7 PUBLISHING TRENDS THAT COULD IMPACT YOUR CAREER

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7 PUBLISHING TRENDS THAT COULD IMPACT YOUR CAREER
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DISCLAMER
Any hypos associated with this presentation are
soulely the respectability of Eddie Jones and in
know way refract the quantity of work offended by
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas or
Christian Devotions Ministries and its bored
staff.
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1 - EBOOK GROWTH SLOWS

• The stunning increases in ebook sales from 2012
  to 2014 led many to wonder if print books were
  about to become obsolete. Some predicted e-books
  would soon represent 50 to 70 of all book
  sales? Then late in the first quarter of 2014,
  the growth rates slowed. After years of double -
  and triple-digit increases, ebooks remain at
  around 30 of revenues for the publishers who
  report their sales through the Association of
  American Publishers.

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Rise of the Machine

• With dedicated e-readers, consumers could only do
  one thing read. But with tablets and phones,
  the distractions of email, social media updates,
  and video on demand, pull casual readers away
  from ebooks.
• An estimated 80 percent of 18 to 24 year olds own
  a smartphone.
• The growth in smartphone and tablet use offers
  more eReading opportunities but also more
  distractions.

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Apple Owns the Tablet / Smartphone Market

• In tablets, Apple continues to dominate the U.S.
  market with about 80 million users. Consider
• A third of tablet owners use them for reading.
• Tablet owners are the source of 42 of ebook
  purchases.
• An estimated 21 million people read books on
  their phones but account for only 7 of ebook
  purchases.

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So Where Do eBooks Go in 2015

• The biggest threat to new authors and new titles
  is the glut of high-quality low-cost ebooks. The
  quality ebooks especially self-published ebooks
  - has dramatically increased competition. A
  decade ago, publishers constrained book supply by
  publishing a limited number of new titles each
  year. Not anymore. With the introduction of
  ebooks, every author can be found on Amazon. This
  rapid growth in the supply of ebooks has eclipsed
  demand. This means most new ebooks will sell
  substantially fewer copies than previous new
  releases.

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Where Does eBook Pricing Go in 2015

• Down. During the first years of the ebook
  revolution, large publishers refused to discount
  their ebooks. Most tried to sell in the 14.95
  to 19.95 range. Meanwhile, small publishers and
  self-published authors were happy to earn royalty
  rates of 70 and budget-conscious consumers loved
  the low prices. FREE and 99 cent ebooks allowed
  unknown authors to gain new readers and establish
  careers. No more. In the last year, large
  publishers have stepped up their price-cutting
  and begun offering temporary promotions on titles
  from big-name authors. In 2015 these temporary
  promotions will give way to permanent lower
  prices on backlist titles from big names and more
  aggressive discounting on recently released
  titles.

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Will Free work in 2015

• As the market becomes flooded with free ebooks
  FREE will lose influence. With the glut of FREE,
  high-quality books, good isnt good enough
  anymore. To reach readers, an author must deliver
  an emotionally satisfying read. This holds true
  for both fiction and non-fiction. If readers
  arent giving your book four or five star reviews
  and using words in their reviews like, wow,
  incredible and amazing, your book probably
  wont stick and sell long term. Books that wow
  readers turn consumers into evangelists.

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2 PRINT IS BACK

• While ebook sales plateaued in 2014, print books
  staged a comeback. According to Nielsen BookScan,
  print sales rose 2.4 in 2014, with total units
  topping 635 million. The 2014 figures provide
  evidence that print books are selling better than
  they have since sales of e-books took off in 2010
  and Borders closed its doors in 2011.
• Trade Paperback increased 4.3
• Hardcover increased 3
• Mass Market Paperback declined -10.3
• Audio remained flat at 0.2
• The mystery and romance categories had the
  largest market shares at 32 and 36

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The Revival of Bookstores

• After several solid years, independents are
  beginning to add locations and taking back some
  of the physical bookshelf space they lost during
  the Great Recession and the ebook explosion. Some
  are focusing on underserved towns where Borders
  once flourished. Other stores are creating
  reading environments by partnering with local
  restaurants and coffee shop in order to increase
  foot traffic. Used bookstores fill a void by
  offering popular titles and discounted prices.
  For the author, local bookstores remain a bright
  spot and many will find their local bookstore
  eager to host an author event.

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Print and ebook Live On

• Declines in print revenues will slow over the
  next five years and, in the long term, the market
  will plateau, with printed books still seen as
  desirable to own. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
• As the economy continues to improve, consumers
  have demonstrated a willingness to spend money on
  print books. That said, the struggles at Barnes
  and Noble might continue to drive consumers
  towards online sales and independent bookstores.

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3 - PUBLISHERS EMBRACE DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER SALES

• Publishers have considered direct-to-consumer
  sales for years but the Amazon / Hachette dispute
  of 2014, combined with continuing concerns
  regarding Barnes and Noble and independent
  bookstores, has prompted many publishers to take
  a fresh look at these new sales channels.

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MR. PUBLISHER, MEET MRS. READER

• Last year HarperCollins relaunched its website to
  sell its books, e-books and audiobooks directly
  to the consumer. Meanwhile Hachette partnered
  with Gumroad to see if the Twitter platform could
  sell books direct via social media. For
  publishers the benefits are obvious greater
  control of profit margins, a database of customer
  profiles, customer contact information, and the
  ability to data mine (learn insights into
  consumer buying habits).

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What Does This Mean for the Author?

• Direct-to-consumer sales will allow publishers to
  focus more on mobile marketing where the emphasis
  is on the author and less on the publisher behind
  the author.
• For years trade and academic publishers have used
  online communities to market and sell to
  consumers. Expect this trend towards social
  engagement to continue. A recent study
  commissioned by Bowker Market Research (BMR)
  reveals that

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• 84 of publishers plan to expand their online
  community involvement
• 64 of publishers with online communities felt
  their investment paid for itself
• 73 of publishers interviewed felt that online
  communities helped or would help them to engage
  better with their audiences
• 72 of trade publishers said their online
  communities helped or would help to increase
  direct relationships with customers
• 45 claimed they provided or would provide good
  marketing support to sales channels

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How Can Authors Take Advantage Of This Sales
Shift?

• By signing with a house that understands the
  importance of a strong online community, and
  remaining socially engaged even if youre a
  social media klutz.

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4 - RISE OF THE HYBRID AUTHOR

• Not long ago, literary agents sold books to
  publishers, publishers sold books to booksellers,
  and booksellers sold books to the reading public.
  But as the book publishing industry continues to
  consolidate and contract, mid-list authors find
  it increasingly difficult to land contracts with
  their previous publisher. Enter the new hybrid
  author. While the definition of hybrid author
  remains fluid, the term generally means a
  traditionally published author who occasionally
  self-publishes when the project is served best by
  taking full ownership.

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When To Go Hybrid

• First, make sure you have a platform to sell your
  books. Successful hybrid authors know their
  readers, have access to their readers contact
  information via newsletters, emails, fan mail,
  and usually have an extensive social media reach.
  If, as an author, you are doing the bulk of the
  marketing and moving the majority of the books,
  hybrid may be a good option for you. Here are
  three publishing options for hybrid authors.

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What Is A Traditional Publisher

• Large advance (any figure over 1000)
• Heavily invested in bookstore distribution
• Submits your work to prestigious review outlets
• Physical location with salaried employees
• Prints books offset press and stores them in
  distribution centers
• Pay royalties on a quarter or semi-annual basis

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Advantages of a Traditional Publisher

• Traditional publishing remains the gold standard.
  Often you receive an advance, validation or your
  work (the house is paying you to write), and the
  prestige of reviews, bookstore distribution, and
  hope that your book will become a best seller.
  While the number of slots continues to dwindle,
  remaining loyal to a house (and waiting longer
  for a contract) may pay dividends later.

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Small Press

• None or a very small advance (50 to 200)
• Very little bookstore and library exposure
• Few salaried employees
• Virtual staff
• Ability to adjust or adapt a title after its
  release
• Agile marketing
• Treat imprints as consumer brands
• Use printon-demand
• Heavily promotes ebooks
• Higher royalty percentages than with traditional
  houses

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Advantages of a Small Press

• Small press publishing gives debut and mid-list
  authors the chance to write and sell more books ?
  provided their titles sell a reasonable number of
  copies. With a lower overhead, a small press
  doesnt need to sell as many copies to recoup its
  investment. Many mid-list authors find that a
  small press is the best option since the author
  does not pay for the books production yet still
  retains some input in the books title, cover,
  and marketing.

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Self Publishing Company

• You pay for the production of your book,
  marketing services, and / or may be required to
  purchase a certain number of books.
• According to Bowker, the number of self-published
  titles in 2013 increased to more than 458,564,
  up 17 percent over 2012 and 437 percent over
  2008. Bowkers data is based on ISBNs issued.
  Its widely acknowledged that self-published
  authors frequently avoid buying an ISBN, so the
  number of titles is certainly larger.

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Advantages of a Self Publishing

• Self-publishing give authors the most control
  over their books. Authors can often buy books for
  much lower than what a small press might offer.
  This is important if you are a speaker and expect
  to move most of your books at the back of the
  room. Many self-pub firms offer extensive
  marketing for a fee. With self-pub, you risk your
  money but have more control and receive a greater
  share of the profits.

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5 - EBOOK SUBSCRIPTIONS MAY REACH A TIPPING (OR
BREAKING) POINT

• In 2014 Amazon launched its subscription service,
  Kindle Unlimited, joining ebook subscription
  services like Oyster, Scribd, 24Symbols, Mofibo
  and others. With so much of our lives tied to
  subscriptions newspapers, magazines, gym
  memberships, streaming media ? the opportunity to
  deliver ebooks on a weekly or monthly basis may
  seem like a logical step. From the content
  standpoint, publishers have been slow to partner
  with subscription services for fear of
  cannibalizing their title list.
• Will this trend benefit authors? First, lets
  explore how ebook subscriptions work.

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How Do Ebook Subscriptions Work?

• With an e-book subscription, you get unlimited
  access to a library of books for a monthly fee.
  You can read as many books as you want, for as
  long as you want. Unlike a traditional library,
  there are no due dates. But like a library, you
  do not own the books you read. If you cancel your
  subscription, you lose access to any titles you
  saved. Now lets look at three of the most
  popular ebook subscription services.

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KINDLE UNLIMITED

• Unlimited costs 9.99 per month, and offers
  around 600,000 books. KDP Select authors and
  publishers supply many of these books. You will
  also find many popular and best-selling books,
  including the "Hunger Games" and "Harry Potter"
  series. There are also plenty of classics, such
  as "Animal Farm," "Moby Dick" and Mark Twain's
  "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." In order to read
  a book, you download it to your Kindle device.
  One of the biggest drawbacks to Unlimited is that
  you will have to search the Amazon's website for
  all books and select those designated as
  Unlimited titles. This can become tedious.
  Unlimited works great if you already have an
  Amazon device and dont mind wading through
  thousands of titles to find the book you want.

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OYSTER

• Oyster's main selling point is its legacy of
  being an early entry into ebook subscriptions.
  Oyster has a library of around 500,000 titles,
  few of which are from self-published, Amazon
  Kindle authors. Since its a dedicated ebook
  subscription service, searching for and finding a
  particular author or title is faster than
  Unlimited. Oyster is a great option for your
  iPad, Android tablet or smartphone.

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SCRIBD

• Scribd is similar to Oyster, with a catalog of
  more than 500,000 books that you can borrow for
  just 9 per month, one dollar cheaper than Kindle
  Unlimited and Oyster. The app is simply designed,
  with books organized into genres and categories.
  Scribd recently added around 15,000 new e-books
  from publisher Harlequin, which is best known for
  its romance novels. With Scribd you also have
  access to thousands of documents, from court
  cases to scientific studies. Scribd is a great
  choice if you want to read books on your
  computer, as well as an Android or iOS device.

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How Does This Help the Author?

• By signing with a house that participates in
  ebook subscription service, your name and books
  may be seen by thousands of new readers. While an
  author may not see substantial royalty checks
  from ebook subscription loans, the exposure
  could lead to increased print sales.
• Look for Oyster and Scribd to merge in 2015 or
  2016 as they battle Kindle Unlimited for
  dominance.

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6 - CHRISTIAN FICTION STRUGGLES TO REMAIN RELEVANT

• Of all the categories in publishing, print book
  sales of Christian Fiction declined 25 from
  2012-2014. This follows recent announcements
  that
• Abingdon Press suspended fiction acquisitions,
  (removing 25-35 titles per year from the market)
• River North (Moody Publishings fiction imprint)
  will reduce its title offerings to 3-5 books per
  year
• BH Publishing Group has realigned its fiction
  strategy to only publish novels tied to its films
• And Harlequins Heartsong Presents closed its
  doors in January
• Combine that with news that Family Christian
  Bookstores, the nation's largest Christian retail
  outlet, has filed for bankruptcy, and you have a
  perfect storm of catastrophic proportions for
  Christian Fiction authors.

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What Is Christian Fiction

• Christian Fiction is a genre of books that
  typically promotes values, teaches a lesson,
  always has a happy ending (good prevails over
  evil in all books), and adheres to a decency
  code (certain boundaries such as sexuality,
  strong language, and topics of such cannot be
  crossed).Deborah Bryan of the Kansas Library
  Association
•  
• Bryan also notes that a Christian Fiction author
  must comply with certain restraints such as
• Accept the truthful authority of the Bible
• Address dilemmas through faith in Jesus
• Believe that Jesus died and rose for sins of all
  people
• Avoid writing about certain taboo topics.

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Christian Fictions Narrow Market

• As Ron Benrey notes in his book, The Complete
  Idiot's Guide to Writing Christian Fiction,
  Readers of Christian fiction in America are
  Caucasian women, of childbearing through "empty
  nester" age, who identify themselves as
  evangelical Christians.
• Given that this demographic represents such a
  narrow slice of the reading public and the recent
  decline in sales, Christian authors may ask Are
  we witnessing the end of the inspirational genre?
  Before we answer, lets consider the obstacles
  Christian authors face (and at least one
  advantage).

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Can Christian Authors Relate?

• First, too many Christian authors cannot relate
  to (or in some cases even tolerate) secular
  readers.
•  
• From an agents perspective, many faith-based
  writers simply dont know what theyre doing when
  it comes to writing for non-Christian readers.
  They arent part of the non-faith world, they
  dont hang out with non-Christian people, and
  they dont watch non-religious TV shows. In
  essence, they CANT speak to that group, because
  they dont know the language.Literary agent Chip
  MacGregorwww.chipmacgregor.com/blog/current-affai
  rs/is-crossing-over-from-cba-to-the-general-market
  -possible/
• To reach readers in Samaria, Christian authors
  need to spend more time at the well in the heat
  of the day.

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Write Stories Not Sermons

• Second, too many Christian authors would rather
  preach than teach. Judging from Amazon reviews,
  large numbers of readers - even Christian readers
  - are turned off by such words as, prayer, pray,
  Jesus, Christ, conversion, salvation, and sin.
  Stories that emphasize a conversion experience
  may come across as manipulative and preachy. On
  the other hand, those same readers express
  similar discomfort with stories that overtly
  include and promote violence, promiscuity, and
  profanity. Regardless of the message and authors
  agenda, it seems most readers want a story, not a
  sermon.

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Christian Authors Have an Advantage

• Third, Christian authors have an advantage over
  secular writers. We already have plenty of
  examples of great stories that move readers to
  action and leave them pondering Gods truths and
  challenge us to change.
• The Prodigal Son  a story of a parents
  unconditional, long-suffering love. Themes
  trust, hope, and the importance of home and
  family.
• The Good Samaritan  a story of inclusiveness.
  Themes tolerance, institutional pride, religious
  hypocrisy, service, and generous giving.
• The Hidden Treasure  a story of one individuals
  journey to find his purpose. Themes Passion,
  perseverance, risk and commitment to a noble
  cause.
• Im sure you can think of other ways to spin
  Jesus parables. The point is, a great writer can
  shape the story to move the reader without
  relying on Christian words.

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Will Christian Fiction Go Away?

• Probably not. But if you want to write to a
  larger market and expand your chances of
  publication, consider focusing on story above all
  else. Do that and you may find Gods Spirit
  working in the hearts of readers eager for your
  stories.

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7 -MANY AUTHORS WILL QUIT IN 2015

• Writing a book is hard work. Writing a great book
  is really, really hard work and requires a team
  of editors. Turing a manuscript into a best
  selling book demands a detailed marketing plan
  and word-of-mouth buzz. Most authors dont want
  to work that hard, become discouraged by weak or
  slumping sales and give up.
• This is good news for those authors who recognize
  that writing isnt a game of chance but a game of
  change that as an author you must adapt or die.
  If you write for the joy of writing, focus less
  on the sales numbers, and understand that
  instant successes is rare, you may find God
  speaking readers through their words for years to
  come.