Stories Of Empowerment

Jelani Memory (of DK Publishing and A Kid's Co) is back to talk about The Workshop Method, how Kid's Co is able to get subject matter experts to write quality kidlit, often in under a day. With over 200 books under their belt that have been created through the Method, it's a proven successful way to get words on pages to help kids learn.************Thank you for watching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosmGet the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.comMore by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.netMore by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.comSubscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6vFind us on social media:Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishingBlueSky: https://bsky.app/pr

How will Trump's tariffs affect books? Broadly, not much, especially if you're doing a lot in house, but there are still a few things you might want to know. Fun fact: This episode was originally recorded in 2018, and focuses more on tariffs in China, but time is a flat circle and we've come right around to it being relevant again. ************Thank you for watching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosmGet the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.comMore by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.netMore by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.comSubscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6vFind us on social media:Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishingBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile

How do you handle negative book reviews? *Should* you even handle them? What kinds of criticism do you engage with, and what's the best way to go about it? Jane Friedman of The Hot Sheet to chat with Joe and Elly about the pros and cons of critical feedback.************Thank you for watching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosmGet the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.comMore by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.netMore by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.comSubscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6vFind us on social media:Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishingBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/microcosm.bsky.socialInstagram: http://instagram.com/microcosm_pub*********

You likely pass all kinds of plants and herbs in your day to day. But do you know who they are? Where they come from? Maggie Herskovitz can help! Her new book, "An Urban Field Guide to the Plants, Trees, and Herbs in Your Path" recently released, and this week on the pod she joins Joe and Elly to talk about the book's story, cover design, and how she got into plant identification.Grab a copy of "Urban Field Guide" here: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/46386

How do you raise your kids to be functional adults with big hearts, especially in the current timeline? This week on the podcast, Bonnie Scott and Dr. Faith, authors of Unf*ck Your Parenting, join Joe and Elly to talk about the book's journey and what's new, respecting your kid, book bans, and more. Get Unf*ck Your Parenting on our website: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/7026

It's episode 300! This week on the pod, Elly, Joe, and Bernie are joined by Jelani Memory of A Kids Co! They talk about taking making your press an imprint of a larger publisher instead of just having it distributed, sticking to your mission during the process, and making your business like a cockroach (unkillable!).

Joe, Elly, and Bernie sit down with Karen Krebser, author of "Tarot Through the Witch's Year," to chat about tarot in dark times, how to reconcile your practice with your privilege, tarot spreads for diving the future of publishing, and a bit of the history of tarot.Get a copy of Tarot Through the Witch's Year here: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/12781

It's another throwback episode! A few years ago, Joe and Elly sat down with sales rep extraordinaire Kurtis to talk about how reps get books into stores. Learn about cover appeal, sales conferences, how store buyers see the books... and that's just the first five minutes. It's an oldie, but an eternally useful goodie of an episode!

How does a small press hire a sales rep? Do you even NEED a rep? This week on the pod, Joe and Elly talk about how Microcosm decided to work with reps, and how to find the reps that will work for you.

Chris Vega of Blue Cactus Press is back to talk common publishing misconceptions! Zoning issues, delusions of grandeur, printing—learn what makes us unique (and also just as boring as other publishers).

On Black Friday of 2024, Taylor Swift released "The Eras Tour Book" exclusively through Target. But is it a book? What's the appeal? Who is the audience? Was it unfair to cut out indie bookstores from one of the biggest releases of the year? Jane Friedman of "The Hot Sheet" is back with Joe and Elly to give her thoughts on book-shaped objects.Note: This episode was recorded before the book actually released. Joe's post-release comment— "Since even diehard fans were unhappy with the quality of the book, it’s hard to Bielieve the think pieces claiming that celebrities don’t need publishers anymore."

This week, we pretend we're one of those "hang out and chat about whatever" podcasts, because it's time for Dr. Faith's long-awaited return to the pod! Join Dr. Faith, Joe, and Elly while they answer reader questions, her upcoming books, surviving the holidays, and more. There are always shenanigans when Dr. Faith comes around, so we hope you have as much fun as we did.(If you're wondering what's up with the "advertisers" Joe keeps mentioning, there are multiple visual gags in the episode, and we highly recommend catching the vlog on our website at microcosm.pub/NewPodcast )

For a lot of publishers, landing a book on the New York Times Bestseller list is THE goal. How did a small press like Collective Book Studio end up with a title on the most iconic bestseller list in the US? Angela Engel from had a chance to hang out with Joe for a few minutes at a recent conference to talk tell the story.

This week on the podcast, Brooke Warner of She Writes Press and Spark Press, talks with Elly and Joe about her experience in hybrid publishing, how to tell if it's a good idea for your books, recognizing predatory publishers, and misconceptions about that particular branch of the industry.

How does a major election effect publishing sales trends? Jane Friedman of the Hot Sheet is backto talk about how we're all doing, what's been selling, and what do we think that means. Plus, we touch on the differences between the aftermath of the 2016 election vs this year.

Publisher/author relationships are just like any other relationships— they need care, communication, and understanding. This week on the pod, Chris Vega of Blue Cactus press talks with Joe and Elly about different ways to onboard authors and set expectations, how to resolve disagreements, and more.

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.

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.If you're interested in seeing the materials on Abby's slides, you can find the video on our website! 

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.************Thank you for watching the People's Guide to Publishing vlogcast!  We post new episodes every Thursday about publishing, authors, and the book industry. You can also listen via your preferred podcast app, or by visiting linktree.com/microcosmGet the book: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/3663Get the workbook: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/10031More from Microcosm: http://microcosmpublishing.comMore by Joe Biel: http://joebiel.netMore by Elly Blue: http://takingthelane.comSubscribe to our monthly email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gIXT6vFind us on social media:Facebook: http://facebook.com/microcosmpublishingTwitter: http://twi

There are a lot of publishing industry news blogs, sites, and publications out there. Which ones are worth your time?Jane Friedman of The Hot Sheet is back to chat with Joe and Elly about her favorites, and which ones are best for what publishing news you're interested in.If you're looking for the link Jane references to see her follows, you can find it here: https://substack.com/@janefriedman/readsCheck out the Hot Sheet here: https://hotsheetpub.com/