Publish & Prosper

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. 

Dive Deeper

💡 Learn More About Kickstarter

💡 Check Out Some of Our Favorite Kickstarter Campaigns

• Johnny Truant
• Lorenzo Etherington
• Brandon Sanderson

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Crowdfunding to Publish Your Book
• Dropshipping for Entrepreneurs & Creators With Lulu’s Order Import Tool

💡 Watch These Videos

• How to Crowdfund Your Book
• Crowdfund Your Dream Project with Kickstarter | Lulu Webinar
  
  

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?”

🎙️ [22:12] “It doesn't have to be this insane number of people backing your campaign or pledging to your campaign, especially when you get creative with those different reward tiers and stuff like that.”

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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. 


Dive Deeper

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Think Outside The Bot: How AI Can Help Content Creators
• Using Custom AIs to Grow Your Content Business

💡 Watch These Videos

• How to Create a Multi-Million-Dollar Business From Your Business Book | Webinar with Joe Pulizzi 
• How Content Creators Are Using ChatGPT and 10 Other AI Tools | CEX 2023 Session Recording with Marketing AI Institute
• AI for Authors - How Can We Use It? | Write Publish Sell Webinar

💡 Learn more about the Marketing AI Institute AI for Writers Summit


Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [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, our YouTube channel, and more.
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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.

Dive Deeper

💡 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

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [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.”

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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.


Dive Deeper

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• The Independent Author’s Guide to Thriving Without Amazon
• How To Convince Readers To Buy Books Directly From You
• Is Selling Your Book on Amazon Enough?
• Avoiding The Amazon Trap

💡 Watch our webinar Is Selling On Amazon Enough?


Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [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, our YouTube channel, and more.
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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. 


Dive Deeper

💡 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


Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [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, our YouTube channel, and more.
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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. 


Dive Deeper

💡 Check out Written Word Media

💡 Check out BookFunnel

💡 Learn how to set up BookBub Ads

💡 Read Social Media 101: Facebook, Instagram, and X


Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [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, our YouTube channel, and more.
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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.

Dive Deeper

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• The Complete Book Marketing Plan for Authors and Creators 
• How to Pitch Your Book for Earned Promotion
• Selling Your Book on Consignment With Indie Bookstores
• Your Guide to Blog Tours and At-Home Marketing

💡 Watch These Videos

• Speaking to Sell Books Webinar with NFA’s Stephanie Chandler
• How to Write a Book Description That Sells
• How to Get Book Reviews

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [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, our YouTube channel, and more.
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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. 


Dive Deeper

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Social Media 101 for Authors
• Basic Social Media Book Promotion
• Social Media Promotion

💡 Watch These Videos

• TikTok, BookTube, and Instagram - Oh My! Webinar
• How to Get More Readers From Pinterest Webinar

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [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, our YouTube channel, and more.
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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. 


Dive Deeper

💡 Check Out These Reports

• Lulu & The Tilt’s Creator Insights Report
• Email marketing stats from HubSpot’s State of Marketing in 2024 report
• Written Word Media’s 2023 The State of Indie Authorship report 

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Email Marketing for Authors
• How to Build an Author Email List
• Email Marketing for Ecommerce from Mktg Rhythm
• Email List Management Best Practices from Campaign Monitor
• 5 Ideas To Acquire Email Addresses From Your Social Media Audience from The Tilt 
• The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing for Authors from ConvertKit
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [4:49] “The other thing that's great about email marketing though, and I think that is probably the most important thing to touch on, is that email marketing is pretty much the only channel or marketing tactic where you can pretty much own your audience and it doesn't necessarily belong to somebody else. And that's really important these days when you're trying to not only build [an] audience, but build a business over time.”

🎙️ [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.” 

🎙️ [33:18] “If they don't click through, then what's the point? And they're not going to click through if the subject line doesn't convey the reason why they should.”

💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more.
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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. 


Dive Deeper

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Complete Book Marketing Plan
• How to Plan & Promote Your Book Pre-Launch
• How to Pitch Your Book for Earned Promotion
• How to Grow Your Author Network
• 8 Ideas for Backlist Book Marketing

💡 Watch These Videos

• Plan your marketing timeline
• Discover the marketing mistakes you’re making
• Learn how to get into public speaking to sell more books

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [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, you can imagine how complicated launch day marketing is going to be.” 

🎙️ [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, our YouTube channel, and more.
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