A People's Guide to Publishing

Edelweiss is known in the book industry as a powerful tool connecting booksellers and librarians with publishers and their titles. But in the last year, Edelweiss's new owners have made some changes in both the site's functionality and pricing.  What does this mean for publishers, and how do we think it'll effect the industry? Jane Friedman of the Bottom Line is back this week to talk with Joe and...

How do you set a personal budget, even if thinking about money feels like the worst thing ever? What if you're allergic to spreadsheets, or your family set you up with a ton of anxiety and expectations around finances? Joe Biel, founder and CEO of Microcosm and regular host of the pod, did a little seminar for Microcosm staff on setting a personal budget and Joe's favorite tips for money managemen...

"Innovation" is one of the biggest words you hear in just about any industry, especially with the rise of our new AI overlords. It can be so tempting to make big changes just for the sake of making changes! But what is real innovation, and how do you know when it needs to happen? How do you innovate with intention? Is innovation even right for you?  Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back with Jo...

It's another throwback episode! Usually books and math don't mix. The book people sit in one spot, the math in another, with their calculators and abacuses. But Microcosm founder and CEO Joe Biel is a known champion of combining the two! This week on the pod, Joe and Elly talk about the math that goes into publishing, from finances, to calculating print runs, and everything in between. ***********...

Early episode drop this week due to the holiday! Put simply, bookstore co-op is a tool publishers can use to incentivize bookstores for ordering and featuring their books, or hosting events with their authors. Is co-op right for your publisher? How do you best use it? Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to chat with Joe and Elly about co-op, Microcosm's experience with it, and how to communic...

It's a throwback episode! Contracts are no one's favorite part of publishing, no matter which side of the table you're sitting on. This week on the pod, we revisit a classic People's Guide to Publishing episode where Joe and Elly walk you through why contracts are important, how to navigate them as an author, and what makes a good publishing contract. ************ Thank you for catching the People...

It's the 20th-ish anniversary of Ashley Rowe Palafox's original "Barefoot and in the Kitchen" zine! This week on the pod, Ashley joins us to talk about the inception of the zine, how punk helps you let go of perfectionism, and updating the zines for the new collection, "Cook Your Own F*cking Life." Get "Cook Your Own Fucking Life" here: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/59290 Check out...

This week on the pod, Lee Wind of the Independent Book Publisher's Association is here to talk about the We Are Stronger Than Censorship campaign, book bans, and a few fun side quests like microwaves and 90s movies.  For more on the We Are Stronger Than Censorship campaign, click here: https://www.wearestrongerthancensorship.org/ To get the stickers, click here: https://microcosmpublishing.com/cat...

There are new forms of ecommerce popping up every day, on every website from Instagram and Tiktok to Pinterest. Is selling online through Tiktok right for your books? This week, Jane Friedman of the Bottom Line is back to talk to Joe and Elly about the growing popularity of TIktok Shop, and if she thinks it's worth a publisher's time. ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publi...

Can you really judge a book by its cover? Absolutely, yes.  A lot of work goes into planning a book's cover design— marketing goals, representing the author's work, making it appealing to the target audience, legibility, and so much more. This week on the pod, Joe walks us through the things Joe takes into consideration for designing over covers. Note: For those just listening to audio, there's an...

Lindsay Sims Mckee is a professor and digital marketing expert based in Ohio. This week on the podcast, Lindsay joins Joe and Elly to talk universal marketing truths and strategies, like determining who your customer is (hint: it's not you!), their needs, and coming up with books that fill what they're looking for, Buckle in, marketing nerds, this is a fun one! ************ Thank you for catching...

Do you publish what YOU want to read, or what the market says people want to read? We're back with last year's PNBA trade show talking to publishers about how they decide what they acquire and publish, and the various things that go into it. ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book in...

Nicole LaRue is both a queer artist and graphic designer and is widely known for her iconic work on the Women's March on Washington logo. Her latest work, the HeART Tarot, is a unique deck featuring beautiful, original illustrations incorporating the shape of the human heart and elements of the natural world into each tarot archetype, and reminding us that the heart and mind aren't working in oppo...

Trying to get high-profile reviews for your books can feel like a rat race. So many publishers competing for the same space in the same publications (and space in readers' brains). But do reviews really matter? Are they worth the time publishers put into getting them? This week on the podcast, we're back with the booksellers and publishers of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association tradeshow...

Can publishers tell if you submit work with A.I.? Does it matter if they can't even tell?  Jane Friedman of "The Bottom Line" joins Joe and Elly this week to talk about what publishers mean with A.I. disclosures, what presses are looking out for, and how authors can communicate with their publishers about it. Check out Jane's articles here: https://janefriedman.com/ ************ Thank you for catc...

Don't get scared straight! Joe Carlough & Gina Brandolino, authors of the new book QUEER HORROR: FUN AND FREAKY PERSPECTIVES ON MACABRE MEDIA, join Joe and Elly this week to talk about horror, coming out, their favorite bad movies, and more. Coming out, the horrors of publishing, fever dreams, favorite queer media, old horror movies Get the Queer Horror Book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/ca...

Ah, AI. We're hearing about it constantly, and it's not going anywhere any time soon. From "fair use" in recent court cases to bad advice from Anthropic, Jane Friedman of The Bottom Line is back to talk with Joe and Elly about AI, especially in the publishing world.  Is it useful? WE haven't found anything that AI does well, have you? Let us know! Note: There are a few hops, skips, and jumps in th...

Zines are small, often subject-focused booklets that can range in topic from how much you love your cats, to fixing your bike, to protest safety tips. How do we incorporate zines into our regular marketing and production strategy? Joe and Elly tell all this week on the podcast! ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about...

Continuing our series on tradeshows, bookselling, and bookseller/publisher relationships, this week we're back at PNBA! Hear from booksellers and publishers on how they think they collaborate well, and what they wish the other party knew. ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book indus...

Continuing our ongoing series on trade shows, publishing, bookselling, and more, this week Joe and Elly talk education sessions, galley rooms, the decreased focus on placing orders and getting face time with publishers, and some of their thoughts for improving the shows. ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publis...

Is Costco cutting books a big deal, or will it be a great chance for readers to go back to their local indies? What does it mean for publishers?  Jane Friedman of The Hot Sheet is back this week to talk with Joe about bulk buying, waste, returns, and Costco's target book customer. ************ Thank you for watching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday ab...

We've been talking trade shows the last few weeks, from how they benefit booksellers to what publishers need to make them work. We continue the conversation this week with some more folks from the PNBA show talk about how they can improve for booksellers and bookselling. ************ Thank you for catching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publis...

After last week's episode, where booksellers and publishers evaluate the effectiveness of trade shows, this week Elly and Joe give their own analysis! ************ Thank you for watching 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 your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/mic...

For booksellers, the regional trade shows are a beloved time for community, connection, and learning about the latest reads from their favorite publishers. Are they as effective for publishers? Joe and Elly had a chance to chat with other publishers and booksellers at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Fall Forum last year to find out what brought them to the show. ************ Thank yo...

So you've got your company. You've got your book. You've got an idea. But how do you get it out into the world? Releasing the first book as a press can be a lot like making the first pancake—you learn a lot in the process. There are a lot of traps and pitfalls presses can fall into, and Jane Friedman of the Hot Sheet is back to talk to Joe and Elly about how a press can get their first book out th...