Returning To The Good Old Days

 

Apologies for missing in action last week. After two years of being extremely careful, doing everything I can to stay well in the pandemic, I fell victim to the virus. It has not been a fast recovery.

 

This week in publishing...

The big news - Amazon finally listening to authors about the returns policy which had been pushed by Tiktok influencers (Return the book after you’ve read it for a refund.) With authors being stung for the file delivery costs and knowing that the books were being read in full, it has been a long time coming for redress, and still won’t be happening until the end of the year.

 

Cover designers are feeling unloved as AI image bots sample all their pictures to make up an AI generated image. This was the argument put forward by writers a few years ago. AI Bots were sampling out of copyright books to learn how to write. If they use your IP shouldn’t you get paid? Image sites are now banning AI images.

 

The Economist has an article on the changing physical nature of print books. Back in World War 2 there was a huge shortage of paper and ink so books were printed in small font on thinner paper. Now we are seeing this rationing come back.

 

Spotify has launched its audiobook service. Findaway is encouraging authors to sign up for an account to get access to Spotify. Many commentators are likening this to the advent of the Kindle and how it changed publishing.

 

Storytel has launched into France and is using this as a springboard to the French speaking world. Audio subscription is the future of publishing. Books are an entertainment medium and will be folded into subscription services one way or the other.

 

The Bookseller has a hard-hitting article from an editor who stepped away from publishing. After a year working on their mental health, they felt ready to shine a spotlight on the publishing culture that needs to change.

 

Katie Weiland has a wealth of interesting craft focussed posts on her site. Recently she posted an interesting deep dive into plotting and how to tell if your story is too complicated. This is a great post that offers much deep thinking on plot motivations.

 

In The Craft Section, 

Why Plots Fail- Tiffany Martin

What to do with a stalled first draft- Ruth Harris- Bookmark

Writer Brain hacks- Kelsey Allagood- Bookmark

How to form your bestseller in 10 days- James Scott Bell- Bookmark

Fun tricks to freshen up plot- Janice Hardy

 

In The Marketing Section,

Audiobook marketing for authors- The Alliance of Independent Authors- Bookmark

5 ways to use community marketing- Amanda Miller

2 Posts from Penny Sansevieri - How to sell your book to bookstores and 

October content marketing ideas for Social Media

How to make a boxset and other ways to repurpose your book -Written Word Media- BOOKMARK

 

To Finish,

Joanna Penn interviewed Barry Nugent recently on Transmedia projects and Graphic Novels. It is a wide-ranging interview but what struck me is the way a creative team was pulled together to work on one project which then morphed into a whole world of stories and creative projects set in the original story world. There are a few groups out there who are using this creative model to launch publishing companies. 

When you are lying sick in bed it can be tempting to just let your mind float into someone else’s story world and create an adventure without the grind of inventing the story world to start with.

 

Maureen

@craicer

 

It’s nearly time for my monthly newsletter of the best bookmarked links. When you subscribe you will also get a nifty mini book crammed with marketing notes as a thank you. 

If you like the blog and want to shout me a coffee, hit the coffee button up top or here. I appreciate the virtual coffee love. Thanks.

 

Pic: Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Controlling The Books

In Publishing News this week…

 

As a teacher by trade, I have a special interest in encouraging children to read. Reading widens their horizons and can unlock the most amazing movies in your head. Reading can be a safe way of exploring a different world environment from your own, an escape, a comfort, and a learning opportunity. I have been watching the book banning in school libraries in the US with concern. My heart goes out to teachers trying to do the best for their students. This latest attack on teachers fills me with despair. Banning children’s books is a slippery slope to banning education for some children and then you become just like… ( Pick your repressive regime.) 

 

Brandon Sanderson went back on Kickstarter yesterday. He was only looking for $50,000 to fund figurines. Of course, he blew by that figure in the first hour or so. Brandon explains what he has learned about Kickstarter from earlier in the year and how he will be using it in the future. 

Kris Rusch also talks about Kickstarter and how you can structure it for your own author career. She has a free course for authors if you want to learn more about it.

 

Spotify announced that they are beginning audiobook trials and have some exciting things lined up. Audio streaming is going to be shaking up the audiobook world. I think we may be at the tipping point from nice to have new format to necessary to have new format. 

 

Big Bad Wolf has entered Africa. This is the first time they have moved to another continent. Mark Williams talks about their potential impact. They are only bringing 500,000 books for 12 days. (That’s books in the English language- ‘rescued’ from being pulped by publishers who won’t be paying a royalty to the author for ‘destroyed’ books.) So if there is such a demand for these books how come they don’t get sold in these regions in the first place?

 

Mark has been looking at the ongoing mess, now in its second month, that is the distribution arm of the UK’s biggest chain bookstore, Waterstones. Waterstones is trying to climb out of the pit by asking publishers for help. Their plea to publishers to send books to individual stores has not gone down well. That’s 300 stores x post and packing and inventory etc. Smaller publishers are going to the wall over this.

 

Meanwhile, one children’s publisher in the UK is looking further afield. Nosy Crow have been around for 12 years but is about to invade the US. Publishing Perspectives has the details on how they will be shaking up children’s publishing.

 

The Alliance of Independent Authors has been talking about author overwhelm. They have a great article where many authors were asked how they deal with this very real problem in the writing community.

 

Suzanne DeFreitas has a guest post over on Jane Friedman’s blog on Writerly Grit and how it leads to publishing success. Writerly Grit does not mean ploughing on alone, in fact it’s the opposite. 

 

In The Craft Section,

Is deep POV always the best choice- Jami Gold- Bookmark

Do you know the central conflict of your story?- Becca Puglisi- Bookmark

400 story ideas from Scott Myers

10 important don’ts to think about- Lucy Hay

Understanding the 7 types of Archetypes- Now Novel Bookmark

 

In The Marketing Section,

How to email a press release- Sandra Beckwith

Back cover copy tips from Judith Briles- Bookmark

5 self-publishing mistakes writers make- Bang2Write

15 clever book promo ideas- Servicescape- Bookmark

How to choose best colours for graphics and branding- Infographic- Frances Caballo- Bookmark

 

To Finish,

There has always been a fascination with finding out how other writers write. Are you a Plotter or a Pantser? Is one better than the other? Do you kill creativity with plotting carefully? Recently Ada Plamer wrote an interesting article on Tor.com on how the plotting pantsing divide has been greatly exaggerated. It’s not all in on one side or the other but something in the middle.

Once you figure out your process the books will be easier to write, won’t they?

 

Thanks for the kind words for last week's post -Number 700. Cake was eaten for breakfast as the news broke. R.I.P. Queenie. We will not see your like again.

 

Maureen

@craicer

 

Do you want the best of my bookmarked links in a handy monthly newsletter? When you subscribe you will also get a nifty mini book crammed with marketing notes as a thank you. 

If you like the blog and want to shout me a coffee, hit the coffee button up top or here. I appreciate the virtual coffee love. Thanks.

 

Pic Photo by Freddy Kearney on Unsplash