Publishing, overall, is an industry that pivoted fairly quickly and easily to conducting business during a global pandemic. Despite postponing the release of some books and a logjam at printing presses, publishing is doing business much as usual. Acquisition editors are interested in new book projects. Book sales have been brisk, even with bookstores mostly closed.
For many writers and editors, working remotely is nothing new. Getting publicity and promotions for a new book release, however, presents new challenges, but also opportunities. For writers on the path toward publication, the surface of the pavement is changing but the path is not.
With author events now booked as zoom meetings, you don’t need to leave your reading chair at home to participate. It’s easier than ever to have a direct connection with an author of a book you’re reading.
Writing workshops, classes, and conferences have gone online. No need for a big travel budget to attend. Now you have the luxury of attending virtually.
Writers tend to work alone. But authors work with others — and that accounts in part for why they get published. Building your literary community before your book is released is incredibly important to its success. There’s no time like the present to expand your network while working from home.
I highly recommend the online course offerings by WritingxWriters, The Loft Literary Center, and Gotham Writers Workshop. Depending on what genre you’re writing, there are lots of opportunities to attend conferences or participate in workshops.
Likely for your job or school you’ve learned about zoom and Google meetings by now. If not, it’s time to upgrade your technological capability to a more virtual path to publication.
To Blog, or Not to Blog
Six or seven years ago my advice to aspiring authors of nonfiction books was to build an audience platform by blogging. An example of how critical blogging could be to securing a publishing contract can be found in the case of Ann Marie Ackermann, author of Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee. After an initial assessment of her manuscript, I had recommended she start a historical true-crime blog, and she did. In fact, the editor of the ideal book series at Kent State University Press became a fan ofRead more…