Welcome to the SPF Weekly Write-Up, where each Wednesday we collect together the self-publishing news of the week so you don’t have to.

This week: how reading has changed in the last decade, getting the science right in writing crime fiction, and how you can make the most of SPF this year.

How Reading Changed in the Last Decade

Yes, technically the decade doesn’t start until 2021 (10 is the last number in a decade, not 09), but let’s be honest – we’re all excited to be back in the roaring 20s again. The 10s were a decade of great change in regard to people’s reading (and book buying) habits, and the industry is likely to continue changing.

The Washington Post has put together a list of 11 ways that reading has changed over the past ten years, including the fall of chains and rise of indie bookstores, the growing popularity of audiobooks, the prevalence of book-to-television adaptations, and more.
You can read the original article here.

Crime Writing and Forensic Investigation

Here’s something of interest to anyone who enjoyed our recent SPS interviews with Patrick O’Donnell and Jerri Williams – Dundee University has launched a course all about getting the science right when writing crime fiction.

With readers more “demanding” than ever in regard to writers getting the facts right, researching one’s subject matter is definitely important (even if you then go on to take a few creative liberties in order to make the story more exciting). Whether you ought to pay for a course to ensure your stories have accuracy is another thing entirely… but you can read more about the Scottish course here.

Making the Most of SPF

It’s a new year, and a new opportunity to supercharge your writing career. You might not be making the most of the content available through the Self Publishing Formula, so here’s a quick recap:

There’s a new episode of the Self Publishing Show every Friday, which you can find here.

There’s a new episode of the Self Publishing Spotlight every Wednesday, which you can find here.

There’s a Weekly Write-Up of self-publishing news each Wednesday, and a new blog article every Friday, both of which you can find via the SPF Blog here.

And don’t forget about the free resources you can download on our Resource page, here.

Tom Ashford

Tom Ashford is a professional copywriter, author of numerous dark fantasy and sci-fi novels, and the Head of Content at the Self Publishing Formula Blog. His books include the Blackwater trilogy and the Checking Out series.

He lives in London with his wife, in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Find out more about Tom here.