And now for the news!
Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!
“As dramatic technology shifts continue, book publishers,” writes Barbara Pellow of Printing Impressions, “authors and printers need to adapt to benefit from new opportunities.” Reporting from a a recent Book Business Webinar, Pellow describes her experiences interviewing three key players in the indie book world: David Walter, Executive Director of Client Development at the NDP Group, Inc., Brian O’Leary, Executive Director for the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), and Angela Bole, CEO for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). They discussed current trends in books emerging in 2019, as well as some constructive decisions booksellers, authors, and industry experts can all make in order to take advantage—and thrive in an ever-more-complicated market. What’s the bottom line? Writes Pellow, “The challenge for the industry is to capitalize on new business models and to re-engineer processes and workflows for a digital business, even while supporting their traditional print business”: a lesson we can all learn from.
We haven’t, overall, spent much time on the Columbus Dispatch website, but this week that all changed with the paper’s coverage of Delana Jensen Close’s forays into self-publishing. With a byline by Kevin Stankiewicz, the Dispatch unpacked Close’s story, beginning with two compelling opening lines:
In 1955, Delana Jensen Close began to write a book.
It’s finished now; it just took 63 years.
Close was 95 last year when she finished her first book, The Rock House, and her family set about publishing the 806-page tome through Amazon. The book, writes Stankiewicz, covers a lot of ground:
Set in the early 20th century, “The Rock House” follows the life of Abigail Langley, who is maligned in her tiny religious town after having a baby out of wedlock with the son of a wealthy, well-connected man. The son, Adam Townsend, heads east for medical school before Abigail can tell him she is pregnant.
The rest, as they say, is historical fiction of high caliber. And while the book itself sounds fascinating, we’re above all fascinated by the story of its 63-year development, as well as with the woman behind the book: 96-year-old Delana Jensen Close, an inspiration to us all.
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.
Self Publishing Advisor 