Publishing expert says audio books biggest trend

Jane Friedman, one of the premier book publishing experts in the United States, told the National Press Club’s informal independent authors group last week that audio books are the  trend today in  book publishing.

Friedman made brief comments saying eBooks and Amazon revolutionized book publishing in the last decade and then opened the floor to questions from Club members for more than an hour.

Most questions centered on book marketing and promotion, which is the group’s focus. Authors, she said, are expected to do most of their own marketing, even if they have a traditional New York publisher.

She also talked at length about the intricacies of indie publishing (which includes non-New York-centric book publishers and authors who self-publish). She explained that it can be a good starting point for many authors. Furthermore, some authors use them exclusively and have created very lucrative careers.

Friedman, former publisher of Writers Digest magazine and professor at the University of Virginia, is now a consultant and speaker on the state of the book publishing industry. She publishes the Hotwire newsletter, a leading publication in the indie book publishing world, as well as the weekly Electric Speed.

Independent authors are changing the publishing industry by assuming added control of their content and gaining speed to market. They manage their own publishing businesses rather than relying on agents and "traditional" publishing houses.

Club members interested in learning more are invited to contact Ed Barks at [email protected].