And now for the news!
Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!
In news that will delight indie music lovers, SPIN contributor Maggie Serota is spreading the word about singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey ‘s latest venture: a poetry collection that the indie sensation is more or less giving away for (almost) free. Del Rey, whose online fans and followers are legion, is determined to boost the work of local indies by delivering boxes of her finished books personally. Writes Serota, “Del Rey fans who live outside of California can read Del Rey’s poetry for free on her Instagram page, but the hand-bound volume of her writing does seem like a nice collectors’ item.” We’ll be watching her progress closely to see how this musician, who has managed to build a platform in the most unlikeliest and yet most earnest and winsome of ways, lends the self-publishing and self-promotion process her personal touch.
In yet another stellar piece for Forbes, Adam Rowe writes to update the magazine’s loyal readers on what’s happening int he indie book scene … at least from the perspective of one person somewhat central to the movement: publishing startup Reedsy’s co-founder and CEO, Emmanuel Nataf. Rowe’s interview with Nataf is enlightening, with the Reedsy CEO unpacking three of what he considers to be the biggest trends to watch over the remainder of 2019: the rise of “escapist fiction” (in Nataf’s words; more colloquially these are referred to as works of speculative fiction, science fiction and fantasy, romance, and other popular or genre fictions); the continued ascent of young adult (or “YA”) fiction as a major force in the book market as the digital natives who make up a significant percentage of its readership settle into adulthood and a market force of their own; and the maturation of nonfiction and memoir as a category. We think these are some interesting premises, and are looking forward to seeing whether Nataf’s predictions come true.
Last but not least, another update from Forbes, this time from contributor Elaine Pofeldt, who lasers in on more big news from Reedsy—the launch of another platform for book recommendations and discovery, aptly titled “Reedsy Discovery.” As with Goodreads and Amazon recommendations, as well as paid services such as Book Riot’s “TBR” (standing for “Tailored Book Recommendations”), Reedsy Discovery is aimed at boosting the visibility of books that might otherwise slip under the raider, including (and perhaps even especially) indie and self-published titles. We’ll continue to track the progress of Reedsy’s new offering to see how it manages to compete in a crowded marketplace.
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 each month to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.
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