Publish & Prosper

🥳 Three Cheers to Three Years of Publish & Prosper! 🥳  Last year we looked back on what we’ve learned from podcasting. This year, we’re looking out at what we’ve learned from our friends, peers, and mentors. In this episode, Matt & Lauren each share three of their favorite pieces of professional advice… or at least, the ones we’re currently living by.  Dive Deeper 💡 Explore These Resour...

Your audience and your community aren't the same thing. Your audience is your fans, readers and followers, but your community is the group of people who show up to bond over shared interests and ideas. In this episode, Lauren & Chelsea go beyond the importance of community for authors and creators. We discuss the practicalities of hosting your own community, recognizing when to foster org...

In this episode, Matt puts Lauren in the hot seat for a podcaster to podcaster interview! We’re exploring Lauren’s brand new podcast, and digging into the practical realities of starting a passion project while maintaining your day job.    Dive Deeper 💡 Check out Alternative Park Days ! 💡 Listen to These Episodes Ep #53 | How to Create A Writing Habit That Actually Sticks Ep #126 | 13 Lessons Ta...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren are joined by the incredible creator, author, entrepreneur, and friend, Justin Moore! We’re checking in on Justin’s goal to sell 10,000 copies of his book Sponsor Magnet, and diving into how the book has impacted his brand, his business, and his legacy.  “It was the best thing that I've ever done professionally. Was write the book. And consciously kill off t...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren tackle the biggest struggle of the season: holiday sales!  Whether this is your first year selling direct or you’re just looking for new ways to tighten up your end of the year book sales and marketing efforts, we want to make sure you’re not leaving easy money on the table this year! Dive Deeper 💡 High Level Holiday Help Lulu.com | Preparing for Holiday Book Sa...

In this episode, Lauren & Chelsea finally tackle the topic you’ve all been waiting for: how to actually go live on your social media channel of choice. We share our favorite tips and insights into... 🎥 How different types of live content can help support your brand goals 🎥 Building and growing your live studio and tech stack 🎥 What you need to go live today ( after you listen to the episode...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren attempt to calculate the complete, all-in investment required to publish a book. Or at least, they encourage you to do that math yourself. We break down different expenses to consider when measuring your return on investment, including:  📖 Book Production Costs 🧲 Marketing & Promotional Costs ⚙️ Operational Costs Understanding your business expenses and pro...

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Lulu’s VP of Software & Product Development, Nick Foster!  Tune in for a conversation exploring the development of Lulu’s publishing technology, the parallels between creators and developers, and how tools like the brand new Lulu Direct Buy Button came to life.  Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the episode on YouTube . Dive Deeper 💡 Listen...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore four different direct sales solutions for authors, creators, and entrepreneurs at every stage of the journey! Learn how to sell direct by: 📚 Fulfilling multiple orders with the Order Import Tool 💡 Skipping the store setup with Lulu’s Direct Buy Button  🔌 Connecting to major ecommerce platforms with Lulu Direct plugins 🛠️ Building a custom experience wi...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren invite listeners to ride the pre-launch marketing roller coaster. We debate the different stages of building, leveraging, and maintaining excitement for an upcoming book or product, and share ideas for:  🎢 Building anticipation before the launch announcement  🎢 Maintaining momentum between announcement and launch 🎢 Spreading that excitement to new audiences Li...

In this episode, Lauren & Matt examine the rising popularity, significance, and value of backlist titles in the publishing industry. We consider why back catalogs are bigger and better than ever, what this means for the future of the industry, and how indie authors and publishers can make the most of their own backlist title trends.  Tune in wherever you get your podcasts, and watch the video...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren examine the content and strategies that inspire one-time customers to become devoted, loyal fans of your brand. Give your customers, readers, fans, and casual visitors a reason to come back again and again and again… 💡 Providing a personal customer experience  💡 Keeping customers engaged between purchases 💡 Driving new fans back to your brand after they purcha...

In this episode, Lauren is joined by Lulu’s Education & Community Manager and YouTube expert, Chelsea Bennett! We sit down for a deep dive conversation about using YouTube to connect with your audience and support your brand, talking through ideas like: ▶️ Why and how we approach YouTube as its own channel ▶️ Using video to set audience expectations and build trust ▶️ Recognizing the long-term...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren continue the conversation they started in Episode #128 and dig into the cost involved in selling direct. Learn more about what expenses you should account for as you launch, maintain, and grow your ecommerce store, including: 💰 Annual subscriptions for your domain name and ecommerce solutions 🛒 Transaction, fulfillment, and operational plugins  📈 Brand growth...

In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore the top five most popular ecommerce platforms in the market today. We review Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and BigCommerce, taking a look at:  🤩 What makes these platforms so popular ⚖️ The pros and cons of each platform 👍🏼 Which platforms are the best fit for different authors, creators, and entrepreneurs  Listen now, or watch the video epis...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore two different methods of bringing your books to life: traditional offset publishing and modern digital printing. We break down: 💡 How each printing process works 🔑 Key distinctions between the two  ⚖️ Different reasons you’d choose one over the other 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 When we see both solutions working together And more! Tune in wherever you get your podcasts,...

In this episode, Lauren gives a crash course in marketing strategies used by one of the most successful marketers of our generation: Taylor Swift.  Matt’s here too.  Tune in for 13 lessons on audience building, pre-launch marketing, product marketing, and repeatability, straight from the mastermind’s playbook! Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video episode on YouTube . Dive Deep...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren look to the past to see if they were right about the future!  Way back in December 2025 we suggested 6 trends we expected to see in the publishing industry this year… 6 months later, we’re checking in to see whether or not our visions are manifesting into reality. 🎱 Are more publishers seeing print-on-demand as a competitive advantage? 🔮 Are more authors invest...

In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore how authors can use AI to buy back their most valuable resource: time. Generative AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity can’t replace human creativity, but they can give you more time to be creative by helping you streamline your… 🧰 Operations 🧲 Marketing 💰 Sales ⚙️ Production Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the episode...

In this episode, Lauren and guest host Paul, Lulu’s Sr. Marketing Manager, examine an often overlooked element of indie publishing: making your book accessible to all potential readers. Accessibility isn’t just a performative buzzword; it’s a smart strategy to help you reach new readers, connect with existing fans, increase your discoverability, and future-proof your content. Listen, watch, or rea...

In this episode, Lauren & Matt shine a light on a nightmare that keeps many indie authors awake at night: an unceremonious account suspension from Amazon.  What do you do when you’re forced to rebuild your author brand from the ground up? How will leaving Amazon impact your audience, your discoverability, and your promotional efforts? Is there anything you can do to safeguard yourself from une...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren reveal the workflows the Lulu team has been refining for years, built to grow, scale, and streamline content marketing. Whether you’re writing your next book, producing a podcast episode, or scheduling a simple social media post, reframing your approach makes your work easier and gives you back time to do more of what you love.  Listen as we break it down into th...

In this episode, Lauren & Matt gleefully share data from a recent Pew Research Center report confirming what we already knew: print books are alive and well. We unpack the survey results and what they mean for us, indie authors, and the publishing industry as a whole. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video episode on YouTube ! Dive Deeper 💡 Pew Research Center | Americans s...

In this episode, Matt & Lauren examine the ways book marketing has changed in an AI and algorithm-driven world. We identify a few of the biggest shifts we’ve seen, like prioritizing trust signals over keywords, and share our insights into: 😱 Common mistakes we see authors & creators making 🤩 Proactive moves we see authors & creators making 🤔 Things you can do right now to better pos...

In this episode, Lauren & Matt share strategies for how to get your readers and fans to help sell your books for you! We break down the importance of building a dedicated audience around your brand, review the different ways authors and entrepreneurs mobilize their fans, and offer up tips for putting these ideas into action.  Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video episode on...