A People's Guide to Publishing

So you want to write or publish a book. It's easy to get caught up in what's hot, marketable, and selling NOW (we see you, romantasy). But what if you have a book that might not be the easiest to market? Whether it's because of the regionality, niche background, or lack of comp titles, sometimes a book can be really really good but tricky to sell. How do you balance the need to write a book you lo...

Does a publisher need a point of view? And why the hell does Microcosm say we're a "moderate/centrist" publisher in all of our books?  This week on the pod, Microcosm Marketing Specialist Daley Farr joins Joe and Elly to talk about Microcosm's POV, publisher identities, and pranks. ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday a...

Fun fact about Microcosm—we broke up with Amazon in 2018 and never looked back. And while we thought we would see a dip in sales, we've really seen the opposite. There's a common thought in publishing and writing that you HAVE to sell on Amazon, because like it or not, that's where almost all the books are sold these days. But is that actually true? Does Amazon really represent the majority of boo...

Backlist books—titles that have been around longer than a selling season—are often seen as forgotten or that publishers have given up on them. But often, backlist favorites are the backbone of a publisher's income, as opposed to big new titles.  This week on the pod, Microcosm author and freelance writer Jessie Kwak joins Elly and a very offscreen Joe to talk about evergreen titles vs flashy front...

What makes a book sell? And does Amazon REALLY have the market share on book sales? Jim Hanas of the Small Press Insights Dashboard is back this week to talk to Joe and Elly about their favorite thing... data! ************ Thank you for catching 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...

What happens when a book doesn't sell well, especially when stores have ordered up?  Oftentimes, they'll get returned to the publisher to be resold as remainders and bargains, pulped and recycled, or something else. But what does it mean for your bottom line? Are returns a blessing in disguise?  This week on the pod, Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to Joe and Elly about it! Want more publ...

Libraries are a great way to access eBooks, streaming shows, and other types of digital content. But how do those licenses work, and who benefits from them? The answer has changed a lot over the years, often contributing to the misconception that libraries hurt authors' and publishers' bottom lines. This week on the pod, industry analyst and friend of the 'Cosm Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is back to ta...

There is no one-size-fits-all method to guarantee your publisher's success. We all come out with different titles, balance finding a comfortable niche vs branching out to new audiences, and find the structures and systems that work for us. But there are universal things publishers can do to make their lives easier! This week on the pod, Microcosm' Marketing & Publicity specialist Daley Farr is...

Andrew Coltrin, author of "The ADHD FAQ" and "ADHD Coping Skills Deck,"  joins us on the podcast this week to talk about his journey of getting diagnosed, writing for an ADHD audience, and how understanding of ADHD has changed over time. ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book indust...

A few years ago, during the Penguin Random House/Simon and Schuster merger trial, a claim was made that most books only sell around 12 copies. But if you listen to this podcast, you know statistics are rarely that cut and dry (or generalized).  So where did that stat about 12 books even come from? What's the truth of book sales? This week on the pod, Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to tal...

How do you make marketing your book work for you? The inclination can be to get it in front of as many people as possible, with as much exposure as you can.  But does that actually work? Microcosm's own Marketing & Publicity Specialist, Daley Farr, is back on the pod this week with Joe and Elly to talk about marketing, why knowing your target audience is better than just getting into Target, ...

(Because they aren't hurting book sales.) So then why are people claiming that libraries hurt book sales? This week on the pod, industry analyst Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is back to continue the conversation about libraries, book sales, and the Author's Guilds claims about ebooks and libraries hurting the wider industry.   ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!...

We've got a fun one for you today, folks! Andrew Coltrin, aka PartlyRobot, aka author of "A is for Autism," "The ADHD FAQ," and "The ADHD Coping Skills Deck," joins Joe, Elly, and Bernie on the pod this week to talk about his latest book, neurodivergence, and finding what works for you (diagnosed or not). ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new e...

Most things related to publishing insights are focused on the Big 5. They dominate the Indie Next List, most all bestseller lists, and conversation through the industry. Recently, Jim Hanas launched Small Press Insights, which shows which small press titles rank where at Amazon, and the indie bookstore lists, and what upcoming titles are popular. He joins Joe and Elly on the pod this week to talk...

Aw man, a book you love has gone out of print. But it's not gone forever! There are many reasons publishers bring books back from the grave—suddenly hockey romance is popular, or an author becomes online famous, the world got into sourdough bread during the pandemic, or one of many, many other reasons. This week on the pod, Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to talk to Joe and Elly about tre...

There's been a lot of discourse lately about eBooks, libraries, and sales. But are libraries really hurting book sales (and authors' and publisher's bottom lines)?  This week on the pod, industry analyst and friend of the 'Cosm, Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, joins Joe and Elly to talk about why publishers and libraries often seem pitted against each other, licensing agreements, and how Baker and Taylor'...

This week on the pod, J. Hunter Bennett, author of "More Punk than the Public Library" joins Joe and Elly to talk curating Little Free Libraries, writing the books YOU want to read, and why policing other folks' tastes is anti-punk behavior. Get the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/62128 ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new...

You would think that if you publish more books, you'll make more money. But that's not always the case! While expanding your title list might feel like the easiest path to profit, you should also factor in staff time and bandwidth, resources, and retailer overwhelm. This week on the podcast, Microcosm's Marketing and Publicity Supervisor, Daley Farr, joins Joe and Elly to talk about her suggestion...

Sales reps are crucial pieces of the book industry puzzle. They are the the ones who help stores find the titles that would be good fits, give feedback to publishers about their title lists, and so much more! This week on the pod, we're back chatting with sales rep extraordinaire Maureen Karb to talk about the process of selling books to bookstores, and what makes a great rep. ************ Thank y...

You open up your inbox and—surprise!— someone wants to turn your book into a movie! Or include it in a book club! Or feature it on a recommendation list! All you have to do is pay a small fee. Oftentimes in book world, if something feels too good to be true, it often is (especially if they want you to pay). This week on the pod, Joe, Elly, and Jane Friedman talk about the common scams authors and...

Books should be sold to book stores, right? That's it? Eh, not really! There are markets for books everywhere, from your local museum gift shop to the gas station around the corner. How do you find these markets, and figure out what types of books sell at what types of stores? What even IS the difference between a gift and specialty shop? This week on the pod, Joe and Elly dive in! ************ Th...

We’ve been honing our software behind-the-scenes for decades, but this is our first public-facing website makeover since 2012!  For 30 years, we’ve had a riotously maximalist ecommerce website. And it’s worked—pretty well. But lately, you’ve been telling us what you want it to do better and we’ve been scribbling notes and making plans.  This week on the pod, Joe and Elly talk about what went into...

The punks, despite all the best efforts of society and time, are still kicking around, and we love that for them/us.  This week on the pod, J. Hunter Bennett, author of "More Punk than the Public Library," joins Joe and Elly to talk about middle-aged punk life, starting a little free punk rock library during the pandemic outside his house on a well-trafficked corner of Chevy Chase, D.C., and more....

Where would we be without our lovely warehouse staff? (Lost, confused, bookless, most likely.) This week on the pod, join Joe and Elly as they talk about our warehouses, how they work, and the hardworking systems nerds that keep it going.  ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book indu...

If you're keeping up with publishing news at all, you've undoubtedly heard about the "Shy Girl" controversy, where Mia Ballard's book was pulled by the publisher after claims it was written by AI. More and more stories like this are hitting the feeds all the time, from authors to book reviewers. What does this mean for the industry, and are AI detectors even reliable?  Jane Friedman of The Bottom...