I’m recycling an Adventures in Publishing post from a few years ago and while mostly I still agree with everything I said from back then, I do have a few new thoughts and things worth adding. (Those parts are in red on my blog.) You’ll find the original post here.
In 2011 it seemed like everyone and their momma was trying to tell you how you should be publishing and why. Or why not. My twitter feed was jam packed with articles, blog posts and tips. And while I still see plenty of information about indie publishing, today a few people have put themself in a crowd by themselves.
Rather than everyone being an expert, there are legit experts now in this crazy up and down world of publishing.
There are folks who have the qualifications and yet I’ve never heard of them before. That’s pretty amazing! Rather than just spouting off, they actually have hundreds of thousands, even millions of sales under their belt. They’re legit.
But here’s the new truth about publishing.
I still agree with what I said last time: I’d like to point out that hardly anyone is an expert these days. Of the books on my bookshelf that tell me how to get published and promote my books, none of them have any advice for writers like me. Why? Because these books are old. Even two years old is old at this point. This post is actually 3 years old. That’s old dude.
Even the experts of right now aren’t the experts of last year.
What you still should be doing as a writer.
If you want to know who the experts are, look to the authors who are living this roller coaster ride. Look at authors who are successful today. Look to the authors who are constantly evolving, constantly bettering their craft, constantly working toward new projects and better things. Look at the authors who are pioneering the Digital Book era.
These are the authors you’ll see mentioned over and over again. They’re giving talks, teaching classes, speaking at conferences. They’re the ones on the blog circuit, hosting online groups/forums, and offering their services. They’re the ones living the life and studying this business.
These authors are the ONLY ones, in my opinion, that can tell you anything at all with any degree of certainty as to what works and what doesn’t work. In other words, unless you’re living it, you have no idea what it takes to become an overnight success. You have no idea what it’s like to shoot up the online bestseller lists. You have no idea about the hard work that goes into writing, perfecting your craft and finally see that work pay off.
These are the experts you should be listening to. Everyone else… it’s just an opinion and they don’t have all the facts.
Who do you follow for publishing advice these days?
