Pub Date | A Book Publishing Podcast

Smith Publicity president, Marissa Eigenbrood joins the Pub Date podcast to talk about books, marketing, and author goals.

We've worked on several projects across a few publishers and indie clients and everyone has been delighted with the work that the team at Smith has done. But the ones that are most appreciative are the indie authors who understand that their book can bring credibility to their business. So if you're an entrepreneur, be sure to tune in and take notes!

About Our Guest

Marissa Eigenbrood is President of Smith Publicity, working closely with all teams across the company. Throughout her career in public relations, she has worked with non-profits, Fortune 500 corporations, international brands, college/universities, tech start-ups and the publishing industry, including small to large-sized publishers, hybrid presses, debut authors and industry thought leaders. She brings extensive knowledge of the public relations realm, as well as an organized and dedicated focus, to all she does. Learn more about them at https://www.smithpublicity.com/

Production by OC Talk Radio

Executive production by Little Red Communications

Where can you sell books? The answer is ANYWHERE! 

On this episode of Pub Date, we share non-traditional places where you can sell your book and how to get your book into those nontraditional retailers.

Knowing where to sell your book means that you have to really know your audience. Unpack how to know them better (market research, comps, etc.). Some non-book places you can sell books include:

• Specialty stores related to your topic (REI, quilt stores, running stores, you name it)
• Associations like the American Marketing Association, Vistage, and Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO)
• Corporations (yes, they can and will hire you to speak to their employees! So don't forget to build in a book sale in your fees)
• Speaking events, festivals, conferences, workshops (TedTalks, SXSW, and even regional conferences for those associations you're already a member of)
• And everyone's favorite AIRPORTS! 

How do you sell your book around the world as a traditional author or a trailblazing self-publishing author?

In this episode, Jen Dorsey and Vanessa Campos discuss the process of book distribution and how it's not as magical as it seems. What's the spooky process behind getting books from the publisher to the bookstore?

"The book business is fully returnable at any time, anytime. At anytime you can get books back that you sold ten years ago."

We are book lovers, so naturally, when we travel, we love to visit bookstores in different cities. We always think about how the books got there and how our authors' books can end up on those shelves. It's not magic, but distribution that gets the books into the store. Traditional publishers take care of distribution for their authors, but self-published authors have to be a little more creative. There are some companies that specialize in distribution for small presses and self-published authors, but it can be difficult to get your book into big stores like Barnes and Noble. If you go the digital distribution route, you can still get your book into the hands of your readers and build a reputation.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. How do books get from the publisher to the bookstore?

2. Are there distribution options for self-published authors?

3. What are the implications of selling a book worldwide?

Want to Learn More About Book Publishing? Keep Listening to the Pub Date Podcast:

Ep. 36: How to Turn Your TED Talk into a Book

Ep. 35: How to Launch Your Book Like a Product

Ep. 34: What’s The Best Option for Your Business Book: Hardcover or Paperback?

Is turning a speech into a book a good idea?"Content remains king and everyone's making all the things and doing all the speeches and giving all the talks and teaching all the courses, but they still love the idea of it being a book because that provides some ethos building and some validity because I have a book."We are book nerds, so we are really interested in the recent trial to block Penguin Random House's acquisition of Simon and Schuster. So much so, that we purchased the ebook version of the transcripts of the trial by Publishers Lunch, and boy it was a lot of information to process. The document is huge and not fancy in its presentation. This led us to wonder if you can turn anything into a book.

Listen in as Jen and Vanessa talk about all the different ways you could repurpose content, like a speech, webinar, or course, into a book. We also discuss how the the framework is that you have to be careful with the content and make sure it is not just a transcription of the speech. And making sure that the book is associated with the speech, but not the exact same thing. Other episodes you'll enjoy:Ep. 35 How to Launch Your Book Like a Product

When it comes to launching your book we are big fans of taking inspiration from new product launches.

If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, or CEO you're probably thinking "I've got this." But the truth is that you really need to sit, think about it the product, and plan for a book launch months before your book is complete.

In this episode of the Pub Date Podcast we're joined by Terry Rice, a business development consultant, staff writer at Entrepreneur magazine, and host of the Launch Your Business podcast, to give you tips on how to reach your ideal audience, test your concepts, and create a work flow that allows you to get it all done.

About Terry:

Terry Rice is a Business Development Consultant and Staff Writer at Entrepreneur magazine. He's also the host of Launch Your Business, a podcast that helps entrepreneurs make money, save time and avoid burnout. His previous experience includes internal consulting roles at Adobe and Facebook. Based in Brooklyn, Terry is an instructor at New York University, speaks at business development events on behalf of Amazon and Google, and has been featured as a subject matter expert by Good Morning America.

Website: terryrice.co

Instagram/Twitter: @itsterryrice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-rice/

On this episode of the Pub Date podcast we discuss the big question in book publishing: Should you release the hardcover before the paperback?

We've seen it all when it comes to this conversation. Authors like the prestige of having that hardcover with dust jacket at a book signing, but as a self-published author does that matter? When it comes to formats we're agnostic.

There are pros and cons to everything in book publishing. And if you're self publishing your next book, you can do what makes sense for you, your business, and your bottom line. 

On this episode of the Pub Date podcast we talk about the difference between indie and small press publishing. The wonderful thing about becoming a published author is that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to going from idea to final book. If you're thinking about becoming an author, make sure you do your homework and that the math makes sense. At the end of the day, your book is another product that you deliver to your audience.

Have an idea and want to see if it's a book? Download our checklist here: https://bit.ly/3BE8cPN

On this episode of the Pub Date podcast the book broads are reunited with literary agent, book industry veteran, and all around book broad Wendy Keller. Listen in as we discuss the importance of having a solid platform, what authors should be doing before reaching out to an agent, and the things you should be mindful of as you grow your audience.

Wendy's decades of experience has lead to her creating value beyond being an agent for her authors. She's also the author of 30+ books including Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Guide to Platform Building, runs webinars to help you write a solid book proposal, and coaches authors to become well-paid speakers.

Learn more about Wendy and her team by visiting www.kellermedia.com.

We are often asked about social media and which platform authors should be on. Lately, there have been a lot of questions about TikTok and our answer is usually along the lines of "it depends." Is your ideal audience on TikTok, Twitter, or LinkedIn? Is there a conversation already happening about your topic on Twitter? Have you engaged with and provided value to that community?

On this episode of the Pub Date Podcast we have editor, writer, and author Ray E. Boomhower share how he found his niche in books and community on Twitter. Ray is a big believer in not wasting anything. If you start down a path and end up taking a detour, don't trash that work. Instead, he says "cannibalize what you don't use [for your book or content] and use it on Twitter to promote what you're working on or have worked on."

We ask him to share his thoughts on the following:

• How do you engage with your readers on social media?
• What are your favorite Twitter tips, best practices?
• Who are some of your favorite authors to engage with on social?

About Our Guest

Ray E. Boomhower is senior editor at the Indiana Historical Society Press, where he serves as editor of the quarterly popular history magazine "Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History." Boomhower has been with the Society since 1987, beginning work for the statewide, nonprofit organization as its public relations coordinator.

You can check out his published books here: https://www.amazon.com/Ray-E.-Boomhower/e/B000APFRCQ

And be sure to follow Ray on Twitter @RayBoomhower (https://twitter.com/RayBoomhower)

Did you know that less than 7% of children's books are written by Black, Latino, and Native authors combined?

Our guest on the Pub Date podcast is on a mission to change that. 

Leah Hernandez is the Founder and CEO of Young Authors Publishing. In 2021, Leah was named one of Publisher's Weekly "Star Watch Nominees." Leah sits on the board of Pub West, an association of small to mid sized publishers, as well as Portland State University's Masters Publishing Program to create more opportunities for people of color to work in publishing. Leah aspires to continue to impact the lives of others by helping them share their stories

To learn more about Young Authors Publishing, visit their  website https://www.youngauthorspublishing.org/