Interesting Links #21: Indie FTW!

Most of this week’s links show how indie publishing is way better than traditional publishing.

-This presentation shows that self-published SF/F is basically dominating tradpub sales: 2018 SFWA Nebula Conference Presentation.

-A good look at the contemporary state of book market. 9 Top Marketing Takeaways From BookExpo 2018.

-This article examines how Netflix makes its production decisions for original content: Inside The Binge Factory. (I like the term “Taste Clusters”, though it does sound like an off-brand fruit snack.)

-More on the bad behavior of literary agents: What It Feels Like To Have An Agent.

-An explanation of why you don’t need a literary agent: Controlled By Fear. (That would be a good thriller title, come to think of it.)

-Back in 2010, I decided to stop writing novels because I was absolutely disgusted by the publishing industry and didn’t want anything more to do with it. (Fortunately, a few months after that, I discovered the Kindle.) PG’s explanation of “the custom of the trade” at the end of this blog post is an excellent reason why. 

-I’ve done this in Windows for over 20 years. It’s a really handy trick! This Command Prompt Trick Searches Way Faster Than Windows Explorer.

-JM