Publish & Prosper

Hosted by Matt Briel & Lauren Vassallo

Entrepreneurship Arts Books

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Episodes

133

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Where publishing, technology, and marketing collide. Brought to you by Lulu.com.

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60 recent

August 12, 2026Episode 13255 min

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 industry, and how indie authors and publishers can make the most of their own backlist title trends. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts, and watch the video episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Explore These ResourcesLulu U | How to Sell More Books with Your Backlist (Marketing Strategies for Authors and Publishers) Publishers Weekly | Media Do Agrees to Buy Seven Seas Thomson Reuters | Thomson Reuters and KKR Announce Joint Venture for Thomson Reuters Global Print Business BookRiot | The Best-Selling Backlist Books of 2025 Bublish | AI Author Toolkit💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #59 | Mastering Book Metadata to Maximize Market ReachEp #64 | Extend Your Books Shelf Life with Backlist Book MarketingEp #102 | What the Publishing Industry Should Learn from Heated RivalryEp #111 | Plot Twist: Indie Authors are Landing More Traditional Publishing Deals than EverEp #119 | Marketing Your Book to Humans by Optimizing for Robots💡 Read These Blog PostsPrint-on-Demand is the Perfect Solution for Selling Backlist Titles8 Simple Ideas for Backlist Book MarketingDigital Printing for Traditional Publishers💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

August 5, 2026Episode 13157 min

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 again…💡 Providing a personal customer experience 💡 Keeping customers engaged between purchases💡 Driving new fans back to your brand after they purchase Listen now for more ideas to turn casual shoppers into die-hard fans! Streaming wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube.Dive Deeper💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #15 | Can You Really Support Your Business With Just 1,000 True Fans?Ep #68 | Maximizing Your Chances of Discoverability in Generative AI SearchEp #118 | How to Get Your Readers to Sell Your Book for YouEp #119 | Marketing Your Book to Humans by Optimizing for Robots💡 Explore These ResourcesLulu U | Why People Buy: Using Psychology to Sell More BooksBread Financial | The State of the American ShopperClutch | Is Brand Loyalty Dead? Just Be TransparentG2 | 50 Customer Retention Statistics to Check Out in 2026Attentive | 2026 State of Loyalty & Retention Report💡 Check out Matt & Lauren’s Favorite BrandsViolent GentlemenThe Lost Bros💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

July 29, 2026Episode 13057 min

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 through ideas like:▶️ Why and how we approach YouTube as its own channel▶️ Using video to set audience expectations and build trust▶️ Recognizing the long-term value of video contentAnd of course, how to stay authentic while still being strategic! Listen now to learn more, or experience the video episode as the internet intended: on YouTube! Dive Deeper💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #66 | How Authors Can Use Long-Form Video to Build Their Brand Ep #86 | Maximizing Your First Impression in the Attention EconomyEp #119 | Marketing Your Book to Humans by Optimizing for Robots💡 Explore These Resources Blog | YouTube For AuthorsYouTube | Lulu University💡 Enjoy These Recommendations DefunctlandJames Blackwood - Raccoon WhispererLaShonda BrownRussell NoheltyThe War of Art by Steven Pressfield💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

July 22, 2026Episode 12957 min

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 store, including:💰 Annual subscriptions for your domain name and ecommerce solutions🛒 Transaction, fulfillment, and operational plugins 📈 Brand growth and store maintenance tools And the unexpected “costs” that aren’t just money. Listen now to learn more, or watch the video episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Explore These ResourcesLulu’s Book Pricing Calculator Learn More About Selling Direct with LuluBlog | Budgeting Basics for Content CreatorsBlog | Choosing the Right Direct-to-Consumer Solution for Selling Your Books💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #31 | Your 7-Step Guide to Building an Online BookstoreEp #39 | Pain Point Solutions for Your Ecommerce StoreEp #96 | Building a Landing Page for Your BookEp #107 | Scaling for Success with Automated Book Fulfillment Solutions💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

July 15, 2026Episode 12859 min

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 popular⚖️ The pros and cons of each platform👍🏼 Which platforms are the best fit for different authors, creators, and entrepreneurs Listen now, or watch the video episode on YouTube, to learn more about each of these platforms and how to choose the right one for you!Dive Deeper💡 Explore These ResourcesShopify | 11 Best Ecommerce Platforms for Your Business in 2026Technology Advice | 10 Best Ecommerce Platforms for 2026 (Tested & Ranked)💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #31 | Your 7-Step Guide to Building an Online BookstoreEp #70 | How Does Selling Direct Actually Work?Ep #109 | Choosing Your Direct Sales Strategy💡 Learn More AboutShopify WooCommerceWix SquarespaceBigCommerceBooks.byThe BookshelfStorytellerOS💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

July 8, 2026Episode 12754 min

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 the two ⚖️ Different reasons you’d choose one over the other🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 When we see both solutions working togetherAnd more! Tune in wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #62 | Sustainability in Publishing: Reducing Waste One Print Book at a TimeEp #102 | What the Publishing Industry Should Learn from Heated RivalryEp #117 | The Anatomy of a Good Print Book💡 Read These Blog Posts5 Visual Indicators Your Book Is Self-PublishedPrint-on-Demand is the Perfect Solution for Selling Backlist TitlesHow Lulu Makes Short-Run Printing Easy💡 Watch The Life of a BookSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [28:15] “At the end of the day, you know, whether you realize it or not, that book that you're putting in somebody's hand, that's your reputation.” 🎙️ [36:48] “The average person picking up a book in a bookstore and reading it, could not possibly tell the difference between a book that was offset printed and a book that was digitally printed.”🎙️ [47:03] “Not only are these two print methods not in competition with each other, but we are actually seeing more and more instances where they are being used to complement each other.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

July 1, 2026Episode 12656 min

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 marketing, product marketing, and repeatability, straight from the mastermind’s playbook! Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video episode on YouTube.Dive Deeper💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #24 | How to Turn Your Casual Fans into Super FansEp #48 | What Does Taylor Swift Know About Book Publishing?Ep #118 | How to Get Your Readers to Sell Your Book for You💡 Explore These ResourcesBlog | How to Turn Casual Followers into Dedicated Super FansBlog | What Are Product Variants & Why Do Authors Need Them?YouTube Playlist | Audience BuildingSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [2:14] “Love her or hate her or, or feel completely neutral about her, she has been putting on a masterclass in marketing for the last fifteen years.”🎙️ [38:42] “It's important, yes, to offer as many format variants and potentially product variants that you can. To meet your readers, customers, fans, whatever you want to refer to them as, where they are, where they want to be, how they want to consume.”🎙️ [46:24] “Know who you are. Know what you do really well. Know what it is that you can deliver to your audience. The reason that your audience is your audience in the first place. And double down on it.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

June 24, 2026Episode 12556 min

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 in to see whether or not our visions are manifesting into reality.🎱 Are more publishers seeing print-on-demand as a competitive advantage?🔮 Are more authors investing in brand-building via hybrid publishing contracts?🎱 Has AI been integrated into most publishing chains yet?🔮 Have creators found new solutions for community spaces?🎱 Has the adoption rate of direct sales escalated?🔮Are even more creators monetizing their content with print books?Tune in wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Watch Ep #100 | Looking Ahead at Publishing Trends for 2026💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #101 | Where Does AI Belong in Publishing?Ep #109 | Choosing Your Direct Sales StrategyEp #120 | Print Books Still Aren’t Dead💡 Explore These ResourcesPublishers Weekly | USBS 2026: Experts Tackle Publishing’s Hottest TopicsPublishers Weekly | USBS 2026: Publishing CEOs Warn Against AI ‘Witch Hunt’ Pew Research Center | Americans Still Opt for Print Books Over Digital or Audio Versions 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

June 17, 2026Episode 12457 min

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 to be creative by helping you streamline your…🧰 Operations🧲 Marketing💰 Sales⚙️ ProductionListen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the episode on YouTube!Dive Deeper💡 Explore These ResourcesPublishers Weekly | Publishing CEOs Warn Against AI ‘Witch Hunt’Lulu University | How Authors Can Use AI 💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #78 | How to Use Generative AI to Sell More BooksEp #101 | Where Does AI Belong in Publishing?Ep #121 | Designing a Workflow to Support Your Growing Author Brand💡 Read These Blog PostsThink Outside the Bot: How AI Can Help Content CreatorsDiscoverability in the Age of AI SearchSound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [2:56] “This is not a replacement for human creativity. This is an administrative assistant, a backend tool, that you can use in some of these ways so that you have more time available for you to do the creative, human side of writing books.”🎙️ [17:19] “The thing to remember too is if you can effectively implement AI in at least one small, you know, area in each of these buckets, each of these categories, you're going to drastically increase the amount of time you can spend writing and creating and producing new work. If that's your goal. And that kind of output, you know, begets more growth.”🎙️ [46:54] “Let the tool do its thing. Put better metadata behind your books. You'll get better discoverability across the board. It's just silly not to.” 💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.

June 10, 2026Episode 12357 min

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 buzzword; it’s a smart strategy to help you reach new readers, connect with existing fans, increase your discoverability, and future-proof your content.Listen, watch, or read along with the episode transcript (accessibility!) to learn more about:💡 Why accessibility matters to authors💰 Why accessibility matters to readers📚 Multi-format publishing, from ebooks and audiobooks to large print editions and dyslexia-friendly fonts📝 How supplemental content can help support readersDive Deeper💡 Explore These ResourcesPew Research Center | Americans still opt for print books over digital or audio versionsDyslexie FontEveryone Can Be a ReaderCase Study on Justin Moore💡 Listen to These EpisodesEp #90 | How to Get Your Book Into LibrariesEp #94 | Crafting a Content Strategy That Actually WorksEp #120 | Print Books Still Aren’t Dead💡 Read These Blog PostsThe European Accessibility Act and Your EbooksWhich Font Should I Use for My Book?Sound Bites From This Episode🎙️ [4:00] “One of the best ways for any content creator of any format, books, video, podcasts, anything, to earn an audience is to find their niche. And when you get into your niche, you don't want to then exclude a portion of those people.”🎙️ [26:56] “It's different between I've written a book to have written a book, versus I've written a book to share information. And if your goal is the latter, which it really, really should be, you got to make it available and accessible in the ways that people want it and actively absorb it.”🎙️ [36:35] “The point of all of this, the TL;DR of this entire episode, is whatever it takes to get as many books into the hands of as many people as possible.”💀 Can’t wait for our next episode? Check out our Resources page for links to our blog, our YouTube channel, and more. 💀 Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at luludotcom!💀 Email us at podcast@lulu.com💀 Sign up for our mailing list.