Industry Revolution

Industry Revolution by Dawn Bates MSP Columnist

Now more than ever, client experience and honesty need to be at the heart of everything we offer as business owners.

How we deliver our product or service has changed dramatically over the last year, and people have either evolved and flourished, struggled to make sense of everything, or are now closing the doors on their business – possibly for good.

People have gone deeper into reflection and changing the way they access information; especially given that many of us are now running our lives and businesses through the computer screen.

With the number of adults taking up reading or increasing the amount they read, book purchases are on the increase, as is the number of people now self-publishing. They have finally found that time to write that book they have been talking about for the last goodness knows how long.

Instead of reading a book on a handheld device, people are choosing to go get away from the screen after their back to back Zoom calls, and going back to good old paperbacks, whilst others are finally tapping into the world of audio books.

Recording studios, not just authors would be wise to tap into this trend.

I was due to record my first trilogy back in March 2020, but due to the extreme closures of businesses in Argentina, the audio recordings never happened.

I’d been putting off the audio book versions of my books for a while.  I just didn’t resonate with them, unless they were stories my children could listen to on a long car journey.

Being rather ‘old skool’ I much prefer the experience of a ‘real book’. The smell of the ink on the page, the sound of the page turning and the feel of the book in my hand.

Whether on the beach, curled up in an armchair or in bed, or miles away from land at sea making my way to my next location, there is something about a ‘proper book’ that just can’t be beaten.

So what of self-publishing? 

Well, according to Self Publishing School, 60% of small publishers believe they will soon be out of business due to the number of people choosing to self-publish.

That is a rather alarming figure especially given the many opportunities available to publishers to diversify and offer a totally new client experience.

As a publisher myself, I have found my production schedule busier than ever, and with new clients coming on all the time from around the world, it is a very exciting time to be a publisher.

Literary Agents are also finding they need to up their game and find alternative options to get their clients work out on different platforms and into different markets.

Filming costs are skyrocketing with extended shoot times and increased health and safety measures being implemented.

Radio stations are fast becoming the alternative to a recording studio, offering such competitive pricing that even retail stores selling recording equipment for the home studio are having their prices driven down.

Having an expert on hand to support and guide you through the process of writing, publishing, and recording your book has never been more important.

This is especially important given the fact that most first time authors have no idea of what they are doing and simply upload their manuscript to Amazon and then hope for the best.

Only uploading to the single platform that is Amazon, running a 24-hour 99c special to get the coveted title of International Bestseller is no longer enough.

If the book isn’t making the author money every single month, and they are not breaking even, then that just isn’t good business sense.

A book is just like any other business product, and what is the point of creating a product for market if it just doesn’t sell?

Authors need to get smarter and more creative.

They need to have a strong strategy and a whole lot of marketing and publishing knowledge that goes with it.

All platforms, all formats, and as many markets and on brand merchandising as possible, whilst also creating a positive, profitable, and powerful legacy which goes with it.

Being an author doesn’t have to be feast or feminine. It doesn’t have to be a struggle or ‘living life on the poverty line’.

It also doesn’t come down to having “to write that next big blockbuster” either to make money.

If you are thinking about writing a book, I invite you to consider the following:

  • How much time, money and effort are you willing to invest?
  • Which of the causes are you giving a voice to, or a louder voice to?
  • How many income streams can you create with your book?
  • Which doors will your book open for you?
  • What legacy will your book help you leave behind?

And if you would like to send your answers on a postcard to hello@dawnbates.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

In the meantime, happy reading, however you choose to ‘read’ your book.

Thought-provoking content is what Dawn is known for, as well as her non-stop travel around the world by sailboat and her trademark giggle. To learn more about Dawn, visit www.geni.us/dawnbates.

Leave a Comment