Posts Tagged ‘publishing trends’

Yikes! Have you looked at a calendar lately? Summer is drawing to a close and Labor Day is just 2 weeks away! It’s officially “Back to School” season!

But, going back to school is very different today than in years past. Not only is the learning equipment much different (computers and calculators vs. composition books and multiplication tables), students must study many more subjects to become successful in today’s world.

As writers we have new tools and new subjects to study, too. But that doesn’t mean we abandon all knowledge up to this point. The basics of publishing are still meaningful, but in a new context. Just like students have found the 3Rs—Reading ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic—have gone the way of language arts, phonics and mathematics, we have to learn the updated versions of what is needed in the publishing world.

4Ps to Publishing Success has always been about educating new and aspiring authors about the process. And every year since its inception (2005), an updated version of the workshop or book has been created. Well, we’ve taken up one notch and now we’re introducing the most powerful and complete course of study for writers to date: 4Ps University, and we are  are now enrolling for fall!

See everything this comprehensive home study course (with weekly live Q&A) offers here>>

And, to make it easy on the pocketbook for those who are facing other Back to School expenses (Have you seen the ’supplies needed’ lists being sent home by teachers today?), 4Ps University is offering a steep Early Registration Discount on the already ridiculously-low tuition.

So, start shining those apples and sharpening those pencils. It’s time to go Back to School and brush up on those 4Ps to Publishing Success! Don’t just take my word for it, read what 4Ps  “graduates” have to say>>

I’m back from Book Expo America in New York and recovered from the metro-sized cold I brought home–so I’m finally able to tell you all about what’s really going on in the trenches of publishing straight from the trendsetters’ mouths.

In addition to trolling the Expo main exhibit floor, I focused much of my time at the small panel-size discussions held on the Javitz Center’s lower levels–that’s where the real action was happening, IMO. I attended these sessions:

• e-Strategy for Authors: A Publisher & Agency Perspective
• Are e-Books Good for Authors?
• How the Digital Book Cloud Works for Publishers & Users (sponsored by Google)
• Maximize Your Sales Potential (sponsored by Amazon)

These are some of the sessions I missed due to scheduling conflicts and time constraints:

• Bring Your Authors to the Social Media Party…and Getting Them to Stay
• Building Online Reader Communities with an Eye on ROI
• When Gutenberg Meets Zuckerberg
• Mobile Apps: A Publisher Roadmap for Creation & Use
• Who’s Reading e-Books?
• The Creative & Business Questions Surrounding Enhanced e-Books
• Community Social Networking
• The Next Decade in Book Culture (Guess what they were slated to talk about)

Are you starting to see where the future of publishing is headed?

The primary reason I attended this conference was to explore and experience firsthand the true pulse of the industry–not just read about it via someone else’s viewpoint in articles and blogs. When developing social media strategies for myself and my clients, I want to be absolutely certain that I know about the most up-to-date technologies and have a clear vision of how to apply them in this quickly evolving publishing environment.

I want to share what I learned with you and tell you about a program I designed to help you implement this new knowledge to launch or skyrocket your publishing success. Please join me for a free tele-class with an open Q&A session at the end so you can get your questions answered. Here are the details:

Topic: Using Social Media & Digital Publishing to Skyrocket Your Publishing Success

Date: Thursday, June 10, 2010

Time: 7:00pm Eastern (6pm Central, 5pm Mountain, 4pm Pacific)

Call-In Details: Dial (712) 432-0075, Enter access code 622330#

I’m expecting a big turnout (the last social media call went to capacity on the conference line), so call in at least 5 minutes early!

P.S. The cool photo at the top of this post is used with permission of the photographer, Joe Gemignani. All rights reserved. (Since he’s my hubby, you can imagine what would happen if he didn’t give me permission.) See more like this here>>

Today’s tele-class “2001: A Publishing Odyssey” was a huge success!

Listen to the tele-class replay at (641) 715-3412, Access Code: 171279#, or download the audio recording below.

Download here: =========> pubodyssey_pt2

Yesterday’s tele-class “2001: A Publishing Odyssey” was a huge success!

Listen to the tele-class replay at (641) 715-3412, Access Code: 171279#, or download the audio recording here>> (Scroll to bottom of page.)

Publishing has changed more in the past year than it has in the previous 50. And the rate of change is getting faster and faster. The rules that seemed to be written in stone have begun to erode and are disappearing entirely.

Change is exciting and confusing at the same time. There are more opportunities to get published than ever before—if you know what you’re doing. Now, with all the changes, it’s harder than ever to know what to do. And, wrong decisions can be costly errors. But what if you had a mentor to guide you to the next step—no matter where you are right now?

Join publisher and author Shelley Lieber in a free teleclass that will help you make informed decisions about how to:

• Choose between traditional publishing and self-publishing
• Avoid scams
• Choose the right POD publisher
• Publish your work as an ebook, audio book or print book
• Find print and digital markets for your work
• Build a waiting audience before your book comes out
• Use social networking sites effectively (and not waste your time)
• Create a buzz with free publicity

Free Class: 2010: A Publishing Odyssey

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Time: 2:00-3:00 pm ET (1pm CT, 12pm MT, 11am PT)

Call Details: (641) 715-3300, Access Code 171279#

More articles and blog posts about the future of the publishing industry have been written in the past two weeks than I can ever remember reading (and I spend 2-3 hours per day reading industry news). The massive layoffs at the major houses, cutbacks or freezes on manuscript acquisitions and gloomy sales reports have many predicting the fall of the industry and the end of books.

Considering that I have been in this industry over 30 years and love books, these gloomy forecasts might have made me sad, but I’m not. Not at all. I am JUICED at the prospect of some real change in an industry that has operated in an outdated model for years. (Of course, I am compassionate for those who lost jobs, but there are other jobs, and much work to do for those who are committed to their own success and the future of book publishing.)

Looking to other creative industries, we have the models for change. I believe the salvation of the industry lies with the creators of the written word, not the publishers. Publishing has been slow to recognize the value of independent authors, unlike the music and film industries where indie artists are revered. I’ve attended writers conferences for decades and the message was always that it’s hard to get published, but follow our rules, even though we probably won’t accept your work anyway.

Faced with that bleak advice, many authors looked to other outlets for their message and found them in the form of self-publishing via print on demand, ebooks, blogs, spoken word, podcasts and books on cell phones. Yes, in the beginning quality was shaky and not of comparable quality to what the big houses put out, but all that has changed.  ”Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come,” said Victor Hugo. The technology has made it possible and now authors finally have the opportunity to connect directly with their readers, a strategy that has been hugely successful in the music industry.

When I look ahead my vision is clear and hopeful about the direction of the industry and the future of publishing. We are entering the Age of the Author. Whoohoo!