Author Apocalypse: How to Survive the End of the Publishing World-Caroline George

 

In the trunk of my Honda, beneath a wool blanket, lies a red backpack filled to the brim with survival gear. Simply put, I could live in the woods for a month using only the pack’s occupants. I’m a twenty-year-old college student, so why do I have a Jason Bourne-worthy bag in my car? Am I paranoid? Has fiction fried my brain?

Mom and Dad, like most parents, are concerned about my safety. Their belief in a possible electromagnetic pulse helps to magnify the already severe parental need for preparation. To ease their worry, they created a survival pack for me to use if an EMP ruined American civilization and I had to trek out of Nashville.

For the majority of my life, I’ve lived aware of apocalyptic scenarios. There was a concrete room in my childhood home to use in case of tornados or nuclear fallout. Mom and Dad have bins of rations stored in their basement for emergencies. Overall, I credit my love for end of the world books to my parents.

How do apocalypse preparations relate to the publishing industry?

The world of publishing has ended. Many people haven’t noticed, yet.

To all the writers, authors, agents, publishers and book-lovers reading this, do not be alarmed. After the end of the world, there is a world. Life doesn’t stop. It changes.

And so, we must change with it.

I am twenty-years-old, a three-time published author, past employee of HarperCollins publishing, blogger, magazine writer and freelance publicist. I’ve been in the book business for five years and have watched the publishing industry transform. The model of old has disintegrated due to disintermediation and disruption from sources like Amazon. No matter how tight we cling to traditional methods, we have to think differently, write and promote in new ways if we wish to survive the end of the publishing world.

Survivors have three things in common: They prepare, adapt and fight. We must do the same. To prepare for possible crises, we need to do our research, know what platforms are becoming available, how the book market and our audiences are changing. Knowledge is step one to ensuring we are ready for the danger.

We must be willing and able to adapt. One of the most lethal phrases I’ve heard from a publisher is, “Well, this is how we’ve always done it.” The instant we stop adapting is the moment we fail. Tradition can only be useful to an extent and in a world now dominated by nontraditional mediums, tradition is becoming more and more ineffective.

Fighting is the final common element of survivors. When an apocalyptic scenario becomes a reality, survivors must put their preparation and adaptability to the test. They must fight back if they wish to stay alive. As survivors of the end of the publishing world, we too must put our knowledge of the current book market to the test.

This leads to the question: What is in our survival pack?

Mom and Dad did extensive research before they chose the items for my pack. They had to be precise because, in survival situations, equipment weight and purpose are of utmost importance.

Publishing involves a specific timeframe. We can only do certain amounts of tasks within the various seasons of publication. That said, we have to be strategic with the tasks we do accomplish and be sure they coincide with our research.

Author Survival Pack Musts:

• Online Platform

Spend time developing your online presence. Social media will be your best friend and help you sell books, reach your desired audience.

• Media Kit

Develop a media kit inclusive of a press release, possible interview questions and an author headshot. Media kits are great to send to news outlets, reviewers or anyone who might want to know more about you.

• Media List

Before entering into the promotional phase of publishing, create a list of media outlets to contact. The list will help you stay on track and keep a record of your communications.

• Email List

Brainstorm ways to grow your email list. Tactics could include giveaways, offering bonus content, building a team of book reviewers, etc.

• Out of the Box Mentality

Many publishers and publicists follow a certain equation when marketing a book. Although their methods work in some instances, they cause market saturation. Modern authors must be willing to survey the market and find opportunities. Where can the desired audience be found? How can they be reached? What isn’t being done by publishers that needs to be done?

I’ve met with many authors and recording artists to help them pinpoint their brand, discuss social media options and brainstorm outreach tactics. What I usually discuss with them are the items needed in an author survival pack.

Publishing has changed, but we have the chance to reach our audiences like never before. We just have to think beyond tradition.

Side Note Insight: Books are accessories to their messages. Due to the influence of media, messages mean more than full content. By building a brand around a message and developing relationships, you’ll motivate purchases from consumers.

The end of the publishing world is real.

Congratulations. You’re a survivor.

Now it’s time to prepare, adapt and fight.

Caroline George, author of THE PRIME WAY TRILOGY and THE VESTIGE, resides in Nashville where she spends the majority of her time in hipster coffeehouses, sipping lavender mochas and undertaking over-the-top projects. She is a two-time Georgia Author of the Year nominee, speaker, blogger, and writer for teen magazine PURSUE. Caroline studies publishing and public relations at Belmont University and works as a publicist for local artists.