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As the publishing world is compressed to “digital distance,” that “small, small world” finds itself a focus in several event settings this spring — starting with the London Book Fair’s innovative Virtual Stream program for the coming “Publishing for Digital Minds” conference.

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It can be remarkable how readily the publishing world’s digital development is understood, from the experiences of German publishers and Italian technologists to American authors and British editors. But getting a handle on global marketing is a tall order for writers.

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As self-publishing matures, there may be a growing sense that the means of publishing was never the point. Independent authors, on the whole, may be moving past the self-pub crusading stage and on to a new, refreshing focus — on the work itself.