman is a new but enthusiastic consumer of romantasy, even donning a cap sent to him by Dymocks which reads 'romance reader'. Who has signed him up for a book deal? Bateman has been signed to a two-book deal by Atria, a brand-new imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia. In the US, where Atria has been around since 2002, it has published bestselling authors like Taylor Jenkins Reid, Colleen Hoover and Fredrik Backman. Bateman's first book will be out in early 2027 and he says it will be a coming of age story about a young boy battling hardships and set in a fantasy world. It's a story he says he has carried with him since childhood and now it's time to get it out of his head and onto the page. Why sign him if he has no book yet? While you don't have to have written an entire book to nab a book deal, Atria publisher Anthea Bariamis says the publishing house would never sign an author for fiction without seeing whether they can actually write first. '[Luke] and I had a long meeting where he went over the scope of the series he was working on, detailing the magic system and the journey of the protagonist across the series. These are the two things that, in my opinion at least, are most important for assessing fantasy submissions,' she says. 'He then submitted a writing sample, a thorough chapter outline for book one, and a synopsis for the series. In total, we had almost 10,000 words to assess his commercial and literary potential.' Why has this sparked debate? The debate was sparked by one post made on May 26 – in which Bateman announced he had been signed by Atria – and in particular one line in that post in which he said 'I can't wait to write this book'. Loading The comments section blew up. TikTokkers could not understand how someone who had not even written a book could be signed by a major publisher. 'I'm so confused – how did you get a book deal with no book written?' one asked. But angry comments soon focused on race, gender and privilege. 'This opportunity is the intersection of white privilege, male privilege, and pretty privilege,' a TikTokker wrote. Another added: 'There are so many talented and skilled authors from marginalised communities who HAVE put in the effort, who HAVE worked to refine their skills, who HAVE worked to build their platform, and yet this is what publishing prioritises. Yikes!' And from another: 'Firstly, congratulations, I'm happy for you! I also want to acknowledge that had you been a woman (especially of colour) this probably wouldn't have happened.' But for every negative comment, there was a positive one. 'Why the hate?' one user asked. 'Why is it about race? Why is it about gender? We made him famous. Now we are tearing him down? He did nothing wrong.'
The Star
3 days ago
- Science
- The Star
It's tough to be an amphibian – sometimes a human touch is needed
A four-toed salamander crawling in a forest in Mendon, New York. — Photos: AP On a rainy March evening in New York, United States, John Bateman puts on his boots and a headlamp and heads to a wetland cut through by a busy road. As he walks, he scans the pavement for spring peepers, toads, salamanders and newts making their slow way as they migrate to new habitat each spring, and leans down occasionally to help guide one across. It's a small act that makes a big difference for these amphibians, who need different habitats for different stages of their life cycle – sometimes wetlands, sometimes drier uplands. Roads often separate these habitats, and migrating amphibians can get squished. They already face challenges from habitat lost to development. That's especially true for vernal pools, the small pools that show up each spring in forested ecosystems as snow melt and rainwater collect at low points on the ground. These pools hold water as late as July, and provide essential breeding habitat for amphibians like salamanders and frogs. Bateman helping a spotted salamander cross a road. Larger wetlands can enjoy federal protections, but not the vernal pools, which are too small and temporary. "Unfortunately, with urban sprawl and development, a lot of the forests are being cleared for new housing developments as people move out of the cities and into the suburbs," said Bateman, a professor of environmental conservation and horticulture at Finger Lakes Community College in New York. "When they clear these forest habitats, vernal pools are going to be buried and become new houses, condominiums, and neighbourhoods.' Water in a vernal pool, which show up each spring in forested ecosystems. The US Geological Survey calls amphibian declines "a global phenomenon' and one that's been underway in the US since at least the 1960s. The agency said populations are dropping almost 4% each year in the US. Development isn't the only threat. Amphibians are being affected by Earth's changing climate. The Appalachian region is particularly rich in salamander species, and with temperatures rising, their range is shifting northward, Bateman said. That concerns him. "At one point you hit the top and there is nowhere else to go," Bateman said. A warming climate also requires cold-blooded amphibians to spend more time hunting to get the food they need to maintain their metabolism, said Karen Lips, a University of Maryland biology professor whose research found salamanders becoming smaller as a result. Fass says that most people don't realise that frogs are endangered. Bateman isn't the only conservationist working to help amphibians. Margot Fass owns A Frog House, a centre for frog advocacy in Pittsford, New York. In April, she raised money and worked with 70 volunteers to build three vernal pools as part of Save The Frogs Day. The pools should help amphibians, but will also be a source of water for birds and other wildlife. Fass grows animated as she talks about chemical-free gardens and their importance to amphibians: "One spray of pesticides can kill a frog within an hour. It's just horrible." Both she and Bateman are strong believers in educating their communities to help amphibians. They often give talks in schools, libraries and to various groups. "It's amazing how few people really know that frogs are endangered or that a third of them have gone extinct," Fass said. A tiny little spring peeper, one of the many frog species that most people don't know about. The Genesee Land Trust, a not-for-profit conservation organisation, is another active member in preserving and protecting land in the greater Rochester region. It owns Cornwall Preserve in Pultneyville, New York, on the edge of Lake Ontario. The trust bought the property in 2016, becoming the first non-farmers to own the land in 200 years. They're preserving the historical farmland and in doing so have restored some wetlands and vernal pools. "The wetland immediately served a population of birds after we first started digging,' said Elliotte Bowerman, the trust's director of communications. Fass' frog pendant is special and pretty, too. Catching amphibians may just be a nostalgic childhood memory for most, but for Bateman it never lost its magic. He believes preserving wetlands and vernal pools is critical not only for the amphibians and the environment, but for the next generation to experience the childlike wonder of discovering these hidden creatures. "I think that the future generations are absolutely going to be at a loss to not have those experiences that I did as a child, to have that connection with nature," he said. – AP
Express Tribune
26-05-2025
- Express Tribune
‘RHOSLC' star Britani Bateman sued for $100K by former mother-in-law
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Britani Bateman is facing a $100,000 lawsuit from her former mother-in-law, Sandra Underwood. According to court documents filed on May 6, Underwood claims the 53-year-old reality TV personality used the money for personal benefit and has failed to return it. Underwood, 87, is the mother of Bateman's ex-husband, John Scott Underwood. She alleges that the funds were deposited into a family trust called the 'Integrity Trust' in 2019 at Bateman's urging. The trust was set up by Bateman's father, Melvin Merrill Martin, with Britani and her late mother as trustees. John was listed as the successor trustee. Sandra says she deposited $100,000 with the understanding it could be withdrawn at any time. However, her legal filing states that Bateman 'willfully, maliciously and through intentionally fraudulent conduct' kept the funds for herself and now refuses to repay them. A March letter from Sandra's attorney demanded repayment, but no money has been returned. The complaint argues that Britani was unjustly enriched and calls for repayment of the $100,000 plus legal fees and interest. With a limited monthly income of around $1,600 and mounting medical costs, Underwood says the loss has put a severe financial strain on her. This isn't the first legal drama involving Bateman and her ex. The former couple finalized their divorce in October 2023, and Bateman has previously accused John of abuse and financial misconduct. Bateman has not responded publicly to the lawsuit.
