Publish & Prosper

Super fans! We know them, we love them, we want them for our own. But how do you turn your casual fans into loyal, dedicated super fans? In this episode, Lauren & Matt discuss strategies like diversifying your products, demonstrating the value of your content, and creating a community for your fans.Dive Deeper💡 Read These Blog Posts5 Ways You Can Sell Your Book To Find Readers and FansThe 1,000 True Fan Theory: Sustainable Income for Creators💡 Watch These VideosHow to Build a Community of True FansWebinar | How to Create a Multi-Million-Dollar Business ​​​​​​​From Your Business Book with Joe PulizziWebinar | Building Your Audience: How To Turn Followers Into Fans💡 Read These ArticlesAgoraPulse on Pat Flynn and How to Turn Customers Into Superfans (and Why You Need to)Social Media Examiner on How to Turn Fans Into Engaged Superfans using a Brand Engagement FunnelSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [7:38] “I think that in talking about how you might want to go about turning fans and followers into super fans, you do need to look at and think about things like an expanded product portfolio… to create a super fan, you're going to need more than one thing.”🎙️ [19:47] “Having that opportunity to connect with your fans is one of the ways that you're going to be able to take casual one-time purchasers that came to your website, bought your book, and then left, turn them into loyal, true super fans of yours.”🎙️ [31:24] “The best marketing values human impressions over digital impressions. We talk about this all the time. And so while the digital stuff can help and these tools can help by automating certain things, nothing will ever garner as much results and success as taking a more human approach to the way that you market and interact with your fan base.”💀 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 share their favorite survival tips for attending author and creator conferences! From packing essential supplies to putting your health first, hear our team’s must-haves and must-dos for anyone trying to maximize their time at a conference. Dive Deeper💡 Read more about Why Creator Events Are a Must for Creators & Entrepreneurs💡 Watch Sessions from CEX 2023💡 Learn More About Some Events We’ll Be Attending in 2024Content Entrepreneur ExpoCraft + CommerceAuthor NationSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [8:23] “You should always go as yourself and be comfortable. But again, if yourself is a blazer, a t-shirt, jeans, and some tennis shoes, then you should take a hard look in the mirror.”🎙️ [26:22] “We've talked about one of the benefits of attending events is networking and having those networking and connecting opportunities. And if that's something that, like me, you dread the idea of doing that, having the chance to schedule networking opportunities ahead of time kind of takes some of that pressure off of just approaching strangers.”🎙️ [38:38] “What are your goals for attending this event? Don't lose sight of that. It's easy to get to an event, especially if you've never been to it before, and it turns out to be a really cool one. You kind of lose sight of why you're there and you get sidetracked with a lot of things and just try to remember why you're there, what you're hoping to get out of it.”💀 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 discuss the most valuable tool in any creator’s arsenal: customer data. Whether you’re tracking book sales and behavioral data, collecting customer information through direct sales, or reviewing your key social media and email marketing metrics, understanding your customer data is essential for long-term brand success. Dive Deeper💡 Read These Blog PostsUnlock Your Content Business Potential With User DataTracking Your Marketing Efforts With UTM Tags Social Media 101 For AuthorsMastering Email Marketing for Authors: A Comprehensive Guide💡 Watch This Video on Leveraging Customer Data For Your Ecommerce BusinessSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [10:31] “Gathering customer data and using the customer data that you have access to regardless of whether you're selling direct, selling third party or whatever, however you're gathering this customer data, whatever you have available to you, it is unilaterally useful for any type of author or content creator.”🎙️ [20:34] “Having your own data to compare against what is being put out there in the world about your industry or your genre is extremely helpful because without it, you're just gonna take some of those people at their word. You're just gonna look at their data, which represents maybe a large group as a whole, but doesn't represent you as an individual creator or author. And you may just take that as gospel because you don't have your own data to compare it to.”🎙️ [41:43] “Never bring an opinion to a data fight.”💀 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 take a look at best practices for book design. We’ll review key design elements that often get overlooked on book covers, what to include inside your book, and whether or not we think it’s worth the cost to pay for book cover and interior design. Dive Deeper💡 Download Lulu’s Free Guides & Templates💡 Check Out the Professional Designers on Our Hire A Pro Page💡 Read These Blog Posts5 Visual Indicators Your Book is Self-PublishedAtticus ReviewVellum ReviewAffinity Publisher Review💡 Watch This Book Formatting Playlist on YouTubeSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [10:15] “I do think that if you're a very creative individual and you're using a tool that doesn't have a steep learning curve, you could probably create a cover that's good enough. But again, if this is something that you've put a lot of time and effort into chances are you don't want something that's just good enough.”🎙️ [26:09] "Something to keep in mind as you're figuring out your cover design and figuring out what you want to do with that, consider how it's going to look with the rest of your books and consider how it's going to look with your own professional branding." 🎙️ [35:27] “I think one of the most important things you can include, especially for those of you who have not been listening to us, or everybody else out there right now, about trying to sell direct. Back matter is the perfect place to try and drive people to your author platform, to sign up for your email newsletters or whatever that might be.”💀 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 take a look at the different types of editing your manuscript might need, debate which ones they think are most valuable, and share a few of their tips for making sure your book editing is done right. Dive Deeper💡 Find Freelance Editors and Hybrid Publishers on Lulu’s Hire A Pro Page💡 Browse Fiverr for Freelance Editors💡 Check out the Editorial Freelancers Association and their 2024 Editorial Rates Chart💡 Read These Blog Posts Don’t Sweat It, Edit!7 Things to Do Before You Hire an EditorHow to Edit Your Book Online With Track Changes💡 Read These Editorial Software ReviewsHemingway EditorAutoCritProWritingAid💡 Watch These VideosWebinar | Editing at Every LevelPlaylist | Book EditingSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [10:14] “I think a hybrid publishing company kind of gives you the best of both worlds between full on self publishing and then, you know, a bit of traditional publishing to a degree. Because for a lot of people these days, you often have more money than time or ability.”🎙️ [30:42] “Which is another great argument in favor of doing some self-editing before you contract out… If you want to try to keep those costs down as much as possible, the more editing that you do on your own ahead of time, the less professional editing the less professional editing - in theory, hopefully - the less professional editing you'll need to pay for.”🎙️ [35:34] “A good cover is what's going to sell your book. A good story, a well-written book is what's going to bring them back to buy more from 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode Lauren & Matt discuss the whys and hows of using Kickstarter to crowdfund your book. Learn why we think Kickstarter is a great option for self-published authors, what you need to know to get your campaign started, and how successful authors are crushing it with crowdfunding. Dive Deeper💡 Learn More About Kickstarter💡 Check Out Some of Our Favorite Kickstarter CampaignsJohnny TruantLorenzo EtheringtonBrandon Sanderson💡 Read These Blog PostsCrowdfunding to Publish Your BookDropshipping for Entrepreneurs & Creators With Lulu’s Order Import Tool💡 Watch These VideosHow to Crowdfund Your BookCrowdfund Your Dream Project with Kickstarter | Lulu WebinarSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [8:57] “Having a thousand people like your LinkedIn post that says that you're going to write a book and that you're thinking about turning your content into a book, that's cool. That's really cool, to have a thousand people see your post. But to have a hundred people pledge $25 towards actually getting a copy of your book that you said you were going to write and publish? That's even cooler.”🎙️ [15:53] “With any good book campaign, whether it's a crowdfunding campaign or you're promoting your book pre-launch or even post-launch, you should be able to answer the questions of: why are you writing this book? Why will it help people? Why should people want to buy it and read it? Why should they choose your book over something else?”🎙️ [22:12] “It doesn't have to be this insane number of people backing your campaign or pledging to your campaign, especially when you get creative with those different reward tiers and stuff 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 podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

In this episode, Matt & Lauren take another look at generative AI and how it can be a powerful tool to help authors and content creators. Hear some of our favorite tips for using ChatGPT as a sounding board, a hammer against writer’s block, and an expert ally on your writing journey. Dive Deeper💡 Read These Blog PostsThink Outside The Bot: How AI Can Help Content CreatorsUsing Custom AIs to Grow Your Content Business💡 Watch These VideosHow to Create a Multi-Million-Dollar Business From Your Business Book | Webinar with Joe Pulizzi How Content Creators Are Using ChatGPT and 10 Other AI Tools | CEX 2023 Session Recording with Marketing AI InstituteAI for Authors - How Can We Use It? | Write Publish Sell Webinar💡 Learn more about the Marketing AI Institute AI for Writers Summit Sound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [8:35] “You need to get involved. You need to check this stuff out. You need to get your hands on it. You need to understand what it is.”🎙️ [17:48] “Given the nature of what ChatGPT is and some of these other tools, from what we've seen and even from how I use it now versus how I started using it and just, you know, every best practice you'll see out there, you really should talk to it like it's a human.”🎙️ [39:29] “If you're afraid to try it out still, you're missing a boat on some pretty creative things that could help you free up a lot of important time in your day to be used towards more creative activities or other things you'd like to be doing. The amount of time that these tools can save you as a writer and creator is immense.” 💀 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.

Matt & Lauren recap their time at London Book Fair 2024, one of the biggest publishing conferences in the world. Get the lowdown on hot topics from the conference, an insider's look at the event, and a special peek into what it’s like to travel with Team Lulu.Dive Deeper💡 Learn how (and why) Lulu is a Certified B Corp💡 Watch this video on 5 Things to Know Before You Publish💡 Check out Bublish’s new AI Author Toolkit 💡 Hear more about creating audiobooks with DeepZenSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [15:08] “But I think this year because that's being accelerated in our industry in terms of the heightened awareness around indie creators and just what's happening here with direct sales and AI and all these other things, it did feel like, you know, we were all speaking the same language for once in terms of what the hot topics were.”🎙️ [17:21] “I think it was that where it was last year we were doing the work of explaining to people what selling direct was. And this year, somewhere between last year and this year, that kind of sunk in. And now it was more along the lines of how can we help you do that?”🎙️ [28:10] “There's always a moment where it clicks for people that they don't have to choose one or the other. And that to me is one of the light bulb moments that I love… whether it's talking about selling direct versus having your content in global distribution, you can do both of those things… The same is true for choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing. You don't have to choose between self-publishing and traditional 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, Matt & Lauren explain why indie authors need to stop relying on Amazon as their primary sales channel. Listen now to hear why we feel so strongly about it, what alternatives we suggest, and how to get your readers on the same page.Dive Deeper💡 Read These Blog PostsThe Independent Author’s Guide to Thriving Without AmazonHow To Convince Readers To Buy Books Directly From YouIs Selling Your Book on Amazon Enough?Avoiding The Amazon Trap💡 Watch our webinar Is Selling On Amazon Enough?Sound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [9:06] “We talked in the last episode about the thousand true fans theory and this idea of connecting directly with your fans and building these true fans that are gonna buy anything from you. You can't do that if you're exclusively selling to people on Amazon. If your fan base exists on Amazon, you have no way to foster those relationships and connect with those creators and those readers.”🎙️ [25:18] “How do you convince people that have never heard of you before that are potential new readers and buyers to buy directly from you? ... The easy solution there is to make sure that your website with your bookstore on it is the primary link that you're using at every available opportunity.”🎙️ [41:24] “All of this is part and parcel of the fact that when you're selling direct, when you're owning kind of that relationship between you and your fans and readers, you are in fact in control of the entire customer journey.”💀 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 and Matt discuss Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans theory, what it means to be a true fan (or super fan), and a few unique ways small business owners and content creators have turned casual buyers into true fans. Dive Deeper💡 Read the Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans essay💡 Read The 1,000 True Fan Theory: Sustainable Income for Creators on the Lulu blog💡 Watch Joe Pulizzi’s webinar on Creating a Multi-Million-Dollar Business From Your Book💡 Get inspired by Audrey Hughey’s author plannersSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [16:39] “It's actually one of the things I love about social media…you can find that there's always at least somebody else in the world that shares your thoughts or shares your opinion or shares your interests or anything like that…no matter how niche your content is or how niche your book is or whatever, you will find fans for it. You will find people that will be a dedicated audience.”🎙️ [26:16] “If we were giving those numbers back at the beginning and you were hearing like $100 of profit per year from every individual fan, I'm only publishing one book a year. Like, how am I supposed to make $100 off of a single book? This is how you do that, is by creating these supplemental products that go along with those books.”🎙️ [33:13] “This idea that you might struggle for content or run out of things to do or ways to monetize. I don't think that's going to happen. I think once you get started doing this and understanding the model and figuring out what your fans want, what they will buy from you. You're not gonna have any shortage of products.”💀 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.