If you want to publish a book for the world to discover, you cannot bury yourself in your writing and then pop up into the world when it’s ready to be published. You have to be mindful of what is going on in the publishing industry. It’s important to know what big issues are being faced, who is setting the bar for achievements, and what’s currently trending. I’m not saying that you need to know all this so you can compete or follow what’s popular at the time. Instead, you need to know how to market your work and what expectations to have going into book publishing.
Best Publishing Industry News Outlets
There are a lot of places out there reporting on publishing news, and it can be overwhelming to go through it all. So, today I want to share with you the five best sources I’ve found for simple consumption of publishing industry news.
1. Jane Friedman’s Hot Sheet Newsletter
If you only sign up for one outlet on publishing news, the Hot Sheet is it. Jane Friedman’s newsletter is probably the most trusted resource on industry news. She is an expert who has proven her ability to explain complex situations to authors and also identify possible new trends in the field.
You can sign up for her free newsletter called Electric Speed. In this weekly email, she gives you a little advice, some resources, and a list of her upcoming classes. It’s helpful to have just for the resources, but, if you want industry news, you have to sign up for her Hot Sheet newsletter. It costs about $60 a year, and you receive an email every two weeks. The Hot Sheet includes top headlines, industry takeaways, trend predictions, and a list of links to other writers’ articles that are popular at the time. This newsletter is straightforward, and only reports facts so you don’t have to worry about clutter or bias articles. Trust me, it’s worth the money.
2. Publishers Marketplace
Publishers Marketplace is a highly respected site for industry information. You can research agents, publishers, new releases, book deals, etc. It does cost quite a bit to have access to their full website ($275 a year), but you can subscribe for just a month at a time if you want to do deep research for a short period of time.
You can also sign up for their free newsletter, Publishers Lunch. They send out information daily on book deals, job promotions in the industry, and highlight one piece of industry news. It’s a free way to dip your toes into the publishing world before you jump into an in-depth source like the Hot Sheet.
3. Author Media
Run by Thomas Umstattd Jr., Author Media is a great source for all things author business. You have the option of consuming the information by blog, email, or podcast. You can sign up for his free newsletter and get weekly business advice. He covers a wide range of topics in industry news, marketing tips, business strategies, and even website advice. He also does interviews with other professionals, giving his information a well-rounded view of how to succeed in the book publishing industry. Like Jane Friedman, he offers online courses for those who want more in-depth business advice.
4. Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly puts out well respected articles and podcasts on the industry. They also do book reviews for new releases and spotlight authors. You can sign up to get free newsletters from them, and the best thing is you get options. You can request a daily newsletter that covers deals, job moves, and sales information. Or, they have newsletters for specific areas of interest like children’s books, educational books, graphic novels, and more. The frequency of the newsletter depends on which ones you sign up for, but they all are quick reads for people with busy schedules who need to keep up with the news.
5. Social Media
I know not everyone likes social media (it’s not my favorite thing), but, if there is news, it’ll show up here. Granted the things you read on social media will most likely be biased, yet it’s still a great source of information for the industry news. Agents and editors have been known to give helpful tips or inside information in their posts. Authors will explain things to readers when something goes wrong. And, if something big is happening in the publishing world, you know everyone will give their opinion on it. While social media may not be the most reliable source, you’ll at least know what’s a hot topic and where the public stands on issues.
I suggest you pick your top authors, editors, and agents to follow on a social media platform. Even if you aren’t planning on traditionally publishing, follow all three groups. Agents and editors will know a side of things that authors may not. This way you have a wide range of sources so you can draw your own conclusions about what would be best for you and your books.
Final Thoughts
As an author, you have a million things to do and little time to do them. It’s easy to push off learning about the publishing industry as a task for another day. I know, I often let those newsletters sit in my email inbox for a few days until I tell myself I need to read them. However, it’s very necessary. While we like to say we are artists, we can’t truly be artists unless we let others see our art. That doesn’t happen in a bubble. You have to interact with the world and know what’s happening so you can get your work to the right hands at the right time. These news outlets are easy and quick to read. They save you a lot of time researching on your own, allowing you to focus more on your book.
Thanks for reading!
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