Design, emotion, and publishing with the School of Life Design

June 01, 2023 — by Elly Blue

On this week’s episode of the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, we welcome special guests Jessica Mullen and Kelly Cree of the School of Life Design and creators of the Monthly Manifestation Manual and Monthly Magickal Record workbooks as well as many more. We talk about a wide range of topics from their process, the difference between running a small press and working with Microcosm, the role of AI in publishing, and their favorite place in Cleveland. Lots of laughter in this one.

How do you write a compelling pitch?

May 25, 2023 — by Elly Blue

This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, Joe and Elly are joined by From Dream to Reality author Jessie Kwak to talk about how to write a compelling pitch… for authors pitching a book to publishers, freelance writers pitching an article or project, publicists promoting a book to the media, or for most anything.

Introducing our Third Warehouse!

May 18, 2023 — by Elly Blue

This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, we introduce you to the newest member of our team… warehouse #3! It has yet to be named—feel free to submit your best ideas!

What does BookTok mean for publishers?

May 11, 2023 — by Elly Blue

This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, we talk about the strange and sudden rise of BookTok as a driver of, by some reports, 4% of all book sales in the US. Wow!

Do self-published authors need a contract with themselves?

May 05, 2023 — by Elly Blue

This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, Joe and Elly tackle a topic that might sound like a parody at first, but we’re serious: authors who publish their own books, whether they’re going with a publishing service or starting their own publishing house, would do well to consider putting themself under a contract. Here’s why to consider creating a business deal with yourself.

P.S. Did you see that Microcosm is hiring? Come join our marketing team!

Do you need a lawyer to help with your book contract?

May 01, 2023 — by Elly Blue

This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, Joe and Elly tackle a common question: should authors get a lawyer to help them understand and negotiate their book contract? We’ve worked with many hundreds of authors, some who bring lawyers into the mix, and we have some very specific advice about how to approach this.

How to think about platform (with Guy LeCharles Gonzalez)

April 20, 2023 — by Elly Blue

This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, we’re joined by publishing pundit Guy LeCharles Gonzalez to discuss that important question: does an author need to already be famous (or have x number of social media followers) to publish a book? Guy walks us through the reality of the situation and turns the tables in a refreshing take—should a publisher also have a platform? Lots of marketing chops and unconventional takes for our loyal readers to noodle on here.

What forms a publisher’s perspective?

April 14, 2023 — by Elly Blue

This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, we answer a question from an up-and-coming book publisher who asked “what forms your perspective as a publisher?” This is just a ten-minute episode but it really is about why we get up every morning to do this work, and maybe it will resonate with your goals and dreams, too.

How do you make a living as a writer? An interview with Jessie Kwak

April 06, 2023 — by Elly Blue

Today on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, we welcome guest Jessie Kwak, author of several books from Microcosm, most recently including From Dream to Reality: How to Make a Living as a Freelance Writer. Jessie shares some of her methods and perspectives, shares what it’s actually like to do this work, and tells us about the event she’s organizing for next year, the Author Alchemy Summit.

How to protect your brilliant book ideas

March 30, 2023 — by Elly Blue

This week on the People’s Guide to Publishing podcast, Joe and Elly are joined by experienced writer (and Women on Wheels author) April Streeter to tackle a reader question: How do I make sure someone doesn’t steal the idea for my book?