OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
Five years ago today I started this blog with my first post: publishing 2.0 is an incredible opportunity for authors and book lovers.
That sentiment hasn't changed but …
A lot of other things have changed over the last five years in the publishing industry
Here's a few highlights that resonate for me.
- The first international Amazon Kindle was launched in October 2009 – and I was one of the first to get it in Australia. I was swiftly converted, leaving over 2000 print books behind when I moved from Australia to go 99% digital as a reader. My Amazon income was part of what enabled me to leave my day-job as an IT consultant in Sept 2011 to become a full-time author-entrepreneur.
- Amanda Hocking became the first self-published Kindle millionaire, swiftly followed by a whole load of other indie authors. Hocking also got a 6 figure traditional publishing deal off the back of her indie success, again, followed by a load of other indies which started to change the way self-publishing was viewed by the industry.
- Ebook sales overtook print sales at Amazon and Borders went bankrupt, changing the dominance of physical print bookstores
- Smashwords grew from a startup in 2008 to the #1 producer of indie books [Bowker report] with over 44,000 authors and 130,000 titles
- Kobo Writing Life launched, and has challenged Amazon over best business practices for international authors – multi-currency pricing and direct deposit payments are only done by KWL and KDP, and for non-US authors, this is fantastic.
- ACX.com launched, enabling indie authors to do joint venture deals with voice talent and audio producers, and exploit audio rights themselves. [As of Dec 2013, this is US only, but hopefully it will become international in 2014]
- The Alliance of Independent Authors launched, providing a stronger voice for a disparate community, fighting for indie rights, educating the media and encouraging quality production and creative expression.
- Hugh Howey signed a print only rights deal for Wool and it was optioned for film by Ridley Scott, making the hybrid author a new reality. Agents and publishers now openly pitch successful indie authors.
At the end of that very first post, I wrote:
“This blog will be focused on self-publishing, print-on-demand, internet sales and marketing and new technologies in the publishing arena.”
I know many of you have been reading the site for a while now, and I hope you have learned a lot along with me. But after five years, it's time to make a change and pivot my focus a little.
So why am I changing things?
(1) Self-publishing information is now everywhere
When I started blogging in 2008, self-publishing was not a cool and trendy thing. There were only a couple of people blogging about self-publishing that I remember clearly: April Hamilton @indieauthor ; Mark Coker of Smashwords; Joel Friedlander from The Book Designer; Penny Sansevieri from Author Marketing Experts and Aaron Shepard.
There were people in the non-fiction and speaking space who self-published openly, like Dan Poynter. There were also bloggers who sold digital products like PDF ‘ebooks', but the word ‘self-publishing' was still pretty dirty to most people.
Not any more.
There are now a LOT of blogs on self-publishing and they continue to proliferate as authors get excited about their opportunities.
This is fantastic but it means The Creative Penn is no longer unique in the content it offers. In the last couple of weeks, I've also been asked to blurb or review 7 different books on self-publishing, many of which cover the same type of topics from a different perspective.
All of this is valid and useful, and I love that there is so much energy in this space. But actually, the publishing part is just procedural for me now and I'm happy for other people to focus on blogging about it.
(2) I've changed … and this is my site 🙂
I started blogging in order to share what I learned on the journey of being an author. I continue to do this, but this site has to be fun for me too and I've changed a lot in 5 years.
In 2008, I was an IT consultant with one non-fiction book, no online platform, no social network, no podcast, no speaking career, with no clue of writing fiction and no idea about marketing. I was living in Brisbane, Australia and didn't know any authors at all. I was just starting to discover the world of self-publishing and online business.
In 2013, I'm a full-time author-entrepreneur and an Amazon bestselling author with over 75,000 books sold. I've just launched my 4th full-length novel, Desecration, my books are available in ebook, print and audio and are now selling in 22 countries globally. I'm doing joint venture deals for translation into German and Spanish. I'm a international speaker, and have been voted as one of The Guardian Top 100 Culture Professionals 2013 (UK). I live in London and most of my friends are authors.
I hope that encourages you, because although I've come a long way, I also feel I have a (very) long way to go. That's a good thing, because we can write until the day we die, and I want to be learning on my death-bed.
But frankly, I am bored with talking about self-publishing and the basics of the indie life. I want to take it up a level and provide more of a graduate level education around being an indie author and creative entrepreneur.
So what's changing?
I will still provide a road-map for the basics of self-publishing, for people who are new to the game.
I've just re-written and re-released my Author 2.0 Blueprint which the most up-to-date information on self-publishing. It's 87 pages and contains everything I want to share about self-publishing as well as some tips on writing, editing and marketing. It's free and you can sign up to get it here, if you haven't got it already!
So that is all freely available and I'll update the information over time with any major changes.
But The Creative Penn will now focus on two main areas, which are topics that we can all continue to learn about:
Writing
The craft of writing is something we all care about, and we all want to improve. I don't think any of us can get enough of reading about writing, and using that information to improve our own skills. I am a writer, and so are you, so this will continue to be a pillar of the site.
With the release of Desecration, I feel as if I have started to find my true voice. I've always been honest on this site, but I want to go deeper, so expect some more personal posts. Not often, as I still want to provide actionable information, but I've been holding back. No more.
Creative Entrepreneurship
Yes, I love the craft, and yes, I love writing for writing's sake but the myth of the poor author in the garret annoys the hell out of me. I also find myself increasingly angry about the lack of education for authors/writers/creatives around business, and I want to change that.
An entrepreneur creates value out of nothing, and authors certainly do that. I believe the essence of creative entrepreneurship is to make stuff and sell stuff … but of course, the details are the interesting part!
Back in Sept, I did a round-up of my last 2 years as an author-entrepreneur, including my income sources. I used to only receive income from ebooks from the US and UK, now I receive income from ebooks, print, and audiobooks, selling in 22 countries, as well as speaking and online training.
Yes, I'll still massively excited about everything to do with self-publishing, and I'll still share major developments, but I want to go beyond the questions of a) how do I publish a book and b) how do I start to market my books.
I want to know what else is possible.
I want to learn about how to exploit more of my rights – how to work with translators effectively, how each of the international markets work and how to reach people there, how to turn my books into treatments for film/TV options, how to collaborate with other entrepreneurs.
I want to stay on the edge of the latest marketing experiments, going beyond the basics to what others are doing in different industries that we can learn from. I want to know how we can use emerging technologies, like 3D printing, to involve people in our creative worlds.
I want to up my speaking game, travel more, speak more to bigger audiences and spread the word about the opportunities for creatives further.
I want to interview amazing creatives and discover new things that excite us and inspire us to greater heights. I want to share guest posts from creative entrepreneurs doing amazing things.
I want to step into the next phase of my own author-entrepreneur career.
And I want to share the next step of the journey with you.
If you'd like to join me on the journey …
You can subscribe to the blog here if you'd like to get posts every couple of days, and you can get my bi-weekly update email by signing up to the Author 2.0 Blueprint.
As well as continuing to write on the blog, I'll also be producing:
- The Creative Penn podcast – now at 170 episodes and counting. Available on iTunes and other podcatchers.
- Videos – YouTube.com/thecreativepenn – now at 222 videos and counting
- Sharing on Twitter @thecreativepenn
- More on my fiction site, JFPenn.com, and writing more books!
I'd love to know what you think about this change. Please do leave a comment or question below.
Janalyn Voigt says
Go for it, Joanna. It’s the way you’ve been trending anyway, a nd. ABest wishes. Janalyn
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Janalyn, I appreciate you saying it is not a massive change 🙂 I just needed to give myself permission to stop talking about the basics!
Janet Boyer says
Good for you, Joanna! I closed my writing blog because so MANY were writing about writing. :o) Interestingly, on my main blog, it’s my creativity and personal posts that generate the most buzz and comments. I applaud you for wanting to stretch your wings and change things up. A few weeks ago, I decided to do this, too, and play to my strengths (including modern Tarot content). Best wishes to you for 2014!
Megan Linden says
First of all, happy birthday! 🙂
Second, I understand the shift and it’s perfectly okay with me. I’m excited to learn more about the craft of writing and about being creative entrepreneur from you and your guest. I actually think that you were doing that for some time already, so I don’t see that as a big change.
And I’m excited for those more personal posts, because I love to look ‘behind the scenes’. 🙂
Good luck with everything!
Jessica Baverstock says
This sounds really exciting! I can’t wait to read more! 😀
Ann Tucker says
Joanna,
I love the direction you’ve chosen to travel. I’m looking forward to reading more of your wonderful posts.
Ann
Joab says
The most important thing is that you are honest with yourself. Good luck, Joanna and thanks for all the helpful posts.
Heather Sunseri says
I am thrilled to hear of your new direction, Joanna! I already think of you as a leader in the area of creative entrepreneurship! As a matter of fact, I have your Twitter handle and blog listed in my “Creative Entrepreneurs” on my Tweetdeck and in Feedly. Being a CPA turned indie novelist, this is a subject that interests me greatly.
Thank you for being such an informative voice for indie writers everywhere!!
Joanna Penn says
I’m thrilled that you have already put me in that category, Heather 🙂
Peter Noah Thomas says
I’ve been reading your blog for a couple years now and I’ve learned many valuable things. When I first happened on your blog, it was a recommendation from thebookdesigner.com. I’ve also enjoyed your podcasts.
I think the change in direction is a good one and I look forward to reading along as you transition. This should be very fun and informative! Thank you.
Jodi McIsaac says
Congrats, Joanna. Can’t wait to see where this next step in the journey takes you. Thanks for being brave and always pushing the boundaries.
Karen Inglis says
Well done, Joanna – this seems such an obvious and natural next step, and one that you’re already on, in fact! I for one am absolutely delighted that you’ll be pioneering research into how ‘authorpreneurs’ can access and (if lucky enough to strike a deal) work effectively with international markets. This is such a specialist area and one that’s hard to crack without time and dedication (or an agent!) – something that’s right up your street. I shall be following you with keen interest whilst doing my own research in parallel. Talking of ‘hard to crack’ I’m having some interesting challenges with App marketing just now – but it just makes me want to learn more and push boundaries with the powers that be! 🙂
Joanna Penn says
I’m definitely going to be pushing for more info on these international markets, Karen. I see some great opportunities globally, so expect some Market Focus posts. I’ve got an interview about India coming up shortly 🙂 and I’m looking forward to interviewing you about apps.
Karen Walker says
I think the changes you are planning are fantastic. You are doing a great service by continuing to offer authors resources and advice on indie publishing, but you are also following your own heart’s desires and needs. Awesome.
Pam Laricchia says
It sounds wonderful, Joanna! And, as others have mentioned, it seems like a natural progression that mirrors your creative journey–it’s all grounded in that. I’m definitely looking forward to the information you anticipate sharing!! 🙂
Michael Kelberer says
First, congratulations on the self-awareness to realize your journey is moving on, and the courage to move with it 🙂
Second, feels like a very natural, organic evolution of your path (as opposed to the wild hairs I’m prone to following), so I have every confidence it will work out very well for you!
Third, I’ve been a recent but enthusiastic consumer of the wisdom and experience you’ve been sharing, and will be delighted to continue on as you change and evolve.
Best wishes,
Michael
Jeremy Bouma says
Joanna,
You are one of the most generous of person I know on the internets! Thanks for giving of yourself in this way for the past 5 years—sharing your journey, your advice, your insights. Look forward to the next 5 and all I’ll learn from you 🙂 Blessings on your creative life, and thanks for blessing us with it.
-jeremy
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Jeremy, and I appreciate your enthusiastic, ongoing support 🙂
Anthony StClair says
Heck yes! This is so exciting, Joanna, and I know I’m just one of many who are glad to be along for the ride.
This really stuck out to me:
“But frankly, I am bored with talking about self-publishing and the basics of the indie life. I want to take it up a level and provide more of a graduate level education around being an indie author and creative entrepreneur.”
Same here. It’s easy to learn about the basics, but once you’re past that “indie 101” stage, there can be a “then what?” sense. And then you find that there’s just pretty much nothing but indie 101 stuff about.
This change sounds like the right evolution, and it meshes perfectly with where I’m going in my own indie career.
Thank you, Joanna.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Anthony, that was a difficult sentence to write and acknowledge, but I’m craving the next iteration of our collective journey. So I hope we can all learn together, I think indies are moving out of 101 now!
Shelley Hitz says
Sounds like a natural move for you, Joanna! And I think there are many who will welcome the change. Go for it and blessings to you!
Alastair Humphreys says
Good luck!
How exciting!
Alastair Humphreys says
ps – love the text on your 404 page…
Laure Reminick says
Your growth is a beacon for us all. We all watch you with great glee. Enjoy!
Joanna Penn says
ooh, glee is exactly what I’m looking for, Laure!
Cassandra Charles says
I think more personal posts is definitely the way to go. Readers, after all, want to know as much as possible about their favourite authors.
There’s only so much you can say about the basics of self-publishing before you end up going round and round in circles.
You also have to do what’s right fo you, not just stay with the status quo. After all, there is so much more to talk about.
I’ve enjoyed your blog for the last year, mostly enjoying the more personal posts and the podcasts. I like your podcasts because you’re not afraid to ask the questions that we all want to hear answers to, instead of letting guests waffle on about anything in particular.
Good Luck with your next step in your career.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Cassandra, I do tend to be quite hardcore in my interviewing 🙂 I’m glad you like that style. More to come, as the podcast is already booked up for the next 5 months!