When
one discusses books, you have to wonder if anything ever gets resolved. The
world changes and different players come into the picture, but when it comes to
the book world, many of the big issues of 30 or 50 years ago are still debated
today.
Look, for example, at these issues:
·
How does one get
published?
·
How does a book become a
best-seller?
·
How do we increase the
literacy rate?
·
Why do books still get
banned?
·
How do books preserve
the English language?
·
Is free speech being
silenced?
·
Will bookstores survive?
·
Are libraries needed?
·
How do we have more
gender/faith/race/ethnic diverslty at major book publishers and in the books
that are published?
·
Which are the best books
to read?
·
What is the best format
to consume a book?
These
questions were asked in the 1990’s and 1970’s. They are still being asked
today. Why? Because anything that’s important will stay with us generations and
get examined, debated, and embraced. We see this in sports, politics, and business.
Why not books?
Let’s
examine these issues further:
How To Get Published
Many
writers still seek to break through the gatekeepers and crack the industry’s
elite publisher code. Despite the easy access of self-publishing, which is
embraced by a ton of writers, many authors still seek the validation and
rewards of landing a traditional book publisher.
How To Become A Best-Seller
With
more books published than ever before, where each day provides over 5,000 new
titles, competition is fierce to hit a best-seller list, no matter the list or
one’s place on it.
Literacy Rate
Sure,
more people attend college and get advanced degrees, but this nation still has
some 30 million illiterates. That’s about 1 in 11 citizens. The number has
improved, but it needs to be obliterated.
Book Bans
You
may feel like anyone can get any book now that there are new ways to print and
sell a book. Technically, that’s true. The government is not banning anything,
but cancel culture, school bans, and libraries that refuse to carry certain
books are a continued reminder that no book is safe.
The English Language
Too
many times we see our language being bastardized. It used to be misspellings
and punctuation errors that threatened our books. Now it’s emojis as words,
Spanglsih, Ebonics, new web-created words, social media speak, and text-written
shorthand. We are screwed.
Free Speech
Free
speech is always under threat. It could be by the government or from social
media platforms, or from domestic terrorist threats from the Woke left to the
oppressive Moral Majority on the right. Be aware of Orwellian threats from all
sides.
Bookstores
Indies were supposed to die when book chains
exploded. Then all stores were to disappear due to online sales and digital
books. Well, they are still here!
Libraries
They
always suffer a lack of funds. Then with the advent of the Internet in the
90’s, many wonder if libraries will stick and around. Re-imagined as community
centers, they now provide information services. Our libraries still remain
under threat but look to be here for the long-term.
Diversity
The
publishing industry is largely white --look at libraries, bookstore owners, and
those who work at the Big 5. They also are run mostly by women. This all
impacts which books get greenlit, marketed, and read. It consistently is a
challenge.
Best Books
Debates
always rage as to what is a great book -- now or of all-time. It’s getting harder
for people to agree on anything -- too many books are out there, people’s
tastes change, and too many classics are being squeezed out by Woke nut jobs because
white guys wrote them. So what? These books are still great.
Best Format
People
used to choose between hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market books. Now,
it’s a choice between paper, e-book, and audio. Choose to consume context
however you wish.
Need
Book Marketing Help?
Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning
blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their
story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of
experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him
be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!
Read This!
15 Beliefs Authors
Should Adopt When Marketing A Book
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/15-beliefs-authors-should-adopt-when.html
The Writer’s New
Mantra?
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-writers-new-mantra.html
Authors: Do This, Not
That
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/authors-do-this-not-that.html
Securing Many Book
Sales Beyond Bookstores
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/securing-book-sales-beyond-bookstores.html
Do Authors Have The
Best Attitude?
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/do-authors-have-best-attitude.html
Wise Fool Book Marketing Advice
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/wise-fool-book-marketing-works.html
Why Hire A Book Publicist?
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/01/why-hire-book-publicist.html
17 Ways Authors Always Succeed
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2023/01/17-ways-authors-succeed-always.html
About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter
@theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and
raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and
Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer
and IBPA’s The Independent. This award-winning
blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past
dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with
many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a
panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA,
Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction
Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland)
Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association.
His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA
Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester)
and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami
Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.
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