Matt Briel of Lulu.com – How to Create and Sell Spiral Bound Books with Print on Demand
Matt Briel is the Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Lulu.com, a self-publishing platform that has been a leader in print-on-demand technology since 2002. Founded by tech entrepreneur Bob Young, Lulu specializes in direct sales solutions and offers unique publishing options that major distributors don't provide—most notably spiral bound (coil bound) books. With global print networks across the US, UK, France, Australia, and other markets, Lulu enables authors to sell books directly through Shopify integrations while maintaining the flexibility to offer multiple formats and trim sizes. Matt brings extensive knowledge of alternative publishing formats and direct-to-consumer strategies for self-published authors.In this episode:What Lulu is and how it differs from KDP and other print-on-demand platformsWhy Amazon and Ingram don't distribute spiral bound booksThe production process: why coil bound books print faster than perfect boundBest book categories for spiral binding: cookbooks, workbooks, planners, journalsPricing breakdown: coil bound costs between paperback and hardcoverCase study: Author selling 300 spiral bound planners per monthCase study: Cricut pattern guide selling 900 units monthly (21,000 total in 2 years)Why niche audiences respond well to utilitarian coil bound contentHow to sell spiral bound books on Amazon (merchant seller fulfillment)Offering multiple formats: hardcover, paperback, and spiral bound variationsLow content and no content books: free downloadable planner interiorsGlobal printing networks that reduce shipping costs and customs issuesLulu's 250,000 spiral bound books printed this year (growing annually)Free resources and interior file templates on LuluResources Mentioned:Lulu.com print-on-demand platformLulu Shopify plugin for direct salesGlobal print network facilities (US, UK, France, Australia)Free downloadable interior files and templatesLulu cover creator toolWooCommerce and Wix integrationsBook recommendations:"Salem's Lot" by Stephen King"Write, Publish, Repeat" by Lynette GreenfieldConnect with Lulu:Website: https://www.lulu.com/Lulu.com Customer Service: https://help.lulu.com/en/support/tickets/newDirect Sales Plugins Available Through LuluShopify plugins: https://www.lulu.com/sell/sell-on-your-site/shopifyWix integration: https://www.lulu.com/sell/sell-on-your-site/wixWooCommerce integration: https://www.lulu.com/sell/sell-on-your-site/woocommerceConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/
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Tom Wilde of ProWritingAid – Understanding Passive Voice and Why You're Overusing It
Tom Wilde is the Head of Partnerships at ProWritingAid, a comprehensive writing toolkit designed for storytellers and creative writers. With a background as an English teacher, Tom brings educational expertise to helping writers understand craft elements like passive voice, sentence structure, and readability. ProWritingAid has evolved from a grammar checker into a full editorial assistant that works with writers across multiple platforms, offering 25 different reports that analyze everything from sticky sentences to character development. The tool integrates with popular writing software like Scrivener, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word, providing both real-time checking and deep manuscript analysis.In this episode:What ProWritingAid is and how it's evolved beyond basic grammar checkingHow the tool integrates with Scrivener, Google Docs, Word, and other writing platformsThe difference between real-time checking and deep report analysisPrivacy guarantees: your text is never stored or used for AI trainingThe sticky sentences report: identifying when 40% of your words are just paddingHow the all repeats report finds overused words and phrases you can't seeReadability analysis at the paragraph level to prevent reader drop-offAI-powered features: Rephrase, Critique, and SparksHow the Critique report analyzes characterization, dialogue, plot, and structureUsing ChatGPT's API responsibly without storing or sharing user textAI Sparks for writer's block: inspiration without replacing your voiceChanging perspective, tense, or adding sensory detail with AI assistanceGenre-specific writing goals and benchmarks for different fiction categoriesWriters Week events throughout the year for different genresResources mentioned:ProWritingAid: https://prowritingaid.com/Writers Week events: https://prowritingaid.com/art/1163/learn-with-prowritingaid-this-month.aspxIntegration with Scrivener, Word, Google Docs: https://prowritingaid.com/integrationsYouTube channel tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClh8Sjuq-j17zxjfvvxmcIgBook recommendations:Go As A River by Shelley Reed: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Go-River/Shelley-Read/9781954118232Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: https://www.amazon.com/Fingersmith-Sarah-Waters/dp/1573229725Connect with Tom:Website: https://prowritingaid.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prowritingaidX.com: https://twitter.com/prowritingaidInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/prowritingaid.insta/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prowritingaidYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClh8Sjuq-j17zxjfvvxmcIgConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/
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Nick Thacker – Quit Your Day Job: How to Become a Full-Time Author in 12 Months
Nick Thacker is a bestselling author of over 45 books across multiple genres, including the 16-book Harvey Bennett thriller series. What makes Nick's story unique is that he never wanted to be a writer—he hated writing in school and only started his first book as a Christmas gift for his father. After working in marketing and web design, Nick applied business principles to his author career and was able to quit his full-time job in 2017. Today, he runs Book Career in a Year, where he teaches authors how to build sustainable writing careers through strategic marketing, email list building, and treating their creative work as a business.In this episode:Why Nick hated writing but became a prolific author anywayThe "muddy middle" problem and how craft books saved his first manuscriptHow The Enigma Strain made only $80 in its first year but became a bestsellerWhy writing more books is the single best marketing strategyThe crucial difference between fighting obscurity and making moneyThree marketing buckets every author needs: email, social media, and advertisingHow to build an email list as a fiction writer by giving away entire booksWhy you should make your social media attractive, not promotionalWhy "writing for yourself" is often an excuse to avoid marketingProductivity systems that work: the 12 Week Year and EOS (Traction)How to find your own writing process instead of copying famous authorsStep-by-step guide to building a book career in one yearWhen to start investing in Facebook and Amazon adsThe importance of sending readers back to Amazon for algorithmic benefitsResources mentioned:Book Career in a Year program: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/Scrivener: https://scrivener.app/Email marketing platformsAmazon KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/Facebook advertising platform: https://www.facebook.com/business/adsThe 12 Week Year book: https://www.amazon.com/12-Week-Year-Others-Months/dp/1118509234Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS): https://www.eosworldwide.com/Book recommendations:Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain: https://www.amazon.com/Techniques-Selling-Writer-Dwight-Swain/dp/0806111917Amazonia by James Rollins: https://www.amazon.com/Amazonia-James-Rollins/dp/0061965839Connect with Nick:Website: https://www.nickthacker.com/Book Career in a Year Coaching Program: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/Online courses and training: https://www.bookcareerinayear.com/coaching/Books by Nick: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008A2W6XEConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/
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Ellen Erikson – How to Publish Classic Books Legally: The Complete Public Domain Guide
Ellen Erikson is a publisher with over 30 books in her catalog, including both self-authored titles and public domain editions. She specializes in helping authors understand how to legally republish classic works by adding value through professional formatting, contemporary cover design, and thoughtful annotations. Ellen teaches other publishers how to navigate the complexities of copyright law, Amazon's content guidelines, and competitive research to create profitable public domain book businesses while keeping literary classics accessible to modern readers.In this episode:What public domain books are and how copyright expiration works across different countriesThe 100-year rule for determining if a book is safe to publishWhy classics from authors like Charles Dickens and Shakespeare remain profitableAmazon KDP's specific requirements for differentiating your public domain editionThree ways to make your edition unique: translations, illustrations, or annotationsHow to add 5,000-word annotations including author biographies and study guidesCommon copyright mistakes including newer translations and trademarked charactersThe Winnie the Pooh trademark lesson: why some story elements remain protectedCompetitive research strategies for finding underserved classic book nichesHow to identify opportunities where existing editions look outdated or homemadeBuilding a recognizable series of classics with cohesive cover designAdvertising tactics using author names and famous titles as primary keywordsWhere to find free manuscripts: Project Gutenberg and ManyBooksFormatting challenges with old digital files and when to outsourceRoyalty rates for public domain books: 35% ebooks, 60% minus print costs for paperbacksPage count limitations for KDP hardcovers (500 pages maximum)Using Wikipedia to discover an author's lesser-known works with less competitionWhether audiobook production makes financial sense for public domain titlesConnect with Ellen:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenerikson/Connect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/
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Oriana Leckert – How to Fund Your Book with Kickstarter: From First Campaign to Six Figures
Oriana Leckert is the Head of Publishing at Kickstarter, a public benefit corporation dedicated to bringing creative projects to life through crowdfunding. As both a writer and publishing industry expert, Oriana oversees one of Kickstarter's most dynamic categories, working with authors ranging from emerging indie writers to major bestselling authors who have raised millions of dollars. She has helped guide campaigns that have generated hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars in funding, and she's passionate about connecting authors directly with their most dedicated readers.In this episode:How Kickstarter's crowdfunding model works specifically for authors and book projectsDifference between Kickstarter and traditional book funding or pre-order platformsWhy all-or-nothing funding actually protects authors from financial riskHow Kickstarter's algorithm amplifies campaigns based on engagement and attentionSetting realistic funding goals that match your audience reach and book production costsThe importance of building your author community before launching a campaignCommon mistakes authors make when planning their first KickstarterThe 30-day campaign timeline and pre-launch preparation strategiesHow to use stretch goals to maintain momentum after hitting your initial funding targetFeatured Kickstarter Campaigns:The Obsidian Spindle SagaFeyland TalesThe Gilded Rose AuctionCradle Books 7-9 by Will WightSaphira StatueNightlight Daily Horoscopes 2024Book recommendations:Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Diniman - https://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Crawler-Carl-7-book-series/dp/B08BX5D4LCConnect with Oriana:Website: https://www.kickstarter.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kickstarterInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/kickstarterYoutube: http://www.youtube.com/user/kickstarterKickstarter Publishing newsletter: https://www.kickstarter.com/newslettersKickstarter Publishing Category: https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/publishingConnect with Teddy Smith:@teddyagsmithWebsite: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtcFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinstaYoutube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSwLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/ Support the showDiscover More with Our Curated Starter Packs: https://teddyagsmith.com/starter-packs/
Welcome to The Publishing Performance Show, the quintessential podcast for both budding and veteran self-published authors! Join your host, Teddy, as he sits down with with successful indie authors and top experts in the publishing world, who generously share their unique journeys, creative inspirations, and future aspirations in their writing careers and the wider industry.Immerse yourself in a trove of valuable insights and actionable advice on writing, essential tools, and practical tips to elevate your self-publishing prowess. Whether you’re just beginning your literary voyage or seeking to refine your craft, this show brims with wisdom and inspiration to help you thrive in the self-publishing realm.Each episode promises listeners at least one actionable tip for their self-published books and a must-read recommendation from our esteemed guests.Tune in for an inspiring, informative, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the indie author experience!
New Zealand