A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Publishing Contortions as the Industry Becomes Ever More Digital and the Significance for Authors

 


It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. 

Today's post discusses a seismic change in the book publishing industry. More than a decade in the making, digital publishing has moved to overtake print publishing, whether it is online journals or ebooks published in advance (and sometimes in lieu) of paperbacks. That move is propelled by a growing younger population that has grown up digitally and the greater ease for authors to self-published in digital formats. That, however, creates a quandary for publishers. AI compounds the rate of change by bringing a new component to writing. Take a look at this article about one of the most established and respected magazines: National Geographic Ends Era: All Staff Writers Laid Off Amid Digital Shift (msn.com).

What authors want

Many, if not most, especially new, authors want to be able to touch their books, show them off, put them on their bookshelves, hold book launches and signing parties. That means paperbacks and hard covers, which have become increasingly more expensive to produce.

What libraries want

Libraries prefer hard copies. They last longer. In that way, they mirror authors' desires. An increasing number of libraries, however, are turning to digital books for their collections. After all, the cost to purchase hard copies can be excessive.

What readers want 

Ah, therein is the rub. The readers often want digital -- easy to use, easy to store, and cheap. Audiobooks, too, are gaining in popularity.

Bottom line: Things change. While they do, turmoil reigns -- and that is just about where we are right now.

See more Publisher Conversations with authors HERE.



 Learn more about publishing from an acquisitions editor -- how to get your book proposal accepted, why proposals are turned down/accepted, and how to find the right publisher for your book. On special sale for $5 while inventory lasts at MSI Press webstore. Also available as an ebook and an audiobook.



The Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic that you would like addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 18 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.

                             

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