Doing the math for publishers since 2002
Every day for 25 years, Ben Snakepit has drawn a simple, 3 panel comic about his day. There’s no overarching plot or theme, just Ben answering the question “what did you do today?” But answering that question daily for half his life (and collecting them in volumes) has led to insights about himself, the world, … Read more
How do you bring your incredible, original idea to an author you want to work with? Should you? Is it worth worrying about the legal ramifications? And lastly, how do you get the darn thing written after you make an agreement? This week on the pod, Joe and Elly share a bit of their experiences … Read more
by Joe Biel, co-founder of WorkingLit A version of this post, “Why we use Math instead of AI, is included in WorkingLit’s zine, Books and Math: A Manifesto on Publishing Tools, which is available on Microcosm’s website. There’s a lot of hubbub about how AI is going to revolutionize, well, just about everything. The trouble … Read more
Readers love knowing what to expect from a publisher. Having consistent theming in your titles can help with discovery, trust, and bringing readers back for more. But how do you find your theme? And what happens if you want to diverge from your theme? Jelani Memory of A Kids Co is back on the pod … Read more
How do you market your press? It’s not just social media and newsletters. Everything from your cover design, format choices, to who is on your marketing team tells the story of your publisher. Jane Friedman is back to talk to Joe and Elly about staying true to your brand and representing your press. Stay tuned … Read more
At WorkingLit, we’re invested in mutually supporting independent presses so we can all succeed. One of our dear publisher accounts, Blue Cactus Press, has been on board as WorkingLit has grown. We asked Chris Vega, founder: Why indie publishing? Why WorkingLit? WorkingLit: Tell us the story of your press! Chris Vega: Blue Cactus Press is … Read more
Publishers, look into your brain and your search history. I’m sure you see any number of the following: -How to save money while still making great books-How to publish without a small loan of a million dollars-Best publisher budget ever-Books + __ = profit??? Publishing books is a remarkably complex, rewarding process, but admittedly we’re … Read more
Book bans have seen an astronomical increase in the last few years. How are they impacting the book industry, booksellers, and publishers? We had the opportunity to chat with book professionals at a recent conference about what alarms them about book bans, their experiences, what kinds of books are banned, and what we can do … Read more
Our dear friends at the Independent Book Publishers Association hosted us for an extremely fun, informative webinar recently. Luckily for us, they recorded the video so everyone can watch it! From IBPA’s website: “From newly-minted author publishers to established presses, traditional or hybrid, with or without a trade distributor, WorkingLit is designed for your needs. … Read more
Running out of books is a good thing, actually! Jelani Memory of A Kid’s Co is back with Joe and Elly to talk about what to do with excess inventory, donating overstock vs pulping, and how “you can’t sell what you don’t have” usually doesn’t apply to books. Stay tuned for more episodes of the … Read more