I participated in an excellent teleseminar last week about the publishing industry and changes in how authors need to view it. Although predominately leaning towards the nonfiction market, much of what was said and shared relates to fiction as well.
The seminar was hosted by Roger C. Parker (for more about him, check out his Web site), and his guest was Stephanie Guzikowski (you can read a summary of the conference she presented the ideas used as the basis for this seminar here).
They discussed "The 10 Awful Truths About Book Publishing," compiled by Steven Piersanti, president of Berrett-Koehler.
Very interesting. What it all boils down to is this: because publishers are doing less and less for marketing books, authors need to rise above the average rest and really shine in their efforts to produce excellent material and to market themselves, building a fan base and connecting with individuals. Very interesting stuff. For example, about 1 million books were published last year, more than ever before, but even as the number of books published go up, book sales are declining. Today the average published book has less than 1% chance of getting shelf space in the average bookstore.
However, authors can combine new media and old strategies to get recognized. They can even hire a publicist. Stephanie is a publicist, so she had a vested interest in promoting the concept. Still, it can be helpful. My sister published a book two years ago as part of my sisters' joint company ("The Venus Week": book my wife and many of her friends think is extraordinary about women's health). They hired a publicist who played a key role in helping them get promoted. Of course, one of my sisters is a marketing expert, so that didn't hurt, either!
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