Book Publishing 2.0 IS NOW!!!

By Michael Drew - Jul 17 , 2009

Let’s do a quick comparison of Book Publishing 1.0 and 2.0 so we all start on the same page:

Book Publishing 1.0 (what’s been going on for the last 100 + years)—–

• Author locks himself in ivory tower and grinds out entire manuscript
• Author (or agent) submits manuscript to publisher
• Publisher spends 12-18 months editing, laying out, printing, and finally getting book distributed to bookstores; publisher retains right to change title, text and illustrations, as he sees fit
• Publisher initiates traditional PR campaign, using journalists, Publishers Weekly and bookstore co-op advertising to market book
• Consumers walk into bookstore and buy book
• Publisher pays author anywhere from 7%-15% of gross sales
• Publisher controls copyright and decides when to stop publishing

Book Publishing 2.0 (what COULD BE AND SHOULD BE going on right now)—–

• Author ‘joins the conversation’ by starting a blog-to-book process, gathering audience feedback that helps steer the book along the way, with marketing platform being built simultaneously
• Author spends 1-3 months making final edits, setting up a print-on-demand service, self-publishing book and getting it to market
• Author initiates marketing campaign, utilizing blogs, websites, newsletters and social media communities like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter
• Consumers order physical book through online channels like Amazon.com or purchase e-book to read on e-reading device such as Kindle
• Author receives anywhere from 40-100% of gross sales (e-books & print on demand)
  
• Author controls copyright and decides when to stop publishing

Notice how publishers are being eliminated from the process? That is what happens when you refuse to adapt to the changes taking place around you—–you get left behind.

Technology is speeding everything up exponentially. And authors are tired of waiting for publishers to catch up. Matthew Fraser discusses this in his Throwing Sheep: The Blog entry of July 12, 2009, titled, When is Book Publishing 2.0 Coming? Fraser’s question was prompted by Harvard Business Press’s decision to push back the release of Andrew McAfee’s book, Enterprise 2.0: New Collaborative Tools for Your Organization’s Toughest Challenges.

Fraser realizes the irony of delaying a book written to help businesses get in step with emerging technologies, which delay, in itself, is a fresh example of the “all-too-familiar structural, cultural and operational sclerosis that has long plagued the book publishing business.”

I hear you, Mr. Fraser. Amen, brother.

My favorite line in his article is, “There are undoubtedly some encouraging examples of publishing houses adopting innovative business strategies, and I’d like to hear about them as I fine-tune my thinking on this subject.”

For a second, there, I almost thought he had found a real live example or two. Sigh. As I read further in his blog, I realized that was merely wishful thinking. Too bad.

Well, Fraser, a publishing house I am not—but I do lead a team of experts in a two-day seminar titled Book Publishing 2.0 that introduces aspiring authors to emerging technologies and trains them in building their book marketing platforms with the very latest techniques, online & offline. Sounds like the sort of thing you’re talking about that publishers should be doing, don’t you think?

Among other things, the writers who take our Book Publishing 2.0 course learn how to—–

• Jump-start the writing process
• Move beyond the 7 Publishing Myths that keep great books from becoming bestsellers
• Synthesize all the major components of a rich marketing platform, including websites, blogs, seminars, keynote speeches, audio books, podcasts, videos, and social networks (both online & off)
• Establish a significant presence on the Internet
• Create a powerful Internet ‘centerpiece’ for their marketing platform
• Make Author Video Bios and Book Video Trailers
• Use specific and advanced blog techniques for generating dialogue
• Apply SEO Do’s and Don’ts
• Utilize PR syndication for videos, slideshows, podcasts, and press releases
• Tune in to the current shift of the swinging Pendulum of our country’s mindset

Our goal is to help authors build platforms using Internet technology & related offline techniques instead of focusing on selling books the traditionally inefficient way (Book Publishing 1.0). It may be radical thinking, but we know from experience that if you do the one, the other will take care of itself.

Learn more about how we do it.

When is Book Publishing 2.0 coming? Well, Mr. Fraser, as you can see from the description above of our seminar, Book Publishing 2.0 is already here—literally—but publishers just simply haven’t joined in, yet.

Why haven’t publishers joined Book Publishing 2.0 yet?

You said it so eloquently that I’ll just quote you, Mr. Fraser:

The problem is an institutionalized conservatism that finds its origins in a complacent corporate culture, monopolistic professional values, and outdated operational methods that, when taken together, are fatally ill-adapted to current market realities.

Mr. Fraser, why don’t you and everyone else join us in Salt Lake City November 13th and 14th for an up-close look at the present reality of Book Publishing 2.0?

For every established/aspiring author in the world, here’s the scoop in a nutshell—–

Book Publishing 2.0 is ALREADY HERE—

and even publishers can join in,

  if they care to.

Questions about Book Publishing 2.0 may be directed to Michael R. Drew at the Austin, Texas, headquarters of Promote A Book: 512-858-0040. You can also contact Michael via email at michael@promoteabook.com.