Write2Publish: Short 1 - The Changing Face of Publishing

by Robin Sullivan

This is the first in a series of shorts that explore the various aspects of fiction publishing in 2011. There have been remarkable changes in the last several months. Most notably ebook sales have skyrocketed since November 2010 and the collapse of Borders in February 2011.

Keeping your pulse on the state of the industry requires reading multiple blogs, news outlets, and trade publications. My intent is to distill this information and do the leg work so you don’t have to.

This first short sets the stage for future ones in that it provides statistics as to the current market. Topics that are covered in this edition:

Why this book now?
Why should you listen to me?
So what has changed?
ereader Competition
ebook Explosion
Living Wage
Demise of Borders
So what does this mean to you?
In Conclusion

If you are an author (or aspiring author) then it is important to understand the current publishing climate as it can help you decide the various paths to publishing.

18 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2011

About the author

I'm the wife of author Michae J. Sullivan (creator of the Riyria Revelations, Riyria Chronicles, Legends of the First Empire, and The Rise and Fall). I'm also his business manager and as such, I handle much of the non-writing aspects of his career including (but not limited to) coordination with agents, publicists, publishers, copy editors, beta readers, printers, cover designers, narrators, and the like.

I'm also Michael's "alpha reader" which means I get to read his stories before anyone else. I've not been on Goodreads much in the past, but I'm hoping to have more time on the site now that I'm starting to "dig out" from being behind in a great many things.

I also run a writer's group where I give free lectures on publishing (self, small-press, and big-five). If you are an author and have questions, I'll be more than happy to answer them as best I can.