Biggest Publishing Trends in 2022
The recent changes in our world, due to pandemic and lockdowns have led to many sectors scrambling to adapt. It is evident in publishing as well, though digital publishing has been a reality for some years now.
Here are the biggest publishing trends to look out for in 2022.
Author Platforms
In the crowded market place of physical books and an explosive growth in digital books, it is no longer enough to depend on conventional marketing strategies. A great book cover, good content and even social media marketing may fail to attract readers.
Traditional publishers would increasingly look for authors with a following and a strong social presence who have a ready-made audience. Experts in a particular field, who are looking to share their insights through books are more likely to be snapped up.
For an author, it reiterates the importance of building a platform before you publish your book. Promotions and marketing work better if you already have an audience waiting to hear your views.
Cross Promotional Strategies
In this age of surfeit, authors and publishers want to reach a wider audience. It is no longer enough to tap the readers in a vertical. They need to look at linear growth.
Some examples are books published alongside films and documentaries, books published to promote events or a business, or books promoted with other authors of the same genre.
Artificial Intelligence
AI is everywhere and so it is with writing and publishing. AI is used everywhere from marketing to publication. AI also helps create book summaries for press releases and marketing staff. Research and reading become more streamlined and cost-effective. Making use of SEO keywords becomes easier with AI. It also has the potential to create audio narration for audiobooks. AI can also analyse language, writing style and predominant emotions in text so that the analysis can be helpful for both authors and editors.
Hybrid Publishing
While hybrid publishing has been around for some time, it’s gaining steam. Traditional publishers are no longer the gatekeepers and digital publishing has given the control to authors phenomenally. Yet, both ways of publishing have their own pros and cons. Authors choose what suits them at a particular time and for a particular writing project.
The publishing industry is in a state of flux. Profitability drives a majority of publishing decisions when it comes to a traditional publisher. But, publishing is going to see major changes in the coming times. The biggest publishing trends are all driven by digitalization, the rise of social media, streaming platforms and the fractured attention of audience.
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