Book Marketing Tips and Author Success Podcast

Episoder

• 
  Should You Sell Books Direct? The Truth About Leaving Amazon Behind 24.07.2026 20min

  Selling direct to readers can sound like the ultimate author-business upgrade: higher royalties, faster payouts, more control, and a customer list you actually own. But is it the right move for your book right now? In this episode, we unpack the real tradeoffs behind selling books from your own website—and why launching a direct-sales store before you have the audience, systems, or offers to support it can become an expensive distraction. Amazon may take a bigger cut, but it also delivers som...
• 
  Paid Author Newsletters: Smart New Income Stream or Expensive Distraction? 17.07.2026 29min

  Could your author newsletter become a new income stream—or will charging readers create more work than revenue? Paid newsletters are everywhere right now, especially with platforms like Substack making it look easy to turn emails into monthly income. But for authors, the question is not whether someone is making money with a paid newsletter. It is whether your readers have a compelling reason to pay for yours. In this episode, we break down what actually works: the types of exclusive content ...
• 
  15 Minutes to More Book Visibility: The Marketing Moves That Keep Working 10.07.2026 31min

  You do not need a free afternoon—or an exhausting new marketing plan—to make meaningful progress with your book. In this episode, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell break down how authors can use just 15 focused minutes to improve the parts of their marketing that keep working long after the timer stops. They start by celebrating Penny’s new release, Think Local, Sell Global, then get straight to one of the biggest traps authors fall into: confusing constant activity with actual momentum. Posti...
• 
  Get Your Book Into Libraries—and Build the Local Buzz That Travels 03.07.2026 18min

  As Penny's new book, Think Local, Sell Global, heads into pre-order, this replay felt especially timely. One of the biggest mistakes authors make is assuming that local book marketing is somehow “small.” In reality, the relationships you build in your own community can become the foundation for stronger visibility, more reader connection, better word-of-mouth, and opportunities that continue expanding well beyond your ZIP code. In this replay episode, Amy and Penny dig into one of the most un...
• 
  Christmas in July: Your Holiday Book Sales Plan Starts Here 26.06.2026 24min

  Holiday book sales do not start when shoppers begin panic-buying gifts in December. They start months earlier, when smart authors begin positioning their books for the gift guides, media mentions, newsletters, local segments, creator roundups, and seasonal recommendation lists that influence what readers actually buy. In this episode, Penny and Amy are talking Christmas in July — and why authors who want stronger holiday book sales need to start planning long before the holiday rush. Waiting ...
• 
  Think Local, Sell Everywhere: Book Marketing That Actually Sells Books 19.06.2026 29min

  Most authors overlook one of the most powerful marketing opportunities they already have: their local market. While everyone else fights for attention online, smart authors are building visibility, reader loyalty, and consistent book sales right in their own backyard — often with far less competition and far better results. In this episode, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell unpack the local marketing strategies that actually move books. From wine bars hosting “books and bubbly” nights to thril...
• 
  Publishing Horror Stories: The Expensive Mistakes Authors Never See Coming 12.06.2026 28min

  You hired help so publishing would feel easier. Instead, your Amazon listing disappears, your book ends up connected to the wrong author page, and suddenly nobody can figure out who actually owns the account. Sound dramatic? We wish it were rare. In this episode, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell pull back the curtain on the publishing disasters they keep seeing behind the scenes, many caused not by outright scams, but by freelancers, “experts,” and AI-generated advice that sounds confident wh...
• 
  The Relaunch Blueprint: Four Ways to Revive Book Sales 05.06.2026 22min

  Most authors treat launch day like a verdict: the book goes live, sales come in (or don’t), and suddenly it feels like the market has spoken. Quiet numbers can trigger a brutal spiral — exhaustion, disappointment, and the sinking feeling that maybe the opportunity already passed. We disagree completely. In this episode, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell break down a four-part relaunch strategy designed to help authors stop chasing a single "big moment" and start building ongoing visibility. Be...
• 
  Amazon’s AI Translation Shortcut: Smart Strategy or Costly Mistake? 29.05.2026 25min

  Amazon just removed one of the biggest barriers to international publishing, and authors are going to be tempted to move fast. With Amazon quietly rolling out an AI-powered translation tool inside KDP, turning your book into Spanish, German, and other languages suddenly feels almost effortless. But easy and effective are not the same thing. In this episode, Penny Sansevieri and Amy Cornell unpack what Amazon’s new AI translation feature actually means for authors and why this could become one...
• 
  The Dangerous Myth About Book Sales That’s Holding You Back 22.05.2026 25min

  If your book sales have you questioning everything, the problem might not be your book—it might be the benchmark you’re using. In this episode, we’re dismantling one of the biggest misconceptions in publishing: what “normal” book sales actually look like. Because once you understand how few copies most books sell—even from traditional publishers—it completely reframes the narrative around success, failure, and what’s realistically achievable. We also take a hard look at the numbers authors th...
• 
  Readers Don’t Buy Books—Consumers Do. Here’s Why That Matters 15.05.2026 24min

  Most authors think they’re selling to readers. That’s the first mistake. Because readers and book consumers are not the same—and confusing the two is one of the biggest reasons books don’t sell. In this episode, we break down the critical difference between someone who loves to read and someone who actually buys books, and why that gap quietly derails even the most well-intentioned marketing plans. If you’ve been showing up, posting, running ads, pitching podcasts—and still watching your sale...
• 
  AI Is Scamming Authors: How to Spot Fake Book Marketing Before You Lose Money 08.05.2026 28min

  Scam emails used to be obvious. Bad grammar, generic messaging, easy to ignore. That version is gone. Today’s scams sound like a real professional—someone who’s “read your book,” understands your audience, and has a polished, confident plan to grow your sales, land media, or build your platform. It feels legitimate because it’s designed to. AI has fundamentally changed the scam landscape, and authors are now a prime target. We see these pitches every day—forwarded by authors who aren’t quite ...
• 
  Your Amazon Retail Page Has a Problem and You Probably Can't See It 01.05.2026 38min

  Your Amazon book page might be costing you sales—and the worst part is, you probably can’t see it. Most authors assume that once their book is uploaded, the hard part is done. But in reality, your Amazon page is a live sales environment, and small misses can quietly kill conversions every single day. A great book isn’t enough if the page around it isn’t doing its job. In this episode, we break down the hidden issues that stop readers from clicking “Buy,” starting with the two-inch thumbnail t...
• 
  Publicity Doesn’t Sell Books: What Authors Get Wrong (and What Works Instead) 24.04.2026 30min

  Publicity feels like the breakthrough moment every author is chasing—but most big interviews, features, and media hits don’t translate into book sales the way you expect. In many cases, they don’t move the needle at all. In this episode, we unpack what publicity really is—TV, radio, magazines, online media—and why it’s rarely a direct path to sales. The core problem is simple: you’re often putting your book in front of a cold audience with no reason to act right now. Visibility without contex...
• 
  The Word-of-Mouth Engine: How to Turn Readers Into Your Best Marketing Team 17.04.2026 30min

  95% of books are sold through word of mouth—but most authors are still chasing reach instead of building relationships. That’s a problem, especially in a market where social media visibility is unpredictable and ad costs continue to climb. In this episode, we break down the one marketing engine that consistently works: a small, engaged group of readers who genuinely want to see your book succeed. We walk through a simple but powerful reader funnel—how casual readers become fans, how fans beco...
• 
  Podcast Pitching Secrets For Authors: What Podcast Hosts Actually Say Yes To (Part 2) 10.04.2026 23min

  “I’d love to come on your show and talk about my new book” is one of the fastest ways to get ignored. In Part 2 of this series, we move from mindset to execution—breaking down exactly how to pitch podcasts in a way that gets attention, earns replies, and leads to bookings. Because podcast hosts aren’t looking for guests who want promotion—they’re looking for conversations their audience will care about. We start with the most common mistakes authors make, especially leading with the book inst...
• 
  Podcast Pitching Secrets for Authors: How to Get Booked on Podcasts (Part 1) 03.04.2026 30min

  Most authors want podcast interviews to sell books—and that’s exactly why so many pitches get ignored. In this first episode of a two-part series, we break down the simple shift that changes everything: pitch value first. Your book is the credential—it proves you belong—but it’s not the content. What matters is what the audience walks away with after they listen. We unpack what podcast hosts and producers are actually screening for, why vague or book-centered pitches fail, and how to avoid th...
• 
  Borrowed Buzz: The Smarter Way to Stay Visible Year-Round 27.03.2026 37min

  Books aren’t “news” on their own anymore—and repeating “buy my book” is one of the fastest ways to burn out (and lose your audience’s attention). In this episode, we break down a smarter, more sustainable approach: borrowed buzz—anchoring your marketing to moments people are already paying attention to. Think holidays, awareness months, seasonal shifts, and even quirky observances that give you a natural, timely reason to talk about your book again and again—without sounding repetitive or pus...
• 
  Latest Goodreads Changes and Why They Matter for Authors 20.03.2026 36min

  Goodreads recently rolled out changes that have authors and readers debating everything from review bombing to pre-publication ratings. In this episode, we break down what actually changed, what it means for authors, and how to respond without getting pulled into online panic. We start with review bombing—coordinated waves of ratings from people who often haven’t read the book—and how this behavior has distorted the launch window for many titles. Then we explain Goodreads’ new safeguards arou...
• 
  How to Hire a Book Marketing Team Without Getting Burned 13.03.2026 48min

  “Make you a bestseller.” It’s the loudest promise in book marketing—and often the least meaningful. In this episode, we break down how to distinguish real strategy from fear-based selling, AI-polished outreach, and high-pressure tactics designed to close a sale rather than build a career. From alarming emails about “missing metadata” to vague guarantees and unusual payment demands, we explain what’s legitimate, what’s inflated, and what’s simply noise. Then we shift to what actually compounds...