Did you know that the number of self-published books has increased by 264% over the past five years? On the one hand, this statistic might appear to be great news for an aspiring writer who is planning to self-publish. After all, there does seem to be an exuberant industry here. On the other hand, it can be a harbinger of bad news because it also suggests massive competition.
Did you also know that people are reading less now than they were ten years ago? An American study conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts a couple of years ago discovered that the percentage of adults who reported reading books had declined over the past decade. Indeed, a staggering 50% of Americans didn’t read a single book in 2022. Imagine that. Half the population of a country that is supposed to be literate did not read a single book. And yet, we still write books.
If self-publication of your book is on your agenda, you might want to take a few moments to review a few tips that might help you in the new 2025 self-publishing landscape.
Patricia J. Parsons 
I hope you’ll be pleased to hear that a former student has eschewed almost all social media and recommitted to consuming content of a different (and, I believe, better) quality. Since January, I have read 16 books, with a roughly 1:1 ratio of fiction to nonfiction.
My biggest takeaway from flipping more pages and scrolling less? Increased creativity, better mental health, and much-improved sleep. I can’t recommend it enough.
Authors are so important; I credit the worlds inside the books of my childhood with every blessing I have as an adult. They offered a much better world than the one I grew up in and certainly propelled me toward a different story than the one that seemed prewritten for me. I often think back on your professional ethics books and how necessary they are in the world I’m witnessing now.
The other day, I was called a Pollyanna for questioning how a senior leader could lie so freely, knowing others had receipts. Apparently, that’s acceptable now? For me, it isn’t.
I appreciate your writing, and nearly thirty years later, I still think about your PR classes and how fortunate I was to learn in that cohort. It was challenging but lasting.
I hope you’ll be pleased to hear that a former student has eschewed almost all social media and recommitted to consuming content of a different (and, I believe, better) quality. Since January, I have read 16 books, with a roughly 1:1 ratio of fiction to nonfiction.
My biggest takeaway from flipping more pages and scrolling less? Increased creativity, better mental health, and much-improved sleep. I can’t recommend it enough.
Authors are so important; I credit the worlds inside the books of my childhood with every blessing I have as an adult. They offered a much better world than the one I grew up in and certainly propelled me toward a different story than the one that seemed prewritten for me. I often think back on your professional ethics books and how necessary they are in the world I’m witnessing now.
The other day, I was called a Pollyanna for questioning how a senior leader could lie so freely, knowing others had receipts. Apparently, that’s acceptable now? For me, it isn’t.
I appreciate your writing, and nearly thirty years later, I still think about your PR classes and how fortunate I was to learn in that cohort. It was challenging but lasting.
Wow! Thirty years! and people are still lying with even more platforms to do so. And on the the reading note: I’ve always contended you could go anywhere in the world or learn just about anything (short of brain surgery!) from a great book. Happy reading, Wendy. Nice to hear from you. ~ P.