Inspiration and information about writing craft and author business. For independent creatives.
2026 Trends and Predictions for Indie Authors and the Publishing Industry, plus Transforming your author business in the year ahead
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Hello Creatives, Happy New Year! Welcome to 2026! I love January and the energy of starting afresh, and as ever, I have lots of goals for the year ahead. I'm reframing everything I do under the theme of transformation, so if that resonates with you, check out my 2026 goals here. What do you plan to achieve creatively in the year ahead? Just hit reply and let me know. I also started writing a new novel over the holidays based on a South Pacific crossing I made from Fiji to Vanuatu in a tallship back in 1999. More about Bones of the Deep here. 2026 Trends and Predictions for Indie Authors and the Book Publishing IndustryWhat does 2026 hold for indie authors and the publishing industry? I give my thoughts on trends and predictions for the year ahead. From more focus on selling direct in different ways, to AI-assisted narration and translation, to search engine shifts, live selling on social media, automated ads, and why 1000 True Fans is more important than ever. Click here to listen or read Transform your Author Business in 2026. Join me for a live webinarA practical two-hour live workshop (and recording) to help you move from “I write books” to “I run a successful creative business.” Leave with a clear vision, a simple author business plan, and concrete next steps to grow your income from your writing in 2026. Click below for more details. This weekend, Sat 10 Jan, 11am US Eastern, 4pm UK Sat 24 Jan, 11am US eastern, 4pm UK It's the same webinar delivered twice, so you can pick which date suits you. The recording will be sent to ticket-holders within 24 hours in video and audio format along with slides and other material. Just let me know if you have any questions.
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Joanna Penn, The Creative Penn
Inspiration and information about writing craft and author business. For independent creatives.
Hello Creatives, We're just back from a long weekend in Brussels and Bruges in Belgium where I did some much-needed book research. Photos above and more on Instagram and Facebook @jfpennauthor if you'd like a closer look. Also, do you know about the 'windowing' strategy for publishing? It's how I release my books now and might help you think about your next release. Basically, it means releasing your book in different formats and into different channels to different audiences over time, with...
Hello Creatives, Thanks to everyone who backed my Kickstarter for Bones of the Deep! I had a wonderful signing day for the foiled hardbacks up at the BookVault printers, so all books should be with you soon. It will be out on the usual platforms over the summer. I was also in London last week for an author conference, having industry business meetings and catching up with writer friends. It's been a productive few weeks but a good reminder that the author life is not just sitting alone...
Hello Creatives, Can you believe it's June already?! I hope you have your creative projects for the year well underway. Click reply and let me know how it's going. I'm focused on finishing up the fulfilment for Bones of the Deep Kickstarter, and if you missed the campaign, the book will be out on the usual stores in August. I'm also writing the draft of my dissertation for my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture, so that's my main project for the next few months, alongside a new story with...