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]
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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.

In this episode, Matt & Lauren invite listeners to ride the pre-launch marketing roller coaster. We debate the different stages of building, leveraging, and maintaining excitement for an upcoming book or product, and share ideas for: 

🎢 Building anticipation before the launch announcement 

🎢 Maintaining momentum between announcement and launch

🎢 Spreading that excitement to new audiences

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

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #57 | How to Use a Preorder Campaign to Boost Your Book Launch
• Ep #85 | Maintaining Momentum After Your Book Launch
• Ep #118 | How to Get Your Readers to Sell Your Book for You

💡 Explore These Resources

• Check Out Lauren Asher’s Instagram Countdown
• Lulu Blog | How to Plan & Promote Your Book Pre-Launch
• Lulu University | How to Launch Your Book in 4 Steps 

💀 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 & Matt examine the rising popularity, significance, and value of backlist titles in the publishing industry. We consider why back catalogs are bigger and better than ever, what this means for the future of the industry, and how indie authors and publishers can make the most of their own backlist title trends. 

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

💡 Explore These Resources

• Lulu U | How to Sell More Books with Your Backlist (Marketing Strategies for Authors and Publishers) 
• Publishers Weekly | Media Do Agrees to Buy Seven Seas 
• Thomson Reuters | Thomson Reuters and KKR Announce Joint Venture for Thomson Reuters Global Print Business 
• BookRiot | The Best-Selling Backlist Books of 2025 
• Bublish | AI Author Toolkit

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #59 | Mastering Book Metadata to Maximize Market Reach
• Ep #64 | Extend Your Books Shelf Life with Backlist Book Marketing
• Ep #102 | What the Publishing Industry Should Learn from Heated Rivalry
• Ep #111 | Plot Twist: Indie Authors are Landing More Traditional Publishing Deals than Ever
• Ep #119 | Marketing Your Book to Humans by Optimizing for Robots

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Print-on-Demand is the Perfect Solution for Selling Backlist Titles
• 8 Simple Ideas for Backlist Book Marketing
• Digital Printing for Traditional Publishers

💀 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 examine the content and strategies that inspire one-time customers to become devoted, loyal fans of your brand. Give your customers, readers, fans, and casual visitors a reason to come back again and again and again…

💡 Providing a personal customer experience 

💡 Keeping customers engaged between purchases

💡 Driving new fans back to your brand after they purchase 

Listen now for more ideas to turn casual shoppers into die-hard fans! Streaming wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube.

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #15 | Can You Really Support Your Business With Just 1,000 True Fans?
• Ep #68 | Maximizing Your Chances of Discoverability in Generative AI Search
• Ep #118 | How to Get Your Readers to Sell Your Book for You
• Ep #119 | Marketing Your Book to Humans by Optimizing for Robots

💡 Explore These Resources

• Lulu U | Why People Buy: Using Psychology to Sell More Books
• Bread Financial | The State of the American Shopper
• Clutch | Is Brand Loyalty Dead? Just Be Transparent
• G2 | 50 Customer Retention Statistics to Check Out in 2026
• Attentive | 2026 State of Loyalty & Retention Report

💡 Check out Matt & Lauren’s Favorite Brands

• Violent Gentlemen
• The Lost Bros

💀 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 is joined by Lulu’s Education & Community Manager and YouTube expert, Chelsea Bennett! We sit down for a deep dive conversation about using YouTube to connect with your audience and support your brand, talking through ideas like:

▶️ Why and how we approach YouTube as its own channel

▶️ Using video to set audience expectations and build trust

▶️ Recognizing the long-term value of video content

And of course, how to stay authentic while still being strategic! Listen now to learn more, or experience the video episode as the internet intended: on YouTube! 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #66 | How Authors Can Use Long-Form Video to Build Their Brand 
• Ep #86 | Maximizing Your First Impression in the Attention Economy
• Ep #119 | Marketing Your Book to Humans by Optimizing for Robots

💡 Explore These Resources 

• Blog | YouTube For Authors
• YouTube | Lulu University

💡 Enjoy These Recommendations 

• Defunctland
• James Blackwood - Raccoon Whisperer
• LaShonda Brown
• Russell Nohelty
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

💀 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 continue the conversation they started in Episode #128 and dig into the cost involved in selling direct. Learn more about what expenses you should account for as you launch, maintain, and grow your ecommerce store, including:

💰 Annual subscriptions for your domain name and ecommerce solutions

🛒 Transaction, fulfillment, and operational plugins 

📈 Brand growth and store maintenance tools 

And the unexpected “costs” that aren’t just money. Listen now to learn more, or watch the video episode on YouTube!

💡 Explore These Resources

• Lulu’s Book Pricing Calculator 
• Learn More About Selling Direct with Lulu
• Blog | Budgeting Basics for Content Creators
• Blog | Choosing the Right Direct-to-Consumer Solution for Selling Your Books

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #31 | Your 7-Step Guide to Building an Online Bookstore
• Ep #39 | Pain Point Solutions for Your Ecommerce Store
• Ep #96 | Building a Landing Page for Your Book
• Ep #107 | Scaling for Success with Automated Book Fulfillment Solutions

💀 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 & Matt explore the top five most popular ecommerce platforms in the market today. We review Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and BigCommerce, taking a look at: 

🤩 What makes these platforms so popular

⚖️ The pros and cons of each platform

👍🏼 Which platforms are the best fit for different authors, creators, and entrepreneurs 

Listen now, or watch the video episode on YouTube, to learn more about each of these platforms and how to choose the right one for you!

💡 Explore These Resources

• Shopify | 11 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Your Business in 2026
• Technology Advice | 10 Best Ecommerce Platforms for 2026 (Tested & Ranked)

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #31 | Your 7-Step Guide to Building an Online Bookstore
• Ep #70 | How Does Selling Direct Actually Work?
• Ep #109 | Choosing Your Direct Sales Strategy

💡 Learn More About

• Shopify 
• WooCommerce
• Wix 
• Squarespace
• BigCommerce
• Books.by
• The Bookshelf
• StorytellerOS
  
  

💀 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.