Navigating the Shifting Publishing Landscape

Rosemi Mederos: 00:01

If you have plot bunnies coming out of your plot holes, it’s time for a writing break.

Welcome back to Writing Break. I am so glad you are joining me for another deep dive into the publishing world. Whether you’re a seasoned author, an aspiring storyteller, or a publishing professional, I appreciate you being here with me.

Today, we are stepping into some big conversations happening in the publishing world about how books are created, distributed, and discovered. We’ll cover independent publishing joining forces to survive in an industry dominated by the Big 5, shifting library policies that could change how readers access your books, and the ongoing challenges of being a published author.

If you’re a long-time listener, you’ll know this show is never, ever about gloom and doom. I just don’t have it in me. Instead, I’m making sure you’re aware of what’s going on in your industry, you know your options, and you have the tools you need to make smart, strategic choices for your career. The publishing industry is always evolving, and as writers, we have to evolve with it.

I’m also getting personal today. I have spent years as a fiction and nonfiction editor, helping authors shape their stories. Now, as I’m deep into writing my own book, I’m seeing firsthand which pieces of advice truly hold up in the trenches. The advice I give to writers I’m giving to myself now. And I can say some things never change, no matter how much the industry shifts.

The Writing Break cafe is open, so let’s place an order and settle in.

Diamond Comic Distributors, the company that dominated comic book distribution for decades, just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This is a big deal because Diamond was the go-to distributor for getting comics into specialty shops. Now, they’re looking for a buyer, with an auction set for March 24 and a closing deadline of April 10.

What does this mean for comic creators? Three things.

One: distributors are shifting fast. Many publishers, including Image, Mad Cave, and Vault, are already moving their distribution to Lunar Distribution, which gained traction during the pandemic. Some indie publishers are searching for alternatives, like Massive Publishing’s "Massive Indies," which allows smaller publishers to get their books into Lunar’s catalog for a fee.

Two: Shops might struggle, and so could your sales. Comic book shops rely on distributors like Diamond to get books on shelves. This sudden change means disruptions, delays, and financial losses for some stores. If you sell directly to comic shops, they might be more cautious about taking on new books, at least in the short term.

Three: Money is tight. Some publishers are dealing with financial fallout by cutting costs, potentially affecting advances, contracts, or marketing budgets for creators. If you’re working on a project with a publisher, keep communication open and watch for any shifts in how they handle distribution and payments.

So, stay informed on where your publisher or future publisher is distributing books so you can adjust your outreach accordingly. Look at alternative ways to sell your work, whether it’s through Kickstarter, direct sales, or indie-friendly distributors. And if you self-publish, explore multiple distributors rather than relying on one pipeline to comic shops.

This is a huge shake-up for the industry, but it’s also an opportunity to rethink how comics get into readers’ hands. If you’re an artist or writer, keep an eye on how publishers and retailers adjust because that will directly affect where your work is seen and sold.

Those who write books for young readers or any books that touch on sensitive subjects, you’ll want to pay attention to what’s happening in Iowa. Lawmakers there have introduced two new bills that could seriously impact what gets into libraries and who can access your work.

House File 274 would remove legal protections that currently allow schools and public libraries to provide educational materials that might contain content some consider obscene, and Senate File 347 would restrict public libraries from acquiring books that depict sexual content and could impose fines on librarians who provide these books to minors.

This means that there will be tighter restrictions on your work. If your book has themes related to sexuality, identity, relationships, or anything that could be deemed "mature," there’s a chance it might not make it into libraries in Iowa (and potentially other states if similar laws spread). Books for teens and even some middle-grade titles could be affected, depending on how these laws are interpreted.

Public libraries and school libraries are key access points for readers, especially young people who might not have the means to buy books. If librarians fear getting fined, they may be less likely to stock books with sensitive topics. We’ve seen To Kill a Mockingbird be deemed ‘sensitive’, so I’m already imagining a future where libraries have a robust selection of gardening books and little else.

If certain books get flagged under these laws, publishers might hesitate to acquire or promote similar content. Bookstores that rely on libraries to help boost book visibility may also see an indirect impact if libraries start pulling back on certain titles.

We’ll need to keep an eye on how these laws progress. If passed, they could inspire similar bills elsewhere. Today and always, support your local libraries and librarians. They are on the front lines of this fight, advocating for access to your books. Consider joining efforts to challenge censorship through organizations like the American Library Association, PEN America, and The Authors Guild.

If you’re in favor of book bans of any kind, I sincerely ask that you rethink your position. In the words of Voltaire, “I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

tion-only model by the end of: 2025

In response, EBSCO, another major player in library databases, has said it will not follow this path and will continue offering flexible purchasing models that will allow libraries to own materials permanently.

Traditionally, libraries buy books, both physical and digital, so they own them forever. Subscription-only models favor large publishers and limit smaller, independent voices from getting into libraries. Many researchers, students, and readers rely on libraries because who can afford to buy every book you want to read? If you write academic, historical, or research-heavy books, this is especially concerning. A subscription model also means that if a library stops paying for access, they lose the content.

Libraries serve as long-term archives for knowledge, and a shift to a rental model is not only a business decision but also a shift in how knowledge is accessed and preserved.

The upcoming London Book Fair: 2025

The fair's main stage will feature sessions on AI and copyright policy developments in both the UK and the US. Addressing concerns about declining literacy rates among youth, particularly in the UK, the fair has introduced a new programming block dedicated to fostering a love for reading in younger audiences.

The fair will also host its inaugural three-day academic and professional publishing conference, running concurrently with the main event. This conference aims to tackle sustainability challenges, evolving business models, and AI's impact on the academic publishing sector. International participation remains robust, with significant representation from the US, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, and more, including China, which is making a strong return to the London Book Fair.

This next bit of news is for my beloved indie authors. Eight independent publishers have formed the Publishers Cooperative. Their goal is to work together to cut costs, improve operations, and stay competitive in a publishing landscape dominated by the Big 5. This might become a trend among indie publishers, which will impact how indie books get printed, distributed, and marketed.

For starters, it could mean more stability for indie publishers. As we’ve discussed since the first few episodes of writing break, printing costs have skyrocketed, especially for smaller publishers. The Publishers Cooperative will allow the eight indie presses to pool their resources and negotiate better printing deals. That could mean lower production costs and fewer financial struggles impacting your book’s release.

The Publishers Cooperative is also exploring collaborations in HR, talent development, and bulk software licensing, which could help indie publishers streamline processes and invest in better marketing, editing, and distribution.

With the Big 5 dominating bookshelves and marketing budgets, smaller presses often struggle for visibility. The formation of the Publishers Cooperative shows that indie publishers are banding together to stay viable and offer strong alternatives to traditional publishing.

The eight founding members of the Publishers Cooperative are: AdventureKEEN, C&T Publishing, Gibbs-Smith, Mango Publishing, Mixed Media Resources, Mountaineers Books, Schiffer Publishing, and Ulysses Press. If you’re publishing with one of these companies, I hope this move increases your book’s success.

If this works, it will reshape the indie publishing landscape, making it more sustainable for both publishers and the authors they support. It is possible that this will encourage more collaborations between indie presses, creating new opportunities for authors outside of the Big 5.

But here’s one for the conspiracy theorists: the Publishers Cooperative is looking for more publishers to join, which is great, but could this all in the end just lead to the Big 5 becoming the Big 6?

We’re well overdue for a refill, so let’s put in another order and then head to the Overthinking Couch where I’ll wax idiotic about a recent experience I had as a book editor turned writer.

About a week ago, I was discussing the true crime book I’m writing when I realized that my beautiful, perfect opening with a delicious hook was, in fact, chronologically inaccurate. The unacceptability of this fact left me somewhere between melting and turning to stone. I achieved a plasma state, perhaps. My first thought was, truly, about time travel. Perhaps instead of finding a new opening I could build a time machine, make a name for myself as humanity’s first time traveler, change what I need to change so that history matches my book’s opening, and then move on with writing the rest of the book.

I do not remember my second thought, but I do remember blinking harder than normal, as though that would somehow rearrange my opening words to something factual and just as well written. When I told a trusted friend, he offered me a maniacal smile and leaned down so his face was a few inches away from mine. Then, maintaining eye contact and keeping his voice low, he said, “Maybe now you’ll know what you put your authors through.”

Listeners, I released a pearl-clutching gasp and recoiled as though I had a top-shelf vermouth violently splashed on a white silk dress. His malicious grin grew wider, and I started to laugh. Eventually, I replied to this Truth Bomb Technician friend of mine, “It’s true. I’m always saying, ‘Kill your darlings, kill your darlings.’ I’m not wrong, but it hurts.”

Long-time listeners might remember that Episode 2 of Writing Break is all about killing your darlings. It is a piece of advice that I impart like an army general. I do not want to see my authors waste their time on anything that is weighing down their manuscript. No matter how well written that bit of writing might be, it does not fit. It has to go. Get rid of it and move on. Keep advancing, soldier.

In the end, I did exactly what I tell authors to do. I saved the beautiful, perfect opening in a separate document, just because. For a brief moment, that opening and I walked side by side, and now I’ve walked away from it. It will never make an appearance in my book, but it will always be part of my digital footprint.

Did it hurt? Sure.

Am I over it? Yes.

Have I written a new opening that’s even better? Maybe.

I have quite a way to go before this book is finished, and I have many lessons yet to learn about being an author. But if you liked hearing about this incident, let me know and I’ll share more about my writing process in future episodes.

In the meantime, thank you so much for listening and remember, you deserved this break.

Thank you for making space in your mind for The Muse today.

Writing Break is hosted by America’s Editor and produced by Allon Media with technical direction by Gus Aviles. Visit us at writingbreak.com or contact us at podcast@writingbreak.com.