Is your industry getting killed with all the changes that are happening right now? We know people in real estate, banking and construction are running out the door in search of new opportunities. Here’s another one you may not hear as much about – publishing. Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Harper Collins are laying staff off left and right. Salaries are being frozen or eliminated. Publisher’s Weekly predicts that 2009 will be “the worst year for publishing in decades.”
But what does that mean if you’re a wanna-be-author? Are all your hopes dashed – or do you perhaps have better opportunities than you’ve ever had before? In this week’s issue of TIME, Lev Grossman writes in Books Gone Wild that people are reading more and it’s never been easier to get a book out to an eager audience. Wooing agents, begging for a publisher, fat advances, printing on paper and shipping on consignment are probably things of the past, but there are no barriers for delivering a complete manuscript via a blog, podcast or cell phone. Let the readers decide – and if they like it, the product can then be created in another profitable form. (More about turning your writing into income in Write to the Bank.
Most every industry is the same. If you are in the restaurant business it may not make sense to be open every day, just waiting for customers. In New York City there is a restaurant that is only open twenty times a year. You have to have an appointment and pay in advance. No empty seats, no wondering if you’ll cover the overhead. I’m talking to mortgage lenders who can’t keep up with the flood of new customers for refinancing, builders who do nothing but specialty work and can’t turn out the work fast enough, and bankers who have plenty of money to lend and invest.
People ask about my business. Here’s the deal. If the economy is great, people know they have options so my business is great. If the economy is bad, people have to be looking for new solutions, so my business is great.
What about your business? I suspect the same can be true for you.
Tags: business, publishing, write to the bank, writing
Dan Miller's Blog 
January 27, 2009 at 9:55 am
You are so right – now is a great time to be an author! I have recently started a blog and will soon have my first book available on Amazon as a publish-on-demand item. This means for a total cost of about $15 I will be a published author, anyone can easily order my book, and I don’t have to worry about ending up with boxes of unsold books or go through the hassles of collecting payment and shipping them to customers.
Yes, we are living in challenging economic times, but we are also living in a time of unprecedented opportunities. New businesses can be started with very little money, and it is possible to reach customers all over the world thanks to the internet.
January 27, 2009 at 1:50 pm
POD is a great way to go, but I think it may cost you a little more than $15.00. But it is cheap. Published my first book thorugh bood surge which is part of the amazon publishing group.
Anyone who needs a hand up or just questions asked you can use the following information. This gentleman has helped me in the past, and he is very good. He is on your side and not his, and will only do what is best for you.
Tell him I left the info on line for him, that will get you started.
Travis N. Craine Publishing ConsultantBookSurge, LLC. 7290 B Investment Drive Charleston, SC 29418 Phone: 866-308-6235 ext. 5142 Direct Line: 843-789-5142Fax: 843-577-7506 http://www.booksurge.com
January 27, 2009 at 3:33 pm
This could be a great thread for me. I have had a book “in the works” for 4 years now since we moved to Ouray, Colorado. Any input to this thread is appreciated.
January 27, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Hi Wendy, Thanks for the encouragement. How does one go about finding a publish-on-demand resource? Thanks
January 27, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Sorry, I didn’t see the previous threads that answered a bit of my question. Andru or Wendy, are you seeing sales of your books? Are your personal contacts, blogs and websites the only other advertising you are doing?
January 27, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Expert: Now’s the Time to Be an Author…
Is your industry getting killed with all the changes that are happening right now? We know people in real estate, banking and construction are running out the door in search of new opportunities. Here’s another one you may not hear as much abo…
March 5, 2009 at 3:33 pm
[…] By the way, I totally fumbled Dan’s question about which blog post sparked my thinking on this topic. It was this post. […]