Between First Reads, Kindle Unlimited, e-book subscription services, and all the many other exclusive tools at its disposal, it is estimated that Amazon.com reaches 10 million or more readers with any given book’s release. Instantly. “The Seattle-based giant houses 15 imprints in the U.S. under the Amazon Publishing banner, turning out everything from thrillers to romance novels to books translated from other languages … [publishing] 1,231 titles in the U.S. in 2017, up from 373 in 2009, the year it entered the $16 billion-a-year consumer book publishing business,” reports The Wall Street Journal. Featured prominently in the piece is imprint Lake Union, publisher of such blazingly hot releases as Mark Sullivan’s Beneath a Scarlett Sky, Helen Bryan’s War Brides, and Janis Thomas’ All That’s Left of Me.
Alicia Clancy is an acquisitions editor at Lake Union Publishing, shepherding book club, historical, commercial and upmarket women’s fiction, psychological suspense, family drama, and the occasional literary project, to completion. Also the author of Be My Galentine: Celebrating Badass Female Friendship (St. Martin’s Press), an illustrated humor book celebrating the more positive nature of friendship between women, Alicia will join the SCWC as our fourth Special Guest Speaker for SD33, parting the digital divide to provide a needed fresh peek at yet another new publishing reality.
The Schedule is nearly complete. As usual, minor adjustments will no doubt be made over the next few weeks. If you haven’t yet done so, now is the time to Register to ensure your shot at getting the work you’ve written the attention it deserves. There will be at least one more update before Writersweekendtime. Between now and then, be sure to reach out via email, phone or our SCWC Facebook Community with any questions.
Also, many Advance Readers, as found on the Staff page, remain open at this time and will be accepting a limited number of submissions over the next couple of weeks. Be sure to email or call me directly to ensure availability before registering for any reader(s).
By all accounts, we’re looking at yet another fantastic conference. It’s winter in San Diego. Be there or be … ware!
–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS
