This immortal anthem, written in 1964 by Bob Dylan at the height of the civil rights movement in the U.S., has been dancing in my head lately. However, when I looked up the lyrics, I had forgotten that the second verse specifically calls on writers not to miss this chance. Dylan later said, “This is definitely a song with a purpose…I knew exactly what I wanted to say and who I wanted to say it to.” Even though our current time is more than a half-century later, I think Dylan’s call to writers to lift, inspire, and to tell the human story is even more relevant today.

I’m sitting here in my kitchen window on a January snowy day in New Mexico thinking about all the possibilities ahead in 2020. With this new year just dawning, it’s a perfect time to take inventory of what's happening in the world of self-publishing andbook distribution for small publishers. Here’s a review of self-publishing trends in 2019 and what I see happening in 2020.

2019 was another fantastic year for IngramSpark authors. We have so much to look back fondly on in 2019, including a successful IngramSpark Day and a brand new look for www.ingramspark.com. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to launch wholeheartedly into the new year! 

The beginning of any year presents a unique opportunity to combine reflection with forward-thinking, and 2019 is no exception. Whether you're beginning a new novel, writing a book marketing plan for an existing book, or working on any aspect of your self-publishing journey, now is the time to examine the self-publishing landscape at the conclusion of 2018 and prepare accordingly for 2019. So, what’s ahead for the self-publishing world in 2019? Here are my insights into trending book publishing topics for the New Year: