Self-published writers

In America and Britain, fiction is said to be in decline. PW recently called attention to the 16% (or $830 million) decline in the sales of adult fiction reported by the Association of American PublishersThe national trade association of the American book publishing industry; AAP has more than 300 members, including most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies during the 2013-2017 period. In Britain, the Publishers Association reports a slightly larger drop over a similar period.  Read more

As one of the editors of the The Hot Sheet, produced in collaboration with journalist Porter Anderson, I regularly read and report on marketing trends that affect traditionally published and self-published writers. Today I'm sharing the most useful articles we've found and mentioned in our newsletter in 2018.

Most indie authors are at least somewhat familiar with Twitter. Ever since its launch in 2006, authors and readers have flocked to the site, finding its emphasis on brevity and hashtagging features conducive to engaging fans and sparking discussions about books with people all over the world.

Overexposure: every writer has experienced this problem. You work on a manuscript for so long that your perception of it dulls. You become blind to its weaknesses and ignorant of its strengths.  Read more

French booksellers have called on literary judges to "defend books and not those who threaten them", after one of France's most prestigious prizes selected a self-published novel available only via Amazon.  Read more