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.

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Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
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Edelweiss! It’s a valuable tool for publishers, booksellers, and other industry folks. Buyers use it all the time to research and bring in books to their stores and libraries. How does a publisher break through all the noise, make their products stand out, and make sure buyers are able to easily find what they’re looking for?

This week on the pod, we’re sharing a little bit of a presentation marketing manager (and former bookseller) Abby gave this year on how booksellers and buyers use Edelweiss, and some things publishers can keep in mind as they list titles.

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!
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How does a publisher know if a distributor is working for them? Odds are, if you’re asking that question, they probably aren’t!

This week on the pod, Joe and Elly give you a few tips on what numbers and data points to look at, how to tell if a distributor is adding value to your enterprise, and revaluating if your contract is getting in your way.

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!
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Can you judge a book by its cover?

We’re revisiting another classic episode this week! Joe and Elly talk about cover design, how to make a book cover stand out, and how a cover communicates to its audience.

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!
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If you hang in certain circles, you’ll frequently hear that “Publishers have all the money,” which is funny because bookstores get the largest percentage of each sale. But everyone has to pay their staff and operating expenses, and often it’s bewildering to watch even the revenues from your bestsellers dwindle into nothingness.

So this week on the pod, we look at that illustrious pie chart and talk about how it all disappears so quickly! Please feel free to eat pie during this episode.

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!
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The publishing industry invests heavily in the logic that a new book hits hard out of the gate, has a third of its total sales before it’s published, a third of its sales in the following year, and the final third gradually across the lifetime of the book, until it gradually saturates and dead stalls. So this week on the pod, we look at how to make books sell forever.

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!