Rad Bugs: Brain Worms, Ticks that Cure Cancer, and Other Tiny Marvels

January 28, 2026

Fun bug information to delight and inspire

Get acquainted with the little creepy crawlies who make our world go ’round in this enthusiastic and informative love letter to the beauty of bugs by Karyn Light-Gibson, the author of Bug Life. This time around, Light-Gibson introduces us to under-appreciated insects like fleas, lice, silverfish, and earwigs. And then she opens up the wide world of non-insect invertebrates, taking us on a rollercoaster ride through the world of scorpions, spiders, ticks, millipedes, and even crayfish and snails. She offers fascinating, fun, and sometimes gross facts about how each of these bugs has shaped our world, from ancient times to today. She debunks common myths (no, you probably do not actually eat eight spiders per year). And she gives guidance on how humans can co-exist more peaceably with these creatures we often fear or see as pests—but who we also rely on for a viable ecosystem.

Read for the trivia night facts, to help cure your arachnophobia, or if you just want to gain a new appreciation for more of the tiny creatures that we share the planet with but rarely stop to get to know.

Can publishing fewer books mean more sales? | A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast

January 22, 2026

Will publishing fewer books make more money? It feels counterintuitive, but when you look closer, it frees up the ability to market more specifically, edit more thoroughly, and generally give more care in attention to what you’ve got going on.

Find out how Joe & Elly made the decision to find Microcosm’s “optimal number” of titles per season, and how they’ve discovered that more isn’t always better.

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!

The Sober Travel Handbook w/Teresa Bergen | A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast

January 15, 2026 — by Abby Rice

This week on the pod, Teresa Bergen, author of the zine (and now paperback book!) “Sober Travel Handbook” joins Joe, Elly, and Bernie talk traveling without drinking, the rise in mocktail culture, sobriety and recovery, and everything that went into developing the zine into a full book.

Get “Sober Travel Handbook”: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/47854

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!

Announcing: The Microcosm Deal of the Day!

January 09, 2026

We know these things to be true:

Reading is good
Everything costs a million dollars these days
There are so many books
We all want to spend less time online

And hi, we have a solution!: Microcosm’s brand-new, unbeatable, unstoppable Deal of the Day!

How it works:

Every working day, we will offer a different book, super cheap, until it’s sold out.
Most deals will be in the ballpark of either $5 or 75% off the cover price.
And we’ll keep doing this every working day until we run out of books or you stop wanting them.

Sign up here to get an email every morning that gives you the first shot at the day’s deal.

Or just go to our Deal of the Day page, which will always be updated with the day’s deal.

Okay, but what are the books?

We’ve spent 30 years developing a vast catalog and several warehouses full of books and zines to help you rise to any occasion. Recession? Disaster? Grief? Boredom? Rage? Broke-assedness? Hunger? An inarticulate yearning for profound change? We’ve got something to meet every need. If today’s book isn’t your preferred flavor, wait for tomorrow!

How can we afford to offer these deals?

These books have so many origin stories. Some of them we found a great deal on and overbought during the heady pandemic book boom-times. Others got a little scuffed along their journey. Yet others are cool books we misjudged the interest in. Some of these stores don’t want to touch. Others just slipped through the cracks. Our deal price is pretty close to our cost, so we’re essentially passing these along to a good home with you.

Can I buy other things along with the deal book?

Absolutely! You can add anything else that’s in stock on our website to your cart along with the deal. May we recommend taking a gander at our newest zines, our stickers, or our last-chance titles with only one copy left?

I went to the deal page and it’s out of stock, what gives?

Sorry, friend, that means we sold out of this one before the day was through. You can search the title in our catalog to see if a full-price (or sometimes lesser-sale-price) copy is available. If you want to be among the first to be notified, sign up for our daily Deal of the Day newsletter.

Can I put a deal in my cart and buy it later?

Yes, but… if you buy it on a different working day, you won’t get the book you expected, as it will be a different book on that new day, assuming we even still have copies when you check out.

Can I buy deal of the day books for my store?

You sure can, so long as you add it to your cart on our website and check out same day with a $100 minimum order! There’s no additional discount and please be mindful of condition, but if you think your customers would dig a deal, go ahead and grab a few.

Wishing you a very analog 2026,

Everyone at Microcosm

AI, Closures, Tariffs, and More: 2025 in Publishing | A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast

January 08, 2026

We are far from the only ones saying it, but 2025 was an ass-kicker of a year. From tariffs to Baker and Taylor closing to AI, publishing felt like a roller coaster for much of the year.

How did it impact Microcosm, and publishing culture? This week on the pod, Joe, Elly, and special guest Bernie the Office Dog recap 2025 in the book 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!

What do Edelweiss changes mean for book publishers? w/Jane Friedman | People’s Guide to Publishing

January 02, 2026

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 Elly about her thoughts.

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!

Knowing What YOU Want When Making a Personal Budget | A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast

December 26, 2025

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 management. We got so much out of it, we wanted to share it with you!

If you want more tips on where to get started with your finances, check out UNF*CK YOUR WORTH by Dr. Faith Harper

Should you innovate your publisher? w/ Jane Friedman | A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast

December 19, 2025

“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 Joe and Elly this week to talk about branding, change, innovation, and how to go about it all thoughtfully. (Does “innovation” sound like a word to you anymore?)

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!

Unfuck Your Brain Activity & Coloring Book

December 12, 2025

Got baggage? Illustrate it!

Find a quiet corner and a box of colored pencils and unlock the hows and whys behind your feelings. Bestselling Unfuck Your Brain author Dr. Faith G. Harper returns to help you explore your emotions through brain science-backed art therapy, using exercises to draw out your inner creativity and enhance your mental wellbeing.

Color in hearts and assess what works and doesn’t for your attachment style. Reflect on how you want to be remembered and if you’re in alignment with your goals by decorating your tombstone. Workshop your next difficult conversation. No special supplies or artistic talent required—all you need to get started is a pen or pencil, and your own innately creative self.

Self Care Won’t Save Us: How to Fight Burnout with Solidarity and Social Change

December 12, 2025

Is the daily grind getting you down? You’re not alone! More than half of working adults in the U.S. say they’re experiencing at least some degree of that dreaded late-stage-capitalism affliction: burnout. But workplace well-being needn’t remain out of reach. With a focus on actionable alternatives, Self Care Won’t Save Us examines the mash-up of money and morality that got us into this mess alongside practical ways we can get ourselves out of it.

Author Caroline Moore digs into hustle culture’s takeover of the way we do business, how its rise has allowed work to creep into every aspect of our daily lives, and how we can re-envision what work is and what it should mean to us. Exploring possibilities like co-op models, shorter working weeks, policy changes in the workplace, and other simple adaptations to help you to thrive, this book offers real tools to battle burnout, rather than burning you out with more burnout facts. Whether you’re a business owner, a union steward, a new employee, or a freelancer, this is the working person’s guide to making positive change for ourselves and each other.