The Digital Book World 2011 conference and expo is currently underway in New York City. Galley Cat and the LA Times Jacket Copy are among those blogs offering up dispatches from the heart of it all. If you're on Twitter, you can follow via the hashtag #dbw11. Nervous authors, publishers and booksellers are there, some 1,250 registrants, more than double that of last year.
Many more authors are jumping on the digital bandwagon with stories and books. L.J. Sellers is among those who have divorced their publishers and decided to go it alone. In L.J.'s case, it's been mostly positive, as she notes on the Sisters in Crime blog. Others haven't had quite as much success, and many more will choose to stay with the traditional agency model.
The pace of change is making matters overwhelming for many, and I suspect that will continue for some time to come. A look at the topics to be discussed at Digital Book World will give you some idea of what everyone involved with publishing is facing. From "Author Royalties for Ebooks: What the Agents and Publishers Say Is the State of Play" to "Cost-Effective Development of Enhanced Content: How to Display on Multiple Platforms Without Multiple Headaches."
You can find advice and tips for authors all over the Internet, but some good places to start are Jane Friedman's There are No Rules, JA Konrath and Digital Book World.
Thanks for the mention! Going indie turned out to be the best decision I ever made. No only do I have way more exposure to readers, I'm also making a living.
I would love to be at Digital Book World! Thanks for the links to updates.
Posted by: L.J. Sellers | January 27, 2011 at 10:04 AM
You're an inspiration for those seeking to find alternative ways to publish successfully in what is becoming a wide-open, but very confusing landscape. Let's hope these new opportunities lead to a renaissance for both writers and readers.
Posted by: BV Lawson | January 27, 2011 at 01:00 PM