And now for the news!
Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, specifically news from or regarding self-publishing companies!
Here’s a story to warm the cockles of your heart: Zoë Howard of The Daily Texan reports that a group of students from the University of Texas have launched their very own community for writers interested in self-publishing–Prolitfic. First of all, that is an excellent pun. Secondly, what a great idea! This platform allows UT students of all majors to be heard, and in that sense it pushes back against the prevalent idea in college that English majors are the ones who write, and everybody else is just getting by. Thirdly, the website was designed to feel a bit like Wattpad, only “with quality control” and a suite of analytics tools. Prolitfic is currently in the beta testing stage, with a “hard launch” scheduled for the coming weeks. If you’re interested in experimenting with short-form self-publishing, Wattpad-style, signing up once it goes live to the public may just be the Christmas present to yourself you always needed.
If you believe in equity and diversity in the publishing industry, then here’s a hero for you: Crystal Swain-Bates, an Atlanta-based self-publishing author who has not only written 100 children’s books featuring diverse characters, but who has also created her own self-publishing company to do so when the traditional publishing industry wouldn’t give her the platform she needed. This article, which comes to us from Tanasia Kenney of the Atlanta Black Star, gives us the run-down on both the state of the industry in terms of diverse characters as well as Swain-Bates’ own remarkable story–all by way of a great interview. Check it out at the link, above!
Damon Brown, self-described entrepreneur and author of The Bite-Sized Entrepreneur, wrote this excellent retrospective for Inc.com, a news website for those interested in entrepreneurship and business more generally. And boy, does he bring the wisdom! If you’ve been struggling with your decision to self-publish, or even just to write the book you’re writing, Brown reminds us that “Publishers don’t know your audience as well as you do. That’s why you’re writing the book, not them. Therefore, it is up to you to figure out the best way to reach them.” He writes about “bootstrapping” around the country in those early years while he attempted to raise the money to publish his books, and about building momentum even once those early years were over. His step-by-step process of moving from unknown to best-seller is not just inspiring; it’s written in such a way as to help readers figure it out for themselves. A must-read!
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.
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