How to keep a finger on the pulse of publishing
Publishing is an industry filled with various intricacies and it is vital to take the time to learn how things function in this world. From how to get an agent, why book fairs are important, what happens at an acquisition meeting, how do foreign rights work and much, much more. There is so much which happens behind the scenes which leads to the completed book finally being available in all good bookstores.
Keeping up to date gives you all the armour needed to guide you through the publishing industry. This applies regardless of what you are writing, whether it be fiction, non-fiction, memoir, romance, sci-fi, literary, cookery books, whatever it may be. It is paramount you know what is out there and what value you can add with your own writing.
Keeping abreast of trends is a fantastic way to do this. I don’t recommend writing to trends, because by the time you have written your book, acquired an agent and submitted to a publisher this trend might have already passed. What I do advise and recommend is being aware of trends, knowing where the market is shifting and where it is going. Book trends are like a pendulum; swinging back and forth, with certain tropes going in and out of style, it is essential to keep track of these and remain on top of it.
For example, it is common knowledge the YA market is saturated and is harder to sell (not impossible but more difficult when compared to other age groups). This started with the boom of dystopian fiction given the success of The Hunger Games and Divergent. However YA success is still possible across the genre with the success of contemporary YA as well as new fresh takes on fantasy tropes and underused fantasy settings.
It can seem a little overwhelming to learn and understand how the beast of publishing functions. I am going to share my own tips and tricks to keep a track of what is happening in publishing:
Publishing trade magazines:
Firstly sign up for the Bookseller (UK) and Publisher Weekly (USA)'s newsletters. These magazines sit at the heart of publishing and provide detailed news into what is happening in publishing, these newsletter are free to sign up to. These magazines cover things such as what books rights are being sold, which publishing professionals are moving around i.e. changing publishers or agencies. They provide publishing analysis, author interviews and pre-publication book previews. I keep tabs and follow both of these publications on Twitter and would advise for aspiring authors to do the same to keep abreast of when news breaks in the world of publishing.
If possible, I would also recommend buying a subscription to one of these magazines since the wealth of knowledge available keeps readers in the loop. I am currently subscribed to the Bookseller since I live in the UK. On another note, both of their websites are worth a good look and making this a regular pattern is extremely beneficial.
Other publications to also take a look at include:
Publishers:
Publishers are pillars within the industry and tend to have a massive social media presence as well as websites where they communicate with their readers and promote their books. They announce giveaways, share interviews with their authors, run competitions and publicise the release dates of upcoming books.
Following publishers via social media especially Twitter (Instagram is equally good as well) is a fantastic way to determine the tone and style of a publisher as well as what they are acquiring and publishing. Subscribing and reading their newsletters is also another way to keep up with publishers' activities.
Examples of publishers' publications include:
Big 5 (The biggest publishers in the world) The Big 5 includes Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. The Big 5 have various imprints underneath them which specialised in different genres like crime and non-fiction and age groups e.g. Middle Grade and Young Adult
Genre specific publishers (SFF, Horror and everything speculative) e.g. Jo Fletcher, Orbit, Tor, Harper Voyager, Gollancz, Titan Books and Del Rey
Children Publishers e.g. Faber Children Books, Egmont, Usborne, Knights Of, Walker Books and Andersen Press.
Indie Publishers such as Galley Beggar Press, Influx Books, Atlantic Books, Peepal Tree Press and Jacaranda Books
People in publishing
Learning from others in the industry is vital to developing an understanding of how things work. The people in the industry from authors and publishing professionals such as editors, publicists and sales managers all share great insights and most are all Twitter users. Follow them and become familiar with their roles and what they do in the industry.
Great people in the industry to follow are Sam Missingham, Dapo Adeola, Malorie Blackman, Emily Drabble, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Joanne Harris, Candy Gourlay, Nikesh Shukla and Amy Sparkes.
Agents are the gatekeepers of the industry and act as a filter for publishers. Most agents and their agencies have a Twitter presence, follow them, read their posts to get a flavour of their interests. Also check their agency websites to see their manuscript Wishlist, which genres/ages they represent clients in and also to see who their current clientele.
Bloggers are always vocal about their love for books and are very approachable. Check out their websites and their reviews to get a taste of what is popular in the industry. Most bloggers have a Twitter account and an Instagram presence. #bookstagram is a great hashtag to follow on Instagram to smoothly integrate yourself into the book community on social media.
Book/Author organisations
There are various organisations which are devoted to providing opportunities to writers, supporting authors, educating people on the intricacies of publishing and helping to promote books to larger audiences. These organisations run numerous writing events which you can attend and learn about a variety of topics such as submission practices, writing tips, how publishers do their marketing etc. These organisations include:
There are also numerous organisations dedicated to supporting writers on their route to publication and beyond. This is important especially when it comes to money you are owned and agent/publisher contracts. These organisations are invaluable to writers and are always on hand to give information and advice. Some of these organisations include:
As a member of SoA, I have attended numerous events and used their contract team to look over my personal contracts as well as ask numerous questions. Follow these organisations online and go to their events, since the advice they impart is priceless.
Bookstores
Bookstores are the face of publishing where a vast majority of customer facing part of the business takes place. Going into bookstores to physically browse and scout what is available to readers is another way to keep an eye on the industry. Doing this for both the big boys like Waterstones and Foyles as well as Indie Bookstores like RoundTable Books, Kenilworth Books, Red Lion Books, Brick Lane Bookshop and Pages of Hackney. Bookstores personally put books into the hands of readers and play a pivotal part in the industry, as they are right on the ground coming into face to face contact with the book buyer.
Book Fairs
There are many book fairs across the world, however the top ones would have to be London Book Fair, Frankfurt Book Fair and Bologna Book Fair (which concentrates on children books and illustrations). Book fairs are primarily for those who work in the industry for networking purposes, selling of rights and the numerous talks on the latest publishing trends. In my own experience, they have become more author friendly. I attended the London Book Fair a few years ago because there is a section of the fair called Author HQ which is dedicated to authors. I attended some brilliant talks, met some amazing people and made connections in the writing community.
So I would greatly recommend going at least once to get a flavour of what happens behind the scenes at these industry-wide events since everyone in the world of publishing will be there. The fair is organised way in advance and meetings are scheduled months in advance so the likelihood of being able to pitch to agents is extremely low. However going to learn about the latest in publishing and meeting other like-minded people is a great opportunity and another way to keep your finger on the pulse of publishing.
Originally published in Writersphere (July 2nd 2020)