Publish & Prosper

In this episode, Matt & Lauren examine the ways book marketing has changed in an AI and algorithm-driven world. We identify a few of the biggest shifts we’ve seen, like prioritizing trust signals over keywords, and share our insights into:

😱 Common mistakes we see authors & creators making

🤩 Proactive moves we see authors & creators making

🤔 Things you can do right now to better position your strategy

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

Dive Deeper

💡 Explore These Resources

• Lulu Blog | Discoverability in the Age of AI Search

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #68 | Maximizing Your Chances of Discoverability in Generative AI Search
• Ep #78 | How to Use Generative AI to Sell More Books
• Ep #86 | Maximizing Your First Impression in the Attention Economy
  
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [18:39] “The more evergreen content that you have out there, the more content that you put out there that will stand the test of time and again prove that you are human, that you write for humans, that your content speaks and relates to humans, the better off you're going to be.”

🎙️ [51:45] “We are not saying write content that is targeted towards the robots. We're saying write content that is targeted towards humans, because that's what the robots are looking for.”

💀 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 share strategies for how to get your readers and fans to help sell your books for you! We break down the importance of building a dedicated audience around your brand, review the different ways authors and entrepreneurs mobilize their fans, and offer up tips for putting these ideas into action. 

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

Dive Deeper

💡 Explore These Resources

• Cosmopolitan | Bring Back Men Who Yearn
• Lulu Blog | How to Turn Casual Followers into Dedicated Super Fans
• Lulu U | How to Build a Community of True Fans 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #15 | Can You Really Support Your Business With Just 1,000 True Fans?
• Ep #24 | How to Turn Your Casual Fans into Super Fans
• Ep #86 | Maximizing Your First Impression in the Attention Economy
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [11:45] “But I think that all of that advice and all that strategy and all that how to, really actually just boils down to: you have to give your audience a reason to care about you and a reason to want to talk about you.”

🎙️ [31:20] “And that's where I think micro-influencers are really useful. Not in the traditional way that we think of influencer marketing, but that building relationships through relationships kind of marketing.”

🎙️ [55:32] “Building that ecosystem is extremely important. Nobody wants to do this on their own. It's not easy. And so when you can build yourself a little army, I think that just exponentially increases your success rate.”

💀 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 break down the elements of a print book. We review exterior and interior design choices, explain how different elements fit together, examine variance in print copies, and share tips for how to avoid confusion between your digital designs and print book. 

Dive in from the beginning for a complete crash course in print book design, or skip ahead to learn about:

• [7:00] – Exterior Book Design (Trim Size, Binding Type, Cover Finish)
• [18:11] – Interior Book Design (Paper Types, Ink Types)
• [26:01] – Print Variants  
• [33:08] – Fitting Design Elements Together
• [37:49] – Designing for Print vs. Digital
• [43:43] – Understanding Print Variance
• [53:55] – Being Proactive with Your Book Design
• [1:03:58] – Episode Wrap Up

To maximize your print book mastery, we recommend watching this episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Explore These Resources

• Lulu’s Pricing Calculator
• Check Out Matt’s Book! 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #72 | Build Your Own Book: Design Choices for Print Books
• Ep #93 | Tales from the Scrypt: Self-Publishing Horror Stories (and How to Survive Them)

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• The Anatomy of a Book
• How Books Are Made: From PDF to Printed & Bound
• 5 Visual Indicators Your Book Is Self-Published

💡 Watch The Life of a Book

💀 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!
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In this episode, Lauren successfully cons Matt into talking about fanfiction again. This time we explore the recent shift in the way traditional publishing approaches fanfiction, and the new trend of openly acquiring popular fanfiction like Manacled and All the Young Dudes. 

Learn more about the legality of publishing fanfiction, how these practices have changed in the last few years, and what we think this says about the future of the publishing industry. 

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

Dive Deeper

💡 Explore These Resources

• NPR | 3 Harry Potter fan fiction authors are coming to a bookstore near you
• Wired | Lots of People Make Money on Fanfic. Just Not the Authors
• Bustle |  SenLinYu Reveals How 'Alchemised' & Their Fanfic, 'Manacled,' Came To Be 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #65 | How to Copyright the Copy That You Wrote
• Ep #77 | Lauren Finally Gets to Talk About Fanfiction
• Ep #111 | Plot Twist: Indie Authors are Landing More Traditional Publishing Deals than Ever

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• What Is Fanfiction and Why Does It Matter?
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [11:44] “Never have I wanted to jump out of this seat so badly in the two years that we've done this.” – Matt

🎙️ [39:55] “I just think it's all indicative of this bigger sign that, that publishing is moving in this direction of more and more – like, they're looking to indie creators for proven value, for proven audience, for like, we're not taking a risk on unknown, on people that don't have an audience base, people that don't have any kind of proof of concept whatsoever.” – Lauren

💀 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!
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In this episode, Matt & Lauren share strategies for how to find, research, and hire the best possible freelancers to help you bring your book to life. Whether you need help with editing, formatting, designing, or marketing, these guidelines can help you assemble your dream team for long-term publishing success! 

We talk through steps like: 

• Understanding different types of freelancers 
• The three best places to start your search (and research)
• Narrowing your pool of applicants to a shortlist of top candidates

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

Dive Deeper

💡 Explore These Resources

• Lulu’s Trusted Partners & Pros
• Editorial Freelancers Association
• Fiverr

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #8 | Self-Publishing is a Team Sport
• Ep #20 | Do You Need to Hire Professional Editors for Your Book?
• Ep #93 | Tales from the Scrypt: Self-Publishing Horror Stories (and How to Survive Them)

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Build Your Publishing Team
• How to Choose an Editor

💡 Watch These Videos

• Types of Book Editing and How to Get Them Done
• How to Build Your Publishing Dream Team
• Webinar | Take Your Story to the Next Level with Experts from Lulu and Fiverr   
  
  

💀 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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Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, the mechanics behind distributing your book to online and brick-and-mortar bookstores are the same. But for indie authors doing it on their own, it’s imperative that you get the details just right. 

So in this episode, Lauren & Matt embark on an exciting adventure through the retail distribution cycle! We talk through: 

🔑  Understanding the key players in the distribution game

📚  The 4 most important stages from book publication to bookstore shelf

🎯  What indie authors need to do to set their book up for success 

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

Dive Deeper

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #37 | How to Get Your Book Into Indie Bookstores
• Ep #59 | Mastering Book Metadata to Maximize Market Reach
• Ep #68 | Maximizing Your Chances of Discoverability in Generative AI Search
• Ep #90 | How to Get Your Book Into Libraries

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• What the Hell Is Metadata?
• Genres, BISAC Subject Codes, and You
• How Retail Book Distribution Actually Works

💡 Explore These Resources from the Lulu Knowledge Base

• Global Distribution: The Basics
• Mandatory Print Book Distribution Requirements
• Common Retail Distribution Rejection Reasons
  
  
  

💀 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, Matt & Lauren reflect on their recent trips to two dramatically different events: London Book Fair and Sponsor Games.

One is an international event attended by over 33,000 publishing industry professionals from around the world; the other is an intimate, interactive gathering of content entrepreneurs dedicated to learning how to secure brand deals and sponsorships.

Attending these two events back-to-back highlighted the overlap and discrepancies between two types of creative audiences, so we’re asking the questions:

🤔 What can authors learn from content creators/entrepreneurs?

💡 What can content creators learn from authors? 

🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 What does it look like when someone is taking the best from both worlds? 

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

Dive Deeper

💡 Learn More About These Events

• Publishers Weekly’s LBF Recap | A ‘Buzzy and Busy’ Fair 
• Sponsor Games
• Momentum
• IBPA Publishing University
• Lulu’s 2026 Event Schedule

💡 Learn More About These Creators

• The Maker’s Table with Jeff Sieh and Katie Fawkes
• Katie Cross
• Austin L. Church

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #63 | Beyond the Algorithm: Relationship Marketing for Authors & Publishers [Video: Live from London Book Fair 2025]
• Ep #86 | Maximizing Your First Impression in the Attention Economy
• Ep #111 | Plot Twist: Indie Authors are Landing More Traditional Publishing Deals than Ever

💀 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 sits down with Emily Bair, Lulu’s VP of Business Development to explore how brands, publishers, and creators are using print products. Emily shares her insights on topics like: 

• Why more businesses are revisiting and rethinking print products
• The “aha moments” when print-on-demand solutions click
• What authors and creators can learn from these larger brands and businesses

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

Dive Deeper

💡 Connect with Emily on LinkedIn

💡 Learn more about Lulu’s Enterprise Business Solutions

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #80 | Scaling Up: What to Know About Bulk Book Printing
• Ep #97 | How Print-On-Demand is Fueling the Resurgence of Magazines
• Ep #102 | What the Publishing Industry Should Learn from Heated Rivalry

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• 5 Ways Large Organizations Can Benefit from Lulu's Book Solutions
• Digital Printing for Traditional Publishers
• How to Create Print-On-Demand Magazines for Your Business
  
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [6:00] “Some of these larger, like, Fortune 1000 companies, and some of the bigger brands, also are seeing a renaissance in print in and of itself… It's starting to become now one of like, the main channels that they're using to break the noise in the space as well.”

🎙️ [16:46] “Right now when it seems like AI, it's just accelerated everybody's path to market. If you're not, you know, a first mover in certain things, like, that can be a big deal. That can be a make or break moment for you. So having more speed and more flexibility, I think, is super important right now.”

🎙️[9:14] “It's funny, earlier you said, you know, this, this whole shift to digital, but it's, it's somewhat ironical that, you know, it's a shift to digital to go back to analog.”

💡 Ironical → The irony of pointing out someone else’s derivations while also making up your own words (as coined by Matt)

🎙️ [26:26] “We've also had larger organizations, like that do, like, electricianal... like recertifications and things like that.” “Electricianal. Is that a word now?” “I made it up.”

💡Electricianal → Of or relating to the work, practice, and training all electricians do (as coined by Emily) 

💀 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!
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In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore the rapidly rising trend in indie authors signing major traditional publishing deals. The real plot twist? These days the authors are the ones with the negotiating power and leverage. We talk through:

🔮 How media influences publishing trends

💡 Outdated self-publishing stigmas (and what publishers are actually interested in)

🤔 Why indie authors would want to secure a publishing deal

And answer a few key questions to help indie authors interested in securing traditional publishing deals! Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video episode on YouTube.

Dive Deeper

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #36 | The Indie Author’s Guide to Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
• Ep #65 | How to Copyright the Copy That You Wrote
• Ep #71 | International Book Rights for Indie Authors

💡 Explore These Resources

• Wall Street Journal (Paywalled) | Interview with Hugh Howey
  • Wired (Archive) | Interview with Hugh Howey
• Publishers Weekly | Book Deals Feed
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ “This is an opportunity for you to have a team of people that are helping you with your brand expansion, or with getting you in front of new audiences or licensing your, your foreign rights or your media rights and handling all that for you.”

🎙️ “The point is, you have leverage and you can use that to get a more flexible contract and something that works better for you.”

🎙️ “Anytime you can break norm, anytime you can affect, you know, some mundane, archaic practice that's been in place for hundreds of years? Do it. And this is just another example of that. And whether you want to chalk that up to they're just a business and they're following the dollars, who cares? There’s evolution happening.”

💀 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 & Matt have a conversation exploring why print needs to be part of your creator strategy. We consider the current state of digital content, influenced by algorithms and AI, and how content entrepreneurs can use print books to better establish their brand longevity and legacy (and, of course, to make money). 

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

Dive Deeper

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #33 | Books You Can Create Using Your Existing Content
• Ep #58 | Creative Ways to Use Print-On-Demand to Support Your Business
• Ep #79 | How Justin Moore Sold Over 1,000 Books in 90 Days

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Creators’ Guide to Monetizing Your Content
• Turning Your Content Into a Book: A Step-by-Step Guide for Creators

💡 Watch These Videos

• How to Launch a Print Subscription
• 6 Unique Ways to Use Print-on-Demand 
• Ep #105 [Video] | Are You Selling Books or Selling with Books?
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [8:34] “How do you make that content last? How do you make it tangible? And how do you use it to reach people in a way that isn't going to immediately disappear?”

🎙️ [33:47] “'I’ve yet to ever receive a book or a piece of printed content or something where I was as quick to toss it as I am 90% of the emails that come into my inbox every day.”

🎙️ [51:21] “I think, honestly, in an age where everybody's attached to devices, the obvious play is to do something different. And that's print.”

💀 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.