I'm just back from the Independent Author Conference in Philadelphia. Here are some of my thoughts from the trip in this solo show: People don't buy books, publishing wide is more than just retail, tips for being a better publisher, strategy is what you DON'T do, plus, learn what you need for your stage of the author journey. (And yes, I am a distant relative of William Penn. Here's me by his memorial!) conference-wide.png">In the introduction, I mention a podcast interview on Building Books with Mike Shatzkin about the development of publishing and how business models are changing; the Also-Bought Apocalypse from David Gaughran; and ‘Love of books unites us,' as booksellers save the closure of Abe Books in some markets [Guardian]. Plus, the world's first AI news anchor [Guardian], and I mention The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future  by Kevin Kelly, AI Super-Powers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order by Kai-fu Lee, and This is Marketing: You Can't be Seen Until You Learn to See by Seth Godin. * Learn strategies that are working for Amazon Ads right now. Free webinar with Mark Dawson. Thurs 15 Nov at 3pm US Eastern / 8pm UK. Click here to register. penn-courses.teachable.com/">This show is sponsored by my own penn-courses.teachable.com/">multimedia courses for authors, and I have a new mini-course/lecture out now: Content Marketing for Fiction. Do you want to build an asset that makes income for the long-term over and above your book sales? Do you want to sell more fiction but aren't so keen on the paid ads approach? Do you want to use your creativity in your marketing? penn-courses.teachable.com/">Click here to learn more about this course and my other courses on How to Write a Novel, How to Write Non-Fiction, and Creative Freedom. book-marketing-masterclass.jpg">Joanna Penn (yes, it's me!) is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under J.F.Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors. She’s also a podcaster and an award-winning creative entrepreneur. Her site, TheCreativePenn.com has been voted in the Top 100 sites for writers by Writer's Digest. You can listen above or on iTunes or your favorite podcast app, read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below. Show Notes * People don't buy books. They buy entertainment, inspiration, or information.