A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast: How Do Tariffs Affect Canadian Publishers? w/ Kim Werker

In the great Tariff Measuring Contest where size is, apparently, everything, what are publishers to do? Especially in Canada, where both publishers and booksellers rely on being part of the North American supply chain? Kim Werker of Nine Ten Publications sits down with Joe and Elly to talk about tariffs, USPS’s oft-errant customs charges, and … Read more

A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast: How Can Publishers Lower Information Barriers? w/ Jelani Memory

This week’s reader question is: “How do I lower information barriers?” So many barriers in publishing have to do with people’s stories. How does an author take a story from the idea to the real product that publishers (and eventually, other people) know about and believe in? And how can a publisher share that story … Read more

A People’s Guide to Publishing: How Should Authors Market Their Books? w/ Jane Friedman

Does author marketing make a difference, or is publisher marketing the only way to shift the public and draw hype to your book? Is it cheating if you ask your friends to buy your book? Jane Friedman of The Hot Sheet is back to clear up the huge variety of misconceptions around book marketing and … Read more

A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast: Ben Snakepit Returns to the Snake Pit in 2025

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

A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast: How Should A Publisher Pitch A Book to an Author?

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

A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast: How Do I Publish Thematically? w/ Jelani Memory

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

A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast: How do you market a book publisher? w/ Jane Friedman

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

Low funds, high creativity: three ways we dug into the numbers, saved money, and stayed scrappy

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

A People’s Guide to Publishing Podcast: Book Bans Vlogcast

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