Our world of writing and publishing is going through the
largest change since the printing press replaced the necessity to hand write
every story. We are only beginning to understand all of those changes, how they
have impacted our business, and unless you were blessed with a crystal ball we
can only guess where we are headed. It may feel like things are starting to
calm down, but I believe we are a long way from things being settled.
The world belongs to the independent author and
self-publishing your own work. We have already seen this dynamic shift from the
Big 6 publishers, small presses, and literary agents to doing it all yourself.
Indie authors have proven they can edit and format their books like pros, present
seamless covers, and execute marketing plans that would make any one of the Big
6 glow with envy.
The advent of the e-book and the technology of the e-reader have
given virtually unlimited power and scope to the individual so as long as they
are willing to do what authors have done from the beginning, write great
stories and amaze the reader. And a handful of cunning, determined, and
creative authors have proven year after year, book after book, that the
independent author can win, and can remarkably outperform the giants of
publishing.
We are only beginning to realize the independent author’s
potential and the future of the readers who hunger for the next great story.
Authors are beginning to work together, collaborate on projects, beta-read each
other’s works, and offer advice to other authors through blogs, online courses,
coaching, and a multitude of self-published books on every aspect of writing.
This is only the beginning.
In the future, probably much closer than any of us think is
possible, we will see another shift in the publishing world. The hordes of
independent authors will form groups, teams, and take collaboration to another
level. Instead of the majority of authors going alone, occasionally sounding
off on other authors, they will begin to band together in a new way.
This idea may seem entirely counter to the independent
author recipe, but I believe it will be the foundation of the future. Authors
will soon work together in teams, sharing skills, knowledge, and experience
with their small groups. Out of these collaborative efforts we will see rise to
groups of three to maybe even dozens of authors, working together under their
own collaborative brands.
These new brands will be the publishing houses of the
future. Instead of being dominated by administrative cogs, literary agents, and
executives looking to make the biggest dollar possible. These places will be
used to bring authors together for the benefit of the whole. Authors will offer
their skills such as editing, proofing, formatting, cover design, marketing, and
using the contacts to strengthen their group, and ultimately improve their
products for their readership.
These groups will form websites that will offer a one stop
shop for readers to find their next great story, and to expand their horizons.
Many of these groups will specialize in specific genres, while others will try
to incorporate writers from every market to increase their site’s traffic. The
writers may openly collaborate on a project together, or just simply stick to
being a mastermind discussion group to hone their craft and polish their
stories.
A day is coming where these groups will employ graphic
designers for covers, trailers, and advertisements. Editors and proofreaders
will be on staff to edit the stories churned out by these groups. This will
offer a secure future for those people who have trades that rely on writers for
product to work with, and in turn it will provide a more consistent quality for
the reader.
Authors will work hand in hand with “in-house” editors,
designers, and marketers. They will work independently and collaboratively on
the individual products and properties, but this will be inextricably linked to
the group and the strength derived from the whole.
While the writer will still have to work in a solitary environment
between themselves and the paper, they will still have to find their own
stories to tell, and figure out how to find their voice in which to tell them,
this will only be the ticket for admission to a team to help push the writer to
the next level.
This all may seem farfetched, impossible you may say, but
there will be a select few authors at first who understand and are willing to
challenge the notion that independent publishing isn’t a competition to see who
can make the most bucks or has the biggest name, and that it isn’t me versus
everyone else. In reality every author’s success means more success for the
rest of us. Anytime any author is able to convert a non-reader or an occasional
reader into someone who cannot get enough of books, much like most of us, we
all win.
The days of my book versus your book, my dollar versus your
dollar will fade, and we will work together, not in large publishing houses with
thousands of employees, but with small teams working together to help everyone
in the group succeed. Independent publishing will take on a whole new look on the
inside, and while readers may never notice a difference, they will keep coming
back for more of what will never change: enjoying the elegant beauty of a well
told story.
