Alexa's Book Marketing & Publishing Chat

Self-publishing is never solo. Award-winning nonfiction editor Linda Ruggeri, author of Networking for Writers, explains who belongs on your publishing team, how to introduce yourself at events in one sentence, and why networking works best when you show up to give, not to get. For writers at any stage.

Jane Eyre just landed on PEN America's banned list for the first time. For Banned Books Week 2026, Alexa Bigwarfe unpacks the record 11,982 school bans, who is actually filing challenges, what's happening in South Carolina, and why authors, especially indie, YA, romantasy, and nonfiction writers, should be paying attention right now.

Authors who sell books on podcasts start booking six months before launch. Jessica Rhodes founded Interview Connections, a podcast booking agency, in 2013. She explains why readers remember authors before titles, how to pitch a host without sounding like a template, and what to do if your book is already out.

Lulu's new buy button lets authors sell books direct from a newsletter, a social bio, or a QR code at an event, with no website required. Chelsea Bennett explains the revenue math, the customer data you finally get to keep, and why print on demand starts at one copy.

Ruth Schwartz has spent 14 years turning finished manuscripts into well-published books, and decades in publishing before that. She breaks down why so many self-published books look broken, what to check before you hire anyone, and how to get a print and ebook edition you are actually proud of.