Publish & Prosper (Matt Briel & Lauren Vassallo)
Explore every episode of Publish & Prosper
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Nov 2023 | Introducing Publish & Prosper | 00:20:10 | |
Meet Matt Briel and Lauren Vassallo, hosts of Publish & Prosper, a new podcast where publishing, ecommerce, and marketing collide! Join us for a quick introductory episode where we talk about who we are, our experience in the self-publishing industry, and what you can expect from future Publish & Prosper episodes. 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 01 Nov 2023 | Publishing for Growth: How a Book Can Level Up Your Brand | 00:45:57 | |
In this episode, Matt and Lauren discuss how publishing a book can help you establish yourself as an expert or thought leader in your industry. Your book can serve as a business card or lead magnet, as the foundation for a community of fans, and as a networking key to unlock doors to speaking engagements, guest appearances, collaborations, and more. Plus, a book will generate passive revenue for your business, supplement your existing products, courses, or services, and help you connect directly with your audience. 💡Watch These Videos 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 01 Nov 2023 | Is Self-Publishing the Best Path for Today’s Creators? | 00:44:53 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing, and make a case for why self-publishing is the best path for today’s creators. Whether you're looking to grow your brand, make money, share your story, or establish yourself as an expert, there’s a publishing path for you. Discover the benefits of self-publishing, including complete creative control, faster time to market, and the opportunity to build a loyal fanbase. Plus, we take a look at how self-publishing could be your ticket to maximizing profits and achieving your brand goals.
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [18:20] “If that's something that's important to you, if growing your brand and owning your content is important to you, self-publishing is absolutely the correct path for you because you want to own the rights to your own content.” 🎙️ [21:52] “When you take on the responsibility of owning your content and selling it directly to your fans in your community through using self-publishing and direct sales tactics, you're the one collecting [customer] data. You know exactly how many people have bought your book or books, you have their names, their email addresses, and any other piece of information that comes through on that transaction on your platform, and you can use that data to remarket...When it comes to building a community and a brand and building up a dedicated audience of loyal fans, it starts with owning that data, and you can't do that if you're traditionally published.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 08 Nov 2023 | 4 Reasons Creators Don’t Sell Direct (and Why You Should) | 00:37:38 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt tackle some common myths, misconceptions, and hesitations creators often share about selling direct! We debunk concerns like, “I don’t know how to build my own website,” “I don’t have what it takes to run a business,” and “I rely on third-party platforms for discoverability.” Learn about tools to help you build your online store, explore ways to automate and streamline your business, and hear a harsh (but realistic) take on digital discoverability. Plus, we share why selling direct is the future of book publishing, and why we think it’s worth investing the time now to help your business flourish long-term.
💡 Learn how Lulu Direct can help your business grow.
💡 Watch These Videos
🎙️ [8:14] “At the end of the day, that's what you are. You're a small business owner. And so finding ways to push through and treat this as a business, it's something you have to do. If this is what you're going to do long-term, if you're in this for the long haul and you're trying to build a sustainable business from your writing or content creation efforts, you have to do this.” 🎙️ [20:52] “As a small business owner, you want to get to a point where the majority of your business [is] happening because of word of mouth, not because you're dumping money into digital discovery or even just dumping effort and time into digital discovery. The more people you can get into your community that have read your content or find value in it and purchase it from you, they are going to tell other people about it.” 🎙️ [34:04] “The work that you put in now to do things like access your customer data by selling direct and being able to remarket to them because you have all that information, that will help you later. That work that you're doing now is going to help you continue to grow your business in hopefully years to come.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 15 Nov 2023 | Can You Really Make Money Selling Books? | 00:41:39 | |
In this episode, Matt and Lauren tackle the question on every author and creator’s mind – can you actually make money from books? We share our favorite tactics for maximizing your book’s earning potential, including doing your market research, selling direct, making effective use of all your content, and more. Plus, we share some Lulu authors & creators who are doing it right! 💡 Learn more about Katie Cross 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
🎙️ [11:04] “If you start your marketing efforts for your book the day that the book goes on sale, you're already too late.” 🎙️ [23:27] “The ecommerce landscape is shifting. It's evolving quickly, but it's also shifting to where we're not just talking about website driven sales anymore. We're talking about the integration of ecommerce into social media channels…So as a book creator and seller, you need to be aware of those things and understand, again, what channels are your potential buyers hanging out, you know, your potential readers and new fans, where are they hanging out and you really should get yourself familiarized with the way that you can sell on those channels.” 🎙️ [30:00] “Monetizing your content with a book is great, but also using it as a way to establish yourself as a thought leader or an expert in your industry, using it to foster new connections, network, collaborate with your peers, open up new opportunities for something like a speaking engagement, guest podcast appearances. These are all ways that you're going to hopefully generate revenue and generate more business for yourself, and the book has helped you to do that.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 22 Nov 2023 | The Robot in the Room: AI for Authors & Content Creators | 00:43:57 | |
In this episode Lauren and Matt address the robot in the room – artificial intelligence! We share a few of our favorite ways to use AI and generative AI tools to help streamline content creation. Learn how we use AI as a research and analytics aid, to help with drafting and outlining content, to come up with variations on email subject lines and titles, and more! 💡Curious about any of the AI or resources we referenced in the episode? Check them out:
💡Read Think Outside The Bot: How AI Can Help Content Creators and Using Custom AIs to Grow Your Content Business on the Lulu Blog 💡Watch Ann Handley’s CEX 2023 Keynote on How to Write Like a Robot Can't: Finding Your Writing Voice in an AI World 🎙️ [11:47] “I think the main way, right now, that most people are using it with any sort of success rate and efficiency rate is using it to buy back time in your day.” 🎙️ [15:38] ““Asking ChatGPT ‘can you break this down and explain it in a way that a room full of high school students, or take it deeper and say a room full of fifth graders, would understand,’ you'd be amazed at what you get back.”” 🎙️ [41:39] “For whatever you're doing with it right now, whether that's not using it and being afraid of it, or whether that's starting to experiment with it and getting over your fears, or whether you consider yourself an expert in it right now…this is still the dumbest version of it you'll ever use, because it's changing every single day. So if you're finding value in it today, or you're gonna take some of these things we talked about back to your desk and try to make use of them, imagine if it's even the least bit helpful today, imagine how helpful it can be in your life six months from now, a year from now.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 29 Nov 2023 | Why We Love Attending Conferences (and Why You Should Too) | 00:43:19 | |
In this episode, Matt and Lauren expound on the many reasons we’re passionate about sponsoring and attending in-person events. We talk about why we love meeting new people (even as a pair of introverts), the educational and inspirational benefits, networking and community-building opportunities, and more! Matt’s Famous Vegas Out-of-Office: 💡 Sign up for Ann Handley’s Total Annarchy Newsletter
💡 Watch These Videos Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️[15:46] “The difference between hearing from a speaker that you could also just listen to their podcast, or read their blog. or whatever, and attending an in-person event is the other attendees there with you.” 🎙️[26:14] “This is an environment where people are intentionally open to fostering connections with new people, which definitely takes some of the pressure off of networking and having those conversations…The type of networking that happens when you're there, in person, at an event is just different than what's going on on the internet.” 🎙️[37:49] “Find other ways to make the trip more beneficial for you as well in terms of an ROI. Maybe there's some people you can set up meetings with while you're there that can help further along some of the objectives you might have for the year, content exchanges, things like that.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 10 Jan 2024 | What is Print-on-Demand? | 00:44:56 | |
Lulu.com is a print-on-demand self-publishing company. But what exactly is print-on-demand? And why is it such a popular business model? 💡Watch These Videos
💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Visit PrintonDemand.com 💡 Check Our Glossary of Publishing Terms 🎙️ [22:12] “Most places that utilize a print on demand process, digital printing of some sort, can provide you, upon request in most cases, a lot of the different things they do that contribute to a much better, and much more sustainable carbon footprint…I think when we talk about us as creators making conscious decisions to do certain things on certain processes, we really should think about that.” 🎙️ [32:38] “There is a reversal of that quality spectrum that's been happening over the last eight to ten years…I would definitely say that the quality of print on demand books is lightyears better now than it was ten to fifteen years ago.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 17 Jan 2024 | Self-Publishing is a Team Sport | 00:38:14 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt discuss the publishing, design, and marketing experts that you may want to help you self-publish your book. We take a look at hybrid publishers, different types of editors, and interior versus exterior designers. Plus, hear our thoughts on which services are a must-do and which we think you can DIY to help keep costs low, a few suggestions for tools designed to help you with different publishing steps, and some of our favorite self-editing tips. 💡 Browse our list of publishing pros 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
🎙️ [13:43] “When it comes to having a really great cover versus having a well-edited book, if you're going to pay for just one of these services. I've had plenty of examples where my friends will say, ‘hey, I know the cover on this book is like absolute garbage, but the book itself is so good. So just, like, ignore the cover and just go dive right into the book’…No one has ever said to me ‘the writing is trash, but the cover is pretty. So you should read it.’” 🎙️ [29:58] “I'm sure I've said this before, and I know I'll say it again. If you wait until the day you publish your book to start promoting your book, you have already missed the boat entirely.” 🎙️ [31:59] “I just don't think it's worth it to pay, you know, an agency or anybody else to really help you with the marketing of a book…we haven't seen many cases where the amount of money exchanged, especially for newer authors, really comes back as a viable return in the way of getting book sales, I think people really are able to make a good go of it themselves these days.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 24 Jan 2024 | Are Print Books Dead? | 00:37:22 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren discuss some of the most important questions asked by authors and creators - is it worth it to publish my books in print? Are readers still buying print books, or is print dead? 💡Review the Data
💡 Learn More About
💡 Watch These Videos Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [16:35] “I just assumed people really kind of understood the statistics and metrics around print books and the popularity of it. And the fact is that's not true. A lot of people don't realize that print books are still so popular that they consistently outsell ebooks and audiobooks.” 🎙️ [24:39] “Most people when asked would prefer to buy directly from their creator of choice, whether that is an online course or a book, they would prefer to buy directly from the creator and support the creator and their efforts.” 🎙️ [32:46] “At the end of the day, I think as a creator who is creating content for others to consume, that should be your goal. Maximizing not only the channels to which you get your content to market, but you know, really turning followers into fans and then fans into super fans. And the only way to do that is to offer them more of your content, whether that means more content, or more formats of that same content, or special editions.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 31 Jan 2024 | Marketing Your Book Pre-Launch, At-Launch, and Post-Launch | 00:54:18 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore the three stages of promoting your book—pre-launch marketing, at-launch marketing, and post-launch marketing. Download your free book marketing checklist to help you stay on track. 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
🎙️ [22:51] “Marketing is just making friends. If you're doing it right, that's all it is. And whatever your way of making friends is, that should be your way of marketing…if your way of making friends is to go to in-person events or to see people in person, then that's how you should market. You should focus on those types of activities. But if your way of making friends is online, then focus on that.” 🎙️ [38:48] “If you've done all of the pre-launch marketing that you should, the best practices and the things that we talk about, launch day is infinitely easier. But if you don't do any pre-launch marketing, I mean, at this point, if you're still listening, you can imagine how complicated launch day marketing is going to be, how hectic and chaotic…So do all the pre-launch marketing stuff and launch day marketing becomes infinitely easier.” 🎙️ [43:19] “One of my favorite things in the post-launch marketing bucket is the fact that now you can really start leaning into a lot of those opportunities that you were hopefully lining up in your pre-launch marketing, like interviews on podcasts or signings at your local bookstore at schools, depending on what your content is and all of those things.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 07 Feb 2024 | Email Marketing for Authors & Creators | 00:53:31 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren discuss one of the most successful marketing strategies, share ideas and tips for building your email list, and review best practices for keeping those subscribers engaged. 💡 Check Out These Reports
💡 Read These Blog Posts
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [15:01] “A lot of people will say to us, well, that's all fine and good, but how do I get them to go from my social media account, following me on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok, over to my email list? Lauren just laid it out for you, like one of the best and easiest and most beneficial ways to do that. You have to give them a reason to.”
💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 14 Feb 2024 | Social Media Marketing for Authors & Creators | 00:55:03 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt talk about using valuable and authentic social media engagement to find new readers, ideas for promoting your books, and a few of their favorite social media dos and biggest don’ts. 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
🎙️ [13:20] “You are the brand. Your book is a product of your brand. Your books, plural, hopefully, are products of your brand and anything else that you create. But you are the brand. And so many authors and creators don't see it that way or don't wanna see it that way or can't see it that way. But if you're serious about making a living, small or large, at what you're doing, you have to see it that way.” 🎙️ [19:16] “Once again, we are not just shouting into the void and running away from it. You can't just schedule all these posts and then walk away and never look at them again. You definitely want to go back and see if people are engaging and responding to your content. You want to respond to them. And you also want to see how those kinds of posts are performing.” 🎙️ [30:27] “There's a lot of things you can't control on social media. Most things, really. You can't control virality. You never know which one of your posts is going to go viral in a good way or a bad way. But what you can control is how you show up and the content that you bring to that channel. And if you're bringing content of value that you truly find valuable, that doesn't mean everybody will. But if you truly find some value in it and you're being genuine with why you're posting it, then you can't go wrong. You will continue to build an audience, word of mouth will spread, as your content gets more popular and people are engaging with it, the algorithms will pay attention. Show up authentically, consistently.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 21 Feb 2024 | Earning Free Publicity for Your Book | 00:48:26 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren debate earned promotion, PR and publicity efforts, and creator collaborations. Learn how to promote your book with earned media opportunities, book signings, public speaking, and collaboration with fellow creators.
💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
🎙️ [8:01] “This idea of pitching yourself is not the easiest thing for a lot of people. It's hard for us to talk about ourselves sometimes in that sort of salesy kind of way to a degree. But I think if you do it the way we've talked about doing other activities on social media, by just showing up and being sincere and genuine and yourself and, most of all, respectful, I think you'll get a couple of yeses amongst all the nos.” 🎙️ [15:56] “Be intentional with your pitch. So, like [Lauren] said, make sure that you really try to understand who you're pitching to, what their audience is, and why they should care about your book or whatever it is you're trying to pitch to them. And again, don't just copy and paste the same pitch to every person on your list. Try to really get a better understanding of why they might be interested and what angle you should take with them.” 🎙️ [37:25] “You need to be sure that you're providing equal value to the person that you're trying to collaborate with. If your content and your brand isn't a good fit for their audience and vice versa, then it's not gonna be worth either of your time to do this kind of collaboration. So do your research, look for people that are a good fit for your brand.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 28 Feb 2024 | An Introduction to Paid Book Promotion | 00:48:23 | |
In this episode Matt & Lauren explore paid book promotion. We review our favorite sponsorship opportunities, take a brief look at different types of book promo ads and paid social media ads, and debate the value of influencer marketing. 💡 Check out Written Word Media 💡 Check out BookFunnel 💡 Learn how to set up BookBub Ads 💡 Read Social Media 101: Facebook, Instagram, and X 🎙️ [10:00] “I think that it's one of the best ways to have authentic sponsorship while still paying for it. Because I think that newsletters, at least, you're still at that point where you're reaching an audience of people that have already said that they like the content creator enough to subscribe to their email newsletter list. You're speaking to an already interested and engaged audience when you're included in somebody's newsletter.” 🎙️ [27:45] “So nonfiction creators, they are creating these pieces of content. In many cases, that's not the main draw for them. That's just a lead magnet. So they give those books out in the hopes that they land more consulting contracts or things like that.” 🎙️ [45:14] “I think that influencers kind of had their peak time to shine and now people are looking much more towards targeted advertising and not just casting a wide net with an influencer.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 06 Mar 2024 | Can You Really Support Your Business With Just 1,000 True Fans? | 00:43:26 | |
In this episode Lauren and Matt discuss Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans theory, what it means to be a true fan (or super fan), and a few unique ways small business owners and content creators have turned casual buyers into true fans. 💡 Read the Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans essay 💡 Read The 1,000 True Fan Theory: Sustainable Income for Creators on the Lulu blog 💡 Watch Joe Pulizzi’s webinar on Creating a Multi-Million-Dollar Business From Your Book 💡 Get inspired by Audrey Hughey’s author planners 🎙️ [16:39] “It's actually one of the things I love about social media…you can find that there's always at least somebody else in the world that shares your thoughts or shares your opinion or shares your interests or anything like that…no matter how niche your content is or how niche your book is or whatever, you will find fans for it. You will find people that will be a dedicated audience.” 🎙️ [26:16] “If we were giving those numbers back at the beginning and you were hearing like $100 of profit per year from every individual fan, I'm only publishing one book a year. Like, how am I supposed to make $100 off of a single book? This is how you do that, is by creating these supplemental products that go along with those books.” 🎙️ [33:13] “This idea that you might struggle for content or run out of things to do or ways to monetize. I don't think that's going to happen. I think once you get started doing this and understanding the model and figuring out what your fans want, what they will buy from you. You're not gonna have any shortage of products.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 13 Mar 2024 | The Indie Author’s Guide to Thriving Without Amazon | 00:47:08 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren explain why indie authors need to stop relying on Amazon as their primary sales channel. Listen now to hear why we feel so strongly about it, what alternatives we suggest, and how to get your readers on the same page. 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch our webinar Is Selling On Amazon Enough? 🎙️ [9:06] “We talked in the last episode about the thousand true fans theory and this idea of connecting directly with your fans and building these true fans that are gonna buy anything from you. You can't do that if you're exclusively selling to people on Amazon. If your fan base exists on Amazon, you have no way to foster those relationships and connect with those creators and those readers.” 🎙️ [25:18] “How do you convince people that have never heard of you before that are potential new readers and buyers to buy directly from you? ... The easy solution there is to make sure that your website with your bookstore on it is the primary link that you're using at every available opportunity.” 🎙️ [41:24] “All of this is part and parcel of the fact that when you're selling direct, when you're owning kind of that relationship between you and your fans and readers, you are in fact in control of the entire customer journey.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 20 Mar 2024 | An Inside Look at London Book Fair 2024 | 00:42:23 | |
Matt & Lauren recap their time at London Book Fair 2024, one of the biggest publishing conferences in the world. Get the lowdown on hot topics from the conference, an insider's look at the event, and a special peek into what it’s like to travel with Team Lulu. 💡 Learn how (and why) Lulu is a Certified B Corp 💡 Watch this video on 5 Things to Know Before You Publish 💡 Check out Bublish’s new AI Author Toolkit 💡 Hear more about creating audiobooks with DeepZen 🎙️ [15:08] “But I think this year because that's being accelerated in our industry in terms of the heightened awareness around indie creators and just what's happening here with direct sales and AI and all these other things, it did feel like, you know, we were all speaking the same language for once in terms of what the hot topics were.” 🎙️ [17:21] “I think it was that where it was last year we were doing the work of explaining to people what selling direct was. And this year, somewhere between last year and this year, that kind of sunk in. And now it was more along the lines of how can we help you do that?” 🎙️ [28:10] “There's always a moment where it clicks for people that they don't have to choose one or the other. And that to me is one of the light bulb moments that I love… whether it's talking about selling direct versus having your content in global distribution, you can do both of those things… The same is true for choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing. You don't have to choose between self-publishing and traditional publishing.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 27 Mar 2024 | How Writers Can Harness the Power of AI | 00:44:05 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren take another look at generative AI and how it can be a powerful tool to help authors and content creators. Hear some of our favorite tips for using ChatGPT as a sounding board, a hammer against writer’s block, and an expert ally on your writing journey. 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
💡 Learn more about the Marketing AI Institute AI for Writers Summit 🎙️ [8:35] “You need to get involved. You need to check this stuff out. You need to get your hands on it. You need to understand what it is.” 🎙️ [17:48] “Given the nature of what ChatGPT is and some of these other tools, from what we've seen and even from how I use it now versus how I started using it and just, you know, every best practice you'll see out there, you really should talk to it like it's a human.” 🎙️ [39:29] “If you're afraid to try it out still, you're missing a boat on some pretty creative things that could help you free up a lot of important time in your day to be used towards more creative activities or other things you'd like to be doing. The amount of time that these tools can save you as a writer and creator is immense.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 03 Apr 2024 | Crowdfunding Your Self-Published Book With Kickstarter | 00:38:58 | |
In this episode Lauren & Matt discuss the whys and hows of using Kickstarter to crowdfund your book. Learn why we think Kickstarter is a great option for self-published authors, what you need to know to get your campaign started, and how successful authors are crushing it with crowdfunding. 💡 Learn More About Kickstarter 💡 Check Out Some of Our Favorite Kickstarter Campaigns 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [8:57] “Having a thousand people like your LinkedIn post that says that you're going to write a book and that you're thinking about turning your content into a book, that's cool. That's really cool, to have a thousand people see your post. But to have a hundred people pledge $25 towards actually getting a copy of your book that you said you were going to write and publish? That's even cooler.” 🎙️ [15:53] “With any good book campaign, whether it's a crowdfunding campaign or you're promoting your book pre-launch or even post-launch, you should be able to answer the questions of: why are you writing this book? Why will it help people? Why should people want to buy it and read it? Why should they choose your book over something else?”
💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 10 Apr 2024 | Do You Need to Hire Professional Editors for Your Book? | 00:46:32 | |
In this episode Matt & Lauren take a look at the different types of editing your manuscript might need, debate which ones they think are most valuable, and share a few of their tips for making sure your book editing is done right. 💡 Find Freelance Editors and Hybrid Publishers on Lulu’s Hire A Pro Page 💡 Read These Blog Posts on Editing
💡 Read These Editorial Software Reviews 💡 Watch These Videos
🎙️ [10:14] “I think a hybrid publishing company kind of gives you the best of both worlds between full on self publishing and then, you know, a bit of traditional publishing to a degree. Because for a lot of people these days, you often have more money than time or ability.” 🎙️ [30:42] “Which is another great argument in favor of doing some self-editing before you contract out… If you want to try to keep those costs down as much as possible, the more editing that you do on your own ahead of time, the less professional editing the less professional editing - in theory, hopefully - the less professional editing you'll need to pay for.” 🎙️ [35:34] “A good cover is what's going to sell your book. A good story, a well-written book is what's going to bring them back to buy more from you.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 17 Apr 2024 | Cover to Cover: Getting Your Book Design Right | 00:49:49 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt take a look at best practices for book design. We’ll review key design elements that often get overlooked on book covers, what to include inside your book, and whether or not we think it’s worth the cost to pay for book cover and interior design. 💡 Download Lulu’s Free Guides & Templates 💡 Check Out the Professional Designers on Our Hire A Pro Page 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch This Book Formatting Playlist on YouTube
🎙️ [10:15] “I do think that if you're a very creative individual and you're using a tool that doesn't have a steep learning curve, you could probably create a cover that's good enough. But again, if this is something that you've put a lot of time and effort into chances are you don't want something that's just good enough.” 🎙️ [26:09] "Something to keep in mind as you're figuring out your cover design and figuring out what you want to do with that, consider how it's going to look with the rest of your books and consider how it's going to look with your own professional branding." 🎙️ [35:27] “I think one of the most important things you can include, especially for those of you who have not been listening to us, or everybody else out there right now, about trying to sell direct. Back matter is the perfect place to try and drive people to your author platform, to sign up for your email newsletters or whatever that might be.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 24 Apr 2024 | Using Customer Data to Grow Your Business | 00:44:28 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren discuss the most valuable tool in any creator’s arsenal: customer data. Whether you’re tracking book sales and behavioral data, collecting customer information through direct sales, or reviewing your key social media and email marketing metrics, understanding your customer data is essential for long-term brand success. 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch This Video on Leveraging Customer Data For Your Ecommerce Business 🎙️ [10:31] “Gathering customer data and using the customer data that you have access to regardless of whether you're selling direct, selling third party or whatever, however you're gathering this customer data, whatever you have available to you, it is unilaterally useful for any type of author or content creator.” 🎙️ [20:34] “Having your own data to compare against what is being put out there in the world about your industry or your genre is extremely helpful because without it, you're just gonna take some of those people at their word. You're just gonna look at their data, which represents maybe a large group as a whole, but doesn't represent you as an individual creator or author. And you may just take that as gospel because you don't have your own data to compare it to.” 🎙️ [41:43] “Never bring an opinion to a data fight.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 01 May 2024 | How to Survive (and Thrive) at Conferences and Events | 00:41:54 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren share their favorite survival tips for attending author and creator conferences! From packing essential supplies to putting your health first, hear our team’s must-haves and must-dos for anyone trying to maximize their time at a conference.
💡 Read more about Why Creator Events Are a Must for Creators & Entrepreneurs 💡 Watch Sessions from CEX 2023 💡 Learn More About Some Events We’ll Be Attending in 2024
🎙️ [8:23] “You should always go as yourself and be comfortable. But again, if yourself is a blazer, a t-shirt, jeans, and some tennis shoes, then you should take a hard look in the mirror.” 🎙️ [26:22] “We've talked about one of the benefits of attending events is networking and having those networking and connecting opportunities. And if that's something that, like me, you dread the idea of doing that, having the chance to schedule networking opportunities ahead of time kind of takes some of that pressure off of just approaching strangers.” 🎙️ [38:38] “What are your goals for attending this event? Don't lose sight of that. It's easy to get to an event, especially if you've never been to it before, and it turns out to be a really cool one. You kind of lose sight of why you're there and you get sidetracked with a lot of things and just try to remember why you're there, what you're hoping to get out of it.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 08 May 2024 | How to Turn Your Casual Fans into Super Fans | 00:44:26 | |
Super fans! We know them, we love them, we want them for our own. But how do you turn your casual fans into loyal, dedicated super fans? In this episode, Lauren & Matt discuss strategies like diversifying your products, demonstrating the value of your content, and creating a community for your fans. 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
💡 Read These Articles
🎙️ [7:38] “I think that in talking about how you might want to go about turning fans and followers into super fans, you do need to look at and think about things like an expanded product portfolio… to create a super fan, you're going to need more than one thing.” 🎙️ [19:47] “Having that opportunity to connect with your fans is one of the ways that you're going to be able to take casual one-time purchasers that came to your website, bought your book, and then left, turn them into loyal, true super fans of yours.” 🎙️ [31:24] “The best marketing values human impressions over digital impressions. We talk about this all the time. And so while the digital stuff can help and these tools can help by automating certain things, nothing will ever garner as much results and success as taking a more human approach to the way that you market and interact with your fan base.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 15 May 2024 | Author Branding 101: Building a Brand Beyond Your Books | 00:47:02 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore author brands. Listen now to discover the power of your author identity, why it is so important, and how to create and maintain a brand for your long-term marketing and sales success. 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Learn more about Why Authors Shouldn’t be Hiding Behind Their Books: What it Means to Build an Author Brand from Written Word Media 💡 Check out Armen Adamjan and Creative Explained
🎙️ [2:46] “I think a lot of the time a lot of the issues that authors run up against when it comes to long-term marketing can be boiled down to they haven't done the groundwork with their author branding and developing their brand.” 🎙️ [16:19] “What you really need to remember is that whatever you do, whatever branding you apply, whatever name you choose, you need to be consistent across all channels, including when we talk about things like pay and organic search and stuff like that, so that you continue to build brand recognition, which is what fuels the machine for you to sustain that business long-term, regardless of what that business might be.” 🎙️ [36:05] “I think the key is to just - you have to recognize that and you have to understand that if, if this is something you want to do long-term as a career, whether you've already started down that path or not, you have to have this component. You have to have some branding in order to sustain a long-term trajectory.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 22 May 2024 | Do Book Reviews Help You Sell More Books? | 00:44:20 | |
As authors, writers, and creative types, it’s easy to get caught up in the perceived importance of customer reviews. But do those reviews actually help you sell more books? In this episode, Lauren & Matt debate the value of book reviews for increasing your sales, boosting your book’s discoverability, and providing social proof for new readers. 💡 Barnes & Noble Press Blog on The Power and Importance of Book Reviews 💡 HubSpot on The Psychology of Social Proof 💡 Trustpilot on Social Proof: What is it, and why is it important for eCommerce? 💡 Jane Friedman on Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It? 💡 Statista data on Online Fake Reviews Removed in 2021 💡 Customer Review Plugins Loox, TrustReviews, and Trustify 🎙️ [17:22] “You as a writer or a creator or anybody else for that matter, who's trying to placate or play up to the algorithms, it's a lost cause right now. The best thing you can do is just forget about that. Keep trying to create good, valuable content.” 🎙️ [22:36] “I don't know about you, but I don't think one single review has ever been the thing that made me decide to buy a product. But I can tell you for sure that one single review has been enough to make me not buy something.” 🎙️ [35:55] “And then the credibility and trust thing, again. Underneath it all, that's what a review is for… It's the whole reason why some people even publish a book, is to get some credibility and authority and trust. And so the reviews can help to further solidify what that book was even created for in the first place.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 29 May 2024 | Determining the Right Retail Price for Your Book | 00:40:55 | |
There’s a fine line to balance when you’re setting the retail price for your book! Too high, and you might discourage potential new readers. Too low, and readers might question the value of your content - or worse, you wind up losing money on every sale. In this episode Matt & Lauren discuss how to determine the optimal list price for your book and what factors to consider. 💡 Lulu’s Pricing Calculator 💡 How Do I Set the Retail Price for My Print Book? from the Lulu Knowledge Base 💡 Breaking Down Print Costs for Authors from the Lulu Blog 💡 School Library Journal’s 2023 Average Book Prices Chart 💡 Self-Publishing School on How to Price Your Book: Balancing Sales and Profit 🎙️ [18:32] “If you don't care about the why and you don't care about all the mechanics behind everything and you just want the quick TL;DR answer to how do I figure out how to price my book correctly? The answer is do your market research.” 🎙️ [24:20] “And that's kind of the point of this episode too, is to help people better understand the economics of books so that they're not out there pricing things based on just seeing something on Amazon and going well, I have to do it this way. Like, I have to try and compete with that price. You may not be able to.” 🎙️ [32:12] “There's definitely some psychology behind that, some consumer and behavioral psychology around how you price things. It's not a bad idea to pick up a book or two about this and learn more about it.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 05 Jun 2024 | In the Studio with Author Nation’s Joe Solari | 00:35:17 | |
In this episode, Lauren is joined by Joe Solari, Managing Director of Author Nation, for our first-ever Publish & Prosper interview! Get excited for the Author Nation event coming to Las Vegas this November, take an inside look at CEX 2024, and hear Joe’s thoughts on the future of indie publishing. 💡 Learn more about Author Nation 💡 Listen to Author Nation’s State of the Nation podcast 💡 Catch what you missed at CEX 2024 with our Digital Pass 🎙️ [10:29] “That's part of the journey is doing all that to have that ownership and to know that while it might not be a fast path, everything there is yours.” 🎙️ [15:07] “This whole thing about going direct and doing things that this way isn't about what I think people think it's about. I think it's a bigger… a bigger, more strategic plan to make sure your business is hardened against what might be a really logical decision for Amazon and its shareholders.” 🎙️ [27:41] “So as a person that creates content, it's not just about what you can do today. It's about what we're going to be able to do in the future.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 12 Jun 2024 | 3 Steps to Prep for an Author Event (and What to Do When You’re There) | 00:48:44 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt share their insights from attending dozens of author events to set you up for success. Hear tips for preparing sales strategies and inventory, promoting the event to your fans, and maximizing your presence at the event. 💡 Learn More About These Events 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
🎙️ [7:29] “Anytime you can get in front of people and speak, regardless of the topic, that is some of the best publicity and advertising you could get for yourself.” 🎙️ [15:25] “Underestimating your audience is the worst thing you could do. And underestimating what they'll purchase or where they'll go to see you, or even how much they like you, you're only going to hurt yourself.” 🎙️ [34:30] “This is your opportunity to make a really good in person impression on fans, followers, readers and potential new readers. Let's not just show up, throw a few books on the table and sit down and wait for them all to come because it's not going to happen.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 19 Jun 2024 | Finding Your Place in Author & Reader Communities | 00:45:44 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren debate the distinctions between author and reader communities, discuss the value of participating in either, and share some suggestions for how to bridge the gap between them. 💡 Check Out These Online Communities
💡 Read These Blog Posts 💡 Watch These Videos Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [9:36] “I think that they're also like, as we're talking about the distinctions between them, I think that they are inherently different in that author communities tend to be more focused on… craft and education, and this is a learning experience for me, how do I do this? Crowdsourcing how to do things, whether it's how to write, how to publish, how to get an agent, whatever. Reader communities tend to be echo chambers of opinions.” 🎙️ [27:45] “If you're looking for a way to be a part of an author community or a writer community or something like that, there are plenty of opportunities out there to find them, whether they are big nationwide communities or small local bookstore, coffee shop, library, independent groups.” 🎙️ [42:45] “And that's really what this podcast is, is us talking in circles around the very clear, like one sentence that we could have said.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 26 Jun 2024 | Your 7-Step Guide to Building an Online Bookstore | 00:52:34 | |
In this episode Lauren & Matt talk through the 7 essential steps to building your own online bookstore. From choosing the right platform to launching your site, we’ll cover everything you need to know to sell your self-published books directly to your readers. 💡 Step 1:
💡 Step 2: 💡 Step 3:
💡 Step 4:
💡 Step 6:
💡 Step 7:
💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 03 Jul 2024 | 5 Things to Know Before You Start Publishing | 00:43:41 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren review five things you’ll need to know before you start on your publishing journey! We share insights about knowing your content, knowing your goals, knowing your limits, knowing your audience, and knowing your publisher. Also featuring a meandering detour into graphic novels and an ongoing discussion about crying (now or later). Have a question about self-publishing, selling direct, Lulu, or any of the weird tangents Matt & Lauren like to meander through? Email us at podcast@lulu.com to submit your question for our upcoming AMA episode!
💡 Check Out Jane Friedman’s Key Book Publishing Paths 💡 Watch our Start Here! Playlist 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Listen to These Episodes
💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 10 Jul 2024 | Books You Can Create Using Your Existing Content | 00:44:20 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt share ideas for repurposing your existing content. Hint: it's by turning that content into a book. We share ideas for both nonfiction and fiction book projects, including options that require little to no new writing. Have a question about self-publishing, selling direct, Lulu, or any of the weird tangents Matt & Lauren like to meander through? Email us at podcast@lulu.com to submit your question for our upcoming AMA episode! 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [3:51] “One of the best ways to identify what aspect or which topic of your content would necessarily lend itself best to a book, or a book project, would be to just go back and look at your metrics, right? Figure out which of your blog posts or podcasts or YouTube videos or whatever got the most views and the most engagement.” 🎙️ [14:58] “Presentations can be very one-sided where it's literally just the speaker speaking at an audience of people… this is a great way to turn that one time event attendee into somebody who's going to continue to come back to you, continue to participate in the conversation and continue to think of you when they're thinking about the subject matter that you were presenting on." 🎙️ [25:55] “If you are a digital first fiction author and you're publishing your ebooks, whether it's on Kindle Unlimited, you're doing serial fiction on something like Kindle Vella, BookFunnel, whatever platform that you're using, why are you not selling print editions of your books? If you are, great, love you for it. If you're not, please do.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 17 Jul 2024 | Hooking New Readers With a Compelling Book Description | 00:54:34 | |
In this episode, Lauren attempts to convince Matt (and the listeners) of the power of a well-written book description. Listen in to learn how to craft a compelling book description that will help you hook new readers. Have a question about self-publishing, selling direct, Lulu, or any of the weird tangents Matt & Lauren like to meander through? Email us at podcast@lulu.com to submit your question for our upcoming AMA episode! 💡 Listen to Episode #13 | Earning Free Publicity for Your Book 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
💡 Check Out the Books
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [11:14] “To Matt's point that you could use ChatGPT to write your book description for you if you want to. I'm going to say that you could, but you still need to know what to tell ChatGPT to use to write the book description.” 🎙️ [24:12] “It's a really succinct way to tell me who the book is for, what they're going to get out of it, and what goals you're going to achieve by doing it or by reading it, but without actually giving any of the information away. So I have to keep reading to learn more about what I'm actually going to get out of this book.” 🎙️ [34:15] “If people are like at a bookstore where you're not there, or online, they're browsing and they see your book the thing that's gonna catch their eye first is the cover. Your elevator pitch is what you're gonna do when you're talking to somebody in person.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 24 Jul 2024 | Designing the Right Go-to-Market Strategy for Your Book | 00:46:30 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt dive into what makes a successful go-to-market strategy for your book. Learn how to pick the right launch date and products, choose the best sales and distribution platforms, and craft effective pre-launch and post-launch sales strategies. Have a question about self-publishing, selling direct, Lulu, or any of the weird tangents Matt & Lauren like to meander through? Email us at podcast@lulu.com to submit your question for our upcoming AMA episode! 💡 Listen to These Episodes to Learn More About…
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [12:35] “Don't get too married to all this stuff in the beginning. When you're able to step back from this go-to-market plan and really take a look at it holistically, you might see some areas where you need to go back in and change a few things so that everything kind of works seamlessly and harmoniously together.” 🎙️ [29:04] “Having that sales and distribution and strategy laid out and understanding where and when each format and variation of that book is going to be released and sold is really important. And it'll extend the sales lifecycle of that book as long as possible.” 🎙️ [42:01] “Regardless of whether or not you're selling direct, no matter which sales and distribution platforms you're going to move forward with: customer data is invaluable. Whatever kind of customer data you have access to from these different sales and distribution channels, you're going to want some way to track it.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 31 Jul 2024 | The Indie Author’s Guide to Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing | 00:50:55 | |
In this episode, Matt and Lauren take listeners on a journey through self-publishing and traditional publishing. We’ll look at where those paths overlap, where they diverge, and what to expect on your publishing adventure. 💡 Jane Friedman’s The Key Book Publishing Paths 💡 Listen to These Episodes:
💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [10:17] “It used to be that if you said your book was self-published, or if people knew your book was self-published, they were just like, oh, that's got to be garbage. They did it themselves. It can't be a good book. These days, obviously nothing's further from the truth than that statement.” 🎙️ [23:10] “But the point is you don't have any control over that in traditional publishing, and in self-publishing you have total control over that.” 🎙️ [45:14] “All of this is only relevant in so much as what your goals are for the book itself.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 07 Aug 2024 | How to Get Your Book Into Indie Bookstores | 00:41:29 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt review strategies for getting your self-published book into indie bookstores, including participating in consignment programs, pitching yourself for author events, and making your book available through retail distribution. 💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch How to Get Your Book into Bookstores 💡 Check your book’s global distribution eligibility with our Pricing Calculator 🎙️ [15:44] “These bookstores have a standard to uphold. Which is not to say that every traditionally published book and every book available in an indie bookstore or any bookstore is a good book. We all know that's not true. But at the very least, they want people to be able to look at your book and think it's a good book.” 🎙️ [25:34] “You're not just an author or creator, we've said this a thousand times. You're a business, and as such you need to be building trust and relationships with people.” 🎙️ [32:49] “It's important to understand that your book can be available to be bought from an indie bookstore or a bookstore in general if you are in distribution, it just won't be sitting on the shelves as ready inventory.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 14 Aug 2024 | From Manuscript to Market: 5+ Tools to Help You Draft, Publish, and Sell Your Book | 00:44:42 | |
Self-publishing might be a DIY publishing model, but there are plenty of tools and resources to help you get your book from manuscript to market. In this episode, Matt & Lauren discuss a debatable number of tools to help you draft, edit, format, design, market, and ship your book. 💡 Learn More About
Jump Ahead to Learn About 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 21 Aug 2024 | Pain Point Solutions for Your Ecommerce Store | 00:45:27 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt tackle some common pain points entrepreneurs and ecommerce store owners struggle with. We’ll talk through solutions and tips for collecting sales tax, setting up shipping and managing shipping issues, and providing proactive customer service for your shoppers. 💡 Sales Tax
🎙️ Understanding Sales Tax → 4:46 🎙️ All Things Shipping (Ship Mapping, Expenses, and Troubleshooting) → 16:51 🎙️ Proactive Customer Service Strategies → 28:43 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 28 Aug 2024 | Getting Your Bookstore Ready for the Holidays | 00:51:36 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren tackle the upcoming holiday season. They’ll discuss best practices for getting your books ready, optimizing your site or bookstore, speaking to gift givers instead of your target audience, and reviewing your social media for book promo opportunities. 💡 Check These Resources
💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
💡 Listen to These Episodes
💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 02 Oct 2024 | How to Drive Book Sales Without Offering Discounts | 00:48:13 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore creative ways to boost book sales! Learn how limited editions, bundles, personalized products, and more can incentivize new and returning shoppers to buy directly from you - without resorting to discounts. Love watching your podcasts? Publish & Prosper is now on video! Check us out on YouTube.
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [6:30] “I don't think you ever want to put yourself in a situation where that's the only way you're selling books is by discounting. If you get in that habit and people come to expect that from you, then that's the only time they're going to purchase, is when you're offering a discount. And you never want to be in that race to the bottom.” 🎙️ [26:42] “And it doesn't matter. Like, if you're a bookseller and writer or a musician or anybody else, if you've got fans, if you've got customers who have bought things from you, you need to acknowledge that is now a relationship that you can continue to foster.” 🎙️ [43:33] “That's a huge motivator for getting people to spend money with you is making them feel good in the process.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 09 Oct 2024 | Should Self-Published Authors Use Beta Readers and Sensitivity Readers? | 00:49:57 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren help you maximize your book’s potential with early readers like beta readers, sensitivity readers, and industry reviewers. We take a look at how and when to engage with them, how they can help your book, and what to offer them in return. 💡 Check These Resources
💡 Listen to These Episodes
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [21:12] “I think out of everything in this episode, we've probably referenced [beta readers] the most in the past. They are a great way to connect with other people in your industry, with other authors, with other peers in your specific genre that you're working on. It's a great way to create those relationships with people. And a great reason to definitely do that." 🎙️ [31:45] “A good editor… will point those things out to you, but it's not their job to make sure that you've done your due diligence. It's always on the author.” 🎙️ [38:19] “Most people that you ask for promotional reviews, testimonials, whatever, they will not provide a negative one. So you'll either get a positive one or you won't get one. If they don't have anything good to say about your book, they're just not going to talk about it.” 🎙️ [46:39] “The point is: connect with people. Share your book with readers before your actual readers get their hands on it. You don't have to reach out to all of the people that we've talked about in this episode. But none of them are going to hurt your content. They can only help. So why not?” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 16 Oct 2024 | Make Your Self-Published Books Stand Out with Custom Details | 00:51:23 | |
Custom and special edition books are more popular than ever - and more accessible than ever. In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore how indie authors can create custom editions of their self-published books. We look at popular customizations like sprayed edges, embellished covers, specialty bindings, and more! Love watching your podcasts? Publish & Prosper is now on video! Check us out on YouTube. Join us at Author Nation, November 11 - 15 at the Horseshoe in Las Vegas, Nevada! 💡 Read How to Convince Readers to Buy Books Directly From You on the Lulu Blog 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Learn more about Kingdom Covers for printed edge designs. 🎙️[8:39] “I think what you find is in the indie publishing world with self publishing, more often than not, it's not necessarily a sales tactic, but it's somebody saying, hey, I've put my heart and soul to this book. I also want it to look really cool. I want to create the best book that I can.” 🎙️ [19:58] “When you're creating books to sell to fans, followers, whoever, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, just remember that not everybody reads, writes, collects, distributes the same way that you do. Never really limit yourself just based on the fact that you might not want a really cool sprayed edge on your book.” 🎙️ [32:29] “If you're selling direct already or you're thinking about it, here's a great way to try it or start. To get people to buy direct from you, sometimes they need a little extra incentive… do a completely different cover and have it only be available if they buy that book from you directly off your site.” “I would argue all of these that we're saying, you should be doing, this should be a motivation for people to buy them directly from you.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 23 Oct 2024 | How to Repurpose Your Book (and Other Content) for Social Media | 00:57:40 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren review the best ways to repurpose content for social media. They talk through reusing your existing social content, reposting other people’s social content, and repurposing your book material as social content. Jump in to hear about Matt’s recent appearance at Momentum and upcoming plans for Author Nation - or skip ahead to 13:50 to get right to the social media content strategies. 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [27:07] “You never know where the content like this that you share and create is going to wind up… If you have this little like, bite-sized content that ties back to your book you don't know where it's going to go and it could serve as a lead magnet.” 🎙️ [33:05] “The riches are in the niches. So niche down as far as you can go to where you add maximum value and that's where you will see maximum engagement and revenue intake. And then if you want to scale up from there, you can.” 🎙️ [43:10] “Virality is not stability. Like, don't chase virality because you don't know how you're going to get it. And if you do happen to get lucky enough to have a viral post, you'll probably never get it again. You'll never know how or why you got it.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 30 Oct 2024 | Ask Matt (and Lauren) Anything: Answering Your Questions | 00:44:42 | |
It’s officially been one year of Publish & Prosper! Join Lauren & Matt for a special Ask Us Anything episode, where we take listener questions about publishing, marketing, Lulu products, and - of course - Disney. We answer questions like:
💡 Read These Blog Posts
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️[6:31] “I think a lot of people get wrapped up in this idea that it's too late, that even if I start working on my audience now I'm late to the game, so it's gonna take forever to build an audience. Or if I start writing a book now after I've waited all these years, it's too late… None of that is true. Do it now. Get started.” 🎙️[16:39] “It really comes down to people realizing and understanding that this is a long-term endeavor and not short-term flash in the pan kind of thing. Something trendy like social media, we've all seen the rise and fall of different social platforms so much in the last few years, and people are realizing more and more we need a long-term way to connect with our audience and to create these relationships that are going to last with our audience.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 06 Nov 2024 | How to Maximize ROI on In-Person Events | 00:46:44 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren share tips for maximizing your return on investment when you attend a conference. We have our top picks for note-taking, strategies for putting your ideas into action, and using your conference experience to establish yourself as a thought leader. 💡 Otter.AI 💡 Ann Handley’s Total Annarchy Newsletter 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts 💡 Watch These Videos Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [7:03] “You really should try to take down some sort of notes any way that you can. And we're going to talk about some ways to make it a lot easier for you to do that, especially if you're like me, where you're just terrible at it so you don't even bother. And you hope that all of the main points that are valuable will stick in your brain until you get home and they usually don't.” “How does that work out for you?” “It doesn't at all.” 🎙️ [17:02] “The most important part about these events is again, how you turn that into actionable takeaways that are going to further your business, your brand, your career, whatever it is you're trying to influence there.” 🎙️ [35:12] “Whatever it is, this is an opportunity for you to share something with your audience that further establishes you as somebody who knows what they're talking about.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 13 Nov 2024 | Metrics That Matter: A Guide for Authors & Creators | 00:47:50 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt review the important metrics you need to be tracking to boost your book sales, grow your brand, and connect with a loyal audience. We take a look at social media, email, website, and customer data and share valuable tools and tips to help you make the most of the data you collect. 💡 Check Out These Resources
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [10:38] “A lot of these metrics are interconnected, and that's kind of the whole point in tracking them and in paying attention to them. And I know that's going to sound really overwhelming as we rattle off a bunch of different types of metrics that you should be looking at, but they really do inform each other in a lot of different ways.” 🎙️ [24:03] “If you're sending an email out once a week or once every two weeks or whatever, and you're asking people to buy your book and you're sending them to Amazon, you're not going to have the data as to whether or not they bought a book from that email.” 🎙️ [35:55] “All roads should lead to however you get somebody to purchase a book, wherever they do that. And primarily that should be on your website.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 20 Nov 2024 | What Does Taylor Swift Know About Book Publishing? | 00:45:00 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren have a conversation about Taylor Swift’s upcoming book, talking through her decision to self-publish it, and what that says about the future of traditional publishing. Disclaimer: This episode was Matt’s idea, not Lauren’s. 💡 Related Episodes
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [14:36] “Time and time again, we see plenty of people who have built an audience for themselves, regardless of size, but it works for them. There's high engagement. They know their audience better than anybody else, and they are able to self-publish content and reach their audience and achieve whatever their primary goals are.” 🎙️ [16:20] “I think as… this idea of creating and owning your content and the distribution methods to get it to market continues to increase, I think traditional publishing's value continues to decrease.” 🎙️ [41:24] “At the end of the day I never thought I would find inspiration in something Taylor Swift did, but here we are.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 27 Nov 2024 | What Keeps Self-Published Books Off the New York Times Best-Seller Lists? | 00:46:10 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt discuss the New York Times Best Seller lists. Learn how the lists are decided, what disqualifies a book from being a potential NYT Best-Seller, and why self-published authors rarely make the cut. 💡 The New York Times | About the Best Sellers
🎙️ [4:29] “What I mean when I say it doesn't matter is that you can still achieve incredible success as a self-published author without having your name on the New York Times best-seller list.” 🎙️ [12:15] “They were getting sued for not including a specific title on the list despite the sales. And the argument that they made was that it is not exclusively based on straight up math and sales numbers, but is more of an editorial product that is influenced by sales numbers, but also influenced by other things.” 🎙️ [34:35] “I'm going to make Matt's blood boil a little bit because I'm going to say that I think that for self-published authors… hitting the top of the Amazon charts is probably more important for your sales and discoverability than hit the New York Times list would be." 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 04 Dec 2024 | Debunking Myths and Misconceptions About Self-Publishing | 00:44:39 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren tackle some of the most common misconceptions about self-publishing. We debunk myths like: ❌ You won’t make any money self-publishing And most importantly: fake M&Ms are just as good as real M&Ms. 💡 Editorial Freelancers Association Editorial Rates Chart 💡 Listen to These Episodes
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [4:29] “There's no guarantee you're going to make money one way or the other, it really boils down to effort. And that is also true across all of the publishing paths.” 🎙️ [25:37] “It's not a one size fits all thing in any way when it comes to how much you're going to spend on self-publishing. If you're operating under the assumption that you can only find success as a self-published author if you sink a lot of money into any part of it… that's just not true.” 🎙️ [36:32] “I think these days people want to be more in control of their content and their money and their life. And I think that they're able to do that through self-publishing and they feel better doing it because of the fact that tools have gotten better.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 11 Dec 2024 | Finding Your Niche, Your Ideal Reader, and Your Target Audience | 00:46:22 | |
In this episode Lauren & Matt explore the journey to successful audience growth by finding your content niche, defining your ideal reader, and identifying your target audience. We also discuss the value of learning from other creators, ways to inject new life into your marketing efforts, and the correct way to pronounce niche, among other things. 💡 Check Out SparkToro 💡 Read Written Word Media’s 2024 Indie Author Survey Results: Insights into Self Publishing for Authors
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [10:07] “The start of that journey is understanding who your audience is, who you're creating content for, what is your niche topic or content area, and then understanding like, how do I create content for this audience, but more importantly, how do I market and sell it to this audience?” 🎙️ [23:01] “You should be doing this… I'm not going to say regularly, but the very least periodically. You should be updating your own understanding of who your readers are, who your audience is, who you're writing for, who you're writing to.” 🎙️ [39:14] “You have to understand that these things that you're doing, again, whether you want to agree to this or not, you're building a business. And so everything you do is a step towards sustainability long-term.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 18 Dec 2024 | Did Indie Authors Publish and Prosper in 2024? | 00:49:52 | |
In this episode Matt & Lauren recap some of the hottest topics and trends in the publishing industry from 2024, and make a few predictions for 2025. Thanks for a great year of publishing and prospering with us! 💡 Written Word Media | 2024 Indie Author Survey Results: Insights into Self Publishing for Authors 💡 Louis Grenier | $16k in 5 Days Book Launch Breakdown 💡 Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore 💡 Bublish’s AI Author Toolkit 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [9:06] “I think that that also explains that huge jump we saw in stores being created and active this year versus last year, because I do really think that this year, more than ever, it connected for people and they've started sort of piecing this puzzle together.” 🎙️ [29:01] “And the truth of the matter is nobody has any idea what AI in publishing looks like for next year… But we do know, and I think it will always be true, that it can't replace human creativity, human emotion. It can't elicit responses like a human can with their writing. So use AI for what it's good at, for productivity. Use it for the tools, and making your life easier.” 🎙️ [47:21] “I think these business savvy creators and content entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs in general are going to be at the forefront of people saying like, we understand the value of selling direct. And if a traditional publisher isn't going to work with us on that, then that's okay. We'll just do it ourselves.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 08 Jan 2025 | How to Create A Writing Habit That Actually Sticks | 00:47:09 | |
Is this the year you’re finally going to publish that book? Or maybe you just want to write more than you did last year. In this episode Lauren & Matt share tips for building a writing habit in a way that works best for you… and set a few lofty goals of their own. Let us know what your writing goals are for this year! Email us at podcast@lulu.com.
💡 Lulu Blog | Writing & Editing, Software Reviews 💡 Audrey Hughey | The Write Services 💡 Related Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [16:25] “A lot of people want to talk about the importance of writing every day. I think it is more important to set yourself consistent goals that are achievable for you.” 🎙️ [25:02] “There's nothing worse than when you're just looking at a blinking cursor on a blank word doc and you've suddenly forgot just like every word that exists in the English language.” 🎙️ [43:20] “So if there's something that you heard in this episode that you're like, I could see how that works, but I just - I don't think it would work for me. Try it anyway. Try it a couple of times. And if you're still like, nope, hate this. Okay, you tried it. Maybe you learned something else from it that you can apply in a different way and then move on.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 15 Jan 2025 | Can Books Add Value to Your Business (Beyond Just Revenue)? | 00:46:14 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren tell you why publishing a book can do more for your business than just adding a new revenue stream.. Learn how books can establish your expert reputation, connect you with new audiences, and strengthen relationships with your existing fans. 💡 Listen to These Episodes
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [7:36] “Throughout your entire business journey, there's always going to be a need in most cases to establish some authority in the area with which you actually do business, whether you sell physical products or services… One of the best ways to do that, obviously, is to have a book in hand, right?” 🎙️ [15:54] “So many people still to this day think that because they have a social media channel presence of whatever amount of followers, it doesn't matter that they're doing great, they're riding high and they've got a viable business. Wrong. 100% wrong. If that business is built on Instagram, then Instagram has a business and followers – you don't.” 🎙️ [25:38] “A book can be a great buy-in opportunity for customers to test the water with you, or for potential customers to test the water with you.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 22 Jan 2025 | How to Hit Your Perfect Pitch for Speaking Engagements | 00:54:59 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt share tips for aspiring public speakers. We talk through presenting your best pitch to event organizers, targeting your ideal audience with your session title and description, and representing yourself with your speaker bio.
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [10:05] “When pitching yourself to an event, whether it's a big one or a small one, you got to remember that the point of pitching yourself or the point is to convince the event organizers why you specifically can add value to that event.” 🎙️ [36:36] “Even if your speaking track record is extremely light or zero, you should still be confident in sharing your qualifications as to who you are and why you bring relevance to the topic and the event.” 🎙️ [52:15] “If you're pitching yourself to the correct events, this is the most qualified audience that you are ever going to get yourself in front of." 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 29 Jan 2025 | The Indie Author's Guide to Going Wide With Your Book Distribution | 00:49:22 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren answer questions about moving your books from Amazon to other ecommerce solutions, including global distribution and direct sales. Learn how to maximize your book’s availability, forge stronger connections with loyal readers, and grow your revenue when you go wide. 💡 Wide for the Win Facebook Group 💡 Kindlepreneur Survey | The Truth On Selling Books Direct: Insights from 876 Authors 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts 💡 Watch These Videos Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [1:57] “Going wide, specifically, is more the idea of maximizing your reach and discoverability by having your book available in as many different marketplaces as possible.” 🎙️ [23:03] “Eyeballs are really hard to catch these days. Attention is so short. There's so much white noise out there. Don't put in all that hard work or money or both, and then just send them somewhere else to buy it.” 🎙️ [47:07] “This is not an overnight decision. This is not something that you should decide after listening to this episode, yeah, you guys are right. I'm definitely going to do this. And tonight you're going to go home and pull all your books.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 05 Feb 2025 | How to Use a Preorder Campaign to Boost Your Book Launch | 00:54:18 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt make a case for why every indie author should try using a preorder campaign to support their prelaunch marketing efforts and boost their book sales. We talk through how preorder campaigns can help you reach your target audience, different kinds of campaigns, and ways to collect your preorders. 💡 BookBub | How Authors Use Preorders to Promote New Books in 2023
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [4:34] “It is so much easier to market your book prelaunch. And the further out you start, for the most part, the easier it gets to market it.” 🎙️ [32:31] “Every time you do a preorder or a sales campaign or anything else where you're selling these things directly, that is an opportunity to gain more email addresses and customer contacts and build your own database.” 🎙️ [48:47] “I mean, you can do those things. But the point is you can go outside of the box and get more creative and drive more value and more urgency and incentive for people to want to be part of this preorder versus just picking up a copy afterwards.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 12 Feb 2025 | Creative Ways to Use Print-On-Demand to Support Your Business | 00:50:17 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore different ways print-on-demand technology can support your business. We share ideas for creating books for internal use, brand awareness and loyalty projects, and new product lines to consider. Dive Deeper 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
💡 Stephen Cabebe's book Disney Ready: Your Pain Free Parks Survival Guide 💡 How Armen Adamjan Uses Print-On-Demand To Turn Video Content Into Profitable Books Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [3:59] “This is not an episode about self-publishing a book to then use print-on-demand to then grow your business similar to some of the other episodes we've done, which are great. This is truly about the technology and functionality of print-on-demand in your business.” 🎙️ [22:23] “If you're listening to this and you're like, okay, but I already do that, but I just do it in like an email form or a PDF form or something like that. I'm like, just think about how much it's elevating the experience to get a physical printed copy of it.” 🎙️ [30:25] “I would rather win your mailbox than to compete against your inbox or struggle in your DMs.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 19 Feb 2025 | Mastering Book Metadata to Maximize Market Reach | 00:45:13 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt deep dive into book metadata and how it can better position your book in the market. Maximize your discoverability and reach with tips on choosing bookstore categories and BISAC codes, tools for keyword research, and best practices for making the most of your metadata.
💡 Complete BISAC Subject Headings List 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [3:02] “Your metadata is relevant to you if you're selling direct, if you're doing distribution, if you're sticking to a single ecommerce solution, whatever it is, no matter what you're doing, your metadata is relevant to your book.” 🎙️ [15:28] “I think you should be marketing to human beings and not to algorithms.” 🎙️ [32:21] “Understanding that to prepare yourself for a future where search looks different than it does now being as concise and specific with your keywords is going to be more important than ever.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 26 Feb 2025 | Book Publicity Simplified with Sarah Franklin | 00:51:55 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren are joined by Sarah Franklin, Lulu’s Public Relations Manager and expert book publicist! Hear about book publicity simplified as Sarah answers questions like: → What’s the value in hiring a publicist vs. doing your own publicity? → What exactly is a publicist’s role in book marketing? → How do you make the most of earned publicity once you have it? And more! Listen now or watch Episode #60 on YouTube. Dive Deeper 💡 Featured 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts 💡 Watch These Videos Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [25:24] “You know, they can get you exposure, but your expertise in your book, that should be the moneymaker right there.” 🎙️ [41:01] “Something may come of it, nothing may come of it, but nothing's gonna happen if you don't do anything.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 05 Mar 2025 | Creating a Custom Book Business Using Lulu's Print API | 00:48:01 | |
In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore Lulu’s open source Print API. Don’t know what an API is? We’ve got you covered. We also talk through the value of personalized products and creative ways to use Lulu’s Print API to power your custom book business. Dive Deeper 💡 Learn more about Lulu’s Print API 💡 Sponsor Magnet by Justin Moore 💡 Listen to These Episodes
💡 Read These Blog Posts
💡 Watch These Videos
Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [13:40] “This is not a new concept. What this is is a more evolved technology for how to create these kinds of products in a really cool way and also get even more personalized and even more creative with them.”
💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
| 12 Mar 2025 | Sustainability in Publishing: Reducing Waste One Print Book at a Time | 00:42:37 | |
In this episode, Matt & Lauren take a critical look at wasteful practices in the publishing industry. We share insight into what it takes to become a certified B Corp (like Lulu!), how book printing creates both physical and carbon waste, and what we can all do to make publishing more sustainable.
💡 Resources → Research: Consumers’ Sustainability Demands Are Rising → Book Sales: What that viral Substack post gets wrong. → Book Waste: The Dangers of Publishing and the Ethical Consumption of Books 💡 Listen to These Episodes → Ep #9 | Are Print Books Dead? → Ep #36 | The Indie Author’s Guide to Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing → Ep #49 | What Keeps Self-Published Books Off the New York Times Best-Seller Lists? 💡 Watch These Videos 💡 Read What Being a B Corp Means to Us Sound Bites From This Episode 🎙️ [9:52] “We're making the argument that print-on-demand and using a print-on-demand company like Lulu is more environmentally friendly than traditional publishing. But B Corp isn't just about that.” 🎙️ [22:40] “I would much rather see a book that was well read and well loved and shows the signs of it than a book that was printed, never opened, never sold, and then just destroyed.”
💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, | |||
