Publishing Complications

 

 

This week I have been thinking about AI and the implications for writers. It was sparked by the viral post from The Guardian that an AI wrote. If you haven’t read it now is the time to do so. The Paris Review recently published an op ed about creating fictional backstories for AI to make them more human.

 

The New Publishing Standard is a great resource for finding out what the global publishing community is doing.  Mark Williams does a fantastic job of keeping abreast of all the news. This is where I first heard about Big Bad Wolf- who sell remaindered books in the English language in huge 24-hour 10-day long book sales in Asia. They sell millions of print books and they are getting bigger. TNPS looks at the recent news about BBW going online. Traditional publishers have missed a trick here. Mark is also doing a great series for Alliance of Independent Authors- this week he looks at how geographically spread Amazon is… not as far as you might think.

 

The BBC took a look at the murky world of 1-star reviews. This hurts.

 

While you are thinking about global publishing Kristine Rusch talks about how the publishing industry still keeps to a 75-year-old publishing model and how this model is about to fail all the debut writers who have their books coming out in the publishing deluge this week. Add to this the overworked printers and you have a perfect firestorm for writers. Writing careers may be over before they start. This is a must-read piece for understanding how the publishing industry evolved and what needs to change.

 

A librarian recently sat down with a stiff drink to write what it is like to manage the buying budget for a library and have to deal with ebook lending restrictions and prices above the hardback copy. With libraries shut due to Covid 19 many patrons borrowed online, this hit the library budget. Do publishers really hate libraries that much?

 

This week Joanna Penn interviewed Emily Kimelman about creativity and ambition. This was a great interview. How do you structure a writing life around kids… when to get help… Is it wrong to be ambitious for yourself? Imposter syndrome… 

 

I have a nifty little gadget that lifts my laptop into a standing desk… but every now and then I think hmmm a treadmill desk… Check out the benefits for this writer.

 

With the recent attention in publishing on diverse voices one writer highlights, in The Guardian, the plight of disabled writers- They are diverse, own voices… where is their seat at the table?

In The Craft Section,

Worldbuilding – cultures- Mythic Scribes

When you have no story conflict – Jami Gold – Bookmark

Stir your echoes- James Scott Bell- Bookmark

Fiction to Nonfiction writing challenges

Have you forgotten to have fun?- Julie Glover- Bookmark

Creating believable characters – Yen Cabag- Bookmark

 

In The Marketing Section,

Why authors should know their target audience- Kate Tilton

15 steps to self publish- K M Weiland – Bookmark

Lean book publishing- Sabrina Ricci

55 tweets to start posting now- Frances Caballo- Bookmark

Picture Book Resources- Bookmark

 

To Finish,

It is nice to peer through the gloom and see a shining light- a feel-good story. Angela Ackerman tells the story of the Emotion Thesaurus and how they (Angela and Becca Puglisi) accidentally started a small publishing empire doing everything the wrong way round. More power to them I say! 

 

Maureen

@craicer

 

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Pic: Flickr Creative Commons - Jonathan Pearson