A People's Guide to Publishing

A People's Guide to Publishing

Microcosm Publishing

Episodes 362
Avg. Duration 17m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.2 (24)
Since Jul 2015
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
82%
Hosting
joe-microcosm.podomatic.com

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About This Podcast

Do you find that the traditional methods for book publishing aren't working for you? Are you a publisher or author who wants to innovate, succeed, and expand your audience through time-tested methods? We offer time-tested publishing methods that we know work because we have used them to sell millions of books in a changing industry. We have been inundated with requests for consulting so we created this show to share everything we know. We are the executives of Microcosm Publishing, a Publishers Weekly fastest growing publisher three years in a row. Tune in every Thursday for us to share our latest research in the time it takes you to walk the dog. Check out our fan-favorite episode on cover design. Joe Biel is the inaugural winner of the PubWest Innovator Award and founder and CEO of Microcosm, a 30-year-old midlist publisher. Elly Blue is the editorial and marketing director at Microcosm. Joe is also the author of A People’s Guide to Publishing, which distills what they’ve learned over the past 30 years, taught at dozens of universities. Together, they distill this knowledge for other publishers and people who simply want to understand the publishing industry. 

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Recent Episodes

S3E363 Episode 363: How to Sell Books to Bookstores w/Maureen Karb | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Jun 04, 2026 17m

Sales reps are crucial pieces of the book industry puzzle. They are the the ones who help stores find the titles that would be good fits, give feedback to publishers about their title lists, and so…

S3E362 Episode 362: Movie Deals, Book Clubs, & More Book Scams w/ Jane Friedman | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

May 28, 2026 13m

You open up your inbox and—surprise!— someone wants to turn your book into a movie! Or include it in a book club! Or feature it on a recommendation list! All you have to do is pay a small…

S3E361 Episode 361: Is there a difference between gift & special sales book markets? | A People’s Guide to Publishing

May 21, 2026 19m

Books should be sold to book stores, right? That's it?Eh, not really! There are markets for books everywhere, from your local museum gift shop to the gas station around the corner. How do you find…

S3E360 Episode 360: How does a publisher decide to update their website? | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

May 07, 2026 4m

We’ve been honing our software behind-the-scenes for decades, but this is our first public-facing website makeover since 2012! For 30 years, we’ve had a riotously maximalist ecommerce website. And…

S3E359 Episode 359: Are middle-aged punks still cool? w/J. Hunter Bennett | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Apr 30, 2026 17m

The punks, despite all the best efforts of society and time, are still kicking around, and we love that for them/us. This week on the pod, J. Hunter Bennett, author of "More Punk than the Public…

S3E358 Episode 358: How does a book warehouse work? | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Apr 23, 2026 11m

Where would we be without our lovely warehouse staff? (Lost, confused, bookless, most likely.)This week on the pod, join Joe and Elly as they talk about our warehouses, how they work, and the…

S3E357 Episode 357: Mia Ballard, Shy Girl, and AI in Publishing, w/ Jane Friedman | A People's Guide to Publishing

Apr 16, 2026 18m

If you're keeping up with publishing news at all, you've undoubtedly heard about the "Shy Girl" controversy, where Mia Ballard's book was pulled by the publisher after claims it was written by…

S3E356 Episode 356: What did we learn by packing orders? | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Apr 09, 2026 9m

Throwback time! This week on the pod, we're revisiting an old-school episode, where Joe and Elly report back after helping out on the shipping floor. Did our systems hold up? What did they learn in…

S3E355 Episode 355: Romantasy, Horror, Microstores: Bookstore Trends w/ Sales Rep Maureen Karb | A People's Guide to Publishing

Apr 02, 2026 12m

Maureen Karb is a field sales rep and with Como Sales, a rep group that focuses on indie publishers selling to indie bookstores. Because of what she does, Maureen has a great knowledge and…

S3E354 Episode 354: Do book reviews matter anymore? w/Jane Friedman | People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Mar 26, 2026 14m

It's been said more and more frequently that reviews from trade publications don't sell books the way they used to. Why is that, and what DOES sell books? This week on the pod, Jane Friedman of the…

S3E353 Episode 353: Book Bans and How to Fight Them w/Danny Caine | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Mar 19, 2026 58m

Danny Caine, author of "How to Resist Amazon and Why", "How to Protect Bookstores and Why", and the new "How to Defend Books and Why" is a writer, speaker, and former bookstore owner. This week on…

S3E352 Episode 352: How do you take care of your air? w/Melissa Wrolstad | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Mar 12, 2026 41m

At this point, most of us are familiar with checking the air quality when we go outside during certain times of the year, or ventilating when using chemicals or it's the flu season. But how familiar…

S3E351 Episode 351: The Queer, Feminist Joy of Bikes in Space w/ Summer Jewel Keown | A People's Guide to Publishing

Mar 05, 2026 15m

For over 10 years, Elly has been publishing a series called "Bikes in Space," full of joyfully feminist (and often queer) genre short stories ON BIKES.One of our longest term contributors is Summer…

S3E350 Episode 350: Do Book Awards Matter? (w/Jane Friedman) | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Feb 26, 2026 14m

Book awards! There are a lot of them out there. Our books have even won a couple!But are they success indicators? Does a book or author winning an award mean anything for the publisher? How can a…

S3E349 Episode 349: Lessons Learned: New Edition of People's Guide to Publishing | People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Feb 19, 2026 12m

In 2018, we released "A People's Guide to Publishing," detailing everything Joe and the Microcosm team had learned through the years about starting, running, and sustaining an independent publishing…

S3E348 Episode 348: 30 Years of Growing Worlds: It's Microcosm's Birthday! ! | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Feb 12, 2026 27m

In 1996, Microcosm started a small closet poorly insulated house. It wasn’t intended to be a job or an organization, or even a business. Thirty years later, this has turned out to be one Microcosm’s…

S3E347 Episode 347: How do you organize inclusive events and conferences? w/Dr. Alex D. Ketchum | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Feb 05, 2026 58m

A LOT goes into the planning of conferences, signings, and basically every event. How do you make sure it's accessible to everyone who wants to come? It goes beyond just making sure your space is ADA…

S3E346 Episode 346: What is marketing? | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Jan 29, 2026 36m

Marketing is made up many things. Direct outreach, broad social media posts, newsletters, and so much more all play a part, depending on what you do. But in the constant chase for analytics and…

S3E345 Episode 345: Can publishing fewer books lead to more sales? | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Jan 22, 2026 11m

Will publishing fewer books make more money? It feels counterintuitive, but when you look closer, it frees up the ability to market more specifically, edit more thoroughly, and generally give more…

S3E344 Episode 344: AI, Closures, Tariffs, and More: 2025 in Publishing | A People's Guide to Publishing Podcast

Jan 08, 2026 14m

We are far from the only ones saying it, but 2025 was an ass-kicker of a year. From tariffs Baker and Taylor closing to AI, publishing felt like a roller coaster for much of the year.How did it…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does A People's Guide to Publishing have?

A People's Guide to Publishing has published 362 episodes since July 2015, covering topics in Arts, Books.

Is A People's Guide to Publishing still active?

A People's Guide to Publishing is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 17m.

How do I contact A People's Guide to Publishing for sponsorship or guest appearances?

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