by Bethany Jett, @BetJett

There’s been a lot of chatter about trends in publishing, some of which is a little scary and perhaps controversial. For instance, a lot of my friends who write Christian fiction are concerned about sales and where the genre is headed as we see a decline in Christian retailers. I’d like to take a scary prediction and turn it into a Pollyanna moment for all of us.

If our genre begins to shift, let’s be excited to be on the cusp of something new! How boring and terrible to be in the middle of a trend. That means we weren’t a pioneer, just a follower. A shift in publishing indicates to me a new world of readers and a way to break into perhaps a new subset in the marketplace.

Let’s embrace change, because most people won’t.

I totally wish I’d started with YouTube or Twitter a lot earlier than I did. If we see a shift in publishing, why not take this opportunity to be a forerunner in a new era? If a reader loves your books, they may just go to your website, or find you on social media. Our love for Jesus can shine through and change lives, even if we write for the general market.

Now, not all the trends are regarding Christian fiction. I’ve included a list of different websites regarding publishing trends, predictions, and analysis, as well as a comment or favorite quote from each. This list is by no means exhaustive and includes publishing trends for the Christian market (Chip MacGregor), but mostly in general.

1. Chip MacGregor’s “Publishing Predictions for 2017.”

His #10 made a lot of people take notice: “Christian fiction as we know it is going to almost completely go away.” Make sure to read the comments. Lots of great info in there, and lots of varying viewpoints!

2. “How the World Reads.”

I loved this one. “The more a person reads on screens, the more his or her mind shifts towards a ‘non-linear’ reading, a practice that involves skimming or having eyes dart around a web page.” Fascinating! It’s a great infographic with tons of info.

3. “Four Publishing Trends for 2017.”

Number four on the list really resonate: “Audience development will be crucial for an author’s success.” Aka, deep dive into your community. Build strong.

4. “Top 5 Publishing Predictions Posts for 2017.”

This was an awesome site. Every week, they share five top posts or articles for the week. This is a site to keep bookmarked.

On their list are this list’s #5-7:

5. “How YA Will Evolve in 2017.”

As a nonfiction YA author, I still found this super interesting. My favorite quote: “YA authors need to be careful not to write to narrow political agendas, which can be akin to a form of “telling not showing.” Instead [Meg Rosoff] talked about a more general, and, perhaps, mysterious existential struggle to understand what it means to be human.”

6. “Audio Book Trends and Statistics for 2017.”

Fave quote: “The most popular audiobook genres in 2016 were mystery, thriller, romance and fantasy/science fiction. Retailers and publishers explained that listeners are heavily enamoured (sic) with following a central character who has different story arcs… There will be little deviation from these patterns in 2017.”

7. “Indie Author Predictions for 2017.”

I loved their last section regarding authors and Instagram: “For a while now, readers and fans have been building audiences of book lovers through amazing “bookstagram” accounts. Now, it’s time authors took a page from their readers’ handbook and start using images to draw in an audience.”

[reminder]If you’ve found a site with trends and predictions for 2017, please share in the comments!!![/reminder]

Bethany Jett is an award-winning author of The Cinderella Rule, speaker, ghostwriter, and founder of JETTsetter Ink, a consulting and editing company. She has written for numerous publications, created the My Moments Planner, Serious Writer Companion, and is the founder of Serious Writer Academy and the Build Your Brand Program. Her newest work, Through the Eyes of Hope is now available online and in retailers nationwide.

Bethany is a military wife and all-boys-mama who is addicted to suspense novels and all things girly. She writes on living a brilliant life at BethanyJett.com. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest,  Instagram (new profile), LinkedIn, and Twitter.