Can you believe we're almost halfway through 2013? Summer crept up on me, and I couldn't believe it when I realized it was June 3 today. This weekend I was thinking about Book Expo America, my own future as an author and a marketing coach, and where the publishing industry is headed, both in the immediate future and over the next few years. I continue to think it's the most exciting time to be in publishing since we first figured out how to mass-produce books on a press, and things are showing no signs of slowing down.
This week I'm going to look at five big trends that are emerging and shaping the future of the publishing industry and what we can look forward to for the summer of 2013.
1. Hybrid Publishers: There are the Big 6 publishing houses and there are self-publishers, right? Wrong. There are lots of mid-level presses in between. And there is a new style of independent press gaining traction: the hybrid publisher. These publishers offer a lot of the same services you would expect from a big house, but present them as services to authors. I'll dig into what they look like.
2. Enhanced Ebooks: Ebooks have had their day as the new kid on the block. Now all eyes are on ebooks that can do more with images and video on tablets. I'll look at where that part of the industry is headed.
3. Pricing: What's normal? What's expected? How are the bestsellers priced? Can self-publishers sell for the same price as established authors? There are so many questions around book pricing. I'll look at where the answers are this summer.
4. Home publishing: I write a lot about DIY author tips on my other blog, but the idea of creating a publishing house and managing it from home is happening in a big way. This can mean anything from learning how to create your own ebook to how to create, register, and list your own publishing company.
5. Libraries: Wait, what do libraries have to do with the future of publishing? Quite a bit. And there is a groundswell of change happening in libraries across the country. I'll look at what it means for all of us.
Image source: fdecomite via flickr
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