How Well are You Adapting to a Changing Market

Back when I started the blog, nearly ten years ago, I was on the cutting edge of social media. People hadn’t taken over Facebook or Twitter yet so most publishing news was obtained through blogs. In those days I could easily get 25-50 comments (sometimes in the 100s). People loved the idea of engaging with others and the blog was the way to do that.

Things have changed, people just don’t use blogs to engage like they used to, because now they have Facebook and Twitter. These days I’m lucky if I get 5-10 comments. I’m okay with those changes because I’ve made some changes myself. While I do still hope the blog brings authors to BookEnds, I depend more on our own reputation (and Twitter) for that.

Anyone who has followed us closely knows that I have worked hard to ensure that BookEnds changes with the times. I still write the blog, because for me it’s the best way to share information with writers, but I also make sure I’m linking it to our Facebook page and Twitter. I’ve also found a new home for the blog, the website and a new design that better represents who we are today, not who we were fifteen years ago. Staying stagnant is a mistake in any aspect of your business. It’s a mistake in marketing, contract negotiation, book development and every other aspect of our business. Things change and so must we.

The same holds true for writers. Are you writing, marketing and promoting your current book the same way you did with your first book? Have you changed and evolved with the times or are you doing what’s “always worked” and wondering why it’s not working any longer.

Whether we like it or not, the world shifts. Blogs aren’t as relevant now as they were ten years ago, neither are ads in magazines or, for that matter, print magazines. When evaluating your career and what you want from it, don’t forget to evaluate what you’re doing and whether it’s still timely and effective.