Publish & Prosper

In this episode Matt & Lauren explore paid book promotion. We review our favorite sponsorship opportunities, take a brief look at different types of book promo ads and paid social media ads, and debate the value of influencer marketing. Dive Deeper💡 Check out Written Word Media💡 Check out BookFunnel💡 Learn how to set up BookBub Ads💡 Read Social Media 101: Facebook, Instagram, and XSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [10:00] “I think that it's one of the best ways to have authentic sponsorship while still paying for it. Because I think that newsletters, at least, you're still at that point where you're reaching an audience of people that have already said that they like the content creator enough to subscribe to their email newsletter list. You're speaking to an already interested and engaged audience when you're included in somebody's newsletter.”🎙️ [27:45] “So nonfiction creators, they are creating these pieces of content. In many cases, that's not the main draw for them. That's just a lead magnet. So they give those books out in the hopes that they land more consulting contracts or things like that.”🎙️ [45:14] “I think that influencers kind of had their peak time to shine and now people are looking much more towards targeted advertising and not just casting a wide net with an influencer.”💀 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 debate earned promotion, PR and publicity efforts, and creator collaborations. Learn how to promote your book with earned media opportunities, book signings, public speaking, and collaboration with fellow creators.Dive Deeper💡 Read These Blog PostsThe Complete Book Marketing Plan for Authors and Creators How to Pitch Your Book for Earned PromotionSelling Your Book on Consignment With Indie BookstoresYour Guide to Blog Tours and At-Home Marketing💡 Watch These VideosSpeaking to Sell Books Webinar with NFA’s Stephanie ChandlerHow to Write a Book Description That SellsHow to Get Book ReviewsSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [8:01] “This idea of pitching yourself is not the easiest thing for a lot of people. It's hard for us to talk about ourselves sometimes in that sort of salesy kind of way to a degree. But I think if you do it the way we've talked about doing other activities on social media, by just showing up and being sincere and genuine and yourself and, most of all, respectful, I think you'll get a couple of yeses amongst all the nos.”🎙️ [15:56] “Be intentional with your pitch. So, like [Lauren] said, make sure that you really try to understand who you're pitching to, what their audience is, and why they should care about your book or whatever it is you're trying to pitch to them. And again, don't just copy and paste the same pitch to every person on your list. Try to really get a better understanding of why they might be interested and what angle you should take with them.” 🎙️ [37:25] “You need to be sure that you're providing equal value to the person that you're trying to collaborate with. If your content and your brand isn't a good fit for their audience and vice versa, then it's not gonna be worth either of your time to do this kind of collaboration. So do your research, look for people that are a good fit for your brand.” 💀 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 talk about using valuable and authentic social media engagement to find new readers, ideas for promoting your books, and a few of their favorite social media dos and biggest don’ts. Dive Deeper💡 Read These Blog PostsSocial Media 101 for AuthorsBasic Social Media Book PromotionSocial Media Promotion💡 Watch These VideosTikTok, BookTube, and Instagram - Oh My! WebinarHow to Get More Readers From Pinterest WebinarSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [13:20] “You are the brand. Your book is a product of your brand. Your books, plural, hopefully, are products of your brand and anything else that you create. But you are the brand. And so many authors and creators don't see it that way or don't wanna see it that way or can't see it that way. But if you're serious about making a living, small or large, at what you're doing, you have to see it that way.”🎙️ [19:16] “Once again, we are not just shouting into the void and running away from it. You can't just schedule all these posts and then walk away and never look at them again. You definitely want to go back and see if people are engaging and responding to your content. You want to respond to them. And you also want to see how those kinds of posts are performing.”🎙️ [30:27] “There's a lot of things you can't control on social media. Most things, really. You can't control virality. You never know which one of your posts is going to go viral in a good way or a bad way. But what you can control is how you show up and the content that you bring to that channel. And if you're bringing content of value that you truly find valuable, that doesn't mean everybody will. But if you truly find some value in it and you're being genuine with why you're posting it, then you can't go wrong. You will continue to build an audience, word of mouth will spread, as your content gets more popular and people are engaging with it, the algorithms will pay attention. Show up authentically, consistently.”💀 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 one of the most successful marketing strategies, share ideas and tips for building your email list, and review best practices for keeping those subscribers engaged. Dive Deeper💡 Check Out These ReportsLulu & The Tilt’s Creator Insights ReportEmail marketing stats from HubSpot’s State of Marketing in 2024 reportWritten Word Media’s 2023 The State of Indie Authorship report 💡 Read These Blog PostsEmail Marketing for AuthorsHow to Build an Author Email ListEmail Marketing for Ecommerce from Mktg RhythmEmail List Management Best Practices from Campaign Monitor5 Ideas To Acquire Email Addresses From Your Social Media Audience from The Tilt The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing for Authors from ConvertKitSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [4:49] “The other thing that's great about email marketing though, and I think that is probably the most important thing to touch on, is that email marketing is pretty much the only channel or marketing tactic where you can pretty much own your audience and it doesn't necessarily belong to somebody else. And that's really important these days when you're trying to not only build [an] audience, but build a business over time.”🎙️ [15:01] “A lot of people will say to us, well, that's all fine and good, but how do I get them to go from my social media account, following me on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok, over to my email list? Lauren just laid it out for you, like one of the best and easiest and most beneficial ways to do that. You have to give them a reason to.” 🎙️ [33:18] “If they don't click through, then what's the point? And they're not going to click through if the subject line doesn't convey the reason why they should.”💀 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 three stages of promoting your book—pre-launch marketing, at-launch marketing, and post-launch marketing.Download your free book marketing checklist to help you stay on track. Dive Deeper💡 Read These Blog PostsComplete Book Marketing PlanHow to Plan & Promote Your Book Pre-LaunchHow to Pitch Your Book for Earned PromotionHow to Grow Your Author Network8 Ideas for Backlist Book Marketing💡 Watch These VideosPlan your marketing timelineDiscover the marketing mistakes you’re makingLearn how to get into public speaking to sell more booksSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [22:51] “Marketing is just making friends. If you're doing it right, that's all it is. And whatever your way of making friends is, that should be your way of marketing…if your way of making friends is to go to in-person events or to see people in person, then that's how you should market. You should focus on those types of activities. But if your way of making friends is online, then focus on that.”🎙️ [38:48] “If you've done all of the pre-launch marketing that you should, the best practices and the things that we talk about, launch day is infinitely easier. But if you don't do any pre-launch marketing, you can imagine how complicated launch day marketing is going to be.” 🎙️ [43:19] “One of my favorite things in the post-launch marketing bucket is the fact that now you can really start leaning into a lot of those opportunities that you were hopefully lining up in your pre-launch marketing, like interviews on podcasts or signings at your local bookstore at schools, depending on what your content is and all of those 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 discuss some of the most important questions asked by authors and creators - is it worth it to publish my books in print? Are readers still buying print books, or is print dead? Dive Deeper💡Review the DataOverall book sales & revenue statistics, reported by Words RatedHow print book sales in 2023 compared to previous years, reported by Publishers Weekly An overview of the state of the book retail market, reported by StatistaPrint book sales by year, reported by Statista💡 Learn More AboutHow to Crowdfund Your Book With KickstarterThe 1,000 True Fans TheoryLorenzo Etherington’s record-breaking crowdfunded book series💡 Watch These VideosCrowdfund Your Dream Project With KickstarterHow to Build a Community of True FansSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [16:35] “I just assumed people really kind of understood the statistics and metrics around print books and the popularity of it. And the fact is that's not true. A lot of people don't realize that print books are still so popular that they consistently outsell ebooks and audiobooks.”🎙️ [24:39] “Most people when asked would prefer to buy directly from their creator of choice, whether that is an online course or a book, they would prefer to buy directly from the creator and support the creator and their efforts.”🎙️ [32:46] “At the end of the day, I think as a creator who is creating content for others to consume, that should be your goal. Maximizing not only the channels to which you get your content to market, but you know, really turning followers into fans and then fans into super fans. And the only way to do that is to offer them more of your content, whether that means more content, or more formats of that same content, or special editions.”💀 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 publishing, design, and marketing experts that you may want to help you self-publish your book.We take a look at hybrid publishers, different types of editors, and interior versus exterior designers. Plus, hear our thoughts on which services are a must-do and which we think you can DIY to help keep costs low, a few suggestions for tools designed to help you with different publishing steps, and some of our favorite self-editing tips. Dive Deeper💡 Browse our list of publishing pros💡 Read These Blog PostsDon't Sweat It, EditVellum ReviewAffinity PublisherHow to Self-Publish💡 Watch These VideosLearn more about Types of Book Editing and How to Get Them DoneSee how Fiverr can connect you with publishing pros Sound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [13:43] “When it comes to having a really great cover versus having a well-edited book, if you're going to pay for just one of these services. I've had plenty of examples where my friends will say, ‘hey, I know the cover on this book is like absolute garbage, but the book itself is so good. So just, like, ignore the cover and just go dive right into the book’…No one has ever said to me ‘the writing is trash, but the cover is pretty. So you should read it.’”🎙️ [29:58] “I'm sure I've said this before, and I know I'll say it again. If you wait until the day you publish your book to start promoting your book, you have already missed the boat entirely.”🎙️ [31:59] “I just don't think it's worth it to pay, you know, an agency or anybody else to really help you with the marketing of a book…we haven't seen many cases where the amount of money exchanged, especially for newer authors, really comes back as a viable return in the way of getting book sales, I think people really are able to make a good go of it themselves these days.”💀 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.

Lulu.com is a print-on-demand self-publishing company. But what exactly is print-on-demand? And why is it such a popular business model? In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore the environmentally-friendly, budget-conscious benefits of print-on-demand. We also answer a few FAQs about POD, including why it takes a little extra time to receive your book, what you can expect from the book’s production quality, and whether or not print-on-demand is more expensive than offset printing. Listen now to discover why print-on-demand is the future of publishing! Dive Deeper💡Watch These VideosThe Life of A Book 5 Things to Know About Print-on-Demand💡 Read These Blog PostsHow Books Are Made5 Visual Indicators Your Book is Self-PublishedWhat is Print-on-Demand?Sound Bites From This Episode🎙️  [13:56] “But at the end of the day, when you factor all your costs in, your time spent doing things, what you have to put out upfront versus what you can pay on the back end later, and some of that other math, when you start adding those things up, in most cases, for most people, self-publishing with print on demand is usually the more budget-friendly and cost-conscious way to go.”🎙️ [22:12] “Most places that utilize a print on demand process, digital printing of some sort, can provide you, upon request in most cases, a lot of the different things they do that contribute to a much better, and much more sustainable carbon footprint…I think when we talk about us as creators making conscious decisions to do certain things on certain processes, we really should think about that.”🎙️ [32:38] “There is a reversal of that quality spectrum that's been happening over the last eight to ten years…I would definitely say that the quality of print on demand books is lightyears better now than it was ten to fifteen years ago.”💀 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 and Lauren expound on the many reasons we’re passionate about sponsoring and attending in-person events. We talk about why we love meeting new people (even as a pair of introverts), the educational and inspirational benefits, networking and community-building opportunities, and more! Matt’s Famous Vegas Out-of-Office:I am out of the office Monday, November 6th, through Friday, November 10th. While dodging casino zombies and buffet browsers, my team and I will be attending The 20Books author conference in Las Vegas. I don't drink, smoke, or gamble, so you can imagine how excited I am to spend a week in a hazmat suit every time I step out of my hotel room. I will do my best to reply to your email, but please cut me some slack if it takes a few days. If it takes more than 3 days, please notify the Las Vegas PD that I may have fallen victim to the aforementioned zombies.Dive Deeper💡 Sign up for Ann Handley’s Total Annarchy Newsletter💡 Learn about Content Entrepreneur Expo or CEX💡 Read These Blog PostsWhy Creator Events Are a Must for Creators & EntrepreneursShould You Attend Content Entrepreneur Expo?Maximize Your Time at In-Person Events💡 Watch These VideosCEX 2023 Video PlaylistSound Bites From This Episode🎙️[15:46] “The difference between hearing from a speaker that you could also just listen to their podcast, or read their blog. or whatever, and attending an in-person event is the other attendees there with you.” 🎙️[26:14] “This is an environment where people are intentionally open to fostering connections with new people, which definitely takes some of the pressure off of networking and having those conversations…The type of networking that happens when you're there, in person, at an event is just different than what's going on on the internet.” 🎙️[37:49] “Find other ways to make the trip more beneficial for you as well in terms of an ROI. Maybe there's some people you can set up meetings with while you're there that can help further along some of the objectives you might have for the year, content exchanges, things 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 Lauren and Matt address the robot in the room – artificial intelligence! We share a few of our favorite ways to use AI and generative AI tools to help streamline content creation. Learn how we use AI as a research and analytics aid, to help with drafting and outlining content, to come up with variations on email subject lines and titles, and more! Dive Deeper💡Curious about any of the AI or resources we referenced in the episode? Check them out: ChatGPTDALL-EMidjourneyBardSemrush Writing Assistant GrammarlyBrian FanzoMarketing AI InstituteConversations With AI💡Read Think Outside The Bot: How AI Can Help Content Creators and Using Custom AIs to Grow Your Content Business on the Lulu Blog💡Watch  Ann Handley’s CEX 2023 Keynote on How to Write Like a Robot Can't: Finding Your Writing Voice in an AI WorldSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [11:47] “I think the main way, right now, that most people are using it with any sort of success rate and efficiency rate is using it to buy back time in your day.”🎙️ [15:38] ““Asking ChatGPT ‘can you break this down and explain it in a way that a room full of high school students, or take it deeper and say a room full of fifth graders, would understand,’ you'd be amazed at what you get back.””🎙️ [41:39] “For whatever you're doing with it right now, whether that's not using it and being afraid of it, or whether that's starting to experiment with it and getting over your fears, or whether you consider yourself an expert in it right now…this is still the dumbest version of it you'll ever use, because it's changing every single day. So if you're finding value in it today, or you're gonna take some of these things we talked about back to your desk and try to make use of them, imagine if it's even the least bit helpful today, imagine how helpful it can be in your life six months from now, a year from now.”💀 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.