Last weekend was ALLi’s SelfPubCon25. Did I mention that? It was also Frankfurt Book Fair during the week, and I’ll look in the next column at some of the themes emerging from that. But I want to start where it really matters—with our own event and the key topics that came out on the subject “New Trends in Self-Publishing.”
ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway
I hope people enjoyed the proceedings, and many of you will have acquired passes that give access to the ALLi archive. On the assumption that you have, I won’t give a blow-by-blow account. Rather, this is what I noted from a news perspective about the way things unfolded, with an eye toward what indies should be thinking about and exploring in the year before we meet again.
What Indie Authors Are Asking
I’ll start with the session I was involved in, the ALLi team Q&A, because the questions indie authors are asking right now are a real indicator of the issues that matter. Many of the topics we discussed reflected the wider agenda—but there were some notable absences.
AI, for example, was nowhere to be found in the questions. The focus was very much on marketing—and new trends in marketing. Interestingly, while TikTok itself got no mention, some of the elements it has come to represent did. In particular, attendees discussed the importance of aesthetics, physical objects, little special extras, and the overall aesthetic experience of connection between reader and writer.
This isn’t just about making sure your books (and your Kickstarter campaigns, as was discussed) look beautiful. It’s about sending out little personal touches—like stickers or bookmarks—if you send paper books directly to readers. In other words, writers can tap into the trends of the “unboxing video” and of “reading as aesthetic” when they sell direct—something many were eager to explore.
Connection and Creativity
As implied above, crowdfunding, direct selling, and mailing lists were all the subjects of questions, and all of these fall into the “Self-Publishing 3.0” model. That model, with its emphasis on connection and building an engaged fanbase, aligns with broader consumer trends. Readers increasingly desire real connection, an immersive experience they can share with friends (and on social media), and an opportunity to support artisanal creators.
Another reading trend driving writing trends is streaming, and writing-for-streaming had a dedicated session, emphasizing tight pacing and punchy chapters. As with direct connection, this is a case of “new but not new,” with clear parallels to writing for serialization—and, in terms of technology, to the cellphone novels of the early 2000s.
Of course, there was plenty on AI, with everything from copyright to marketing tools covered—as well as audiobooks. But the real takeaway in terms of what writers and readers are turning to, and what I expect to be covering in the coming year, is twofold.
First, there is freedom to explore different models—opened up by both technology and the artisanal response to a tech-heavy world. And second, writing trends cannot be separated from reading trends. Readers and writers are symbiotic communities that grow together. Who’d have guessed!
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
