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Chip hauss's avatar

I found this interesting and helpful from a different authorial perspective. I DON'T need to make a living from my writing, but I DO want as many people as possible to read what I'm writing in a book on peacebuilding in the US and social change. So, I'm spending a lot of time on marketing the book (which isn't quite done) and more importantly, integrating the book into the broader work we are doing.

This is an important discussion as the publishing/media world keeps changing. NBIC is ideally placed to be a home for that discussion. Between the book sales, list of books that didn't make the cut, podcasts, web presence, etc. you all have built an intriguing ecosystem that I suspect a) you have only scratched the surface of. and b) could ended up adding to your own bottom line in every sense of the term.

One example. My Rotary club has used a couple of your podcasts in lieu of reading entire books. Our member can really only find the time to read a chapter a month (shame on them, I know) but an hour of you with Amanda Ripley or Bill Ury or .... touched off terrific discussions. Can that and other ideas be scaled? And generate revenue?

Long comments mean both that I'm intrigued by this and procrastinating from editing my own writing!

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Rufus Griscom's avatar

Thanks everyone for participating in this. I found these results fascinating.

Here's what did NOT surprise me:

- Email continues to be far and away the most important way most authors connect with readers.

- LinkedIn is rising as a content platform; X is falling; Facebook is all but dead.

- Speaking is far and away the largest source of revenue for authors outside of FTE.

- Authors are split on the question of whether AI is friend or foe.

Here's what DID surprise me:

- Podcasting is still among the most exciting opportunities for authors, despite industry headwinds, along with selling film/TV rights.

- A large portion of authors are *not* yet using AI.

- One respondent is using AI specifically “as a tool to explore weaknesses in arguments.” Savvy.

- Several authors identified "hybrid publishing" in the space between self-publishing and conventional publishing as an "exciting industry trend."

Broader observation — though the publishing of books is still an essential part of the business of being a writer, and the identity of authors, other sources of income have been growing for decades. For more and more writers, the book is a loss leader economically, which may be why the hybrid publishing business seems to be growing.

Disagree? Other thoughts? Curious to hear what did and did not surprise others.

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