Publish & Prosper

In this episode, Lauren & Matt deep dive into book metadata and how it can better position your book in the market. Maximize your discoverability and reach with tips on choosing bookstore categories and BISAC codes, tools for keyword research, and best practices for making the most of your metadata.  

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Complete BISAC Subject Headings List

💡 Bublish's AI Author Toolkit

💡 Publisher Rocket 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #34 | Hooking New Readers With a Compelling Book Description
• Ep #37 | How to Get Your Book Into Indie Bookstores
• Ep #51 | Finding Your Niche, Your Ideal Reader, and Your Target Audience

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• SEO for Writers: A Deep Dive Into Keyword Research and Analysis
• Genres, BISAC Subject Codes, and You
• BISAC: What It Is and Why It Matters

💡 Watch These Videos

• What is Metadata? YouTube Short
• What the Hell is Book Metadata? 
• BISAC Codes and How to Choose Them
  
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [3:02] “Your metadata is relevant to you if you're selling direct, if you're doing distribution, if you're sticking to a single ecommerce solution, whatever it is, no matter what you're doing, your metadata is relevant to your book.”

🎙️ [15:28] “I think you should be marketing to human beings and not to algorithms.”

🎙️ [32:21] “Understanding that to prepare yourself for a future where search looks different than it does now being as concise and specific with your keywords is going to be more important 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 & Lauren explore different ways print-on-demand technology can support your business. We share ideas for creating books for internal use, brand awareness and loyalty projects, and new product lines to consider. 

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Episode #22 | Using Customer Data to Grow Your Business
• Episode #33 | Books You Can Create Using Your Existing Content
• Episode #54 | Can Books Add Value to Your Business (Beyond Just Revenue)?

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• 6 Ways to Publish a Book Without Writing a Book
• 6 Steps to Create and Print a Book for Beginners
• Harness the Power of Publishing: Using Your Book for Lead Generation

💡 Watch These Videos

• What Should I Publish? 10 Ideas Using Content You Already Have 
• The Content Entrepreneur's Guide to Book Publishing 

💡 Stephen Cabebe's book Disney Ready: Your Pain Free Parks Survival Guide

💡 How Armen Adamjan Uses Print-On-Demand To Turn Video Content Into Profitable Books

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [3:59] “This is not an episode about self-publishing a book to then use print-on-demand to then grow your business similar to some of the other episodes we've done, which are great. This is truly about the technology and functionality of print-on-demand in your business.”

🎙️ [22:23] “If you're listening to this and you're like, okay, but I already do that, but I just do it in like an email form or a PDF form or something like that. I'm like, just think about how much it's elevating the experience to get a physical printed copy of it.” 

🎙️ [30:25] “I would rather win your mailbox than to compete against your inbox or struggle in your DMs.”

💀 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 make a case for why every indie author should try using a preorder campaign to support their prelaunch marketing efforts and boost their book sales. We talk through how preorder campaigns can help you reach your target audience, different kinds of campaigns, and ways to collect your preorders. 

Watch this episode on YouTube!


Dive Deeper

💡 To Be Fair…

💡 BookBub | How Authors Use Preorders to Promote New Books in 2023 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Episode #10 | Marketing Your Book Pre-Launch, At-Launch, and Post-Launch
• Episode #13 | Earning Free Publicity for Your Book
• Episode #19 | Crowdfunding Your Self-Published Book With Kickstarter

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Managing Your Presales, Crowdfunding, and Book Launch
• Dropshipping for Entrepreneurs & Creators With Lulu's Order Import Tool
• Streamlining Kickstarter Fulfillment: How Kris Waldherr Used Lulu’s Order Import Tool
• How I Ran a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign for My Book

💡 Watch These Videos

• Lulu's Order Import Tool: Bulk Ordering Made Easy
• Why People Buy: Using Psychology to Sell More Books 
• Webinar | Crowdfund Your Dream Project with Kickstarter
  
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [4:34] “It is so much easier to market your book prelaunch. And the further out you start, for the most part, the easier it gets to market it.”

🎙️ [32:31] “Every time you do a preorder or a sales campaign or anything else where you're selling these things directly, that is an opportunity to gain more email addresses and customer contacts and build your own database.”

🎙️ [48:47] “I mean, you can do those things. But the point is you can go outside of the box and get more creative and drive more value and more urgency and incentive for people to want to be part of this preorder versus just picking up a copy afterwards.”

💀 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 answer questions about moving your books from Amazon to other ecommerce solutions, including global distribution and direct sales. Learn how to maximize your book’s availability, forge stronger connections with loyal readers, and grow your revenue when you go wide. 

Watch this episode on YouTube!


Dive Deeper

💡 Wide for the Win Facebook Group

💡 The Truth On Selling Books Direct: Insights from 876 Authors 

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #16 | The Indie Author's Guide to Thriving Without Amazon
• Ep #25 | Author Branding 101: Building a Brand Beyond Your Books
• Ep #31 | Your 7-Step Guide to Building an Online Bookstore

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Is Selling Your Book on Amazon Enough?
• The Independent Author's Guide to Thriving Without Amazon

💡 Watch These Videos

• Start Here Lulu U Video Playlist
• Webinar | Direct Sales for Fiction Authors with Michael Chatfield
  
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [1:57] “Going wide, specifically, is more the idea of maximizing your reach and discoverability by having your book available in as many different marketplaces as possible.”

🎙️ [23:03] “Eyeballs are really hard to catch these days. Attention is so short. There's so much white noise out there. Don't put in all that hard work or money or both, and then just send them somewhere else to buy it.”

🎙️ [47:07] “This is not an overnight decision. This is not something that you should decide after listening to this episode, yeah, you guys are right. I'm definitely going to do this. And tonight you're going to go home and pull all your books.”
“We are right. They should do this.”

💀 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 share tips for aspiring public speakers. We talk through presenting your best pitch to event organizers, targeting your ideal audience with your session title and description, and representing yourself with your speaker bio.

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Learn About CEX 2025

💡 Joe Pulizzi on LinkedIn

💡 Mic Drop Workshop

💡 Jeff Sieh

💡 Andrew Davis

💡 Mike Pacchione

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #13 | Earning Free Publicity for Your Book
• Ep #34 | Hooking New Readers With a Compelling Book Description
• Ep #46 | How to Maximize ROI on In-Person Events

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Why Creator Events Are a Must for Creators & Entrepreneurs
• How to Pitch Your Book for Earned Promotion

💡 Watch This Video

• Webinar with Stephanie Chandler | Speaking to Sell Books: ​​​​​​​Break into Professional Speaking to Reach More Readers 
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [10:05] “When pitching yourself to an event, whether it's a big one or a small one, you got to remember that the point of pitching yourself or the point is to convince the event organizers why you specifically can add value to that event.”

🎙️ [36:36] “Even if your speaking track record is extremely light or zero, you should still be confident in sharing your qualifications as to who you are and why you bring relevance to the topic and the event.”

🎙️ [52:15] “If you're pitching yourself to the correct events, this is the most qualified audience that you are ever going to get yourself in front of."

💀 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 tell you why publishing a book can do more for your business than just adding a new revenue stream.. Learn how books can establish your expert reputation, connect you with new audiences, and strengthen relationships with your existing fans.

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 The Tilt Newsletter

💡 The Business Book ROI Study

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #22 | Using Customer Data to Grow Your Business
• Ep #24 | How to Turn Your Casual Fans into Super Fans
• Ep #33 | Books You Can Create Using Your Existing Content

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Harness the Power of Publishing: Using Your Book for Lead Generation
• Scaling Your Business with Custom Books Using the Print API
• The Benefits of Writing a Book: Why Every Entrepreneur Should Publish

💡 Watch These Videos

• Webinar with Stephanie Chandler | Speaking to Sell Books: ​​​​​​​Break into Professional Speaking to Reach More Readers 
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [7:36] “Throughout your entire business journey, there's always going to be a need in most cases to establish some authority in the area with which you actually do business, whether you sell physical products or services… One of the best ways to do that, obviously, is to have a book in hand, right?”

🎙️ [15:54] “So many people still to this day think that because they have a social media channel presence of whatever amount of followers, it doesn't matter that they're doing great, they're riding high and they've got a viable business. Wrong. 100% wrong. If that business is built on Instagram, then Instagram has a business and followers – you don't.”

🎙️ [25:38] “A book can be a great buy-in opportunity for customers to test the water with you, or for potential customers to test the water with you.”

💀 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.

Is this the year you’re finally going to publish that book? Or maybe you just want to write more than you did last year. In this episode Lauren & Matt share tips for building a writing habit in a way that works best for you… and set a few lofty goals of their own. 

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Lulu Blog |  Writing & Editing, Software Reviews

💡 Audrey Hughey | The Write Services

💡 Related Episodes

• Ep #32 | 5 Things to Know Before You Start Publishing
• Ep #38 | From Manuscript to Market: 5+ Tools to Help You Draft, Publish, and Sell Your Book
• Ep #74 | Paul's Pod: Your Guide to Taking Your Writing Habit to the Next Level

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• How to Get Started Writing
• 6 Writing Habits to Write More
• How to Write a Book: A 6-Step Guide for Beginners

💡 Watch These Videos

• Webinar | Create Your Ultimate Authorship Plan for 2024 with Audrey Hughey
• Webinar | How To Write An Outline For A Nonfiction Book with Stefanie Newell
• Lulu U | 6 Tips to Create a Writing Habit that Sticks
  
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [16:25] “A lot of people want to talk about the importance of writing every day. I think it is more important to set yourself consistent goals that are achievable for you.”

🎙️ [25:02] “There's nothing worse than when you're just looking at a blinking cursor on a blank word doc and you've suddenly forgot just like every word that exists in the English language.”

💀 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 recap some of the hottest topics and trends in the publishing industry from 2024, and make a few predictions for 2025.   

Thanks for a great year of publishing and prospering with us! 

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Written Word Media | 2024 Indie Author Survey Results: Insights into Self Publishing for Authors

💡 Louis Grenier | $16k in 5 Days Book Launch Breakdown

💡 Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore

💡 Bublish’s AI Author Toolkit

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #18 | How Writers Can Harness the Power of AI
• Ep #38 | From Manuscript to Market: 5+ Tools to Help You Draft, Publish, and Sell Your Book
• Ep #43 | Make Your Self-Published Books Stand Out with Custom Details

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Direct-to-Consumer Bookselling
• Sudowrite Review
  
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [9:06] “I think that that also explains that huge jump we saw in stores being created and active this year versus last year, because I do really think that this year, more than ever, it connected for people and they've started sort of piecing this puzzle together.”

🎙️ [29:01] “And the truth of the matter is nobody has any idea what AI in publishing looks like for next year… But we do know, and I think it will always be true, that it can't replace human creativity, human emotion. It can't elicit responses like a human can with their writing. So use AI for what it's good at, for productivity. Use it for the tools, and making your life easier.”

🎙️ [47:21] “I think these business savvy creators and content entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs in general are going to be at the forefront of people saying like, we understand the value of selling direct. And if a traditional publisher isn't going to work with us on that, then that's okay. We'll just do it ourselves.”

💀 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 journey to successful audience growth by finding your content niche, defining your ideal reader, and identifying your target audience. We also discuss the value of learning from other creators, ways to inject new life into your marketing efforts, and the correct way to pronounce niche, among other things. 

Watch this episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Check Out SparkToro

💡 Read Written Word Media’s 2024 Indie Author Survey Results: Insights into Self Publishing for Authors

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #25 | Author Branding 101: Building a Brand Beyond Your Books
• Ep #35 | Designing the Right Go-to-Market Strategy for Your Book
• Ep #47 | Metrics That Matter: A Guide for Authors & Creators

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Building Effective Reader Personas for Authors and Creators
• How to Find Your Target Audience

💡 Watch These Videos

• Webinar | How to Create a Multi-Million-Dollar Business ​​​​​​​From Your Business Book with Joe Pulizzi
  
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [10:07] “The start of that journey is understanding who your audience is, who you're creating content for, what is your niche topic or content area, and then understanding like, how do I create content for this audience, but more importantly, how do I market and sell it to this audience?”

🎙️ [23:01] “You should be updating your own understanding of who your readers are, who your audience is, who you're writing for, who you're writing to.”

🎙️ [39:14] “You have to understand that these things that you're doing, again, whether you want to agree to this or not, you're building a business. And so everything you do is a step towards sustainability long-term.”

💀 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 some of the most common misconceptions about self-publishing. We debunk myths like: 

❌ You won’t make any money self-publishing
❌ You have to spend a lot of money to self-publish
❌ There’s no credibility in self-publishing

And most importantly: fake M&Ms are just as good as real M&Ms. 

Watch this episode on YouTube!


Dive Deeper

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #2 | Is Self-Publishing the Best Path for Today’s Creators? 
• Ep #8 | Self-Publishing is a Team Sport
• Ep #20 | Do You Need to Hire Professional Editors for Your Book?
• Ep #25 | Author Branding 101
• Ep #36 | The Indie Author’s Guide to Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• 6 Steps to Create and Print a Book for Beginners
• 5 Visual Indicators Your Book Is Self-Published

💡 Watch These Videos

• Lulu U | Start Here Playlist
• The Life of a Book
  
  

Sound Bites From This Episode

🎙️ [4:29] “There's no guarantee you're going to make money one way or the other, it really boils down to effort. And that is also true across all of the publishing paths.”

🎙️ [25:37] “It's not a one size fits all thing in any way when it comes to how much you're going to spend on self-publishing. If you're operating under the assumption that you can only find success as a self-published author if you sink a lot of money into any part of it…that's just not true.”

🎙️ [36:32] “I think these days people want to be more in control of their content and their money and their life. And I think that they're able to do that through self-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.