Not anymore.

Thanks to technology that’s continually evolving and innovating, the industry has had more change in the past decade than it’s had in the previous century.

Authors need to know what’s happening

As a result, authors need to know what’s happening . . . and about to happen. Book publishing industry knowledge can – and should – guide author career decisions.

To help you see what’s coming at the start of this new decade, I’ve researched predictions made by reputable organizations and businesses. I’ve linked to all of them below so you can benefit from their wisdom. I’ve also pulled out a few highlights that I don’t want you to miss.

Here are their predictions:

• “Self-Publishing Predictions for 2020 and the 2020s” by Orna Ross on the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) site
•  “The Top Ten Publishing Industry Trends Every Author Needs to Know in 2020” by Clayton Noblit on WrittenWordMedia.com
• “2020 Vision: Publishing Predictions for the Next Decade” by Richard Eoin Nash on PublishingPerspectives.com
• “Top Self Publishing Trends 2020” on the Issuu blog

Book publishing predictions for 2020 from the experts

Here’s some of what struck me in the predictions.

Authors as business owners

Orna Ross predicts that “we will see more and more authors come to understand how self-publishing changes them from being professionals who write to being business owners who write and publish.”

I’m glad she thinks this will happen because some of us have been telling authors for years that in order to succeed, they have to act like business owners. Authorship is a business.

Yes, there’s a place for the hobbyists. But if you want to build a following, sell books, and earn money from your book, you need to accept that you now own a publishing business. I’m glad it might actually become a trend this year.

Indies will collaborate

More indie authors will collaborate on marketing, predicts Clayton Noblit. He references email list swaps in particular.

I hope he’s right. In my experience, authors remain reluctant to build email lists. Perhaps they’re intimidated by the technology. Maybe they don’t know how to use a list. (Should I create a course on this? Tell me in a comment!)

I’d love to see authors partnering more and competing less.

Chain stores will go away

Richard Eoin Nash, like so many others, believes that brick-and-mortar chain stores will disappear. He’s probably right, but I’d hate to see my Barnes & Noble ride off into the sunset.

More authors will turn to professionals

The Issuu predictions include one saying that authors and other content creators will move away from the “I can do it all myself” model. They’re realizing that the D-I-Y approach results in “a lot of poorly produced and edited e-books.”

Poorly produced books hurt the self-publishing segment. Here’s to fewer of them in 2020 and beyond. Fewer bad books will allow more of the superior books to shine through.

Audiobooks stand out

One prediction in particular that meshes with my experience as a reader is Noblit’s on audiobooks continuing to gain popularity.

Audiobooks have rocked my world. I can move through a book a week because I listen while exercising, driving, and cooking. It’s clear that this format is catching on with other book lovers, too.

In 2020, more publishers and authors will take advantage of this trend. If you’re one of them, check out Derek Doepker’s do-it-yourself program, Audiobooks Made Easy (I’m a fan, so I’m a compensated affiliate). You’ll learn about the tools you need to create an audiobook and how to use them to create a quality product.

If you’ve already taken advantage of this trend and have an audiobook available, be sure to read “How to promote your audiobook.” Narrator and promoter Karen Commins’s tips will help make sure you’re focused on the right activities.

What are your predictions?

Which of the predictions here or at the four articles linked to above resonate with you?

What will you be doing differently in 2020? Do you see that in the predictions?

What industry change would you like to see this year?

Please share your plans and predictions in a comment! 

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month, it’s Authorgraph, an online service that lets you “sign” e-books.

Because you sign each book individually as you receive requests, you can write something different (if you want) for everyone who makes a request. So, while you might write something generic for a stranger, you can write something personal when you get a request from someone you know.

The Authorgraph isn’t inserted in the e-book, though. Instead, it’s created as a separate document. This allows readers to create an Authorgraph collection.

Learn more and sign up at Authorgraph.com.

Ahem. Myth number two in my friend and colleague’s book is, “My publisher will sell and promote my book.”

There was my justification to continue with this review.

There is absolutely no question that if you’re new to book publishing, you need to read Terry’s slim new book. 

Myths and misconceptions galore

10 Publishing Myths * hits every myth or misconception about publishing and authorship that I can think of, but doesn’t stop there. In addition to providing an essential book publishing reality check (or 10), Terry shares helpful insights, anecdotes, and how-to information related to the myth. 

For example, for that second myth about publisher marketing support, he explains that authors are responsible for book marketing — and why. He goes on to offer insights into how to proceed with that important task.

In fact, there’s a great deal of book marketing advice woven throughout the book because, as you’ll learn, it’s not enough to “manufacture” a book. You have to tell the right people — your ideal reader — that it exists, too.

Terry can share insights and anecdotes because he’s been in the business a long time. He’s been a writer or editor most of his career. In his current position as an acquisitions editor for hybrid publisher Morgan James Publishing, he has an insider’s perspective that guides what he shares in his latest book. 

What you’ll learn

Here are just a few things you’ll learn from this quick read:

• There are more publishing models today than there were when Terry and I wrote our first traditionally published books in the ’90s. You’ll get a sense of how they’re different, yet how, in some ways, they’re the same.
• Why all authors are responsible for book marketing and some ideas about how to go about it.
• The importance of quality. Cutting corners? You’re also cutting sales.
• The importance of a book proposal, even if you’re self-publishing.

One thing I especially like about this book is that it’s like having a conversation with Terry. I know him pretty well, and his kindness and compassion come through in every paragraph. He wrote this book to help authors at all stages of their writing and publishing processes, and that motive is obvious.

About self-publishing . . .

Terry addresses the self-publishing option in myth eight, “Self-publishing is the best way to get my book out into the market.”

This one is something of a Catch-22. I wish he had hit harder on the fact that in spite of this myth, self-publishing is usually the only option for most authors-to-be.

To land a traditional nonfiction contract today, you usually need a marketable concept and a significant platform. If you can’t write well, the publisher will find you a ghostwriter. The path to a fiction contract is different — platform is much less of a factor, for example.

In either case, there are often so many obstacles in your way that most need to at least start with self-publishing. You can then leverage your book’s quality and sales success to open doors to a contract for your next book.

Learn the business

10 Publishing Myths* is an excellent starting point for all authors. Whether you see authorship as your ticket to wealth and fame or as a tool that will let you make a difference, you’ll be much better informed about how the business works after reading this.

Invest in your success in the coming year by getting a copy of  10 Publishing Myths: Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed* by W. Terry Whalin. You owe it to yourself.

What books have helped you learn about authorship and book publishing? Please tell us in a comment so we can all learn. 

*All book links in this review are Amazon Associate -- affiliate -- links. 

Sometimes, it’s nothing more than perseverance that separates successful authors from those who fail — no matter how you define fail.

Many authors are familiar with the story of how best-seller Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected by 123 publishers before it was acquired. It’s a contemporary example of why authors must persist.

How do you persevere?

Perseverance can come in many forms, of course.

For some, it might be moving on to the next book.

For others, it could be listening carefully to less-than-glowing reader reviews and improving the manuscript. It might involve applying what you’ve learned from feedback to the next writing project.

For others, it could be building on a positive response by doing one thing a day to promote the book.

It can also mean just showing up in front of your computer to write at the same time every day, even when life knocks you off your feet.

Why you should persevere

Buzzfeed‘s list of “20 Brilliant Authors Whose Work Was Originally Rejected” documents why you hang in there.

After all, Beatrix Potter self-published The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1901 after publishers rejected it and look where she ended up. She succeeded because she persevered.

If you believe in your book, don’t give up. Get help making it the best if can be if that makes sense — and for most of us, it does — but don’t give up.

If you have something to say, work at saying it better than anyone else.

Package your book so it looks just as good as anything that you see on display in a brick and mortar bookstore.

Find your audience. Tell them about it. Promote it to the right people.

But don’t give up. For many authors, success is about perseverance more than anything else.

That might just be the case with you.

Ready to persist with book marketing but not sure what to do? Get a book marketing tip delivered to your inbox every day for just 99 cents for the entire year — that’s $.0027 per day and per tip — with the Build Book Buzz “365 Daily Book Marketing Tips” series.

Why do you persevere? What’s your motivation? Tell us in a comment.

In my case, it was a brief telephone interview with local author and radio talk show host Evan Dawson as I fact-checked a few details for a short piece I was writing for a regular magazine assignment. We also talked about his popular book, Summer in a Glass, for a few minutes after we took care of the details.

Later, when he was assembling a small panel for a one-hour conversation about book writing and publishing for his “Connections” show on the local NPR affliliate, WXXI-AM, he remembered our brief chat and invited me to be on the show.

I joined Gregory Gerard, author of In Jupiter’s Shadow and The Martini Chronicles, and Eric Wilder, author of I, Humpty, to talk about about how publishing has changed, how to make time to write, whether you can force creativity, and the importance of platform.

Listen to our relaxed but lively discussion about the industry and process on the Connections site.

What interesting and unexpected opportunity came to you recently?

In today’s book publishing environment, it’s not that simple. It is harder and harder to get a contract with a traditional publisher now, so while that might have been an option for that author five, six, or seven years ago, it probably isn’t today.

The question now is: “Should I self-publish or use a hybrid publishing model, and if I go the hybrid route, what are my options?”

Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? It has been . . . until recently, when publishing pundit Jane Friedman shared this incredibly clear and helpful infographic on her blog with relevant commentary.

5 Key Book Publishing Paths

This clearly outlines the risks and rewards of working with each of today’s five book publishing models.

While this infographic makes it appear as if authors have five choices, in reality, most don’t. Some authors can still opt for the traditional publishing route, although it might not make the most long-term financial sense for them anymore. Some will be able to get a contract with a “partner” publisher that won’t charge them for books, but those contracts are harder to secure, too, because of quality requirements.

Most authors will be choosing from the fully-assisted, DIY+distributor, and DIY direct option.

Let the specifics in this chart help guide your decision. Explore publishers and categorize them according to this chart. Do some online and peer-to-peer research to learn as much as you can about publisher reputations. Too many authors sign contracts with companies that don’t deliver as promised.

And remember, no matter which publishing option is the best fit for you and your book, you still have to promote it yourself. Take the time to learn how to do that. My free Build Book Buzz newsletter will help; subscribe here.

Does Friedman’s infographic ring true with you? Does it reflect what you’ve seen in today’s book publishing environment?