Doing the math for publishers since 2002
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
There’s been a lot of hubbub these last few months about Print On Demand! Can you tell the difference? Yeah, maybe. But is it the “Fast Fashion” of books? We’re not so sure. Jane Friedman gives us her feedback on the way this tool has been moralized in the great world of Book People On … Read more
We know, royalties can be a pain. But we refuse to let publishers keep sorting through PDFs (or even worse, filing cabinets) in search of contract details. At WorkingLit, we want to provide easy access to your creators’ contract terms and royalty payment history. No wild learning curve, no barriers to entry. Just log in … Read more
Will Trump’s tariffs affect books? Broadly—not really, especially if you’re doing a lot in house (or in the United States in general). And, as Joe and Elly remind us, there are a ton of options for hosting every step of your publishing business within US borders. But there are still a few things you might … Read more
I love numbers and watching data. Nothing beats a good set of stats. And for any business owner, there’s nothing better than a good set of data about your business to help you make decisions. At my last company, we used the expression “That which is measured, improves.” I stand by that – to understand … Read more
Help us by filling out the survey at the end of this post. We’ll nerd out about it and love you forever. One of the main reasons why we built WorkingLit is to make royalty time suck less. Paying royalties is one of the more complicated tasks on a publisher’s plate, and we wanted to … Read more
Strengthen your sense of place, get to know your local landscape, and up your foraging game with Maggie Herskovits, whose book An Urban Field Guide to the Plants, Trees, and Herbs in Your Path was recently published. Elly and Joe discuss this delightful and practical illustrated field guide with Maggie on this week’s edition of … Read more
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!). Read about the … Read more