Image: Publishing Executive (pubexec.com)

Written World Media, one of my favorite sources of information on publishing, published earlier this month a post on the trends that will define our industry in 2017 (if you don’t subscribe to its newsletter, you should; it’s free, comes out only once or twice a month, and is filled with tips, tricks, and industry news).

So, what can we expect from 2017? Here are the Written World Media’s predictions:

1. The Majority of Fiction Sales will Come from eBooks

70% of adult fiction sales were digital last year. It is likely that ebook readership will continue to grow in 2017. More eBook readers means more eBook sales. This means that, if you’re writing fiction, promoting your eBooks is a good place to focus in the coming year.

2. Indie Authors and Small Presses will Dominate

In the October 2016 author earnings report we…

There is something remarkable about hearing authors read their own works aloud. Often they emphasize words that are unexpected, or they add extra shades of meaning to the phrases. With all of today’s modern connectivity, it is easy to hear authors read their works even if the listener can’t afford to travel to a book reading or conference.

With that in mind, I’m sharing a few of the readings that I find interesting. These are organized in no particular way and include poems, short stories, and excerpts from Nobel Prize acceptance speeches.

—     —     —

Ray Bradbury reading his poem “If Only We Had Been Taller”

This reading was done at Caltech in 1971 on the night before Mariner 9 went into orbit around Mars. Other people at this event included Carl Sagan, Arthur C. Clarke, and Walter Sullivan.

Ernest Hemingway reading Hemingway and William Faulkner reading Faulkner

At…

There is a certain level of honesty in even the most outrageous of facts. Here are a few to ponder…

A. Asshole. Never use this word. It has been so overused it has had one of the S’s squeezed out of it. Asshat and asswipe are worthy alternatives but sound rather tween-ish and are best suited for the YA genre. The writing world is waiting for a suitable replacement and I’m considering creating a GoFundMe page to entice credible submissions.

B.  ?

C.  Comfort. There is no such thing in a writer’s life unless you count working in pajamas.

D.  Don’t. You’ve heard the rules: don’t use split infinitives, don’t use tags other than said, asked, and replied, don’t begin a chapter with dialogue, don’t end a sentence with a preposition, don’t, don’t, don’t. They are bullshit rules made up by seasoned writers who are trying to thwart the efforts…

There’s a creative person buzzing around in each of us. But they can’t come to the phone right now, because they’re buried in admin and paperwork.

Hello Story Empire readers! Today is my first official post on this site and I’m really excited to share some thoughts with everyone. Here are five free ways to market your book in some ways you may not have thought about before now.

Blog About Your Book

Yes, this has been said many times by many people but here are a few ways to consider doing it – especially if you write fiction. I’ve written a few about my characters or the world of Denaria. However, you can a list about things in your book as points of interest. Think about all the different ways you can use lists about your fiction that may inform readers and potential readers about your book. As an example, I recently shared “5 Kinds of Trolls in Denaria (and Why They’re Dangerous!)“. It was a good exercise and I hope it better…

Writers often find that the synopsis is the most difficult component of their novel submission package. Here we break it down for you so you can spend less time stressing and more time writing.  by Chuck Sambuchino and the Editors of Writer’s Digest Books

Source: Your Guide To An Effective Novel Synopsis

Source: How to write a synopsis. Via The Literary Consultancy

Source: Back to basics: Writing a novel synopsis. Via Jane Friedman

by John Briggs

Should your book be part of a series or a stand-alone?

Creating sequels to books is big business these days. It’s the popular thing and profitable thing to do, spurred on by the tremendous success of series like Harry Potter. Authors now, more often than not, conceive their books from the very first draft as multi-part series of epic proportions to relay an immense tale of, one hopes, great meaning or enjoyment.