A People's Guide to Publishing

Jim Hanas of the Small Press Insights Dashboard is back! Join him, Elly, and Joe for a deep dive into how much of the book industry relies on data and analytics, how presses can use Bookscan and other insight tools to inform their lists and marketing plans, and more. 

Check out the Smell Press Insights Dashboard here: https://smallpressinsights.com/

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the People's Guide to Publishing book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: https://microcosmpublishing.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: https://microcosm.pub/newsletter

Find us on social media:
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@microcosmpub/
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Facebook: https://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
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So you want to write or publish a book. It's easy to get caught up in what's hot, marketable, and selling NOW (we see you, romantasy).

But what if you have a book that might not be the easiest to market? Whether it's because of the regionality, niche background, or lack of comp titles, sometimes a book can be really really good but tricky to sell.

How do you balance the need to write a book you love, but also figure out the marketing angle in a business that tends to love trendy titles? This week on the pod, J. Hunter Bennett, author of "More Punk than the Public Library" is back to talk to Joe and Elly about his very cool- and very unique!- book, and what went into the development of it.

Check out More Punk than the Public Library here: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/62128

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.com
More by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.net
More by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6v

Find us on social media:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
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Does a publisher need a point of view? And why the hell does Microcosm say we're a "moderate/centrist" publisher in all of our books? 

This week on the pod, Microcosm Marketing Specialist Daley Farr joins Joe and Elly to talk about Microcosm's POV, publisher identities, and pranks.

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.com
More by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.net
More by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6v

Find us on social media:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
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Fun fact about Microcosm—we broke up with Amazon in 2018 and never looked back. And while we thought we would see a dip in sales, we've really seen the opposite.

There's a common thought in publishing and writing that you HAVE to sell on Amazon, because like it or not, that's where almost all the books are sold these days. But is that actually true? Does Amazon really represent the majority of books sold in the world?

Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to chat with Joe and Elly about the realities of book sales, markets, and how Amazon defines "sales."

For more from Jane Friedman, check out https://janefriedman.com/

To read more about Microcosm and Amazon, check out https://microcosm.pub/amazon

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the People's Guide to Publishing book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: https://microcosmpublishing.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: https://microcosm.pub/newsletter

Find us on social media:
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@microcosmpub/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
Facebook: https://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
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Backlist books—titles that have been around longer than a selling season—are often seen as forgotten or that publishers have given up on them. But often, backlist favorites are the backbone of a publisher's income, as opposed to big new titles. 

This week on the pod, Microcosm author and freelance writer Jessie Kwak joins Elly and a very offscreen Joe to talk about evergreen titles vs flashy frontlist, how to tell which titles will have signs of being good backlist, and whether or not a rising tide lifts all books.

Find Jessie's books on the Microcosm website or your local bookstore: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/jessie-l-kwak
Find more from Jessie on her website: https://www.jessiekwak.com/


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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the People's Guide to Publishing book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: https://microcosmpublishing.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: https://microcosm.pub/newsletter

Find us on social media:
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@microcosmpub/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
Facebook: https://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
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What makes a book sell? And does Amazon REALLY have the market share on book sales? Jim Hanas of the Small Press Insights Dashboard is back this week to talk to Joe and Elly about their favorite thing... data!

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the People's Guide to Publishing book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: https://microcosmpublishing.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: https://microcosm.pub/newsletter

Find us on social media:
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@microcosmpub/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
Facebook: https://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
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What happens when a book doesn't sell well, especially when stores have ordered up?  Oftentimes, they'll get returned to the publisher to be resold as remainders and bargains, pulped and recycled, or something else.

But what does it mean for your bottom line? Are returns a blessing in disguise? 

This week on the pod, Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to Joe and Elly about it!

Want more publishing insights from Jane? Check out https://https://janefriedman.com/

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the People's Guide to Publishing book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: https://microcosmpublishing.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: https://microcosm.pub/newsletter

Find us on social media:
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@microcosmpub/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
Facebook: https://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
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Libraries are a great way to access eBooks, streaming shows, and other types of digital content. But how do those licenses work, and who benefits from them? The answer has changed a lot over the years, often contributing to the misconception that libraries hurt authors' and publishers' bottom lines.

This week on the pod, industry analyst and friend of the 'Cosm Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is back to talk to continue the conversation about libraries, ebooks, sales, and who the true enemy is (if there even is one).

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the People's Guide to Publishing book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: https://microcosmpublishing.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: https://microcosm.pub/newsletter

Find us on social media:
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@microcosmpub/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
Facebook: https://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
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There is no one-size-fits-all method to guarantee your publisher's success. We all come out with different titles, balance finding a comfortable niche vs branching out to new audiences, and find the structures and systems that work for us.

But there are universal things publishers can do to make their lives easier! This week on the pod, Microcosm' Marketing & Publicity specialist Daley Farr is back to talk to Joe and Elly about Microcosm's strengths, places we can grow, blurbs, pub dates, discoverability, and so much more.

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.com
More by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.net
More by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6v

Find us on social media:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
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Andrew Coltrin, author of "The ADHD FAQ" and "ADHD Coping Skills Deck,"  joins us on the podcast this week to talk about his journey of getting diagnosed, writing for an ADHD audience, and how understanding of ADHD has changed over time.

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Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm

Get the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031

More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.com
More by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.net
More by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.com

Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6v

Find us on social media:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.social
Instagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
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