Publishing 5.0

The world of publishing has changed. This is not something new. It has been evolving for 30 years. At first, authors wrote, publishers and agents did the rest. Then publishers wanted authors to market their own books. Next, publishers wanted authors to have a ready market, or platform, where the author’s book would sell easily and quickly. Finally, publishers simply printed and distributed books and the authors were expected to do the rest.

The problems with all these steps are easy to spot. The first phase was great for authors but expensive and time consuming for publishers. When times got tough, it was easy to see where changes needed to be made. When authors were asked to include a marketing plan with their proposal, most rose to the occasion. Unfortunately,  writing a marketing plan and carrying it out are two different things. As for the platform, well, it is a Catch-22. You need a book to develop a platform and you need a platform to get your book published. Finally, no one seems to have notified authors that they are on their own once their book is published and distributed. YIKES! So, how do you deal with all this as an author? That’s where Publishing 5.0 comes in.

I believe we should now enter the fifth phase of publishing, a phase both publishers and authors can embrace since it really benefits both sides. In Pub 5.0, is role of the publisher is printing and distribution. Anything else they might do for the author should be viewed as a blessing. As for the author, you need to see yourself as an independent business person and act accordingly. Let me define your business:

Most of you probably think you of writing. Not so fast. You are in the business of SALES. You sell only one product: Your Message! Everything else you do, like writing books, supports that message. Your goal is to share your message with as many members of your market as possible efficiently and inexpensively. Once you take responsibility for your role in this process, once you take ownership of your business, the less stress you have and the quicker you can succeed.

How do you begin? Glad you asked. Pub 5.0 is a passion of mine. I believe it is unfair for publishers to expect authors to do so much work with little or no training. What is even worse is the fact most authors have no clue they are expected to do all these things. I know for a fact this is the case because I talk to so many authors in the course of my work. Most of you are still under the impression your publisher is going to do all the work to get the word out about your book. Even if your publisher does market your book, this is only temporary, a gift when your book is first released. You worked hard writing your book. It should continue selling longer than 3-6 months. That takes effort on your part.

I plan to offer webinars to help authors with this process. It takes work but it is much easier if you know the steps to take. I will announce the first session next week. In the meantime, the first step is taking ownership of your business. Are you ready?