There’s an old saying “you are what you read”. I believe it may be more appropriate to say you are what you write! If you’re like many newly minted authors, your book, when it’s finished, will energize you and most probably change your life and the lives of others as your book becomes a permanent addition to the knowledge tree of original authored works.
This is the age of the author, a new era where people like you and millions of aspiring writers and authors can publish without limits — whether you have a personal need to leave your “life mark” on the universe, a professional need to publish a “book of expertise” to attract more customers, or the desire to finally put to use your classical training as a writer to launch a masterpiece of fiction to the masses. For people of all ages and cultures the idea of some day writing a book has now become a reality. And it’s happening with speed, as countless new titles are being published, reviewed and purchased by readers around the world. The Internet has brought the world to your fingertips where you can write, publish and market your book from wherever you are with a computer and a connection to the digital cloud.
Advancements in print-on-demand, online distribution, eBook reading devices and the way we socialize online with services like Facebook and Twitter has forever changed the way we think about books, where we buy them, how we read them and how they get published. In this New Book and New World of Publishing the opportunity for you to tell your story and do it credibly and affordably has never been more compelling. With a publishing partner to support you and a global marketplace of buyers, you need only be the most relevant to your reader to achieve success as a published author.
Relevance is king in today’s world of keyword search algorithms from the likes of Google and Amazon and other search engines and online bookstores. Think of it as a continuing process of matching the thoughts and actions of your reader with the content in and around your book. From the embryonic stage of idea creation, to the moment a reader begins searching for your book or topic of interest relevance is a factor. The good news is that you can now design and create a relevant foundation for your book that includes a unique cover design, title and all types of content related to your book, whether print, audio or eBook.
Mixed media books are the future, and you as an author can now affordably offer your book to readers in the format they prefer. Some people are always on the go and only have time for car audio, others prefer digital eBooks that they can carry wherever they are and for the majority of readers providing a quality hardbound or softcover book will continue to satisfy their needs. New capabilities that include video and other device driven features are here and there more on the way. Readers have preferences and just like you have your favorite restaurant your readers have his or her preferred reading formats and places to purchase books.
Bookstores are near and dear to many of us who write and read books. They along with other brick and mortar stores will still be with us, but the acceptance and growth of online bookstores is staggering and we are only at the tip of the iceberg! Book buyers around the globe are now in control, they may see your book in the review section of a magazine but more likely they will be searching for a specific topic of interest, reading a blog or seeing an article online that will spark their discovery of your book. Many of these new storefronts are connected to specialized niche content that will interest a very targeted group of readers.
These smaller markets or niches are often overlooked by the old guard publishers because of their size as they need a larger number of buyers to recover their costs. The new book, new world of publishing has created an immense opportunity for books from infinite origins, no matter the size, as the cost of publishing and marketing to these smaller audiences has been reduced. Additionally, writing shorter books on very broadly appealing topics is an opportunity in the new publishing revolution as readers are looking for ways to learn and be entertained in smaller slices of time.
Marketing your book in this new publishing landscape has developed into an incredible opportunity for you and those who are motivated and ready to embrace technology and the Internet. Creating relationships, partnerships and various other forms of communication can now be achieved without ever leaving your favorite chair. By combining traditional marketing strategies and the power of the “Net” the globe is your playing field where only the amount of time in a day may limit what you can achieve.
It is my hope that you are as excited as we are about the future of publishing. You are at the beginning of a journey at a time when you literally have the world by your fingertips. Focus on what you love and pick a publishing partner you can trust to help you to do the rest. We welcome the opportunity to earn your trust in this New Book, New World of Publishing.
Sincerely,
Arthur Gutch
Publisher & CEO
