Publish & Prosper

In this episode, Matt & Lauren discuss some of the most important questions asked by authors and creators - is it worth it to publish my books in print? Are readers still buying print books, or is print dead?


Dive Deeper

💡Review the Data

• Overall book sales & revenue statistics, reported by Words Rated
• How print book sales in 2023 compared to previous years, reported by Publishers Weekly 
• An overview of the state of the book retail market, reported by Statista
• Print book sales by year, reported by Statista

💡 Learn More About

• How to Crowdfund Your Book With Kickstarter
• The 1,000 True Fans Theory
• Lorenzo Etherington’s record-breaking crowdfunded book series

💡 Watch These Videos

• Crowdfund Your Dream Project With Kickstarter
• How to Build a Community of True Fans
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [16:35] “I just assumed people really kind of understood the statistics and metrics around print books and the popularity of it. And the fact is that's not true. A lot of people don't realize that print books are still so popular that they consistently outsell ebooks and audiobooks.”

🎙️ [24:39] “Most people when asked would prefer to buy directly from their creator of choice, whether that is an online course or a book, they would prefer to buy directly from the creator and support the creator and their efforts.”

🎙️ [32:46] “At the end of the day, I think as a creator who is creating content for others to consume, that should be your goal. Maximizing not only the channels to which you get your content to market, but you know, really turning followers into fans and then fans into super fans. And the only way to do that is to offer them more of your content, whether that means more content, or more formats of that same content, or special editions.”

💀 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 discuss the publishing, design, and marketing experts that you may want to help you self-publish your book.

We take a look at hybrid publishers, different types of editors, and interior versus exterior designers. Plus, hear our thoughts on which services are a must-do and which we think you can DIY to help keep costs low, a few suggestions for tools designed to help you with different publishing steps, and some of our favorite self-editing tips. 


Dive Deeper

💡 Browse our list of publishing pros

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Don't Sweat It, Edit
• Vellum Review
• Affinity Publisher
• How to Self-Publish

💡 Watch These Videos

• Learn more about Types of Book Editing and How to Get Them Done
• See how Fiverr can connect you with publishing pros 

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [13:43] “When it comes to having a really great cover versus having a well-edited book, if you're going to pay for just one of these services. I've had plenty of examples where my friends will say, ‘hey, I know the cover on this book is like absolute garbage, but the book itself is so good. So just, like, ignore the cover and just go dive right into the book’…No one has ever said to me ‘the writing is trash, but the cover is pretty. So you should read it.’”

🎙️ [29:58] “I'm sure I've said this before, and I know I'll say it again. If you wait until the day you publish your book to start promoting your book, you have already missed the boat entirely.”

🎙️ [31:59] “I just don't think it's worth it to pay, you know, an agency or anybody else to really help you with the marketing of a book…we haven't seen many cases where the amount of money exchanged, especially for newer authors, really comes back as a viable return in the way of getting book sales, I think people really are able to make a good go of it themselves these days.”

💀 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.

Lulu.com is a print-on-demand self-publishing company. But what exactly is print-on-demand? And why is it such a popular business model? 

In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore the environmentally-friendly, budget-conscious benefits of print-on-demand. We also answer a few FAQs about POD, including why it takes a little extra time to receive your book, what you can expect from the book’s production quality, and whether or not print-on-demand is more expensive than offset printing. Listen now to discover why print-on-demand is the future of publishing! 


Dive Deeper

💡Watch These Videos

• The Life of A Book 
• 5 Things to Know About Print-on-Demand

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• How Books Are Made
• 5 Visual Indicators Your Book is Self-Published
• What is Print-on-Demand?

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️  [13:56] “But at the end of the day, when you factor all your costs in, your time spent doing things, what you have to put out upfront versus what you can pay on the back end later, and some of that other math, when you start adding those things up, in most cases, for most people, self-publishing with print on demand is usually the more budget-friendly and cost-conscious way to go.”

🎙️ [22:12] “Most places that utilize a print on demand process, digital printing of some sort, can provide you, upon request in most cases, a lot of the different things they do that contribute to a much better, and much more sustainable carbon footprint…I think when we talk about us as creators making conscious decisions to do certain things on certain processes, we really should think about that.”

🎙️ [32:38] “There is a reversal of that quality spectrum that's been happening over the last eight to ten years…I would definitely say that the quality of print on demand books is lightyears better now than it was ten to fifteen years ago.”

💀 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 and Lauren expound on the many reasons we’re passionate about sponsoring and attending in-person events. We talk about why we love meeting new people (even as a pair of introverts), the educational and inspirational benefits, networking and community-building opportunities, and more! 

Matt’s Famous Vegas Out-of-Office:

I am out of the office Monday, November 6th, through Friday, November 10th. While dodging casino zombies and buffet browsers, my team and I will be attending The 20Books author conference in Las Vegas. I don't drink, smoke, or gamble, so you can imagine how excited I am to spend a week in a hazmat suit every time I step out of my hotel room. I will do my best to reply to your email, but please cut me some slack if it takes a few days. If it takes more than 3 days, please notify the Las Vegas PD that I may have fallen victim to the aforementioned zombies.

Dive Deeper

💡 Sign up for Ann Handley’s Total Annarchy Newsletter
💡 Learn about Content Entrepreneur Expo or CEX

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Why Creator Events Are a Must for Creators & Entrepreneurs
• Should You Attend Content Entrepreneur Expo?
• Maximize Your Time at In-Person Events

💡 Watch These Videos

• CEX 2023 Video Playlist
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️[15:46] “The difference between hearing from a speaker that you could also just listen to their podcast, or read their blog. or whatever, and attending an in-person event is the other attendees there with you.” 

🎙️[26:14] “This is an environment where people are intentionally open to fostering connections with new people, which definitely takes some of the pressure off of networking and having those conversations…The type of networking that happens when you're there, in person, at an event is just different than what's going on on the internet.” 

🎙️[37:49] “Find other ways to make the trip more beneficial for you as well in terms of an ROI. Maybe there's some people you can set up meetings with while you're there that can help further along some of the objectives you might have for the year, content exchanges, things like that.” 

💀 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 and Matt address the robot in the room – artificial intelligence! We share a few of our favorite ways to use AI and generative AI tools to help streamline content creation. Learn how we use AI as a research and analytics aid, to help with drafting and outlining content, to come up with variations on email subject lines and titles, and more! 


Dive Deeper

💡Curious about any of the AI or resources we referenced in the episode? Check them out: 

• ChatGPT
• DALL-E
• Midjourney
• Bard
• Semrush Writing Assistant 
• Grammarly
• Brian Fanzo
• Marketing AI Institute
• Conversations With AI

💡Read Think Outside The Bot: How AI Can Help Content Creators and Using Custom AIs to Grow Your Content Business on the Lulu Blog

💡Watch  Ann Handley’s CEX 2023 Keynote on How to Write Like a Robot Can't: Finding Your Writing Voice in an AI World


Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [11:47] “I think the main way, right now, that most people are using it with any sort of success rate and efficiency rate is using it to buy back time in your day.”

🎙️ [15:38] ““Asking ChatGPT ‘can you break this down and explain it in a way that a room full of high school students, or take it deeper and say a room full of fifth graders, would understand,’ you'd be amazed at what you get back.””

🎙️ [41:39] “For whatever you're doing with it right now, whether that's not using it and being afraid of it, or whether that's starting to experiment with it and getting over your fears, or whether you consider yourself an expert in it right now…this is still the dumbest version of it you'll ever use, because it's changing every single day. So if you're finding value in it today, or you're gonna take some of these things we talked about back to your desk and try to make use of them, imagine if it's even the least bit helpful today, imagine how helpful it can be in your life six months from now, a year from now.”

💀 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 and Lauren tackle the question on every author and creator’s mind – can you actually make money from books? We share our favorite tactics for maximizing your book’s earning potential, including doing your market research, selling direct, making effective use of all your content, and more. Plus, we share some Lulu authors & creators who are doing it right! 


Dive Deeper

💡 Learn more about Katie Cross
💡 Learn more about Scarred for Life
💡 Learn more about Daren Smith
💡 Learn more about Limelight Publishing
💡 Learn more about Creative Explained

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• 14 Actionable Conversion Marketing Tactics To Sell More Books
• Maximizing Your Book's Potential With Market Research

💡 Watch These Videos

• Can You Make Money Self-Publishing? 
• How to Make Money Selling Books 

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [11:04] “If you start your marketing efforts for your book the day that the book goes on sale, you're already too late.”

🎙️ [23:27] “The ecommerce landscape is shifting. It's evolving quickly, but it's also shifting to where we're not just talking about website driven sales anymore. We're talking about the integration of ecommerce into social media channels…So as a book creator and seller, you need to be aware of those things and understand, again, what channels are your potential buyers hanging out, you know, your potential readers and new fans, where are they hanging out and you really should get yourself familiarized with the way that you can sell on those channels.”

🎙️ [30:00] “Monetizing your content with a book is great, but also using it as a way to establish yourself as a thought leader or an expert in your industry, using it to foster new connections, network, collaborate with your peers, open up new opportunities for something like a speaking engagement, guest podcast appearances. These are all ways that you're going to hopefully generate revenue and generate more business for yourself, and the book has helped you to do that.”

💀 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 tackle some common myths, misconceptions, and hesitations creators often share about selling direct!

We debunk concerns like, “I don’t know how to build my own website,” “I don’t have what it takes to run a business,” and “I rely on third-party platforms for discoverability.” Plus, we share why selling direct is the future of book publishing, and why we think it’s worth investing the time now to help your business flourish long-term. 

Dive Deeper

💡 Learn how Lulu Direct can help your business grow.
💡 Read These Blog Posts

• How To Convince Readers To Buy Books Directly From You
• Customer Service And Your Ecommerce Business 
• The 1,000 True Fan Theory: Sustainable Income For Creators 
• The Independent Author's Guide to Thriving Without Amazon

💡 Watch These Videos

• How To Sell Books Through Your Own Website 
• Customer Service Tips for Your Ecommerce Business
• Market Smarter, Not Harder with Direct Sales I Webinar  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [8:14] “At the end of the day, that's what you are. You're a small business owner. And so finding ways to push through and treat this as a business, it's something you have to do. If this is what you're going to do long-term, if you're in this for the long haul and you're trying to build a sustainable business from your writing or content creation efforts, you have to do this.”

🎙️ [34:04] “The work that you put in now to do things like access your customer data by selling direct and being able to remarket to them because you have all that information, that will help you later. That work that you're doing now is going to help you continue to grow your business in hopefully years to come.”

💀 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 traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing, and make a case for why self-publishing is the best path for today’s creators. 

Whether you're looking to grow your brand, make money, share your story, or establish yourself as an expert, there’s a publishing path for you. Discover the benefits of self-publishing, including complete creative control, faster time to market, and the opportunity to build a loyal fanbase. Plus, we take a look at how self-publishing could be your ticket to maximizing profits and achieving your brand goals.


Dive Deeper

💡Download your free copy of our Publishing for Growth ebook
💡Find out what creators like you are doing to grow their content business in our Creator Insights report.
💡Check out Jane Friedman’s Key Book Publishing Paths 
💡Read These Blog Posts

• Why Every Entrepreneur Should Publish
• The Publishing Journey: Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [15:06] “These days one of our biggest goals as creators is to grow an audience, and more importantly, you know, to turn that audience into what we would consider fans, or super fans, right? People who are going to give you money for your content at some point or some stage in that journey.”

🎙️ [18:20] “If that's something that's important to you, if growing your brand and owning your content is important to you, self-publishing is absolutely the correct path for you because you want to own the rights to your own content.”

🎙️ [21:52] “When you take on the responsibility of owning your content and selling it directly to your fans in your community through using self-publishing and direct sales tactics, you're the one collecting [customer] data. You know exactly how many people have bought your book or books, you have their names, their email addresses, and any other piece of information that comes through on that transaction on your platform, and you can use that data to remarket...When it comes to building a community and a brand and building up a dedicated audience of loyal fans, it starts with owning that data, and you can't do that if you're traditionally published.”

💀 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 and Lauren discuss how publishing a book can help you establish yourself as an expert or thought leader in your industry.

Your book can serve as a business card or lead magnet, as the foundation for a community of fans, and as a networking key to unlock doors to speaking engagements, guest appearances, collaborations, and more. Plus, a book will generate passive revenue for your business, supplement your existing products, courses, or services, and help you connect directly with your audience.


Dive Deeper:

💡Learn more about growing your brand or business with a book when you Publish for Growth.
💡Download our Publishing for Growth ebook.
💡Find out what creators like you are doing to grow their content business in our Creator Insights report. 

💡Read These Blog Posts

• Harness The Power Of Publishing
• Creators' Guide To Monetizing Your Content

💡Watch These Videos

• How to Use a Book for Lead Generation 
• How Content Creators Can Use Books

 
Sound Bites From This Episode:

🎙️ [1:38] “When we talk to people about using a book to grow your business…it always starts with positioning yourself as somebody that others would want to look to as the expert.”

🎙️[9:38] “[Publishing a book] gives you a reason to talk to people, which I think is for those of us that are more introverted, or even just for those of us that aren't great at…just walking up to somebody cold turkey and going like, ‘Hi, let me tell you all about me, myself, and I and my business,’ this is your reason.”

🎙️[30:25] “If you want to put your stuff on Amazon or Target.com or, you know, any other third-party retail platform or aggregator or distributor, do so, but do that in the sense that you're going to rely on them for discoverability…Don't ever direct the fans and followers and customers that you've already built up to some other third party when you could actually potentially sell that content directly to them, keep that customer data, keep those profit margins higher.”

💀 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.

Meet Matt Briel and Lauren Vassallo, hosts of Publish & Prosper, a new podcast where publishing, ecommerce, and marketing collide! Join us for a quick introductory episode where we talk about who we are, our experience in the self-publishing industry, and what you can expect from future Publish & Prosper episodes.
 

💀 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.