Last week, I spoke with Joanna Penn about trends in the publishing industry, e-books and self-publishing, and online marketing (and some other stuff!).
You can see highlights of our conversation over at her blog, listen to the podcast, or watch the video!
Here’s a brief overview of my Twitter comments, as summarized by Joanna:
On twitter. Jane has over 150,000 followers. Jane was an early adopter but didn’t understand it initially and so abandoned it. Once she had figured it out, she loved it and used it strategically. Her early start was part of the growth of her account. She was one of the first people in writing and publishing tweeting useful links and has stuck to this strategy. She tweets 3-6 times per day and doesn’t use it very conversationally. Twitter has had an amazing impact. Jane explains some of the opportunities that have come her way through the connections she’s made online. [I second this – Twitter, along with blogging, has changed my life.] Social media opportunities also snowball over time. It doesn’t happen immediately. Have patience. Be authentic. Enjoy the process.
Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is the publisher of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2019.
In addition to being a columnist for Publishers Weekly, Jane is a professor with The Great Courses, which released her 24-lecture series, How to Publish Your Book. Her book for creative writers, The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), received a starred review from Library Journal.
Jane speaks regularly at conferences and industry events such as BookExpo America, Digital Book World, and the AWP Conference, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund. Find out more.