"When I tell publishers 'you must focus, you must specialise in niches so that you own vertical audiences', the inevitable question is: 'what about fiction?' The first answer I give is 'work with the world of the story.' If the novel is about alcoholism, find the web communities that care about that. If it is about adoption, find the right communities for that. Every piece of fiction is about something; use the community of interest in whatever that is as your springboard." - Mike Shatzkin, publishing consultant.
Everyone who wants to keep Australians writing Australian books must read Tim Winton's submission on parallel importing of books. His article is no. 204. Our own submission is no. 86. There are inspiring words from Peter Carey, Kate Grenville, Dianne Bates, Tim Flannery, Ted Roberts, Di Morrissey, Tom Keneally, and 260 others.
