Person hiking up a mountain of books on a teal background.

Books and Math: A Manifesto on Publishing Tools

by Joe Biel Author, Elly Blue Author and Sara Balabanlilar Author

Learn what you need to succeed in book publishing—and more importantly, how to determine what success means for you. Follow along with Microcosm and WorkingLit staff as they share anecdotes from our humble beginnings and huge growth, eye-opening strategies for efficiency, and unique insights built from experience (rather than conventional wisdom repeated by industry insiders), all backed up with humor, passion, and lots and lots of data. For fellow publishers, future publishers, book industry comrades, systems nerds, and other kindred spirits, this zine is packed with what you need to know about distribution, automation, data analysis, and how to blaze your own bookish path—without making our same mistakes. We're sharing our hard-won knowledge and resources to help other independent publishers and thinkers flourish, creating a more resilient future for all of us! Let's roll up our sleeves and do some book math together.