I’m starting to think everything I’ve learned about the marketing of writing – from articles in trade magazines, presentations at conferences, and so forth – is on the verge of obsolete. The driving force, of course, is the Internet. But it has some accomplices in young writers who haven’t been indoctrinated into the old ways.
I’m acquainted with a handful of teen fanfiction writers. They all hang out together on the internet with other fanfiction writers and readers from around the world. They critique each other’s work; they encourage one another; they provide prompts and other creative nourishment. And some of them write in areas other than fanfiction. A couple of them have novels under their belts. And one young woman recently showed me the stats for one of her fanfiction stories: over 2,000 views.
When she’s ready to promote her marketable writing, her fan base is there already. I believe she could easily publish a book herself, send out a general announcement, and move 1,000 copies with little effort.
While middle-aged writers are still paying hundreds of dollars to attend conferences in order to meet the editors and agents who will give them the inside scoop on getting their work out. I have received my clue, and I’m willing to share. The inside scoop no longer belongs exclusively to the editors and agents. Writers who have grown up with the Internet are creating a new world of publishing, with its own rules. Good for them.
Nomadic Noesis 