It’s true. I think right now is a good time to be an author. Amid all the discussions about whether reading, let alone bookshops and publishers, will survive, it seems to me that there are so many opportunities – many completely new – through which ideas and content can be shared.
But with the enhanced ability to share comes responsibility – both to yourself and your readers. Writers need to be increasingly aware of the need to share their content at the right time – and that usually means not before it is ready. Sharing too soon, or with the wrong audience, can result in negative feedback that not only damages the writing self, but also the writing reputation – reducing the chance the someone who has been disappointed by your work will risk giving their time again.
Also part of the territory is a new need for proactivity on the part of the writer; an ability to take advantage of routes to market that reach readers who appreciate your kind of work, whether it’s through websites, writing collaborations or relevant magazines. Writing used to be a linear process – from writer to publisher to bookshop. Now there are so many new ways in which material can be made available. Some of them may be a tad unlikely – like a traditional publisher agreeing to publish a book on self-publishing, and then allowing me to chair their conference on the subject, as I did for Bloomsbury last year. The rise of the hybrid author can seem similarly unexpected; someone who publishes both through traditional means and self-publishing.
Finally, as part of the new order comes a need for writers to inform themselves about what is going on – to understand the current publishing landscape, the opportunities and services on offer to them. Hence this invitation to join a writing conference at Kingston University in March.
I’ve taken part in various writing events, some organised by my publishers Bloomsbury, others at literary festivals. Many take a theme such as finding an agent or plot development and assemble relevant speakers with interesting things to say. Ours on March 28th 2015 takes a slightly different approach – we are trying to show writers how the literary landscape works just now, and to help them plan their route ahead. We will talk about publishing trends in the past and how the future is likely to look. Whatever your stage of writing, it’s a sensible investment in your writing future. You can find out more, and book here.
A former publisher, Dr Alison Baverstock is now Associate Professor of Publishing at Kingston University where she co-founded their MA Publishing Studies. She and her husband have four children, the youngest of whom just started university.
Do you think non fiction books are better than fiction/