Publishing Industry

What you earn is about what business model you can envision or build for yourself and whether it's sustainable for you over the long term.

Building direct-to-reader relationships may help publishers shift the balance of power in a game where Amazon holds most of the cards.

The dramatic shifts to online sales makes it critical that publishers and authors adjust marketing strategies and build new skill sets.

Author Darien Hsu Gee discusses writing and publishing across multiple genres, going back for her MFA at age 50, and having faith in her creative process.

Should you self-publish or traditionally publish? This infographic will help you determine the best choice for you and your project.

Literary agents Priya Doraswamy and Carly Watters discuss foreign rights, translation logistics, a book’s chances abroad, and much more.

If you want to land a traditional publishing deal, then market conditions—and your position in that market—will affect your chances.

Amazon has changed, grown, and dominated more than any other company in the book publishing industry. Here are the key developments that authors need to know about.

The biggest bookseller in the United States has suffered a slow decline over the last 10 years. Can the business be turned around?

Book publishing faces a very tight printing market at the same time that sales have increased to levels not seen for ten years.

As much of the retail world faces crisis, book publishing is positioned to grow in terms of unit sales when compared to 2019. In fact, 2020 may prove to be one of the strongest sales years in recent memory.

Every book is a gamble, and publishers ask the same two questions any capitalist or gambler asks: how much should we stake, and how much might we profit?

A book publishing–focused newsfeed gathers headlines from across the industry; it is free to all and continuously updated and maintained by Jane Friedman.

Everything authors need to know about the audiobook market, including retailers, distributors, and payments.

No two publishing paths are the same. When choosing an agent, find someone you can stand strong with, whether lashed to the mast or gliding in calm waters.

The rise of Millennial nostalgia and graphic novels, the decline of political tell-alls and publisher-driven marketing: all of this and more in 2019 trends.

The funny thing about being any good as a publishing commentator: it requires talking to many others, learning varied perspectives, and writing about ideas you didn’t come up with.

A ghostwriter discusses the novels she's written for teens from wealthy families who pay up to six figures to bring their kids' dreams to life.

The Indie Author Project identifies the best self-published fiction by state; thirteen states participate so far. This year's national winner is Ran Walker.

Big-picture editing is a series of judgment calls. But how should those judgment calls be conveyed to the writer? Two rules stand the test of time: (1) Praise. (2) Ask questions.

Even a well-published and successful author can have a difficult time finding a home for a memoir. Margaret McMullan discusses her path to publication.

If you’re pitching a nonfiction book, at some point, an editor or agent will expect you to describe the readership that your book is intended for.

If you’re a writer, how do you know if it’s worth the risk of leaving your current agent? Does past representation impede your ability to find a new agent?

A trade distributor is a partner company who takes over the tasks and responsibilities of selling your books to trade accounts like bookstores and wholesalers.

I’ve been air-quoting “reading” since my first legitimate introduction to audiobooks this past winter.

Broadly, traditional print book sales continue to grow at about 2 to 3 percent per year, but growth is driven by nonfiction, backlist titles, and children’s/YA. Fiction sales have been flat for several years now, with frontlist fiction down 5 percent due to a lack of big titles.

I don’t trust author-income survey results and I question their usefulness in improving the fortunes of writers. Too often it feels like propaganda from writers’ organizations, with the outcome boring and predictable.

As the publishing industry has transformed in the digital age, small press activity has proliferated. Here's how authors can evaluate their offerings.

Seven-figure deals seem to be given to more 20-something debut writers than debut writers in any other age group, yet Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx started writing at 58—and Frank McCourt began writing in his 60s. Were these writers more talented than younger writers trying to break in at the same time? Or has the industry started gravitating more toward younger writers in recent years? Two literary agents, Sarah Davies and Dr. Uwe Stender, offer their thoughts on the publishing industry’s attitude toward age.

While fairy tales are ancient, dating back to the Bronze age, fantasy turns out to be a revival movement, rising from the grave of the recent dead. Mention of the word fantasy is minimal through through the twentieth century, with some peaks here and there depending on your source. Around 1945, fantasy took flight, soaring up and up, well into the twenty-first century. Why the change? What summoned the word fantasy back to life in 1945?

There's growing unrest surrounding the proliferation of free and cheap books, particularly ebooks. The reasons for sharp discounts and giveaways are legion (and some reasons are better than others), but regardless of the reason, I see greater shaming of those who are seen to "devalue" literature in our culture.

A round-up of publishing industry trend articles, helping freelancers and authors anticipate changes coming in 2018.

Issues touched on: Barnes & Noble woes, the maturity of the self-publishing market, Wattpad profits, traditional publishing's problem launching blockbusters, and the growth of the Amazon ebook sales/borrows

What should writers do if they feel that an agent isn’t honoring their obligations, contractual or otherwise? What's the best way to speak up?

Anthology advances are small, contributors have little stake in the sales of the book, and branding a collective group is hard. But anthologies are still valuable and worth the effort. Here's why.

More books are translated in France than in any other country: 1 out of every 6 books has been translated from a foreign language, many from English.

I would never tell someone to publish with a hybrid publisher—every writer's goals are unique, plus hybrid publishing puts the financial risk on the author.

I'm a contributor to a new essay collection, WHAT EDITORS DO, edited by Peter Ginna and published by University of Chicago Press.

I'm the featured guest on the new Backmatter podcast from Leanpub, which is focused specifically on the publishing industry and its latest trends.

Print sales for traditional publishers are increasing this year—up by 2.6% compared to the first half of 2016. Ebook sales are continuing their decline.

Tapas, a new digital publishing platform, has led to meaningful earnings and readership for independent artists and writers in less than two months.

Today, our problem is not finding more great things to read. It’s finding time to read the great many wonderful things that are published.

How do agents—generally considered the gatekeepers to publishing companies—approach the issue of diversity in the publishing industry?

Here are the latest stories that are causing confusion (and sometimes moral panic) where it's not deserved.

Discussions about the "resurgence" of print and the comeback of independent bookstores amounts to wishful thinking, not an understanding of the industry.

Did you know Amazon’s print book sales grew by 15% in 2016—and the gain was primarily driven by Amazon's own discounting on print?

The most important thing any author needs to know about book distribution is that more than half of all book sales (regardless of format) take place online.

BEA is a quality industry event, and it is a legitimate marketing and promotion opportunity. But for the majority of indie authors, it does not make sense to invest what are likely your limited resources in BEA.

My industry newsletter for authors, The Hot Sheet, released a special (and free) issue last week with original reporting from Digital Book World.

In 2015, Kindle Press published about 90 novels. By the end of 2016, it had published a total of 218 books—all chosen through the Kindle Scout program.