In a recent post on her blog, TATTLE (Telling the Truth About Content) Marika Grofman made some interesting predictions about publishing trends in 2015, that I think would be of special interest to BAIPA members.
- Something we’ve started to see more, in publishing, on TV and in movies are re-invented classics and historical fiction based on real people. I think the recent The Great Gatsby movie reinvigorated interest in beloved classics, modern takes on tried-and-true favorites and shines a spotlight on some well-known historical figures, including Z: Zelda Fitzgerald, West of Sunset and even Seth Grahame-Smith’s and Marissa Meyer’s fantasy spin-offs.
- With the increase of ebooks and eaudio being published year-over-year, we’ve seen some exclusive digital first editions. I think it will be a while before print entirely dies off, but at minimum, we will continue to see all formats being released simultaneously as demand grows for digital formats.
- Almost everyone in the industry is predicting continued growth in self-publishing and indie publishing houses. We’ve seen many self-published authors hit the NYT bestseller lists—and with platforms like ACX for eaudio or Kindle Direct for ebooks, it’s even easier for the self-published author to produce content
- I believe this will be the year that we will see more authors begin to sell direct to their readers. We’ve already seen HarperCollins encouraging their authors to sell direct through HC’s e-commerce site.