In the second part of our ‘2013 predictions’ trilogy, we look at what we believe is in store in 2013 for the world of book writing and public relations… 
Authors
For the struggling author the last few years have been a dream come true. No longer was it necessary to land a huge publishing deal. Instead, you could simply self-publish. And although this used to be looked down on as ‘vanity publishing’ there have been enough self-publishing successes (Fifty Shades of Grey for one) to prove it is a respected and sensible way to get your book out there. At the same time, it’s become relatively inexpensive too.
Sadly, as with everything, the big problem for authors now is everyone is publishing their own book. Self publishing has become a hugely overcrowded market and as such great books can be buried.
The good news is we believe 2013 could see the rise of more traditional publishers adding an ebook-only imprint. This of course would be much cheaper than printing physical books and allow publishers to test the market for new authors before putting the book into print.
Meanwhile, because of the sheer level of competition in the book industry now – remember even as a self-published author you are up against all those novels from traditional publishing houses – gaining publicity and recognition will be all-important.
In 2013 we believe we’ll see more authors telling their own story in a magazine or newspaper as a great way to plug their book. At the same time, there is likely to be a rise in websites that showcase new authors. For example Beth Reeks gained a publishing deal with Random House by putting chapters of her book online with website Wattpad.
And if you are going to stand out it’s going to be more important than ever before in 2013 to do your own thing. Dig deep into your creative mind to come up with the next publishing sensation (remembering that Fifty Shades of Grey is now ‘so 2012…’)
PR
Any PR company should find themselves happily busy in 2013. With so many newspapers mindful of press regulation, there simply hasn’t been a better time in the last few years to run a campaign. Once a PR had to spend much time trying to get mentions in editorial articles. The problem was physical space – not every feature written for a newspaper or magazine makes the final cut – often because there’s simply not enough room.
Now, with newspaper sites attracting more readers than the printed newspapers themselves, and with those sites constantly hungry for fresh articles, PRs have more chance than ever before to get their client in front of millions. As websites grow even larger in 2013, this is a trend set to continue because for many clients employing a PR firm, they will simply be happy with a great article on one of these websites.
Take into account YouTube opportunities, social media and the army of bloggers and other well-visited websites equally ravenous for good copy, PRs are spoilt for choice about where they place a piece.
BUT… in 2013 the phrase that should be tattooed on any sensible PR’s forehead is ‘less is more’. Bloggers, newspaper websites … they will all be looking for the same thing: less overly stuffed copy full of brand names, and more copy that is well written, backed up by good research, solid statistics where necessary and sound case studies.
If you are the sort of PR account manager that pays attention to these finer details – and is equally happy conducting an online campaign as taking the more traditional approach – then 2013 should be your best year yet.
Part one: 2013 Predictions for the Internet, Google, blogging and social media
Part three: Predictions for Newspapers, magazines and TV
