The Smart Publishing Impact Series

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 68: Interview with Jason T. Powell Episode Summary: Can stand-up comedy make you a better leader? In Episode 68, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, and Jonathan Lautermilch , CEO of Smart Publishing, sit down with publishing partner Jason T. Powell to explore the surprising connection between comedy and leadership. Draw...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 67: Author Interview with Joshua Smith Episode Summary: What happens when you stop trying to control everything—and let God take the throne? In Episode 67, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, sits down with publishing partner Joshua Smith to discuss his upcoming book, When He Reigns, He Rains: Learning to Let God Take th...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 66: A Book Is Your Greatest Marketing Asset Episode Summary: Many people think a book is something you write after you've built a successful business. What if it's actually one of the things that helps you build it? In this solo episode, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, challenges one of the most common miscon...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 65: Success Leaves Clues - Lessons from 10 Upcoming Authors Episode Summary: What do successful authors have in common? In Episode 65, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, and Jonathan Lautermilch , CEO of Smart Publishing, pull back the curtain on a dozen upcoming book releases and share the patterns they’ve noticed amon...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 64: The Most Common Book Pitfalls Episode Summary: Why do some books create opportunities, attract readers, and build authority—while others disappear almost as soon as they launch? In this solo episode, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, pulls back the curtain on the most common mistakes she sees when authors come to h...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 63: Interview with Dr. Carter Check on Releasing His Second Book and Making Massive Moves with His First Episode Summary: What happens when faith becomes performance instead of presence? In this special guest episode, Jonathan Lautermilch , CEO of Smart Publishing, sits down with publishing partner Dr. Carter Check to discuss the heart be...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 62: Why Some Books Stay With You Forever - The Structure Behind Great Books Episode Summary: What separates a forgettable book from one that changes your life? In Episode 62, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, and co-host Jonathan Lautermilch , CEO of Smart Publishing, take a deep dive into the books that shaped them—no...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 61: Serving on the Level You’re On Episode Summary: What if the biggest thing standing between you and your book… is the belief that you’re not qualified enough to write it? In Episode 61, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, and co-host Jonathan Lautermilch , CEO of Smart Publishing, dive deep into one of the most common...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 60: The Power of Collaboration Episode Summary: What if your next book didn’t have to be written alone? In this milestone Episode 60, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, and co-host Jonathan Lautermilch , CEO of Smart Publishing, break down one of the most powerful (and underrated) strategies in publishing: collaboration...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 59: Part 2 - Bestsellers Get Attention but "Best Helpers" Close Deals Episode Summary: Most authors get stuck before they even begin—because they don’t know how to structure their book. In Episode 59, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, and co-host Jonathan Lautermilch break down one of the most important (and...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 58: Best Helper Interlude — Listener Questions About AI Episode Summary: AI is everywhere—and authors are asking the same question: Should I be using it to write my book? In this solo Best Helper Interlude , Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, answers one of the most common (and most misunderstood) topics in publishing t...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 57: Part 1 - Bestsellers Get Attention but "Best Helpers" Close Deals Episode Summary: Sometimes things don’t go as planned—but the message is too important not to share. In this Part 1 episode, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, introduces a powerful concept that’s changing how authors think about success: th...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode Episode 56: Leveraging Your Book Over the Long Term (With Jonathan Lautermilch) Episode Summary: Most authors think the hard part is writing the book. It’s not. In Episode 56, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, is joined by co-host (and CEO) Jonathan Lautermilch as they break down what actually determines whether your b...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 55: Building an Ecosystem for Your Book Episode Summary: Publishing your book is just the beginning. In Episode 55, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, breaks down one of the most overlooked—but most powerful—strategies in publishing: building an ecosystem around your book. Too many authors write, publish, and hope their...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 54: Does Kindle's Ask This Book Feature Present an IP Risk? Episode Summary: AI is moving fast—but the law isn’t. In Episode 54, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, brings on two intellectual property attorneys to break down one of the most controversial developments in publishing today: Amazon Kindle’s “Ask This Boo...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 53: Don't Be Haunted by Selecting Ghost Categories Episode Summary: Choosing the wrong categories on Amazon KDP can quietly sabotage your book’s visibility—and most authors don’t even realize it’s happening. In Episode 53, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, breaks down one of the most overlooked (and increasingly im...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 52: Securing Speaking Opportunities with Mike “C-Roc” Ciorrocco Episode Summary: Many authors dream about turning their book into speaking opportunities—but very few understand how to actually make that happen. In this special guest episode, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, sits down with Mike “C-Roc” Ciorrocco , a hi...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 51: Audible vs. Spotify — Where Should You Publish Your Audiobook? Episode Summary: After the recent Audible AI crackdown discussed in Episode 50, many authors are asking the same question: If not Audible… then where? In Episode 51, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, breaks down the real differences between Audible (ACX...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 50: This Just In - Audible AI Crackdown Episode Summary: Episode 50 was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, it’s breaking news. In this milestone episode, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, dives into Audible’s quiet but significant crackdown on AI voice cloning technology. Without public announcement, ACX (Audible’s...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 49: Amazon Reviews, Decoded: The Number That Unlocks Visibility Episode Summary: Amazon reviews aren’t just social proof—they’re leverage. In Episode 49, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, breaks down exactly how Amazon’s algorithm evaluates reviews, ratings, and conversion rates—and what that means for your book’s visi...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 48: What You Need to Know About Amazon's Crackdown on Low-Content Books Episode Summary: Amazon has been quietly—but aggressively—cracking down on low-content books. In this important episode, Renée Lautermilch , Chief Editor at Smart Publishing, breaks down what “low content” actually means on KDP, what qualifies (and what doesn’t),...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 47: What Authors Need to Know About Kindle’s New “Ask This Book” Feature Episode Summary: Amazon is quietly rolling out a new AI-powered feature inside the Kindle app—and many authors don’t even know it exists yet. In this timely and important episode, Renée Lautermilch , chief editor at Smart Publishing, breaks down Kindle’s new “Ask Thi...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 46: The Ideal Time to Launch Your Book Episode Summary: When you launch your book matters— a lot . In this strategy-packed episode, Renée Lautermilch , chief editor at Smart Publishing, breaks down the ideal timing for book launches and why preparation—not luck—is what leads to consistent bestseller results. Drawing from dozens of real-wo...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 45: What Authors Need to Know About ISBNs Episode Summary: ISBNs aren’t glamorous—but they are important. In this educational episode, Renée Lautermilch , chief editor at Smart Publishing, breaks down everything authors need to know about ISBNs before publishing their book. From understanding what an ISBN actually is, to deciding whether...

Episode Title: The Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 44: How to Get Your Book Out This Year Episode Summary: It’s the first official episode of 2026—and the final installment of Renée’s book-planning case study series. In this timely and motivating episode, Renée Lautermilch walks you through exactly what you need to do if this is the year you finally write and publish your book. From solid...