We live in the most exciting time in history to be an author and creative entrepreneur. The opportunities are ever-expanding, but only if you embrace the changes rather than trying to cling to the old models. I wrote after my Oregon trip about the stabilisation of the indie author business model in 2017, and the need to position for the next phase of growth. It’s unclear whether that next phase of growth will happen in 2018 or later on, but here are some macro trends that might impact authors in the coming year, and some suggestions for what you might do to position yourself. This article will cover: * Crunch time? Exclusivity vs. wide publishing, subscription programs and Amazon changes ahead * Disruption in the social media space * Rise of voice search, voice assistants and impact on audio * Content creation beyond the book * Expansion of Blockchain technologies and other cool technology In the intro, I mention newsjacking and the power of controversy to sell books, how you can use dictation to write faster and be a healthier writer. This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. (1) Crunch time? Exclusivity vs. wide publishing, subscription programs and Amazon changes ahead As Orna Ross noted in her round-up of 2017 in publishing, the indie author business model has almost entirely diverged from traditional publishing, in that we can do pretty much everything ourselves now and many successful indie authors are just getting on with their writing and publishing lives, with no real thought to what trad pub is up to (and vice versa). Perhaps the same kind of divergent shift is coming for those authors who remain within Amazon’s eco-system with KDP Select, and those who choose to publish wide and even sell direct to readers. From an author perspective, going into KDP Select – exclusive to Amazon for 90 days and then ongoing unless you uncheck the box – is the easiest option and (in my opinion), the best way to start an indie author career. You only have to worry about one platform, the biggest one, and you get added benefits of visibility and free marketing options, while you learn the ropes. I still recommend starting out on KDP Select if you are a new author with under 3 books in a series and no real marketing platform or email list. I am in KDP Select for Penny Appleton, my sweet contemporary romance pen-name co-written with my Mum because it is a passive brand with no platform. I’m too busy with my other brands to do much more! Of course, you can make the choice PER BOOK and change your choice every 90 days, but if you want to build up an audience on other platforms, it takes time and multiple books, especially if you write in a series. And once you go wide with a series, it’s hard to pull back as you risk disappointing readers.