Publish & Prosper

In this episode Matt & Lauren debate the value and staying power of audiobooks, especially for indie authors. We take a look at market trends for audiobooks worldwide, different ways for authors and creators to produce and distribute their own audiobooks, and the pros and cons of creating audiobook versions of your books. Don’t miss Content Entrepreneur Expo, THE event for creators, authors, and entrepreneurs. Visit cex.events to learn more and use promo code LULU100 to save $100 on your ticket 🎉Watch this episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Data on Audiobooks Audio Publishers Association | Research Surveys Press ReleaseStatista.com | Statista Market Forecast Overdrive | Audiobook Stats That Speak Volumes💡 Audiobook Distribution PlatformsFindaway Voices Transition to INaudioSpotify x ElevenLabsAudiobrary BookFunnel 💡 Audiobook Tools & News[Announced After Recording]: Audible Expands Catalog with AI Narration and Translation for Publishers Dave Chesson | Audiobook NarratorsBrandon Sanderson | Regarding AudibleEleven Labs | AI Toolkit for Publishers💡Listen to These EpisodesEp #35 | Designing the Right Go-to-Market Strategy for Your BookEp #56 | The Indie Author's Guide to Going Wide With Your Book Distribution💡 Read This Blog PostWhy Multiple Book Formats Matter💀 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode Lauren & Matt explore the design options available for print books. We review the distinctions between trim sizes, binding types, paper types, ink quality, and cover finish, and popular choices for different product types. Watch the episode on YouTube for visual examples! Don’t miss Content Entrepreneur Expo, THE event for creators, authors, and entrepreneurs. Visit cex.events to learn more and use promo code LULU100 to save $100 on your ticket 🎉Dive DeeperWatch The Life of a Book 💡 Explore These ResourcesPricing CalculatorResources Page💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #35 | Designing the Right Go-to-Market Strategy for Your BookEp #43 | Make Your Self-Published Books Stand Out with Custom Details💡 Read These Blog PostsThe Anatomy of a BookHow Books Are Made: From PDF to Printed & Bound5 Visual Indicators Your Book Is Self-PublishedSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [3:24] “The hope is that maybe after this episode, you'll be a much more educated person when it comes to the fundamentals of print and print books and print on demand.”🎙️ [31:58] “Understanding those things, what value they might add to your end user, you know, in your project versus just satisfying your need to see something super crazy and frilly and whatever, that's really important before choosing what you ultimately go to market with.” 🎙️ [42:22] “So again, it all comes down to functionality and keeping in mind how you want your readers and buyers to use these things.”💀 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Matt & Lauren talk through what you need to know about licensing your book rights with foreign publishers. We debate the merit of reaching out to new markets, what that process looks like, and how to use an agency like DropCap to secure international rights deals. Don’t miss Content Entrepreneur Expo, THE event for creators, authors, and entrepreneurs. Visit cex.events to learn more and use promo code LULU100 to save $100 on your ticket 🎉Watch this episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Explore These ResourcesDropCap MarketplaceDropCap BlogJericho Writers | Book Translation Rights: Everything You Need To KnowDave Chesson | How to Get Your Book Translated 💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #56 | The Indie Author's Guide to Going Wide With Your Book DistributionEp #65 | How to Copyright the Copy That You Wrote💡 Read These Blog PostsLicensing Your Foreign Book Rights with DropCap MarketplaceCopyright Law Basics For AuthorsSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [6:31] “There are so many differences that we don't really think about domestically versus internationally in terms of what is trending in different markets.”🎙️ [29:00] “They've really simplified, and I think made this accessible, to such a large group of people that otherwise, as we've just been talking about, would have some pretty daunting barriers to entry.”🎙️ [38:43] “The end result is that you are essentially allowing, granting permission to foreign publishers and distributors the ability to publish and sell your book in different languages or versions in countries outside of your home country.”💀 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

We’ve mentioned, once or twice, the value of selling direct. But how does it actually work? In this episode, Lauren & Matt walk through the direct sales cycle and answer some common questions, including: How do transactions work? Who handles customer issues? What am I supposed to do with my customer data?Don’t miss Content Entrepreneur Expo, THE event for creators, authors, and entrepreneurs. Visit cex.events to learn more and use promo code LULU100 to save $100 on your ticket 🎉Watch this episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Check Out These ResourcesJoanna Penn’s Store FAQsLulu Direct Knowledge BaseLulu’s Pricing CalculatorLulu Direct💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #22 | Using Customer Data to Grow Your BusinessEp #31 | Your 7-Step Guide to Building an Online BookstoreEp #39 | Pain Point Solutions for Your Ecommerce Store💡 Read These Blog PostsCustomer Service and Your Ecommerce BusinessSetting Up and Managing Shipping Options in Lulu Direct5 Tax Tips for Authors: A Tax Guide for Independent Creators💡 Watch These VideosWebinar | Lulu Direct Best Practices + Q&A Playlist | Selling Books Through Your WebsiteShopify, WooCommerce, and 💀 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In 2023, Lulu bought Content Entrepreneur Expo, an event for content creators and content entrepreneurs. In this episode, Matt & Lauren share an inside look into why we got involved in CEX, what we’ve learned about events after owning one, and why we think content creators, entrepreneurs, and authors should join us in Cleveland this August! Use promo code LULU100 to save $100 on your CEX ticket 🎉Watch this episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Learn More About The Tilt💡 Check Out Content Marketing Institute 💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #6 | Why We Love Attending Conferences (and Why You Should Too)Ep #23 | How to Survive (and Thrive) at Conferences and EventsEp #46 | How to Maximize ROI on In-Person Events💡 Read These Blog PostsShould You Attend Content Entrepreneur Expo?Maximize Your Time at In-Person EventsWhy Creator Events Are a Must for Creators & Entrepreneurs💡 Watch These VideosGet Ready For CEX 2025! See These Sessions from CEX 2023Sound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [3:50] “I would say from the moment we got there…I think we just kind of knew like, oh, this is something really different and really cool. And this is where we need to be.”🎙️ [11:12] “There's an identity of a creator. There's an identity of an entrepreneur. There's an identity of an author. In my head, they're all three the same. Or should be. And I think that's what we've been trying to do, now that we've come into this space, is show that there is…if there was a venn diagram of those three identities, there is overlap right in the middle. And I think that's content entrepreneur.”🎙️ [49:13] “We want people who are leaving the event somewhat sad, but also somewhat excited to come b💀 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Lauren & Matt dig into what discoverability looks like in a world where generative AI is changing how readers find books online. We look at what generative AI looks at when choosing what to cite or recommend, and share practical tips to help authors & creators appear in AI search results and, more importantly, to build lasting audience connections.Watch this episode on YouTube!💡 Check Out These ResourcesSparkToro | 2024 Zero-Click Search Study Search Engine Journal | Meet the 7 Most Popular Search Engines in the World Google’s Rich Results TestJoe Lazer on Generative AI Hallucinations 💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #59 | Mastering Book Metadata to Maximize Market ReachEp #60 | Book Publicity Simplified with Sarah FranklinEp #66 | How Authors Can Use Long-Form Video to Build Their Brand💡 Read These Blog PostsDiscoverability in the Age of AI SearchGoing Wide to Diversify Your Book Sales💡 Watch These VideosHow to Build a Community of True FansPlaylist | Audience Building Sound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [8:00] “Hopefully we'll be able to help you understand a little bit better how these search results, these zero click search results, are being generated, how you can try and make sure that you're in there.”🎙️ [17:39] “One thing that people should understand is that it still hallucinates pretty regularly… They can't all be right. They can’t all be accurate. And they can't all have good intentions.”🎙️ [40:09] “If I’ve said it three times in this episode💀 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

Whether you’re a food blogger, travel blogger, business blogger, lifestyle blogger, finance blogger, or any kind of blogger, you all have one thing in common: your content would make a great book. In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore the value of publishing your blog as a physical book. We also review the key steps to getting from blog to book, including how to choose the right content to include, outlining and formatting your manuscript, and what tools can help you along the way. Watch this episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Content, Inc. Episode 61: Tilt to Blog to Book to Speaking💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #33 | Books You Can Create Using Your Existing ContentEp #38 | From Manuscript to Market: 5+ Tools to Help You Draft, Publish, and Sell Your BookEp #54 | Can Books Add Value to Your Business (Beyond Just Revenue)?💡 Read These Blog PostsFrom Blog to Book: How to Turn Your Content into a Published Book5 Affordable Tools for Easy Book Formatting and Design6 Steps to Create and Print a Book for BeginnersAtticus ReviewVellum Review💡 Watch These VideosPlaylist | Content MonetizationWebinar | Fun With FormattingHow to Use a Book for Lead GenerationThe Content Entrepreneur's Guide to Book 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode of POD Pod, Lauren is joined by Lulu’s Education & Community Manager (and YouTube celebrity) Chelsea Bennett! Tune in for a conversation on the value of adding long-form video content to your marketing strategy, how authors can use video to connect with their audience, and getting comfortable on camera (and ignoring the haters).Like & Subscribe, and watch this episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Watch These EpisodesEp #47 | Metrics That Matter: A Guide for Authors & CreatorsEp #55 | How to Hit Your Perfect Pitch for Speaking EngagementsEp #60 | Book Publicity Simplified with Sarah Franklin💡 Watch These VideosHow to Build a Community of True FansStephanie Chandler Webinar | Speaking to Sell Books: ​​​​​​​Break into Professional Speaking to Reach More ReadersFun With Formatting Webinar💡 Read These Blog PostsSocial Media 101: YouTube For AuthorsHow to Write Effective YouTube Descriptions to Reach New FansSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [10:58] “I think it really just humanizes your brand. It allows people to connect with you on a more authentic level. And so I think that that's really the value add, is more and more with the world that we live in with AI and automation and all of these things, I think people are really hungry for authenticity.”🎙️ [29:03] “You have to remember the shelf life of videos, if it's good, can be up forever.”🎙️ [43:19] “Even if at the end of the day, you decide that's not for me, or it's not helping me reach my goals, you have a whole new skill set that you can pull from when you try the next thing.”💀 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

The hosts humorously dive into the complexities of copyright law for indie authors. They discuss the crucial steps to secure a copyright, including registration and the importance of a copyright notice. The conversation turns to the implications of fan fiction and the impact of AI-generated content on copyright. Personal anecdotes keep the tone light while clarifying common misconceptions. They explore how international laws influence copyright, emphasizing the need for proactive measures for legal protection in the creative landscape.

In this episode, Lauren and Matt are ready to inject new life into your backlist book titles. We share ideas for using your backlist to experiment with new formats and distribution channels, turning your older books into lead magnets, and generating passive income from your content long after launch.Watch this episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 BookFunnel💡 BookBub 💡 Written Word Media | BookBub for Authors 💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #15 | Can You Really Support Your Business With Just 1,000 True Fans?Ep #41 | How to Drive Book Sales Without Offering DiscountsEp #56 | The Indie Author's Guide to Going Wide With Your Book Distribution💡 Read These Blog Posts8 Simple Ideas for Backlist Book MarketingPrint-on-Demand is the Perfect Solution for Selling Backlist Titles💡 Watch This VideoDistributing Your Book With Lulu: What You Need to Know Sound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [10:37] “Your backlist is a great resource for you if you want to experiment with either going wide with your book sales or moving your books onto a different ecommerce platform than what you're using right now.”🎙️ [29:26] “Anything you can do, anything that doesn't affect the integrity of your content, your book to drive more sales of more of your backlist titles or titles in general then you should try it for sure.”🎙️ [34:09] “Especially for some of these low lift versions of backlist book marketing where it's costing you little to nothing to do them. Ten new emails from something that cost you two hours of your time and zero dollars is a win.”💀 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.