Posts By: microcosm

How Did You Get a New York Times Bestseller? w/ Angela Engel | A People’s Guide to Publishing

For a lot of publishers, landing a book on the New York Times bestseller list is one of their loftiest goals. How did a small press like Collective Book Studio end up with a title on the most iconic bestseller list in the U.S.? Angela Engel had a chance to hang out with Joe for a few minutes at a recent conference to tell the story.

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

What Makes a Hybrid Publisher a Good Value Chain? w/ Brooke Warner | A People’s Guide to Publishing

This week on the podcast, Brooke Warner of She Writes Press and Spark Press talks with Elly and Joe about her experience in hybrid publishing, how to tell if it’s a good idea for your books, recognizing predatory publishers, and misconceptions about that particular branch of the industry.

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

An Urban Field Guide to the Plants, Trees, and Herbs in Your Path

Befriend the plants in your neighborhood.

Imagine going for a walk with a knowledgeable friend who points out all the plants you see and the coolest facts about them. This practical field guide is that friend, providing a delightful introduction to 58 of the plants, trees, weeds, and herbs you’ll encounter walking around most US cities. Accurate, charming line drawings accompany detailed yet accessible botanical information about each plant that helps you easily identify it in all seasons. You’ll also learn each plant’s backstory, including its relatives, origins, historical uses, and other fun facts. Getting to know the plants you meet every day will help you strengthen your sense of place, improve your foraging game, make new botanical and herbal friends, and marvel at the life that is all around us.

How does an election impact publishing? (with Jane Friedman) | A People’s Guide to Publishing

How does a major election affect publishing sales trends?

Jane Friedman of the Hot Sheet is back to talk with Joe and Elly about how we’re all doing, what’s been selling, and what we think that means for the next few years. Plus, we touch on the differences between the aftermath of the 2016 election vs 2024’s election.

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

Warehouse Walkthrough

Take a little tour through Microcosm’s Cleveland digs!

What happens at a Microcosm warehouse? Come along for a walkthrough of the Cleveland buildings with us for a behind-the-scenes peek at what running an independent press and distro really looks like.

Pallets of books get delivered to our well-marked dock and are received into our system.

We wait for construction to finish.

We fix leaks using the things we have around.

We put away tons of zines.

We make space for new deliveries…

…and plan ahead for the next several years.

Thanks so much for coming along! As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season sets in and orders are rolling out the door, these spaces and our small crew of dedicated, rad staff in them every day are what keep the books, zines, gifts, and resources flowing. We couldn’t do it without you!

—Your friends at Cleveland MCP

Trans-Galactic Bike Ride: Feminist Bicycle Science Fiction Stories of Transgender and Nonbinary Adventurers

2021 Lambda Literary Award Finalist 

Take a ride with us as we explore a future where trans and nonbinary people are the heroes. In worlds where bicycle rides bring luck, a minotaur needs a bicycle, and werewolves stalk the post-apocalyptic landscape, nobody has time to question gender. Whatever your identity you’ll enjoy these stories that are both thought-provoking and fun adventures. Find out what the future could look like if we stopped putting people into boxes and instead empowered each other to reach for the stars.

Featuring original stories from Hugo, Nebula, and Lambda Literary Award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders, Elly Bangs, Kiera Jessica Bane, Ava Kelly, Juliet Kemp, Rafi Kleiman, Tucker Lieberman, Nathan Alling Long, Ether Nepenthes, Lane Fox Marcus Woodman, and Nebula-nominated M. Darusha Wehm, and an introduction to the new edition by Microcosm publisher Joe Biel. 

Microcosm’s 2024 Gift Guide

Make change, do good, spread some light

It’s been A Year (TM). Don’t know about y’all, but we’re tired—and at the same time, extremely motivated to make change, do good, and spread some light. ‘Tis the season, you know? So for this year’s gift guide, our theme is in keeping with the times. A lot of you are shopping for the movers, shakers, and helpers in your lives, and we have a few suggestions to help get you started (or you can just get yourself something nice).

🚨 If you want to make sure your items arrive in time for the holidays, be sure to place your order by December 6th! 🚨

To save a little money, use coupon GIFTGUIDE15 to get 15% off your order at checkout through December 7th!

So let’s get into it:

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How do you manage author expectations? w/ Chris Vega of Blue Cactus | A People’s Guide to Publishing

Publisher/author relationships are just like any other relationships— they need care, communication, and understanding. This week on the pod, Chris Vega of Blue Cactus press talks with Joe and Elly about different ways to onboard authors and set expectations, how to resolve disagreements, and more.

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

How Can a Publisher Expand Their List Outside Personal Interests? | A People’s Guide to Publishing

Most publishers are most comfortable publishing to their own tastes. And from there, what’s popular but familiar. This week on the pod, we tackle the important but somewhat uncomfortable transition of publishing what you know to things that would resonate with your readers but are unfamiliar to you.

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

Our Sacred Cycle

A Workbook to Reclaim Your Period from PMS and PMDD

Your period doesn’t have to ruin your life! Sometimes our menstrual symptoms prevent us from showing up the way we want to, and there is not a lot of information about how to feel better. You may have had trouble finding resources that explain what’s happening in your body and mind. You may have even been disbelieved or blamed.

Our Sacred Cycle was created to help. Written by a therapist who specializes in premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and other forms of hormone imbalance, this workbook offers accessible information and reflective exercises to help you understand the physiology of the menstrual cycle and how it affects you, harness your power, and live in harmony with your body. Whether you want to heal from patriarchal trauma or connect with yourself in a new way, this is the empowering, gender-neutral feminist resource you need to reclaim your cycle, take control of your symptoms, and achieve a transformative mind-body connection. You can feel better!

Read on for an excerpt of Our Sacred Cycle: A Workbook to Reclaim Your Period from PMS and PMDD by Mary McDonald, available for preorder from our site or your local bookseller (officially hitting shelves 12/10/24)!

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