By Alex Slichnyi Social media is one of the biggest trend-setters in the society today. Every day, millions of people all around the world log onto platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to keep themselves updated about various subjects. Instagram is perhaps the hottest social media platform right now. A staggering 300 million users visit it every day. Its … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Why Instagram Stories Is A Big Plus For Businesses
Publishing
For the Readers: A List of Sites, Tools, and Examples of Beautiful Works
More and more platforms are springing up to help both indie authors and readers looking for their next great read. One new platform that does just that is The Books Machine, which allows authors to gift their books to hundreds of thousands of readers, according to the website. Readers have 30 days to read the book and write an honest review. Reader membership is free, and … [Read more...] about For the Readers: A List of Sites, Tools, and Examples of Beautiful Works
Books and Stories From the Past
Just for fun, for today's blog post I thought I'd share some interesting links about stories from the past. Coloring Books First up are a couple links about coloring books. Apparently, coloring books started out as meant for adults. According to Time, there are early coloring books from the 1600s that depict engraved maps, and it was a trend to color the maps in yourself. … [Read more...] about Books and Stories From the Past
Data and Analytics for Marketing and Automation
![By Arbeck (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i2.wp.com/digitalpubbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Open_Processes_Leading_to_Improved_Impact.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
Metrics, data, analytics. These are all related words that can really help authors effectively market. Matt Minoff wrote a great piece on Digiday, called "In Order to thrive, publishers must master their data." This means more than merely collecting data. It means having a plan, understanding what the data means, and deciding what actions to implement. If you want a solid … [Read more...] about Data and Analytics for Marketing and Automation
Writers: Going the Traditional Publishing Route
Not all writers wants to go the indie route, which is understandable. Publishers have teams to help with editing, publicity and marketing, and distribution. And it's cool to be able to say, "XYZ published me." It's a tough route to go though. I have a few friends who have written manuscripts and are currently sending them out to agents. But it often takes months for agents … [Read more...] about Writers: Going the Traditional Publishing Route
A Roundup of History Lessons: Book Blurbs, Fairy Tales, Ebooks, and More
![By Nikolai Ushin (1898–1942) (Lpamyatniki.narod.ru) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i2.wp.com/digitalpubbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Nikolai_Ushin-1001_Nights_volume_2_cover_illustration.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
It's always fun to think about how things came to be. A couple weeks ago, I shared a bunch of links that looks at the present and predicts future trends. I think that understanding the past also helps us to better understand the present and look towards the future. With that in mind, there have been some interesting stories going around the interwebs lately that talk about … [Read more...] about A Roundup of History Lessons: Book Blurbs, Fairy Tales, Ebooks, and More
The Overlap of Games and Books
Games and books have a lot in common, especially when it comes to the publishing process. There's also a lot of cool overlap. After all, most games have full narrative stories. And those stories are written by professional writers. Now, game writers can win a Nebula award, from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, according to GeekWire. Games are great for … [Read more...] about The Overlap of Games and Books
Genres in Publishing
There's a lot going on in publishing. One really interesting thing to watch is what's happening in different genres. Usually, I think the term "genre" here refers to the big three: romance, sci-fi/fantasy, and maybe thriller/crime. But there's so much more to it. BookNet Canada has been studying popular genres and releasing reports. One report was about cookbooks, which … [Read more...] about Genres in Publishing
Guest Post: Social Commerce For Indie Authors
By Josh Wardini Regardless of whether you are writing about your own blog or as a freelancer, we recommend joining all social media platforms. Even if you don’t plan on using them right away. It’s also important in case you want to have a good username when you do decide to use a platform. But joining a social media platform is one thing, and trying to maintain and grow … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Social Commerce For Indie Authors
Artificial Intelligence and Publishing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining steam, and there are lots of really interesting experiments and initiatives happening. One example is using AI to get an idea of a book's market potential. Enter Booxy, which analyzes "a book to generate comps (comparable titles) and predict reader experience," according to Huffington Post. It uses natural language processing and … [Read more...] about Artificial Intelligence and Publishing
Bookstores Are More Than Books (Though Books Are Pretty Great)
Bookstores are great. The best thing, of course, is the fact that they're filled with books. But they're also great community spaces, and often the hosts of fun events. Last month, a fashioner designer held a runway show in the Rare Books room of The Strand, according to Yahoo!. The models held books while they walked, and the show was even inspired by a book, The Darling, … [Read more...] about Bookstores Are More Than Books (Though Books Are Pretty Great)
An Interview with Josef Marc, CEO of Publica
There are a lot of exciting developments in technology right now. One of the latest is blockchain technology, which allows digital information to be distributed but not copied. One startup, Publica, aims to bring the blockchain to publishing. I recently had the chance to learn more about it from Josef Marc, the CEO of Publica. Q: What will Publica do for authors? A: … [Read more...] about An Interview with Josef Marc, CEO of Publica
Women in Publishing
There have been a lot of interesting articles about women in publishing lately. According to Publisher's Weekly, "women represented 74% of the publishing workforce in both 2015 and 2016." However, there's a wage gap between men and women in the industry. In response, a number of women have started their own businesses. The article offers a lot more information, including how … [Read more...] about Women in Publishing
Guest Post: 5 reasons authors should create and sell an online course
Baidhurya Mani is the author of "How to sell online courses from your own website: A complete beginner’s guide." By Baidhurya Mani Selling online courses has changed the lives of so many individuals. I have worked with a number of online course creators and have seen how they have turned their expertise in yoga, health and nutrition, cyber security, music, religious … [Read more...] about Guest Post: 5 reasons authors should create and sell an online course
The Latest Trends in Publishing
There's a lot of interesting trends going on in the publishing industry, and some pretty cool new content. Below is a list that breaks it down: Trends and News in Publishing "Indie Authors: Are We Ready for Self-Publishing 3.0? Part 1." on Self Publishing Advice Center "The Rise of the Fidget Spinner and the Fall of the Well-Managed Fad" on The New York Times "The … [Read more...] about The Latest Trends in Publishing
