The State of the Publishing Industry

Join Brandon and two of his colleagues (President and Publisher of Tor Publishing Group/Macmillan Devi Pillai & President of JABberwocky Literary Agency Joshua Bilmes) to discuss the current state of the publishing industry and what exciting trends they see on the horizon. From what it looks like to debut as an author today versus a generation ago to the rising popularity of audiobooks, this conversation spans decades of publishing expertise from veterans in the industry.
Mistborn Secret History: www.amazon.com/Mistborn-Secre...
Bastille vs the Evil Librarians: www.amazon.com/Bastille-Evil-...
(This Interview was filmed toward the end of 2022)
Want to send me something to open?
Dragonsteel Entertainment
ATTN: Adam
P.O Box 698
American Fork, UT 84003
Stay up to date by following my newsletter: www.brandonsanderson.com/tag/...
Interested in signed books and swag? Check here: www.dragonsteelbooks.com/
You can also follow me on:
Facebook: / brandsanderson
Twitter: / brandsanderson
Instagram: brandsander...
Twitch: / mistbornbrandon
Frequently asked questions: faq.brandonsanderson.com/

[@ManCarryingThing]

This was SUPER interesting - I’m grateful you all decided to record this

[@Jed_Herne]

Agreed! Loved to see behind the curtains like this

[@qwertyuioph]

simp

[@TheDefiniteArticle_]

Hi I love your videos! Especially your Kaladin 90s sitcom parody. Would like to see you do an actual interview with Brando Sando.

[@Spoonishpls]

@@TheDefiniteArticle_ I'm trying not to fangirl over see him here too

[@JacobRabinowitz]

It's the legend! he never misses (a brando sando video)

[@devin_blaze1616]

For those questioning the book selection in the background, remember this was recorded around NYCC 2022, meaning before TLM released, meaning these three books were Tor's most recent publications of Brandon at the time if I am not mistaken.

[@billmilligan7272]

To be honest I was more questioning the state of the facial fur.

[@MasterJack2]

I thought his road-to-wizard had been cut short, pun intended.@@billmilligan7272

[@coredumperror]

Aren't the Secret Projects also *not* published by Tor? Maybe I'm misremembering, but I thought they were all published by Dragonsteel directly.

[@billmilligan7272]

@@coredumperror True, for now. There was an implication that they might be licensed to Tor later. Tor will probably be willing because it's a low risk/high reward situation, though they probably won't be terribly happy about it due to the precedent it sets so loudly. Lois McMaster Bujold published all her books after 2016 this way -- self publish (ebooks only) then license to Tor (or maybe it's Been, can't remember) with limited marketing. This is a much bigger deal obviously for Brandon though.

[@UShred16]

Tor versions exist. Dragonsteel editions were what they sent for the Kickstarter.

[@Kim-gy9pl]

I personally went from browsing isles at bookstores to getting recommendations from either book tubers or fellow fans of my favorite series online. Word of mouth has definitely changed my approach

[@saintjimmy456]

Being able to exercise, clean, cook, decorate etc. whilst listening to an audiobook is something I find really productive and satisfying.

[@AcidicMentality]

I mow and do yardwork while listening to audiobooks. Three hours of landscaping per weekend in the summer is a great time to get into a good story.

[@JohnSmith-tl8pq]

An audiobook is not a book. It is basically an old radio serial.

[@dylanb2990]

@@JohnSmith-tl8pqit’s literally a book being read aloud.

[@KevinHorecka]

When I started stormlight I was on audiobook and made a rule I could only listen while running. I ran so damn much for those couple months it was excellent.

[@shaunduquette5992]

I don't get how anyone can concentrate fully while on the move

[@emmafloyd2971]

As an aspiring writer looking to publish in the not too distant future, this is simultaneously uplifting and not

[@bryceallen]

Same. At the end of the day, we’ll just have to do our best with what we have.

[@jimmychurch9588]

I’ve been trying to publish for a few years now. It’s a tremendously discouraging process.

[@emmafloyd2971]

@@jimmychurch9588 Aw. I'm sorry. That's awful

[@EjDantes]

@@jimmychurch9588 Selfpublish. Once you also show that you can make them money, they get more interested. Or you might just find out you prefer more of the money.

[@jimmychurch9588]

@@emmafloyd2971 i appreciate it! Hopefully your luck isn’t bad, but I think my story is pretty common.

[@harrisonbodrie9708]

As an adult with ADHD; without audio books it would have been nearly impossible to read all the long fantasies I wanted to read. From the Dark Tower to the Wheel or many other authors. Being able to read along and listen at nearly 2X speed, it helps get through some amazing books that have some dry-spots. Driving as Social Worker and having a desk job, making progress also helps not put books down because I burn out.

[@Gronmin]

Well good news that has almost nothing to do with ADHD. It's just that audio books are more accessible and allow you to fit in the content throughout the day.

[@Blur866]

​@Epicawsomesocks but that is directly related to ADHD

[@herrschneider5310]

@@Blur866 I have ADHD and never had problems reading books. It's a spectrum, so everybody experiences it differently, even if a lot of markers exist in a lot of variants

[@harrisonbodrie9708]

That is true for me, it is the focus piece. I can read a chapter but it is hard to continue to motivate myself. The outside motivator (audiobook) is a great benefit. When looking at Sando or many other fantasy authors you are looking at thousands of pages. Anything we can do to make reading/literacy more assessable will be good.@@herrschneider5310

[@Fushishou]

@@Gronmin bro talking out of his ass lmao

[@AurorXZ]

Brandon, thank you so much for your support of everyday writers and keeping us updated on the industry. These talks-even so brief!-are wonderful.

[@andrewberenson5717]

Although there is less brick and mortar book stores, the growth of Booktubers helps to give word of mouth to the public.

[@GoPayneGo]

It was so awesome being on the Frugal Wizard book club with Joshua, what a wealth of professional experience and insights he has in this industry. I’m excited to see him again at Dragonsteel 2023!

[@somefishhere]

Thank you!

[@vigilantScrivener]

As somebody who works with my hands ten hours a night, audiobook is the format most guaranteed to get me through a book. I buy print books regularly because when people ask what’s what it’s easier to show and tell that way and despite having tried numerous times since ereaders debuted ebooks cannot hold me.

[@TheObsessiveBookseller]

This was wildly fascinating! I’m curious how much of a debut author’s success can be attributed to its reach on Booktube and Goodreads. It seems more and more people are turning to trusted book influencers for recommends as opposed to discovering new authors in bookstores. I’d love to hear perspectives on that.

[@AuroraCarlisle]

My theory (as a content producer in the entertainment industry) with the audiobook and podcast explosion is that people have aged with these books, authors, and hobbies. I remember reading Mass Market copies of Elantris in High School. Now if I want to make it through Stormlight, I listen to it while doing laundry, driving, or cooking. More responsibilities, less time to read a physical book.

[@Lb_Collects]

I think to me, books are almost like a luxury good market wise, and although technology advancing is definitely a valid reason to be pessimistic. Ultimately, books will never die, simply because too many people love to read actual books. The aesthetic is something many love, myself included, the feeling/ goal of reading in your own library with a fireplace and hot drink/ alcohol is something many resonate with - that, will never die. Really loved listening to this, hope to write one day myself, so, i really appreciate the video.

[@CDONETWOTHREE]

Spot on

[@geoffgodwin]

Is anyone getting John Malkovich vibes from Joshua or is it just me?

[@crimsonraen]

Oh, absoLUTELY! I thought the same exact thing when I started watching!

[@handlechar568]

It's not just you. Never has a man who is not John Malkovich coincidentally been more like John Malkovich than this man XD

[@CrowMacnas]

Yep, searched the comments to find this mention! 😆 It's like John Malkovich and Ben Stein had a baby.

[@geoffgodwin]

​@@CrowMacnas that is eerily accurate.

[@TheYallternativeNerd]

I’ve been listening to audio books forever now. The very best part is the narrator expressing the character’s in ways one might not do on there own. manual labor + audio books = wonderful

[@TheDiabeticGameMaster]

I’m fine listening to them in my car but even when I’m exercising, let alone working near others, I am worried about getting to the real emotional parts where I will promptly start balling my eyes out like a little baby, lol.

[@mrguy746]

​@@TheDiabeticGameMaster feel this lol just finished Bands of Mourning at a restaurant drinking a marg after work. IDC though normalize crying!

[@sledgehammered1765]

Love these. Thankful for the time and devotion Brandon and team put into them!

[@SpencerRussellSmithAuthor]

Thank you so much for posting meetings and discussions like this, Brandon! This is so helpful!

[@dylanhalifaux]

I love getting to see more layers to the whole life of an author and writer. Thank you for sharing and showing us this industry from so many angles.

[@godminnette2]

In case anyone is curious about the difference in Brandon's appearence, this was filmed at the end of 2022, as noted in the description.

[@chloeahey]

Lolll I didn’t even notice

[@tiffanylamb1187]

As a new writer trying to break into the industry, this was very helpful. Thank you! I'm always inspired by you.

[@jamesradcliffe6103]

This was incredibly helpful and informative. To hear a successful author talk about the industry openly with high-level operators in said industry is so encouraging for new/unpublished authors. More of this, please. And Thankyou also.

[@jeffreyunderwood7064]

This was awesome. Nice to hear their perspective. To those hoping to be published one day...keep going!

[@Glori_beee]

As an aspiring author this information is valuable. Thank you for sharing! Keeps me inspired to break into the industry.

[@alanwarenski7827]

I remember for a while TOR did have a bundle option on Amazon with a hardcover, and the ebook would be $3. I am one of those who loves both and I loved that option. Bought a bunch of books that way. Would love to see that again.

[@sunnymeb]

Audiobooks YES!! I love your bundles for this reason. I just checked out a 3 book series on CD for a road trip (yes, my car is not fancy, only plays CDs) I was shocked 😮 at how many CDs there were. Holy moly.

[@snowpoint720]

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel was the book that converted me to audio. 900 pages long with footnotes longer than a page. it was a used book that had been checked out once ever. Audiobooks are great for driving, and going to sleep. Helps a lot.

[@AeynYT]

Thanks Brandon and team for giving us this very insightful discussion. Love Brandon's ability to drive this type of chat and would love to see him in more round-tables if possible.

[@KevinHorecka]

This was so interesting! Wish there had been some discussion of Graphic Audio. That's how I first discovered Brandon's work, and it was so fun. Like an old timey radio program but better in every way.

[@HoneyBadger-DontCare]

If I over enjoy the book I do everything I can to find a hardcover of it for re-reads. There is just something about a nice hardcover/leather-bound that is sooooo soothing to me

[@beingcenteredinc]

I imagined this would be the energy of the comment section. Thankful for Brandon's attempt at giving insight into a foreign world, yet feeling without a path forward. Good luck to all of you on your journeys.

[@loki.odinson]

Thank you Brandon for sharing these important pieces of information with us. 😊

[@Kouphen]

I'd be interested in more interviews like this one, Brandon.

[@Naamtok]

Revising and editing my debut. Eight years in. I was told to seek traditional publishing before exploring self-publishing, which still seems like good advice. On the subject of Audiobooks - I have always been an avid reader, but since the birth of my daughter this year, I don't have time to sit and physically read. what I can do is a million household tasks and outside chores whilst plugged into an audiobook. 32 finished since February this year.

[@colettefarrell1951]

This is such an interesting discussion!!!🎉

[@bross92]

I always love your push for bundling. Situationally and mentally I’m in different moods for reading vs listening vs both at the same time, so every time I read one of your books I buy the audiobook and get the printed or ebook version from the library at the same time so I can follow along, get character names right, etc

[@LevenScholar]

You mean like bundling home and auto?

[@reywashere5284]

I'm excited for this conversation

[@hexesandheroes]

Wonderful seeing this sort of thing.

[@spaceybun]

great discussion, thanks!

[@lndetective]

I think indie is going eat trad pub's lunch when it comes to new/mid-list authors. Trad-pub's main appeal is that it can do a big push at a bookstore. But if they can't guarantee that, then why go with them and take 2 years to get published for 2% of each sale lmao. With indie, you can react to trends right away, take ~60% of revenue, with the only downside being mostly ebooks and hard to get into bookstores/physical. I think Brandon Sanderson recognizes this, and is gently interrogating them about it (asking about indies vs. midlisters, ebooks, audiobooks). The takeaway for me from this is that new commercial authors should focus on scaling up indie (ebooks, audio), rather than focus on breaking into a tough, slow industry with many barriers.

[@erixperience4050]

The issue with indie (or self pub, mainly) is that not only are you cast as a writer, you also have to run a small business on top of that. As someone with pretty gnarly executive dysfunction who freezes up if he opens a spreadsheet by accident, that's an even bigger downside than no print copies.

[@affarinoxa]

I only have gotten back into reading in the past 3 years or so but one of the things that brought me back was audible. It was just so convenient to pop in some ear buds and listen while I was doing other things. Made me start to buy physical books again and read through them like I did when I was younger. I've only read 2 books as E books and never felt the same appeal. But the convenience of having them on my phone was nice.

[@M.Orrigan90]

Literally just had a shit attack after submitting my manuscript to agents before it was ready due to panic. This has made me feel so much calmer!

[@pinoyguy75]

For me, when i got into reading a decade ago, audible was what really hooked me. This was when companies were experiementing with content creator sponsorships. Audible's monthly credit plan forced me to try out books. Which lead me to Brandon Sanderson and the various narrators on his work. I'm still on that same monthly credit plan. I hope audible starts paying authors better.

[@vetdad3927]

As a person with Dyslexia, I would say audiobooks have been extremely helpful. For studying I have been converting docs so that it can read aloud while highlighting and it makes a world of difference. 15k words for this year's Nanowrimo so far, I have a feeling Brandon Sanderson already hit his 50K. Thanks for a great interview!

[@Alex-bo4je]

This was a 20 minute video, and it felt like 5 minutes. Great insight into the industry.

[@conwaytwitty3055]

Can’t wait for John malkovich to play Joshua in the Sanderson biopic

[@redhusky7439]

I got into audiobooks because My work commute is an hour long. Grew to love them, now i even listen to them on my hour long dog walks 👍 I only listen to audiobooks of books I’ve already read though. Oh and Graphic audios audiobooks are amazing. All of your books on it are so good.

[@vizun]

Great video. I read 100% audiobooks!

[@Florkl]

I own 4 copies of Way of Kings: The Audible edition, which is my favorite way to consume. The Leatherbound, which I use to peruse the art, and to be art itself. A paperback, which I loan to friends. And an ebook, which I use to quickly look things up. I cannot emphasize enough how great the word search feature is.

[@coleconrad2543]

This was so cool! Please keep doing these kinds of things 🥰 they’re so interesting and it’s really fun to have the curtain pulled back a bit. Both Devi and Joshua are fascinating! I hope there’s time in the future for a more in depth conversation. Also Team Dragonsteel please can someone tell Devi those boots are 🔥

[@Rave.-]

I have a family member that is blind and they are now able to enjoy the books and genre I've been reading and talking about for decades now because of audio books. It was a wonderful gift to be able to finally share those stories with someone previously unable to experience them. I can't listen to them myself because it fundamentally changes how I perceive these stories i know so well, but I fully appreciate the value of the format.

[@antiformsora]

I tend to buy both audio and print for Sanderson books. I've switched between the two, depending on whether I have to do other things or not.

[@sonofraven76]

It’s great how you got John Malkovich to play Joshua

[@jacobhall-burns5356]

I think that the person who narrates your audio book is incredibly important as well. One SiFi book I listen to is Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman and Narrated by Jeff Hays. I have looked for other worlds narrated by Jeff Hays because of the amazing job he did on a story that I love

[@alexspeedwagon3701]

This is the first I'm hearing of the Secret History! Mistborn era 1 are my favorite books and I'm excited to hear there's more from that time period. I've transitioned from exclusively paperbacks to exclusively audiobooks within the last year. When I have free time I don't often think to pick up a book since I already do so much reading for work and school. Audiobooks on my commute are how I get my fix and it's a great arrangement for me! Shame about the issues with audible, spotify is weird but I'll put up with it to get the newer cosmere titles when I'm that far caught up

[@sebm4891]

I definitely learned quite a bit from this. I finished my third revision of my manuscript back in September, and I've been submitting to publishers for the past few weeks.

[@AndyBestHP]

I just went through the process of submitting to the mainstream industry through trad channels, targeted subs to agencies/agents and so on. The process went in waves and stages, and led to three manuscript requests, out of over a hundred queries, two rejected ultimately and one has still not yet decided - and here's the learning point about this - the process is not quite done, and the total time elapsed since the very first query is ... ... near 18 months. I kinda wish I'd just gone to KDP, but if the final pub comes through I guess I'll be like 'it was worth it.' Wish I had known the time frame before starting though.

[@russellmlfranklin]

Good luck!

[@ZnaharDima]

That's super interesting, the peek into industry and business side of writing

[@johnc.8534]

excellent insight into the industry, thanks!

[@favna]

Going into this video I was afraid we’d get marketing and filtered bullshit from tour books but Brandon blocked them doing so very hard which is super based. You can feel the tension when he interrupts.

[@ChaseBuck]

What are you talking about lmao

[@JaneHollandAuthor]

Very interesting, thanks!!

[@grim-vale]

Joshua's voice is really soothing for some reason

[@MarketResearchReading114]

Gosh I always love me a hardcover, but I also know that I've gotten to know some authors only through soft cover, and I wish they released things in hardcover....even some "bad" books really hit my heart. "The Goblin Corps" for what ever reason really hit me in the stomach and made me want more..hah.

[@professionalthirdculturekid]

This was insightful, yet discouraging for aspiring debut authors. It would be helpful to see some empirical data on percent of authors debuting now compared to a decade ago, especially in the epic fantasy genre.

[@shawkins79]

Re: Hardbacks - very interesting! In the indie space, hardcovers are becoming a commodity. Readers are loving special edition hardback books. I wonder if the scarcity the mainstream is giving a boost to special edition hardcovers.

[@Jed_Herne]

Love to see these insights

[@arzabael]

This is random but the sound in that room is great. Strong room.

[@arenkai]

If it wasn't for audiobooks I would have never gone back to reading that much. Before I started, I had maybe read one book in 5 years... But since I've started The Eye of the World audiobook back in 2021, I've gone through the entire Wheel of Time, I'm now up to date on the Cosmere, I've read the entire Foundation and Robot cycles by Asimov, I'm 11 volumes deep into The Dresden Files, and many, many more standalone or shorter series ! Audiobooks have changed my daily life for the better

[@molsy1768]

For me, i almost exclusively use audiobooks. I commute roughly 5 hours a week, i exercise roughly 6 hours a week and i probably spend 3 or 4 hours a week doing household tasks. Thats a lot of free time i can fill. More importantly, my main source of entertainment is video games, and a lot of the video games i play, i can play without any audio, once again meaning i can play audiobooks during this time. The average audiobook in my library sits around 10 hours, so i can clear 2 or 3 audiobooks a week, whereas when i insisted on reading print, i could maybe get through 1 book a month, or half a sanderson book. Audiobooks have increased my interaction with literature drastically.

[@CDONETWOTHREE]

I totally believe that the longer a book is out, the higher the percentage of print sold will be. I do that with my favorite novels. Read a lot on kindle, but I want physical copies of all my favorites and I will indeed buy those in paper even after I read digitally.

[@crimsonraen]

Thanks for the video, this was interesting! :)

[@sethcraven]

I had no idea Brandon Sanderson’s agent was John Malcovich 😮

[@YoJesusMorales]

I wouldn't mind something like a podcast about this, not like every week but maybe every year or something. I would say at conventions, but it would definitely add unnecessary stress at those times. Not only that, but I'm interested on what they think of the enshitification that Doctorow talks about Amazon.

[@INE_Travel]

Am I the only person who anxiously checks every Sanderson related notification hoping for adaptation news?

[@bradydill4767]

Honestly, I don't see any hope that current Hollywood could do any kind of adaptation of Sanderson justice. Just look what's happening with Wheel of Time.

[@greatcoldemptiness]

Yes

[@reflexjat3822]

You might be bro

[@danyf7429]

For anyone interested he talked about it recently on a podcast or Q&A (cant remember which) Basically, that's probably not gonna happen for a little while. TLDR, If I remember correctly, he said the state of absolute chaos and disarray that Hollywood is on has made things a bit difficult; several big-time IPs and big-budget productions made by industry titans have failed in recent years, TV and streaming adaptations have also had... mixed receptions and, most importantly, similar High-fantasy IPs being adapted to cinema and TV have also kinda flopped recently; all of this plus the ongoing strikes of several unions. As such, the only offer the big studios (the kind that have the necessary money to make a proper adaptation) make now is to buy the rights to the IP, leave Brando out and then park the IP indefinitely (which is a no no for BrandoSando), offers of straight up adaptation with high budget and high involvement have... reached a stalemate. Indie studios don't have the necessary budget to properly adapt such alien and outlandish worlds and B-Money has gone on record saying that he'd prefer no animated adaptations, so yeah :I

[@Theoryofdance]

Yes

[@fgnsfgnsfgn]

The thing that interests me about audio books is that it creates room for different kinds of prose. I wonder how many books out there readers disliked because of the prose, but are just fine when spoken with authoritative intonation and rhythm. It makes me think there's a world where we see audio books released that do not even have a print version, knowing that certain types of prose do not work for most people for reading.

[@notsureaboutthis4283]

Have you listened to Dark One: Forgotten by Sanderson and Wells?

[@coldfiresun4707]

I can listen to an audiobook faster than read a print edition; I can do it while commuting, walking, driving etc. And I can hit 3x speed (especially as most narrators speak quite slowly. Also, ADHD makes it easier in audio than sitting and reading. That and I live in a city with a huge, robust library system where I can have constant free access.

[@life-destiny1196]

I've actually gotten more books from Kickstarter than probably anywhere else this year, or at least it's pretty close. (It would be a knockout if you ignored the Cradle series, for which I backed the Kickstarter to print books 1-3 only to realize that several more books were already available in ebook, so I bought and quickly devoured those.) Those three books, obviously the four Secret Projects, The Sword of Kaigen, and I think Wahrheit 2 was also this year if I remember right. I like the idea that I am able to be a part of getting projects off the ground (not that I think any of those especially needed the help!) and I historically haven't minded the wait because I had the money, so it was basically just an act of setting up a nice surprise for future me. Times got tough for me this year, so I haven't been able to do that as much.

[@3up3rn0va]

This is both encouraging and disheartening. You must have broken in at a great time! 👍

[@aarondubourg3706]

It was touched wth audios, but Ebooks are also great for accessibility. When you buy an Ebook, you can change the font size & style. Some fonts are more dyslexic friendly than others, and not everyone can read small texts. And while not as good as a dedicated audio book, text to speach is an option. When you buy a physical book, you're stuck with what you got.

[@wadihzgheib2211]

Great vid as usual

[@tobycatVA]

When I see the TOR logo I am far more likely to take a chance on an unknown author because when I look at my favorites 16 out of every 17 have that mark in common.

[@vaildog1]

Please do a conversation with currently working agents!

[@RJ_Ehlert]

Good video.

[@sfs2040]

The biggest issue with publishing is that they need to pay authors more.

[@thisoldgoat3927]

Ssshhhh! You're not supposed to say that part out loud.

[@FirstOfTheMagi]

I only listen to Audiobooks if it's a book I've already read visually because I'm bad about zoning out and focusing in on whatever I'm doing and then missing some of the audiobook/podcast/song I'm listening to

[@kubamusix8662]

Idk why whenever i watch a video of brandon i automatically smile.I just took notice of that!! Haha

[@somedonkus_]

A room of writing royalty. All hail!

[@FrostFireTiger]

While at home I don't really care much for audio books. Specially since I read faster than the narrators. But at work, audio books are magnificent! They're perfect to have in one ear while typing away on the computer. Because of that, audio has become my main way of consuming books. I still buy the physical books to have on my bookshelf, but lately I go through them entirely on audio and I end up not even opening the physical ones I bought. 😅

[@carlscott506]

I find all of my new fantasy authors via E-books. My biggest reasons for the switch are cost and space. I have two book selves full of books from the 90’s and early 00’s. I tend to buy audio if I love the series.

[@nikvernon4251]

Brandon just brought me back to my childhood and listening to Beverly Cleary books on cassette tape, holy shit

[@davidschmidt5507]

This was so interesting

[@aaronmarko]

I hadn't even considered how important that having stock on the was a means of advertisement.

[@D.Jackson141]

So I'm curious about the idea that brick and mortar is the key to discoverability. With so many KZbin/online reviews, I'd say most of my books/series that i buy are from either word of mouth/recommendations, or an ad online and i read the synopsis and if it sounds like a title i would like, I buy it. Should the industry focus more on creating their own "public relations" spokespeople on various platforms to promote books as a way to adjust to there being less brick and mortar stores?

[@joemountains1539]

A year old, but still accurate. Good talk!

[@michaelj.sullivan1368]

I'm late to the game - but I only stumbled upon this now. A few thoughts my end of the spectrum. To start with some background, my debut was with a small press, then I did some self-publishing, hen Devi (seen on this video) acquired the rights to my books for Orbit, and my second series was picked up by Del Rey. Since that time I've been hybriding meaning I sell the audio rights for large advances (actually more than I could get for all three rights when selling to a publisher), and self-publishing the print and ebooks. Okay my thoughts. If bookstores are buying 1 copy for new titles rathe than 3 - 6, then they are irrelevant to discoverability which takes one of the "perks" of traditional of the table. For me audio is 2/3 of my income and ebook and print are 1/6 each. Traditional publishing really doesn't have much to offer the Mid-list these days, but my hybrid (audio only and self print and ebook) approach is working for a lot of peopled.

[@WoTMike1989]

Joshua is great

[@nutka6]

Interesting 🧐

[@joshhickeysmoviereviews]

Read the description. It says "this discussion was filmed toward the end of 2022". That's why no beard

[@CodexPotter]

In the us trade paperbacks are my favorite type of book and I OFTEN buy from the UK so I can get them before paperbacks come out in the us. Hardcovers physical hurt me to read. I know the margins are much better but I'd be happy to pay $25-30 on a paperback at release if it was slightly special, like including maps or foil on the cover or sprayed edges.

[@CodexPotter]

I also love standalone fantasy, or fantasy that aren't direct series but maybe in the same world or such. They're so hard to find but I'd truly love to find more.

[@TMWriting]

I hate that trade paperbacks are the norm for when a book is first released and I have to wait a year for the mass market to be released so I can read a book in a format I don’t hate - I only just read Lost Metal, for example, when I would have happily bought that on day one if it hadn’t been trade dimensions.

[@argnator]

"Publishing is great and still worth it. All the old ways must be preserved" says publishers. And then they publish Lightlark

[@PhoenixCrown]

Thanks for this! Useful as an aspiring writer and fun to hear some of the statistics. I'm a fuddy duddy I guess: I still love to read print. Don't like that audio dictates the pace for me.