Tagged business of publishing

How did we become the distributor for the new Lydia Davis book? (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

Popular author Lydia Davis decided that she no longer wanted her books sold on Amazon. So she tasked her agent with finding a publisher who could do this for her. Everyone said that it was impossible. But through a unique partnership between Microcosm and Bookshop.org, we found a way. And it wasn’t even hard. This is how it turned out. Over 10,000 books sold in the first month and growing!

Check out our interview with Sarah High here.

Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
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What is a Publishing Sales Conference? (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

In several previous episodes, we’ve made reference to presenting your books at a “sales conference.” It’s a fundamentally misleading event, since you aren’t actually presenting to buyers. So this week, on the pod, we answer the reader question “What is a sales conference?”

Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
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How Should Publishers Handle Submissions? (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

How do authors find a publisher? (Or, how can publishers find authors?) How do publishers choose which books to acquire? What does the development and contract negotiation process look like? How can the publishing process be re-shaped to be more inclusive for diversity, equity, and inclusion? What are the best practices? Why do they work?

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers!

Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
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What are the jobs of a publisher? (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

When we tell strangers what we do, they either bemoan the death of the publishing industry or assume that we sit around and read books all day. So this week on the pod, we take a look at what a publisher actually does and the outcome of all of this work!

Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
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How Do I Know if My Book is “Good?” (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

Taste is subjective and arbitrary, but still, everyone carries a certain amount of imposter syndrome, wondering if their book if any good. So this week on the pod, we take a look at what makes a book good, successful, and resonating with readers!

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!

Who is the book’s client? (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

When you are working on someone else’s book, there is frequent confusion about who has the final say. Many people consider the author to be the final authority on decisions. Others look to major account buyers who essentially gatekeep the book within the industry. Yet others would look to readers themselves. This week on the pod, Joe and Elly discuss these issues and how to navigate conflict when developing a book or differences of opinion emerge!

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 do you make a book’s sales last forever? (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

In traditional publishing, sales are thought of as a steep upward curve, a peak, falling action, and a steady plateau, moving slowly downward towards the book’s “resolution” and “conclusion.” Jokes aside, this week Joe and Elly talk about how you can break this cycle and make book sales last forever.

Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
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Bookstore Solidarity Project: Copper Dog Books of MA

Copper Dog Books didn’t set out to be controversial; just a lovable weird bird next door to spooky Salem. However, some of their customers don’t understand the curatorial powers of the bookstore and attempted to overwrite values. This week, in the latest installment of our monthly Bookstore Solidarity Project, we feature another store who carefully selects how to tell their own story.

To see Meg’s other interview for the Bookstore Solidarity Project, click here!

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 Do You Get A Job in Book Publishing? (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

This is the question that just about everyone actually wants the answer to, beneath all of their qualifying questions: where are the jobs in publishing? Where is my job in publishing? So this week on the pod, we unpack the leverage of jobs, how to prepare yourself with job skills, and making yourself attractive in the workforce.

Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
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How Do I Protect Bookstores? (with Danny Caine) (A People’s Guide to Publishing)

Every trip out of the house results in sad looks from strangers about how nobody reads anymore or how the bookstores are all gone. It’s not uncommon for us to tell people about thriving indie bookstores in their own towns and how sales at independents are up with more stores since 2007! This week on the pod, we welcome back Danny Caine to talk about his brand new book How to Protect Bookstores (and Why)!

Order your own copy of How to Protect Bookstores and Why here. (And here are Danny’s other book and zine!)

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!