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Welcome to Season 6 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully.
In today’s episode, Becky is joined by Jane Friedman—book publishing industry expert, author, and returning guest—who delves into the evolving landscape of the publishing industry, explaining how authors have taken responsibility for the marketing of their books and the impact of AI on discoverability. Jane provides listeners with her seasoned perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing authors and offers actionable insights for navigating the modern publishing landscape effectively.
Key Points From This Episode:
[01:57] Jane shares about herself and her work in the world.
[03:13] Jane reveals what surprised her the most as she worked on the second edition of her book, The Business of Being a Writer.
[04:25] Discover what Jane decided to remove completely from the first edition of the book as she revised it.
[06:30] Jane shares insights on how she sees the role of authors evolving in today’s publishing ecosystem and how marketing is evolving as well.
[10:00] Listen as Jane talks about the value of having an email list that you own.
[13:24] (AD) Schedule a call with Becky Robinson to discover how Weaving Influence’s custom strategies can support your book launch.
[14:43] Jane outlines some of the trends she’s seeing in book marketing right now that authors should keep an eye out for, particularly related to AI developments.
[21:43] Jane talks about her own journey in marketing and shares something about her book marketing efforts that might surprise listeners.
[25:09] If Jane could correct one common misconception that authors have about the publishing industry, what would it be? She reveals the answer.
[26:50] Jane concludes by discussing her greatest wish for the new edition of her book.
Action Steps:
- If there is a podcast or any other type of media that you have been interested in being a part of, today is the day to send your pitch or follow up. You have agency and the power to inquire.
- Wherever you are in your journey of exploring AI, take the next step. See how it might impact your work in the world or how you might use it in a positive way to share your message more widely.
Resources:
- Explore Jane’s website, where you can subscribe to her newsletters, sign up for classes, and access all of her expert resources.
- Get Jane’s book The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition, which just released.
- Connect with Jane on social media:
Key Quotes:
I have been solely focused on the publishing industry since college. I’ve seen it from a lot of different angles. —Jane Friedman
Authors are taking more responsibility for the marketing of their books, especially if they’re traditionally published. —Jane Friedman
Email is an asset that I think continues to have longevity, and I think it’s going to be there in another five years, or 10 years. —Jane Friedman
If people use AI tools instead of Google search, if they use Google’s AI summaries instead of going to websites, how much will that hurt your traffic or your visibility? How will it affect your business? —Jane Friedman
If you plan to have a career as an author over the next five to 10 years and beyond, I think you have to pay attention to what AI is going to do to the writing and publishing environment. —Jane Friedman
I think it deeply matters what you do to support your book or to support your writing and publishing efforts. —Jane Friedman
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I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.