And now for the news!
Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!
The biggest news in publishing—traditional and indie alike—this week is, of course, the sale of Barnes & Noble. After what amounted to a rapid-fire ping-pong match between incoming and outgoing leadership, Barnes & Noble may be on firmer footing at last—although the ultimate effects of having been purchased by the same hedge fund that manages U.K. book juggernaut Waterstones remain to be seen, as The New York Times contributors Alexandra Alter and Tiffany Hsu point out. Barnes & Noble has hit an incredibly rough patch in recent years, shuttering stores and experimenting with new sales models in a desperate bid to keep its head above water. Barnes & Noble’s in-house self-publishing platform was part of a doomed—truly disastrous, financially—bid to keep the retailer on the forefront of change. That platform has fallen by the wayside, but self-publishers everywhere who want an alternative or additional platform through which to sell other than Amazon still lean heavily on the NOOK store for distribution. You can be sure authors and readers across all publishing and genre divides will be watching closely as Barnes & Noble moves into this brave new era with (yet more) new leadership.
EconoTimes has come out with a recent list worth taking note of: the top five ways its staff recommends getting to know one’s readers. The article covers how and why to dig into advance copies (collectively known as ARCs), how to parse digital content created by others as well as how to make full use of one’s own blogging platform for building a sense of community amongst readers, getting interviews on podcasts, and some additional general tips. It’s a great little primer for those who have a manuscript in process but aren’t quite to the publishing stage, and could even prove useful to authors who have already self-published a book and are struggling to connect.
One of our favorite awards of the year, the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award winners have been announced! This press release points readers towards the full list: “A complete list of 2019 winners and finalists is available at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards website at www.indiebookawards.com.” A number of self-publishing and indie presses are well represented, including Outskirts Press! We couldn’t be more excited to dig into our newly expanded reading lists!
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 