The Writing Center

When it comes to selling books these days, it’s all about the Internet. Forbes’ Best of the Web features a few literary blogs that have gotten the attention of readers and have had “an impact on the way books are talked about and sold like never before.” Probably among the best features of such sites (like the popular Bookslut) are their informal styles and the fact that they discuss books not reviewed in the New York Times (yes, these books do exist, and are worth reading).

And today’s New York Times features a story about the launch of a web-based book show by documentary filmmakers and a former Random House executive and New Yorker editor. The show, called “Titlepage,” is designed to “let people listen in on the kind of conversation they might like to have themselves if there were a group of three or four people in a room,” says host Daniel Menaker. Its premiere episode will air in March, with the second to follow two weeks later.

This doesn’t mean we’ll stop paying attention to Oprah or the NY Times — but the more places for people (and especially authors) to discuss books, the better.

This Emerging Writers Network blog is, refreshingly, geared specifically toward writers new to the marketplace. The site’s host, Dan Wickett, is out there for the Everywriter, claiming no qualifications other than “a long history of reading literary fiction, in large volumes, and the dedication to passing along my views on such, at as rapid a pace as I can, until the writers of such fiction get more recognition.” It’s well worth a visit, with links to author web sites, literary blogs, and literary magazines — plus news and contests.

Another fun site is 52stories, a site that features a new photo every week to serve as a writing prompt…a great way to overcome writer’s block as well as see your work online — 52stories will publish the stories received by its Friday evening deadline.

And, saving the best for last, San Diego Writers Online is now live! Stop by and join — this new forum will connect writers looking for read-and-critique groups, book clubs, reading and writing events around town, and lively online discussions.

This article by Mike Shatzkin in Publishers Weekly forecasts fifteen trends in the publishing industry, among them more e-books and author branding (that’s marketing, not literal branding), as well as paltry sales and lower advances for writers.

If that sounds depressing … well, it is.

But it’s not all bad news. E-books are expected to comprise less than 2 percent of overall book sales, so bookstores aren’t going anywhere just yet. And if you like the idea of self-publishing, you’re in luck — there’s lots of room for customized books for new as well as established writers (Shatzkin predicts, “Look for a self-publishing effort by a major author; it’s been too long—eight years—since Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet project”).

Shatzkin has dubbed 2008 the Year of the Experiment, defining experiment as “as a commercial effort undertaken without any real conviction as to how it will work out, and with the expectation that learning from failure is a more likely benefit than success.” This doesn’t seem to be unique to 2008, but it will be interesting to see what this year’s experiments bring.

This Boston Globe story is an inspiration for us all … especially those who are inclined toward self-publishing. When Brunonia Barry of Salem, Massachusetts, self-published her novel, The Lace Reader, it eventually led to a two-book deal for more than $2 million.

While self-publishing still comes with a stigma, this is beginning to change. Most writers self-publish because they can’t find a literary agent and/or publisher — but others (like Barry) do it to save themselves the agony of the search, or because they prefer to keep more of the profits. And in some cases, it’s not such a bad idea. The publishing industry is all about risk — and when an editor has a chance to buy a book that has already proven itself through reviews and buzz, it’s a no-brainer.

Still, getting there is not as easy as it sounds. As Steve Fischer, executive director of the New England Independent Booksellers Association, told the Globe, “You’re responsible for everything — you have to be author, agent, accountant, postal clerk, sales rep, publicity agent, go around to your local bookstore and find out if there is any interest.”

And time is not the only big investment. Barry and her husband spent $50,000 publishing and marketing her book before she sold it — clearly something very few authors can afford.

But anything’s possible — and if you’re wondering it’s done, on February 9, San Diego Writers is offering a workshop on exactly this topic, with Elle Newmark, whose self-published book Bones of the Dead was picked up by a major publisher for a seven-figure advance, in a two-book deal.