Top ten writing industry issues you should care about

with guest Amy Green.

“To help stand out in a crowd, authors should understand the industry,” they say. “They” are all the people in blog posts, conference panels, and magazine articles—the experts, the people who secretly have all the answers in a vault somewhere and aren’t telling the authors because it’s fun to watch them look confused.

Or maybe getting up-to-speed on issues in publishing isn’t that complicated after all.

I call myself an “insider-outsider,” because while I’m not a novelist myself, I’m aware of what authors are talking about (due to superior in-person and online eavesdropping skills) and what publishers are talking about (due to actually being invited to strategy meetings and pub boards).

Being aware of these ten issues—maybe even doing a little research on a few of them that are new to you—will show publishing teams that you know what you’re talking about, and even help your writing reach a broader audience.

Here’s a quick plug for an easy and fun way to get up to speed on some of these issues: In addition to working for Bethany House, I’m also a member of the Christy Award board, and this year we’re planning a day of author workshops before the award ceremony called The Art of Writing. Four of the speakers are addressing, you guessed it, three of the points below. (And the panel of editors and marketers will probably speak to others.) This will give you in-depth research and practical insight about how to make your writing career stronger. Best of all…the workshops and the gala dinner are only $99 together.

Is a trip to Nashville in your future? I hope so, because A.  I genuinely think these workshops will be valuable to writers, B. I’m a frequent Seekerville lurker and would love to meet lots of you, and C. maybe I’ll find someone who wants to visit the Nashville Parthenon or Belmont Mansion on Thursday morning after the event. (If you’re already sold, you can register here.)

So here we go, rapid-fire issue time! Remember, this is a broad overview. If anything catches your attention, you can find a wealth of information about it online and in writing groups.

One: Readership Demographics

Who, exactly, is reading your books? Or, if you’re unpublished, how would you describe the audience you’re trying to reach? Those are two excellent questions, because you can’t find out more information about your readers until you know who they are. One place to start if you have a Facebook page (not a personal profile) is the “Insights” portion. (Read FAQs about how to find and interpret that section here.) If you’re not yet published but have friends who are, consider asking a writer in your genre if he or she would be willing to share some general demographics with you. Asking questions of your readers can also be helpful. (Things like “What shows or movies are popular in your circles?” or “How does your small group choose a Bible study?” or “How much do you usually pay for an ebook?”)

 

Two: Online vs. Brick-and-Mortar

Because “digital migration” always sounds to me like the stampede scene from The Lion King, I mostly think of this as where people are buying and why. You’ve probably seen studies that show that ebook sales are tapering off to a steady level, and print hasn’t disappeared for good. (Hooray!) That said, traditional retail stores continue to struggle with more and more people buying online.

As an author, you can celebrate both ways of readers discovering your books, but here’s my take: remember that Amazon doesn’t need your promotional help, whereas your local independent or LifeWay or B&N might. If you have a website, include all retailers there, and try to vary what links you post on social media. Meeting-and-greeting at your local store is a great way to build relationships, and anything you do on Facebook to promote stores (whether it’s encouraging readers to take and post photos of your book in retail stores or giving away a gift card) is appreciated. And if you’re looking for a way to link to an independent Christian store, here’s a newly-created  indie store finder you can use!

Three: Diversity

In both Christian and general fiction, there’s a lot of talk about what we can do to make our novels better represent the world we live in. There’s a lot of complexity here, so I don’t want to simplify it, but this is my challenge to you: think it through, do some reading—try searching for things like sensitivity readers or the We Need Diverse Books movement—and join the conversation.

(Dr. Theon Hill is going to be addressing the challenges of opportunities of writing diverse stories at The Art of Writing, and from the first interview with him that I listened to, I knew I wanted him to be the one to do so. It’s going to be fantastic.)

Four: Platform

I’m obligated to put this in as a marketing person, but here’s something you might not have thought of: with more and more sales online, even publishers are thinking about their platform. The more we can directly connect with readers, whether it’s through a blog or banner ads online or newsletters, the less power the whims of Amazon and Facebook are to disrupt our strategy. You’re not going to be able to keep up with every promotional trend out there—and you shouldn’t try—but you should take some time to think about every marketing activity you do and evaluate with these two questions: what is my goal? And how could I change what I’m doing to be more efficient and effective?

Five: Changes in Reader Expectation

Intuitively, you probably know a book written today is different in tone and content than one written thirty or one hundred years ago. But have you thought about why? Are shorter sentences proof that Americans are dumber or that the relationship of authors to readers has changed from teacher-to-student to friend-to-friend? What word choices will make your writing sound dated? What “rules” (grammar or content) do editors no longer care about?

The best place to find out is to read articles like this one in Readers Digest, read current fiction in your genre, and ask specific questions of agents and editors when you get a chance.

Six: When to Break “Rules”

Here’s my opinion as a marketing person: if you have a brilliant story that you’re passionate about, you can break some rules. Not all the rules at once, usually, but some. The very thing that goes against industry standard might be what makes your story stand out. Just make sure that you find out from trusted readers and writers whether the story itself is working before you decide to go against conventional wisdom. (You also have to know the rules and conventions first before you break them—reading blogs like Seekerville and reading widely is the first step for that.)

Seven: The Future of Your Genre 

Yes, it’s great to scan shelves for new trends, but I’d suggest hanging around agent blogs and subscribing to authors’ newsletters for information on what might be coming next. (Agents will often talk trends, and authors will release information about books they’re working on months before release.) Sometimes, though, you have to realize that there is no crystal ball. Many of the bestsellers in the Christian market broke out by doing something completely new (Amish with Beverly Lewis, supernatural with Frank Peretti, apocalyptic with Left Behind), not learning from and applying an existing trend.

Eight: Writing in Community

All you Seekerville villagers are one step ahead in realizing the importance of learning from other writers and connecting with each other in community. Here are some side issues to consider, though: what’s the difference between “thick-skin-necessary” constructive criticism and just plain being mean? How do you celebrate others’ success without becoming envious? What’s the line between learning from watching someone else and ripping off their original idea?

Nine: The Impact of Free

I’m not speaking out against ebook deals—Bethany House often has a number of them going on our specials page. But, whether traditionally published or indie, you will have to think about how to leverage free content to your advantage and not in a way that devalues books. If nothing else, you need to have a kind-but-firm reply ready for the many readers who will request a free book upon release. (If you need an article to link to, I wrote a post on this a while back.)

 

Ten: Time Management

It seems like there are a thousand more demands on your time than there ever were before. This may not be an industry issue in the strict sense, but an author’s ability to prioritize and use time effectively is something that we talk about even in pub board meetings when discussing contracts. If you learn what is a good use of your time—which includes prioritizing quality writing and deadlines over almost any other item on your to-do list—it will help your career immeasurably.

So, there you have it. Ten issues that hopefully won’t stress you out—even realizing these conversations are going on might be enough so that you can sound industry-savvy at conferences, on blogs, and in proposals. You don’t have to be an expert on everything, but being thoughtful about questions that affect your life and career is a great idea for everyone.

SIX BOOK GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for the Bethany House books up for a Christy Award? Six books, six winners. They are: Counted With the Stars by Connilyn Cossette, A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander, Her One and Only by Becky Wade, King’s Folly by Jill Williamson, From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden, and The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green. 

Bio: Amy Green has been the fiction publicist at Bethany House Publishers since 2013. Her typical day might involve planning book tours, handling media requests, interacting with reviewers, answering author questions about marketing, and completing other tasks designed to introduce readers to great books. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Professional Writing and was excited to find a job with a publisher whose books she’s loved since childhood. You can find her running Bethany House’s social media and blogging every Thursday at bethanyfiction.com—feel free to stop by and comment anytime!