2023-2024 Key Book Publishing Paths by Jane Friedman

The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2023–2024

Should you self-publish or traditionally publish? This infographic will help you determine the best choice for you and your project.
Start Here: How to Self-Publish Your Book

Start Here: How to Self-Publish Your Book

This is an introductory guide to the major self-publishing options available to authors today, and how to choose the right service for you.
turn Microsoft Word document into ebook EPUB

How to Turn a Microsoft Word Document Into an Ebook (EPUB)

Word doesn't export to EPUB, but you can still produce an editable file quickly, without buying software or using a "meatgrinder" conversion.
Public Libraries: How Authors Can Increase Both Discoverability and Earnings

Public Libraries: How Authors Can Increase Both Discoverability and Earnings

Libraries represent a valuable opportunity for a book discoverability and sales, but librarians may not know your book exists without marketing outreach.
5 On: Julie Smith

5 On: Julie Smith

Author, publisher, and book marketer Julie Smith shares what she loves to write—and read—in a mystery, how her writing obsession evolved into marketing, the mistake many authors make with their book covers, and more.
Aleatha Romig

Fan-Friendly Marketing and Kindle Worlds Licensing: Q&A with Aleatha Romig

Primarily an indie published author, Aleatha Romig participates in Kindle Worlds, which allows other authors to write about the characters in her work.
bestsellerdom

How Do Books Become Bestsellers? (Can Authors Increase Those Chances?)

Is a book's success all luck, even if 'luck' includes hitting the right subject matter at the right time, or is it marketing—and can an indie author in any way compete with a publisher?
Indie Author Fringe

Improve Book Sales Through Better Descriptions and Keyword Targeting

Is it better to have a long or short book description on Amazon? What should go in the first line? How do you research appropriate categories and keywords? Learn principles and tools to master the power of descriptions and reach your target market.
ebook publishing resources

How to Publish an Ebook: Resources for Authors

In this post I regularly update the best resources I know of related to learning to publish an ebook, finding the right distributors and services, and staying on top of changes in the industry.
statistics about Amazon

9 Statistics Writers Should Know About Amazon

Did you know Amazon’s print book sales grew by 15% in 2016—and the gain was primarily driven by Amazon's own discounting on print?
book distribution

How to Get Your Book Distributed: What Self-Published Authors Need to Know

The most important thing any author needs to know about book distribution is that more than half of all book sales (regardless of format) take place online.
Digital Book World 2017 - photo by Porter Anderson

What the Industry Is Talking About: Best Takeaways for Authors From Digital Book World

My industry newsletter for authors, The Hot Sheet, released a special (and free) issue last week with original reporting from Digital Book World.
Pronoun ebook distribution

Q&A with Pronoun: An Increasingly Competitive Ebook Distributor

Pronoun works with independent authors to distribute their ebooks to the five major online retailers: Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google Play. Pronoun charges authors nothing upfront, and doesn't take a cut of ebook sales either.
amazon kdp select

Is Amazon Exclusivity Right for You?

There are advantages to selling ebooks only through Amazon, and makes most sense for authors who are just starting out or who are relatively unknown.
marketing roundup

Book Marketing Resources for Authors: The Best of 2016

Every year, I share hundreds (even thousands) of articles and reports on book marketing. Here, I look back on the best of what I found in 2016.
book publishing industry

Looking Back at 2016: Important Publishing Developments Authors Should Know

A round-up of important 2016 publishing news and trends that will affect authors in the years to come.
princess saves herself

A Self-Published Poet’s Path to Her First Book Deal

How a self-publishing poet achieved visibility for her book—and landed a book deal with traditional publisher Andrews McMeel.
checklists for publishing

Marketing and Publishing Checklists for Writers

When embarking on a process that is new or unfamiliar, often you don't know what you don't know. A checklist helps you recognize what you don't know, so that many months later, you're not beating yourself up for complete ignorance. Without further ado, here are some of my most favored checklists, from sources I trust.
literary publishing

A Round-Up of My Columns for Publishers Weekly

Last year, I began regularly contributing to Publishers Weekly on the topic of independent authorship and publishing. Here's a list of all my columns so far:
publishing industry

The Publishing Industry in 2016: A Status Update

Traditional publishers are experiencing a slump, and the decline of Barnes & Noble isn't helping. A look at news and trends in book publishing in 2016.
Chang Kim of Tapas Media

A New Platform for Serialized Work: Tapas Media

Chang Kim, Tapas Media For years, serialization has been discussed as a significant area of opportunity for reading and publishing
Porter Anderson Digital Book World

4 Lessons for Authors on the Current State of Publishing

What authors need to know about current marketing practices and emerging business trends in the book publishing industry.
writers cooperatives

Author Collectives and Co-ops: What They Are and How to Start One

Writers' collectives can help independent authors gain an advantage in quality, cost control, and marketing.
paying for book reviews

Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It?

The majority of authors will not benefit from paid book reviews, and should invest their time and money elsewhere. Here's why.
Friedman Penn podcast

Digital Publishing and Authorship in 2016: A Discussion with Joanna Penn

In conversation with Joanna Penn, I discuss digital publishing trends and what authors need to know as they head into 2016.
Self Publishing Checklist

The Self-Publishing Checklist: Editorial, Production, and Distribution

This printable and interactive checklist guides your self-publishing project to completion, to ensure you don't miss any important steps and to help you hit your target pub date.
industry trends for authors

5 Industry Issues for Authors to Watch in 2016

The most important publishing industry headlines and stories that every writer should keep an eye on in 2016.
An image of a black powerplug plugged into an outlet with four ports.

How Authors Can Find Their Ideal Reading Audience

Writing coach and author Angela Ackerman discusses techniques for identifying and connecting with your target reading audience.
author business

5 Observations on the Evolution of Author Business Models

As publishing becomes increasingly digital-driven, how are the business models for authorship changing?
Libraries and self-publishers

Getting Self-Published Books Into Libraries

Accessing the library market remains difficult for self-publishing authors, especially those with limited visibility. Here's what authors need to understand before spending time and energy on library distribution.
Decline in Fiction Sales

The State of the Publishing Industry in 5 Charts

Take a look at 5 charts that reflect current trends in the book publishing industry, and what they mean for authors.
Into the Nanten

Self-Publishing Beyond the Book: Serializing, Podcasting, and Merchandising

How an indie author turned a story concept into a full-fledged multimedia universe, including a live blog, illustrated journal, merchandise, and podcast.
Magnifying glass by Todd Chandler via Flickr

Writing Your Book’s Back-Cover Copy

Editor Jessi Rita Hoffman explains how to craft professional and compelling back-cover copy for your book.
The Lure of Romance Writing (and Earnings) for the Literary Set

The Lure of Romance Writing (and Earnings) for the Literary Set

A growing number of authors with serious literary cred are finding greater financial success—and a welcoming community—in the romance business.
A Conversation With the SELF-e Team: Exploring Payment for Authors

A Conversation With the SELF-e Team: Exploring Payment for Authors

SELF-e offers self-published authors a way to distribute ebooks to libraries, but without any pay. The team behind SELF-e addresses the money issue.
Collaboration

How 7 Literary Authors Collaborated to Launch a Box Set

A group of literary authors have launched a limited edition box set of novels. How did they make the collaboration work?
What Authors Can Learn From Startups

What Authors Can Learn From Startups

You can find marketing inspiration in what others have done, but also know that the less advertised “strategies” might actually be the ones worth pursuing.
Children's books

The Business of Self-Publishing Children’s Picture Books: Two Literary Agents Weigh In

Two literary agents offer their thoughts on the self-publishing of children's books and what the future of the picture book might look like.
Picture ebooks

How to Create Picture Ebooks for Kids

Amazon's Kids' Book Creator allows the average Joe to create illustrated children's books for the Kindle and upload them directly to Amazon.
Harry Bingham between houses

Why Authors Walk Away From Good, Big 5 Publishers

UK author Harry Bingham describes the four stages of his career, and why he's decided to self-publish after good experiences with traditional houses.
Free books

The Strategic Use of Book Giveaways and How They Can Increase Earnings Potential

Giving away your work isn't a problem if you've developed a strategy around it, and know how to turn new readers into fans.
Long Term Change in US Fiction - Nielsen 2014

How Ebooks Have Changed the Print Marketplace: Digital Book World, Day 3

Nielsen offers specific figures on how ebook sales have affected print sales in adult fiction, adult nonfiction, and juvenile categories.
Digital Book World 2015 panel with Russ Grandinetti of Amazon

Amazon Discusses Kindle Unlimited & Kindle Select Participation: Digital Book World, Day 2

Amazon says that Kindle Select participation is healthy, and that the Kindle Unlimited ebook subscription service is leading to more reading and sales.
US Children's Book Market - Nielsen

The Status of the Children’s Book Market: Digital Book World, Day 1

Nielsen offers fascinating insights into how the children's market is driving growth in the overall publishing industry.
Indie Authors and the Question of Kindle Unlimited

Indie Authors and the Question of Kindle Unlimited

Old post alert! This was published in 2014 and some aspects of Kindle Unlimited have changed. If you're investigating whether
German book market

The German Market: A Guide for Indie Authors

Note from Jane: Today's guest post is by Beate Boeker (@BeateBoeker), whom I met at the International Women's Fiction Festival
NoiseTrade Books

How to Use NoiseTrade Books as a Strategic Marketing Tool

Note from Jane: I am very grateful to Ed Cyzewski (@edcyzewski) for today's guest post, where he shares valuable insights
Retailer share of books bought by US consumers, Jan 2010-Nov 2012

5 Valuable Charts That Show How Publishing Is Changing

One of my favorite social media activities is collecting charts and visual data related to book publishing and other media,
Writer Unboxed

Serial Fiction: How It’s Changing Publishing

My latest column at Writer Unboxed tackles serial fiction—and how it's changing writing, reading, and publishing. Here's a little snippet:
single career

Why I Choose to Both Self-Publish and Traditionally Publish

Since 2009, after the release of my second novel, I’ve been a so-called hybrid author, working with New York publishers as well as self-publishing. I’m often asked why I chose to combine these two seemingly disparate publishing careers, juggling twice the work.