Episodes
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This week, we pretend we're one of those "hang out and chat about whatever" podcasts, because it's time for Dr. Faith's long-awaited return to the pod!
Join Dr. Faith, Joe, and Elly while they answer reader questions, her upcoming books, surviving the holidays, and more. There are always shenanigans when Dr. Faith comes around, so we hope you have as much fun as we did.
(If you're wondering what's up with the "advertisers" Joe keeps mentioning, there are multiple visual gags in the episode, and we highly recommend catching the vlog on our website at microcosm.pub/NewPodcast ) -
For a lot of publishers, landing a book on the New York Times Bestseller list is THE goal. How did a small press like Collective Book Studio end up with a title on the most iconic bestseller list in the US? Angela Engel from had a chance to hang out with Joe for a few minutes at a recent conference to talk tell the story.
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Missing episodes?
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Most publishers are most comfortable publishing to their own tastes. And from there, what’s popular but familiar. This week on the pod, we tackle the important but somewhat uncomfortable transition of publishing what you know to things that would resonate with your readers but are unfamiliar to you.
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Edelweiss! It's a valuable tool for publishers, booksellers, and other industry folks. Buyers use it all the time to research and bring in books to their stores and libraries. How does a publisher break through all the noise, make their products stand out, and make sure buyers are able to easily find what they're looking for?
This week on the pod, we're sharing a little bit of a presentation marketing manager (and former bookseller) Abby gave this year on how booksellers and buyers use Edelweiss, and some things publishers can keep in mind as they list titles.
If you're interested in seeing the materials on Abby's slides, you can find the video on our website! -
How does a publisher know if a distributor is working for them?
Odds are, if you're asking that question, they probably aren't! This week on the pod, Joe and Elly give you a few tips on what numbers and data points to look at, how to tell if a distributor is adding value to your enterprise, and revaluating if your contract is getting in your way.
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Thank you for watching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast! We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm
Get the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031
More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.com
More by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.net
More by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.com
Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6v
Find us on social media:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
Twitter: http://twitter.com/microcosmmm
Instagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
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There are a lot of publishing industry news blogs, sites, and publications out there. Which ones are worth your time?
Jane Friedman of The Hot Sheet is back to chat with Joe and Elly about her favorites, and which ones are best for what publishing news you're interested in.
If you're looking for the link Jane references to see her follows, you can find it here: https://substack.com/@janefriedman/reads
Check out the Hot Sheet here: https://hotsheetpub.com/ -
Vertical integration. It sounds like a fancy business term, but in reality, it means keeping things in-house as much as possible to keep costs low.
This week, Joe and Elly (and special guest Bernie!) take a few minutes talk about vertical integration, why we say Microcosm is vertically integrated, and how to decide if it's right for you. -
Can you judge a book by its cover?
We're revisiting another classic episode this week! Joe and Elly talk about cover design, how to make a book cover stand out, and how a cover communicates to its audience.
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Thank you for watching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast! We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm
Get the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663
Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031
More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.com
More by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.net
More by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.com
Subscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6v
Find us on social media:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishing
Twitter: http://twitter.com/microcosmmm
Instagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub
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Book editing! Surely it's easy, right? Especially if you're someone who has read like, a lot of books. Nope!
This week Joe and Elly talk book editing, why it's a technical skill, and how to do it right. -
A reader asks a very straightforward question— why are so many books so mediocre? Is it a new trend? How do we measure quality?
Jane Friedman of the Hot Sheet joins us again this week to find the answers! -
Being a book editor and an author can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, you have unique insight into how a book is developed before you even get started. On the other hand, you can end up getting in your own way trying to make it "perfect". And if you're an editor for the publisher of your own book, how do you balance that?
We sat down with Disabled Witchcraft author (and Microcosm editor!) Kandi Zeller to talk writing, disability, witchcraft, cookies, and Bettie's Pages.
Get your copy of Disabled Witchcraft here: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/52482 -
Branding tells the consumer who you are, what your vibe is, and (probably most importantly) that you publish books. Past wisdom has focused on authors in the branding and marketing, but the market has since shifted to focus even more on publishers and imprints as the communication point.
This week on the podcast, Joe and Elly offer their thoughts and insights on how to get started with your publisher branding.
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Thank you for listening to the People's Guide to Publishing! We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosm -
If you hang in certain circles, you'll frequently hear that "Publishers have all the money," which is funny because bookstores get the largest percentage of each sale. But everyone has to pay their staff and operating expenses, and often it's bewildering to watch even the revenues from your bestsellers dwindle into nothingness.
So this week on the pod, we look at that illustrious pie chart and talk about how it all disappears so quickly! Please feel free to eat pie during this episode. -
The publishing industry invests heavily in the logic that a new book hits hard out of the gate, has a third of its total sales before it's published, a third of its sales in the following year, and the final third gradually across the lifetime of the book, until it gradually saturates and dead stalls.
The good news? It doesn't have to be this way! So this week on the pod, we look at how to make books sell forever. -
You published a few books! Congrats! That's one of the most important parts of being a publisher.
But... now what? How do you get your book in stores and libraries? Smoke signals? Pigeons? The answer is, as always, more simple and more complex than you would think. -
Craig Rosebraugh, author of "Burning Rage of a Dying Planet: The FBI vs. the Earth Liberation Front" sits down with us to talk about how he became the spokesperson for the ELF, the FBI faking a book deal to gain intel, and publishing controversial materials.
Check out Craig's book on our website.
If you have a New York Times sub, here's a link to an article about Craig's experience with the FBI. -
This month for the #BookstoreSolidarityProject, we hung out with Cierra, owner of Portland-local bookstore Spoke & Word!
We talked about bookselling, strategic romance and genre placement, and how much of a fan Joe's doctor is of them.
Check out Spoke & Word's site: https://www.spokeandwordbooks.com/ - Show more
