Business of Books: State of the Nation
Jane Cable writes from the Romantic Novelists’ Association ConferenceI’m conferenced out. There, I’ve said it now. Suffering from serious information overload but in a very good way. So many fascinating sessions, so many interesting new people to meet. And so much wine to drink – the organisers ordered a mere 600 bottles for the weekend. Not to mention the stocks in the fridges in our own kitchens. Yes, it was a little like rolling back the years and being a student again.The first session after the official conference opening was a state of the industry address and the key messages have interest for writers in every genre, not just romance. Major trends seem to be for shorter books – gone are the doorstops of yesteryear, despite the increase in audio and ebook meaning we don’t have to carry them around anymore. And genres are blurring too – thanks to the rise and rise of indie publishing, even the major houses are beginning to understand that readers are becoming more adventurous.But of particular interest to me was the advice each panellist gave to the assembled authors. Here’s who they were and what they said.

Isobel Dixon (Head of Books and Director of the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency):
Persevere – there is much more flexibility in the market in every way. And once your book is out there, be generous with your readers.

Sam Missingham (former digital project manager at Harper Collins who has just founded @lounge_books, which she describes as a home for book lovers)
Build your own audience platforms, whatever the stage of your career. You can’t waste your time on social media.

Broo Doherty (literary agent at DHH)
Don’t take rejection personally. Believe in yourself.

Rosie de Courcy (fiction publisher at Head of Zeus)
Try to create your own world, somewhere you can write the same but different year after year.

Emily Yau (commissioning editor on fiction lists at Ebury Publishing)
Read as much as you can – in and out of your genre. Understand where your book sits in the market and why it’s special.

Well that’s the words of wisdom – and my thanks goes to John Jackson, the RNA’s unofficial photographer, for the picture.

Now I’m off to plough through pages and pages of notes for more interesting blog content – and some wonderful new people to interview about the business of books.