The November Publishing Game

by Jay Hartman

Ah, November. The air to take a turn for the cold. People start thinking about holiday get-togethers, and the most important thing of all: holiday baking.

Of course, Thanksgiving also happens. A time for families to gather and enjoy turkey and pumpkin pie. Or possibly pizza if those side dishes happen to go south. It’s a time to reflect on the things we’re thankful for.

Sure, most folks are thankful for family and friends, good health, maybe a holiday bonus. As a publisher, I have a different outlook on the things I’m thankful for.

Here’s a short list of the Publishing Industry Items I’m Thankful For this year:

1. I’m thankful for print-on-demand. This year saw a hurricane season with brutal storms that left places like Florida and North Carolina reeling. It also upset all kinds of infrastructure. A dock workers’ strike on the East Coast meant many publishers couldn’t get their books into the hands of their readers. Thanks to print-on-demand through IngramSpark and Amazon KDP, this was never an issue for me. My readers purchased their titles from anywhere in the world and still get them in record time. Not to mention, no forests were destroyed to create books that would get pulped when copies invariably would go unsold. That’s a win for both the environment and the operation of the business.
2. I’m thankful for the IBPA. The Independent Book Publishers Association continued to pave the way this year to make marginalized voices better heard. I had the opportunity to serve on the committee looking to strengthen visibility for women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, mentally and physically challenged, and indigenous authors and content everywhere. The Ben Franklin Award got rebranded as the IBPA Award. IBPA managed to get new BISAC codes created to make these marginalized voices more discoverable. And, still, IBPA found the time to continue their mission of ensuring authors and publishers of every size got equal opportunities in the marketplace.
3. I’m thankful for the Horror Writers Association. Many years ago, when I started out as a publisher, I got treated horribly by several publishing organizations that focused on the mystery genre. As in, went out of their way to dress me down in front of groups of people. You know who embraced me completely? The Horror Writers Association. These folks continue to be amazingly supportive of their members and of anybody who wants to be part of their community, whether it’s as a reader, an author, or a publisher. You know how you hear bad stories about police officers, but you never seem to hear anything bad about firefighters or EMTs? The Horror Writers Association, to me, is like the firefighters of the world—out there for everyone.
4. I’m thankful for people who try to further education for authors. I had the opportunity to serve as a speaker and moderator for two different organizations this year, the Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Cat Writers Association. Both organizations wanted me to talk about what editors look for and other topics of importance to their members. Short story writer/legend Michael Bracken hosted ShortCon to help writers become better short story writers. All of these folks have something in common: they all care about their craft and about helping their fellow authors excel and make better, more informed choices in their industry. I can’t stress enough how critical this is in a world of publisher and organizational consolidation where the author tends to get lost in the dust.
5. I’m thankful for those people who support me. 2024 was the first full year of my new publishing house, Misti Media. Without a doubt, it was a roller coaster of a year. Yet, I was fortunate enough to have people such as Sandra Murphy, Walt Boyes, Joy Ward, John Connor and all my authors who wanted to see me succeed, sometimes (I think) more than I might have wanted to. When I had my panel discussion with Desert Sleuths, Barb Goffman, John Connor and Michael Bracken jumped into the fray to be part of the panel and lend their support. Knowing there are people in the world who have your back is the best feeling.

So, what publishing industry things are you thankful for this holiday season? Make sure to let us know in the comments below. Remember staying humble and acknowledging those people and things that ultimately lead you to success is another way you become a winner in The Publishing Game.

This holiday season, become a part of doing good for others. The Perp Wore Pumpkin is available anywhere and everywhere ebooks and/or paperbacks are sold. If you purchase directly from White City Press, you’ll pay less which creates a larger donation to the charity since there are no retailer fees and free shipping worldwide.

The double hurricanes caused a lot of damage. The net proceeds from Perp sales will go to the Northern North Carolina Second Harvest Food Bank to help those in one of the hardest-hit areas.

Remember, hunger is year-round.

Join the discussion! Send your questions to jhartman@mistimedia.com with TPG in your subject line.

WPN Vice President Jay A. Hartman has worked in the publishing industry for more than 30 years. For 13 years he served as the creator and editor-in-chief of Untreed Reads Publishing before the company was acquired in 2022. In 2023 he created Misti Media, a company dedicated to book publishing and author education.