And now for the news!
This week in the world of self-publishing:
This fantastic article from the Star Tribune puts the spotlight on Laura Vosika, mother of nine, author and musician who still somehow finds time to run an independent publishing company out of her home. Voskia inhabits a world where self-publishing has highly inflated the number of books being published per year. The rise of self-publishing has turned authors into simultaneous entrepreneurs who must be tuned in to the world of marketing and design. With this rise in quantity, however, there has not necessarily been a rise in quality, which is why Voskia adds a weekly writing group to her already jam packed routine.
Find out how this inspiring woman balances all of these aspects of her life and still was able to sell over 60,000 copies of her book as a self-published author by reading the article above.
When Ben Batchelder took to the backroads of Brazil with his black labrador retriever, he claims that his new book essentially ‘wrote him.’ Of course, after the book was written, self-publishing did not come nearly as easily. Batchelder says that self-publishing should be see as a grand opportunity for learning how to market, how to proof, how to design a book, etc. etc.
While Batchelder learned these important new skills focused on publishing, he also learned how to be patient and persistent, and the importance of reaching out to friends, old and new. He says, “[Publicity] events have flushed out old friends, made new ones, built contacts lists, and provided fodder for blogs and various social media platforms.”
In this poingant article, Tom Chalmers addresses some harsh realities of the publishing world in general balanced with the corresponding silver linings of those realities. For example, he points to the fact that prints sales are finally not falling, ebook sales have stabilized and authors have accepted digitization as a core aspect of the publishing world who have learned to work with online conglomerates such as Amazon, rather than against them. He goes on to say that authors have acknowledged and accepted that bookshops will not be on the rise, and that “the all-powerful customer will continue to demand more for less, or preferably for free. We are long past any return to the past.”
While acknowledging those realities, Chalmers makes clear that self-publishing authors have been paving the way in this revolutionizing world of book publishing in general. Self-published authors have shown the importance of being close to the customer, of tireless marketing and promotion online and elsewhere, and of business savvy practices. So if self-published authors are leading the way, does traditional publishing have anything to offer authors anymore? Chalmers makes it clear that traditional publishing companies cannot simply try and rehash the innovations of the self-publishing market, but need to find new ways to prove that they are still contributing unique and relevant things to the field. The question is, will traditional publishing companies make this a priority, and if not, what does the future look like for them?
As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry. This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.
Self Publishing Advisor 