Four Things Publishers Do Know–about the future of digital publishing. Most important (to me, as a writer who wants to sell books):
Public literary discussion is dying. At least, if you read only print media. As newspaper book reviews get cut and boutique literary magazines struggle for survival on meagre Arts Council handouts, it has become apparent that the location of vibrant literary culture is the internet. Whether it’s highbrow book blogs or Jonathan Ross on Twitter, there is a mass of argument and comment about reading and writing. Moreover, word of mouth, the oxygen of book sales, is channelled and amplified via online networks. Digital marketing has become integral to any campaign. In short, if you want to sell books, let alone talk or read about them, you cannot ignore digital.