And now for the news!
Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing!
Woohoo! We are always excited to learn about new review services and opportunities for self-published authors, and this one comes from an extremely reliable and legitimate source with an already-extensive existing reach. This article from John Maher of Publishers Weekly covers the launch of BookLife Reviews, a new paid service from PW dedicated exclusively to covering self-published book reviews. Writes Maher:
BookLife Reviews will be written by Publishers Weekly reviewers, but remain distinct from Publishers Weekly reviews. The service is designed to help self-published authors reach readers by providing them with credible and reliable assessments of their work from reviewers with expertise in their genres and styles.
BookLife Reviews differ from Publishers Weekly reviews in that they are longer—approximately 300 words, compared to 200-250 words for a Publishers Weekly review—and are focused on reaching readers rather than booksellers and librarians. Authors are guaranteed to receive a review, and may elect whether to have it published in the monthly BookLife supplement, which is bound into the print edition of Publishers Weekly. Participants will receive their reviews within four to six weeks of submission. Self-published authors are also still invited to submit their books to Publishers Weekly for review consideration at no cost.
Given the reach of PW and its status in the publishing community, it is perhaps to be expected that these reviews do not come cheap, however. You can find out more about BookLife Reviews at https://booklife.com/about-us/booklife-reviews-faqs.html.
That’s right, self-publishing made waves at Forbes again this week, with an article from Bernhard Schroeder on its powerful slice of the market. And while publishing industry statistics have stayed fairly flat, writes Schroeder,
[…] year over year, self publishing is rapidly rising with e-books, print on demand and audiobooks bringing in billions of U.S. dollars in revenue each year. According to the latest report from ProQuest affiliate Bowker, self-publishing grew at a rate of more than 28% in 2017. The total number of self-published titles grew from 786,935 to 1,009,188, surpassing the million mark for the first time.
This is good news for self-publishing authors, Schroeder notes, before going on to also make note of several key ways that authors can make use of the (buzzword alert) gig economy to further their aims. And while it’s never a bad thing to make headlines at Forbes or any other major industry news engine, the continued thrivingness of self-publishing only seems to come as a surprise to those who haven’t been plugged into the publishing story over the last decade. For the rest of us, self-publishing’s continued outperformance of its own preexisting highwater marks is less of a surprise than a happy affirmation of what we already suspected: self-publishing is around for good.
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 