Publish & Prosper

In this episode, Lauren is joined by Lulu’s Email Marketing Manager, Laurie Shipley, for another edition of The Email Marketing Podcast with Laurie & Lauren! This time we’re planting a flag on the most valuable real estate in any inbox: transactional emails. 

Tune in now to learn how to use transactional emails to convert one-time buyers into loyal subscribers and fans!

Dive Deeper

💡 Explore These Resources

• Help Article | How Will My Customers Receive Their Tracking Information?
• Blog | Mastering Email Marketing for Authors
• Blog | How to Build an Author Email List On Your Website

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #82 | The Email Marketing Podcast with Laurie & Lauren
• Ep #89 | Inside the Inbox: How to Plan an Email Campaign Series
• Ep #131 | Giving Your Customers a Reason to Come Back
• Ep #139 | How Justin Moore Sold Over 10,000 Books

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

🥳 Three Cheers to Three Years of Publish & Prosper! 🥳 

Last year we looked back on what we’ve learned from podcasting. This year, we’re looking out at what we’ve learned from our friends, peers, and mentors. In this episode, Matt & Lauren each share three of their favorite pieces of professional advice… or at least, the ones we’re currently living by. 

💡 Explore These Resources

• More from Joe Pulizzi on Creating Before Consuming
• More from Leigh Bardugo on Being As You Mean to Go On

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #45 | AMA: Ask Matt (and Lauren) Anything
• Ep #95 | How Podcasting Changed Our Game (and How it Can Change Yours Too)
• Ep #130 | Showing Up Effectively and Authentically on YouTube

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

Your audience and your community aren't the same thing. Your audience is your fans, readers and followers, but your community is the group of people who show up to bond over shared interests and ideas.

In this episode, Lauren & Chelsea go beyond the importance of community for authors and creators. We discuss the practicalities of hosting your own community, recognizing when to foster organic growth instead of trying to force engagement, and finding the value even in failed attempts at shifting from audience to community.

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #118 | How to Get Your Readers to Sell Your Book for You
• Ep #125 | Reality Check: 6 Publishing Trends for 2026
• Ep #131 | Giving Your Customers a Reason to Come Back

💡 Explore These Resources

• Watch → Ep #137 | Going Live From Your Living Room
• Watch → Lulu U | How to Build a Community of True Fans 
• Read → Joe Pulizzi | Stop Trying to Build a Community 
• Read → Lulu Blog | The 1,000 True Fan Theory: Sustainable Income for Creators
• Learn More About Fictionary
• Learn More About Women in Publishing

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Matt puts Lauren in the hot seat for a podcaster to podcaster interview! We’re exploring Lauren’s brand new podcast, and digging into the practical realities of starting a passion project while maintaining your day job.   

💡 Check out Alternative Park Days!

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #53 | How to Create A Writing Habit That Actually Sticks
• Ep #126 | 13 Lessons Taylor Swift Has Taught Me About Marketing
• Ep #133 | Building Excitement Before Your Book Launch
• Ep #137 | Going Live From Your Living Room

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Matt & Lauren are joined by the incredible creator, author, entrepreneur, and friend, Justin Moore! We’re checking in on Justin’s goal to sell 10,000 copies of his book Sponsor Magnet, and diving into how the book has impacted his brand, his business, and his legacy. 

“It was the best thing that I've ever done professionally. Was write the book. And consciously kill off these other revenue streams because of it.”

💡 Explore These Resources

• Learn more about Sponsor Magnet & Sponsor Games
• Read our Case Study with Justin
• Watch Justin’s iconic Emo Song Reel 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #79 | How Justin Moore Sold Over 1,000 Books in 90 Days
• Ep #113 | What Authors and Creators Can Learn From Each Other
• Ep #130 | Showing Up Effectively and Authentically on YouTube
• Ep #136 | Measuring Your Publishing ROI

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Matt & Lauren tackle the biggest struggle of the season: holiday sales! 

Whether this is your first year selling direct or you’re just looking for new ways to tighten up your end of the year book sales and marketing efforts, we want to make sure you’re not leaving easy money on the table this year!

💡 High Level Holiday Help

• Lulu.com | Preparing for Holiday Book Sales
• Lulu.com | Gift Ideas 

💡Part 1: Know Your Campaign Goals

• Ep #119 | Marketing Your Book to Humans by Optimizing for Robots
• Ep #131 | Giving Your Customers a Reason to Come Back

💡 Part 2: Get Your Products Holiday Ready

• Ep #83 | Calendars Are Still Cool (We Can Prove It)
• Blog | What the Hell Is Metadata?
• YouTube | DIY Holiday Gift Ideas 

💡 Part 3: Get Your Storefront Holiday Ready

• Ep #41 | Getting Your Bookstore Ready for the Holidays
• Blog | 9-Step Holiday Preparation Guide For Independent Booksellers
• Blog | Lulu Direct Buy Button Setup Guide

💡 Part 4: Proactively Provide Customer Support

• Ep #92 | 5 Customer Service Tips for Ecommerce Success
• Blog | Customer Service and Your Ecommerce Business

💡 Part 5: Build a Realistic Holiday Marketing Plan

• Ep #133 | Building Excitement Before Your Book Launch
• Ep #136 | Measuring Your Publishing ROI
• Blog | Black Friday & Cyber Monday Holiday Sales Planning
• Webinar | Holiday Marketing Tips for Non-Fiction Authors with Alexa Bigwarfe 

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Lauren & Chelsea finally tackle the topic you’ve all been waiting for: how to actually go live on your social media channel of choice. We share our favorite tips and insights into...

🎥 How different types of live content can help support your brand goals

🎥 Building and growing your live studio and tech stack

🎥 What you need to go live today (after you listen to the episode, obviously)

And a ton of our favorite ideas for live video content! Tune in now, or watch the episode in all its video glory on YouTube.

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #66 | How Authors Can Use Long-Form Video to Build Their Brand
• Ep #130 | Showing Up Effectively and Authentically on YouTube
• Ep #131 | Giving Your Customers a Reason to Come Back

💡 Explore These Resources

• Lulu University Playlist on YouTube
• Blog | YouTube for Authors
• London Writers’ Salon

💡 See Our Video Tech Stack

• Ecamm
• RODE Wireless Micro & Wireless Pro Lavalier Mics
• Shure MV7+ Mics
• Phone Tripod and Ring Light
  
  

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Matt & Lauren attempt to calculate the complete, all-in investment required to publish a book. Or at least, they encourage you to do that math yourself. We break down different expenses to consider when measuring your return on investment, including: 

📖 Book Production Costs

🧲 Marketing & Promotional Costs

⚙️ Operational Costs

Understanding your business expenses and profits is essential! Tune in now, or watch the episode on YouTube. 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #47 | Metrics That Matter: A Guide for Authors & Creators
• Ep #54 | Can Books Add Value to Your Business (Beyond Just Revenue)?
• Ep #129 | The Real Cost Behind Selling Books Direct

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Lulu’s VP of Software & Product Development, Nick Foster! 

Tune in for a conversation exploring the development of Lulu’s publishing technology, the parallels between creators and developers, and how tools like the brand new Lulu Direct Buy Button came to life. 

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the episode on YouTube.

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #106 | Building Your Book Business Using Lulu’s Print APIs
• Ep #108 | Developing Publishing Technology with Lulu’s CTO Christoph Kepper
• Ep #131 | Giving Your Customers a Reason to Come Back
• Ep #134 | Direct Sales Solutions for Creators at Every Stage

💡 Explore These Resources

• Learn more about the Direct Buy Button
• Tutorial | Direct Buy Button Setup

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Blog | Lulu Is a Technology Company
• Blog | Simplify Selling Books with Lulu’s Order Import Tool
• Blog | Understanding API: Lulu Book Printing

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore four different direct sales solutions for authors, creators, and entrepreneurs at every stage of the journey! Learn how to sell direct by:

📚 Fulfilling multiple orders with the Order Import Tool

💡 Skipping the store setup with Lulu’s Direct Buy Button 

🔌 Connecting to major ecommerce platforms with Lulu Direct plugins

🛠️ Building a custom experience with Lulu’s Print API

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the episode on YouTube!

💡 Choose the Direct Sales Strategy for You

• Ep #109 | Choosing Your Direct Sales Strategy
• Blog | Choosing the Right Direct-to-Consumer Solution for Selling Your Books
• Lulu U Video | How to Get Started with Direct Sales 

💡 Learn About the Order Import Tool

• Blog | Simplify Selling Books with Lulu’s Order Import Tool
• Tutorial Video | How to Use Lulu's Order Import Tool
• Webinar | Order Import Tool-torial

💡 Learn About the Direct Buy Button

• Blog | Lulu Direct Buy Button Setup Guide
• Tutorial Video | How to Set Up a Lulu Buy Button for Direct Sales

💡 Learn About the Lulu Direct plugins

• Ep #128 | Which Ecommerce Platform is Right for Your Bookstore?
• Blog | Shopify vs. Wix vs. WooCommerce: Which Platform is Right for Your Book?
• Lulu U Video | Lulu Direct vs Print API Explained (Which Should You Use?) 

 💡 Learn About the Print API

• Ep #106 | Building Your Book Business Using Lulu’s Print APIs
• Blog | Scaling Your Business with Custom Books Using the Print API
• YouTube Playlist | Lulu’s Print API
  
  
  

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!
💀 Email us at [email protected]
💀 Sign up for our mailing list.