Publishing News Roundup Series: Constant Revolutions in the Publishing Industry
by Maureen Crisp • September 29, 2015 • Follow
Published in News • No comments
This week we talk about the constant revolutions going on in the publishing industry
Companies like Oyster got snapped up by Google this week. In fact, a lot of start up companies have been picked up by bigger companies as of late:
Can you afford Oysters?
Every few months there seems to be another revolution in the publishing industry. Startups come and game change for a while and then a Big Fish snaps them up. This week Oyster – the subscription reading service, got snapped up by Google. Laura Hazard Own has a good analysis of recent history and a pointer to where next it could all go.
With Scribed the only other subscription service outside of Kindle Unlimited providing competition, is Google finally making a play? Mike Shatzkin uses this week’s news to look at the viability of ebook subscription models and what about Apple…
Oyster’s team were very good at Mobile Reading Apps and none of the Big Fish have made a move in this direction so far… So Google has ‘acquihired’ Oyster and their mobile reading technology. There may be big moves in mobile digital publishing ahead. But the subscription ebook model may be going bad…
In amongst the dredging for Oyster news… The Author Earning team of Hugh Howey and Data Guy did some analysis of their own on author incomes. After seven quarters they have enough data on what individual big authors may have been earning… It makes fascinating reading.
Jane Friedman has put together a great series of charts on the publishing industry and an eye opening interview with Richard Nash. He is in demand to talk to conferences about the future of the book. This is a must read for authors! In the future all your income could well come from personal appearances, the wine you select… the endorsements you have… not from your book.
In the Craft Section,
To prologue or not to prologue– Kristen Lamb
Fast writers and slow writers.- Eizabeth S Craig
Writing Prompts– (Bookmark)
Essentials of Pitching – Ava Jae (Bookmark)
In the Marketing Section,
50 ways authors can kickstart their publicity –Molly Greene
How to get your Indie book translated – Anne R
Allen (Bookmark)
Allen (Bookmark)
5 ways to jumpstart creative thinking– Bob Mayer
Selling books at Conventions – Patty Jansen
7 rules to be successful as an author– The Book Designer
How to market to a niche audience (Bookmark)
Connecting to readers -C Hope Clark
Website of the Week
K M Weiland is one of those go to writing craft bloggers. This week she shared her publishing year breakdown. This is a great snapshot of what Indie Authors need to do.
To Finish,
This week in the Ask Polly section of The New York Times was a plaintive letter asking Polly if the author should just give up on writing. The reply was quoted all around the blogosphere. Go on and read the pearls of wisdom in this wonderful piece.
Maureen
@craicer
About Maureen Crisp
Maureen Crisp has been writing her weekly publishing roundups for over seven years. She is a traditionally published children's author as well as indie-published. She lives in New Zealand and is heading the team organising the 4th National Conference of Children's Writers and Illustrators. She is currently trying her hand at writing a children’s book series if she can drag herself away from forever tweaking her Mars novel or obsessing over space.