Publish & Prosper
Where publishing, technology, and marketing collide. Brought to you by Lulu.com.
Episodes
137 episodes
Measuring Your Publishing ROI
In this episode, Matt & Lauren attempt to calculate the complete, all-in investment required to publish a book. Or at least, they encourage you to do that math yourself. We break down different expenses to consider when measuring your retur...
Developing Creator Tools with Nick Foster
In this episode, Lauren sits down with Lulu’s VP of Software & Product Development, Nick Foster! Tune in for a conversation exploring the development of Lulu’s publishing technology, the parallels between creators and developers...
Direct Sales Solutions for Creators at Every Stage
In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore four different direct sales solutions for authors, creators, and entrepreneurs at every stage of the journey! Learn how to sell direct by:📚 Fulfilling multiple orders with the Order Import Tool<...
Building Excitement Before Your Book Launch
In this episode, Matt & Lauren invite listeners to ride the pre-launch marketing roller coaster. We debate the different stages of building, leveraging, and maintaining excitement for an upcoming book or product, and share ideas for: <...
Why the Backlist is the New Frontlist
In this episode, Lauren & Matt examine the rising popularity, significance, and value of backlist titles in the publishing industry. We consider why back catalogs are bigger and better than ever, what this means for the future of the indust...
Giving Your Customers a Reason to Come Back
In this episode, Matt & Lauren examine the content and strategies that inspire one-time customers to become devoted, loyal fans of your brand. Give your customers, readers, fans, and casual visitors a reason to come back again and again and...
Showing Up Effectively and Authentically on YouTube
In this episode, Lauren is joined by Lulu’s Education & Community Manager and YouTube expert, Chelsea Bennett! We sit down for a deep dive conversation about using YouTube to connect with your audience and support your brand, talking throug...
The Real Cost Behind Selling Books Direct
In this episode, Matt & Lauren continue the conversation they started in Episode #128 and dig into the cost involved in selling direct. Learn more about what expenses you should account for as you launch, maintain, and grow your ecommerce s...
Which Ecommerce Platform is Right for Your Bookstore?
In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore the top five most popular ecommerce platforms in the market today. We review Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and BigCommerce, taking a look at: 🤩 What makes these platforms so popul...
What’s the Difference Between Offset and Digital Printing?
In this episode, Matt & Lauren explore two different methods of bringing your books to life: traditional offset publishing and modern digital printing. We break down:💡 How each printing process works🔑 Key distinctions between ...
13 Lessons Taylor Swift Has Taught Me About Marketing
In this episode, Lauren gives a crash course in marketing strategies used by one of the most successful marketers of our generation: Taylor Swift. Matt’s here too. Tune in for 13 lessons on audience building, pre-launch ...
Reality Check: 6 Publishing Trends for 2026
In this episode, Matt & Lauren look to the past to see if they were right about the future! Way back in December 2025 we suggested 6 trends we expected to see in the publishing industry this year… 6 months later, we’re checking...
Where Does AI Belong in an Author’s Workflow?
In this episode, Lauren & Matt explore how authors can use AI to buy back their most valuable resource: time. Generative AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity can’t replace human creativity, but they can give you more time t...
Making Your Books Accessible to Every Reader
In this episode, Lauren and guest host Paul, Lulu’s Sr. Marketing Manager, examine an often overlooked element of indie publishing: making your book accessible to all potential readers.Accessibility isn’t just a performative buz...
Rebuilding After Amazon Bans Your Books
In this episode, Lauren & Matt shine a light on a nightmare that keeps many indie authors awake at night: an unceremonious account suspension from Amazon. What do you do when you’re forced to rebuild your author brand from the g...
Designing a Workflow to Support Your Growing Author Brand
In this episode, Matt & Lauren reveal the workflows the Lulu team has been refining for years, built to grow, scale, and streamline content marketing. Whether you’re writing your next book, producing a podcast episode, or scheduling a simpl...
Print Books Still Aren’t Dead
In this episode, Lauren & Matt gleefully share data from a recent Pew Research Center report confirming what we already knew: print books are alive and well. We unpack the survey results and what they mean for us, indie authors, and the pub...
Marketing Your Book to Humans by Optimizing for Robots
In this episode, Matt & Lauren examine the ways book marketing has changed in an AI and algorithm-driven world. We identify a few of the biggest shifts we’ve seen, like prioritizing trust signals over keywords, and share our insights into:<...
How to Get Your Readers to Sell Your Book for You
In this episode, Lauren & Matt share strategies for how to get your readers and fans to help sell your books for you! We break down the importance of building a dedicated audience around your brand, review the different ways authors and ent...
The Anatomy of a Good Print Book
In this episode, Matt & Lauren break down the elements of a print book. We review exterior and interior design choices, explain how different elements fit together, examine variance in print copies, and share tips for how to avoid confusion...
Alchemising Traditional Publishing with Fanfiction
In this episode, Lauren successfully cons Matt into talking about fanfiction again. This time we explore the recent shift in the way traditional publishing approaches fanfiction, and the new trend of openly acquiring popular fanfiction...
Hiring the Best Freelancers for Your Book
In this episode, Matt & Lauren share strategies for how to find, research, and hire the best possible freelancers to help you bring your book to life. Whether you need help with editing, formatting, designing, or marketing, these guidelines...
How Book Distribution Works
Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, the mechanics behind distributing your book to online and brick-and-mortar bookstores are the same. But for indie authors doing it on their own, it’s imperative that you get the details ...
What Authors and Creators Can Learn From Each Other
In this episode, Matt & Lauren reflect on their recent trips to two dramatically different events: London Book Fair and Sponsor Games.One is an international event attended by over 33,000 publishing industry professionals from around...
Rethinking Print and Fulfillment with Emily Bair
In this episode, Matt sits down with Emily Bair, Lulu’s VP of Business Development to explore how brands, publishers, and creators are using print products. Emily shares her insights on topics like: Why more businesses are revi...