Novel Marketing
Books & Literature
About
The longest-running book marketing podcast in the world. This is the show for writers who want to build their platform, sell more books, and change the world with writing worth talking about. Whether you self publish or are with a traditional house, this podcast will make book promotion fun and easy. Thomas Umstattd Jr. interviews publishers, indie authors, and bestselling traditional authors about how to get published and sell more books.
Episodes
- Rules for Book Advertising with David Gaughran
David Gaughran joins to discuss strategic book advertising, offering insights on maximizing profitability and reaching target readers. The episode covers common Facebook ad mistakes and how to improve advertising effectiveness.
- My Worst Takes & Mistakes Over 500 Episodes
In this episode, the host of Novel Marketing reflects on 500 episodes, sharing past advice and identifying takes and mistakes. The episode analyzes which advice remains relevant and which can be disregarded.
- Stop Guessing: How to Know If Your Book Marketing Is Working
Eiri Theodorou, founder of Publisher Champ, discusses how authors can accurately track their book marketing effectiveness. The episode explores understanding net profit, analyzing Amazon metrics, and evaluating the profitability of differe…
- The Cultural Zeitgeist Shift That's Making Indie Authors Rich
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses a cultural shift affecting authors and publishers. It explores what readers are looking for in storytelling and how authors can adapt to this new zeitgeist.
- Apple's Cheapest Laptop Ever: Should Authors Buy It?
This episode of Novel Marketing reviews Apple's newest and cheapest laptop, the MacBook Neo. The host discusses stress-testing the machine with a large document and various writing applications to determine if it is suitable for authors.
- Your Friends Lied About Your Book Cover
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses the common pitfalls of seeking book cover design advice from friends. It explores strategies for creating effective book covers that appeal to strangers and drive sales, rather than covers that are…
- Reader Magnets Are Dead? Why Most Reader Magnets Fail
This episode discusses the effectiveness of reader magnets for authors, providing strategies for growing an email list. Topics include promotion, creation techniques, and refining an author's message and audience.
- Your Author Toolbox: Part 2
This episode introduces updates to the Novel Marketing Patron Toolbox, a collection of tools for authors. It covers new resources for editing, business strategy, and book promotion, aiming to assist authors with various aspects of their wo…
- How to Become a Professional Writer With Joanna Penn
This episode features Joanna Penn discussing how to build a professional and sustainable writing career. It covers business principles for authors, effective marketing strategies, and using AI to streamline tasks and enhance creativity.
- Why Your Book Isn’t Selling: Metadata
This episode of the Novel Marketing Podcast features Dave Chesson, creator of Publisher Rocket. He explains how optimizing book metadata can improve book sales on Amazon by making books more discoverable to readers.
- How to Format a Book with Vellum
This episode explores book formatting with Vellum. It addresses whether authors should hire a professional or use tools like Vellum for their book’s interior design.
- How Authors Can Stay out of Tax Jail
This episode of Novel Marketing features a CPA who works with authors, discussing how to manage bookkeeping and taxes. It covers topics such as establishing a simple bookkeeping rhythm and understanding how the IRS differentiates a writing…
- Productivity Secrets from Bestselling Author Jerry B. Jenkins
Jerry B. Jenkins shares productivity secrets for authors, including strategies for writing schedules, overcoming procrastination, and managing the inner editor. He discusses habits and mindset that helped him produce work on deadline.
- Networking for Authors
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses how authors can build a professional network. It covers strategies for connecting with other writers and industry professionals, including tips on effective follow-up and making introductions. The…
- The 5 Year Plan to Become a Professional Author
This episode of Novel Marketing features a discussion with author James L. Rubart about a five-year plan designed to help fiction writers become professional authors. The plan focuses on building skills in a structured way to reduce the ty…
- Why Some Authors Are Ditching ChatGPT Entirely
This episode discusses why authors are exploring AI models beyond ChatGPT, such as Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok. It covers how these new tools can assist with creative writing, research, and automation for authors.
- A Nonfiction Author’s Guide to Substack
This episode of Novel Marketing explores how nonfiction authors can utilize Substack to build their platform. It features an interview with screenwriter James Cary, who shares insights on attracting readers, increasing engagement, and gene…
- Should You Create a Premium Hardcover Edition of Your Book?
This episode discusses the resurgence of hardcover books and explores whether authors should create premium hardcover editions. It covers the strategy, psychology, risks, and rewards associated with luxury editions, including production co…
- Amazon Algorithm Secrets That Separate Bestsellers from the Slush Pile
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses Amazon’s algorithm and its effect on book discoverability. It provides insights into how the algorithm works and strategies for authors to increase their book's visibility to potential readers.
- The Shopify Trap: Why Authors Keep Losing Money
This episode explains why Shopify is often not a good solution for authors selling their work. It covers the reasons why authors lose money using Shopify and offers more effective alternatives for e-commerce platforms.
- Stop Wasting Money on Ink: 2025 Printer Guide for Authors
This episode of Novel Marketing offers a guide for authors on choosing a printer. It covers essential printer features, methods to reduce paper consumption, and how to improve printer reliability and ease of use.
- How to publish your audiobook through ACX
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses how to publish an audiobook through ACX. It covers aspects such as narration, cost, and the overall process for authors looking to get their books into audio format.
- How to Build an Email List before publishing your novel
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses building an email list before publishing a novel. It covers identifying target readers, growing an audience, and writing books that readers will enjoy.
- Triple Your Writing Speed with Dictation
This episode of Novel Marketing explores how authors can triple their writing speed through dictation. Sarah Sawyer provides practical advice on tools and techniques to make dictation feel natural and help writers produce more content.
- How to Boost Sales With Permafree Books
This episode of Novel Marketing explores the permafree strategy with author Dale Roberts. It covers how permafree books can boost sales, where the strategy is most effective, and how to implement it for your own books.
- How to Get More Book Reviews
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses the importance of book reviews for sales and visibility. It covers different types of reviews, distinguishing between ratings and reviews, and efficient tools for gathering them.
- The Author’s Guide to AI with Joanna Penn
This episode of Novel Marketing features Joanna Penn discussing how authors can effectively use AI. It covers various AI tools and strategies for writing, research, and marketing tasks.
- When to Ignore Your Editor
This episode discusses how authors can discern which editorial feedback to accept and which to ignore to improve their writing while retaining their unique voice. It covers identifying helpful suggestions versus those that might compromise…
- Announcing the 2026 Novel Marketing Conference
The 2026 Novel Marketing Conference is announced as a live, in-person event for authors focused on marketing and selling books. It features interactive sessions, genre-specific writer groups, and expert teaching to help attendees grow thei…
- How to Get Started with Author School Visits and Make Your Book Playground Famous
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses how authors can get started with school visits to promote their books. Award-winning author Becca Wierwille shares her insights on making school visits a successful marketing strategy.
- Zeitgeist, Dystopian Fatigue, and the Rise of Ruthless & Noble Heroes
This episode explores current cultural shifts affecting reader preferences in fiction, such as the popularity of "romantasy" and the demand for morally complex heroes. It discusses how these trends influence book sales and the future of st…
- How to sell 1,000 books a month
This episode of the Novel Marketing Podcast features Susan Neal, who discusses her strategies for selling 1,000 books a month. She details how layering marketing efforts like podcast interviews and press releases contributes to her consist…
- How to Work With a PR Firm to Promote Your Book
This episode of Novel Marketing explores working with a PR firm to promote books. It covers topics such as the relevance of traditional media, different types of media like earned and paid, and mistakes to avoid during interviews.
- What does ChatGPT Actually Know About Your Book?
This episode explores how authors can determine what AI models like ChatGPT know about their books. It covers methods to check if AI has recognized a book and tools to assess book visibility to AI.
- How to Create Sales Optimized Book Pages for Your Author Website
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses creating sales-optimized book pages for author websites. It covers critical elements for online visibility and tips for improving a book's web presence.
- Is Your Traditional Publisher Going Bankrupt? 8 Warning Signs to Look Out For
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses eight warning signs that a traditional publisher might be going bankrupt. It also covers what authors can do to protect their rights, royalties, and the future of their books.
- How to Adapt a Podcast to YouTube
This episode discusses how to adapt a podcast for YouTube. It covers audience behavior differences, launching a YouTube channel, and creating effective titles and thumbnails to gain traction on the platform.
- How to Publish a Novel in 2025
This episode of Novel Marketing provides a roadmap for publishing a novel in 2025. It outlines a six-step process to help authors avoid common mistakes and achieve a profitable book launch.
- An Introduction to Author Ecosystems with Russel Nohelty
This episode of Novel Marketing features USA Today bestselling author Russell Nohelty, who discusses author ecosystems. He explains how understanding your author type can help you tailor marketing strategies for your books.
- AI Optimization for Authors
This episode explores how authors can use AI for selling books, rather than writing them. It covers optimizing digital assets and book pages for AI, and leveraging social media platforms for AI training to discover book information.
- Your Author Toolbox
The Novel Marketing episode "Your Author Toolbox" reveals a suite of tools designed to help authors with writing and marketing tasks, such as generating book blurbs, creating reader magnet covers, and optimizing email campaigns. It aims to…
- How to generate passive income with affiliate marketing
This episode discusses how to generate passive income with affiliate marketing. It covers the use of universal book links to reach more readers and earn additional income, featuring insights from Jesse Lakes, co-founder of Geniuslink.
- How to PROFITABLY Advertise a Solo Book on Amazon
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses how to profitably advertise a solo book on Amazon. Strategies for setting up efficient ads, managing ad spend, and reaching readers beyond an author's network are covered.
- Announcing Author Update
Novel Marketing announces a new show called Author Update, which will cover the latest news in publishing, including Amazon feature rollouts and global events affecting book printing. This episode shares a sample of the new show, discussin…
- 2025 Laptop Buying Guide for Authors
This episode offers a 2025 laptop buying guide specifically for authors. It covers essential features for writers, discussing why certain specs are overemphasized, why Apple is popular among professionals, and what pitfalls to avoid when p…
- Email List Alchemy: How to Grow Your Email List Fast With Giveaways
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses how to rapidly grow an email list using giveaways. Author Kelly Jo Wilson shares her method for gaining over 7,000 subscribers, focusing on attracting ideal readers and author collaborations.
- Escaping the Procrastination Prison: A Guide for Tired Authors
This episode of Novel Marketing provides a guide for authors on escaping procrastination. It outlines 10 practical steps to help overcome distractions, reclaim focus, and complete writing projects.
- How to Craft a Cancel Proof Marketing Strategy
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses how author cancel culture has evolved and how indie authors can use controversy as a book marketing tool. It explores navigating controversy without alienating readers and a unique social media str…
- Author Website Review: Christian Historical Romance
This episode of Novel Marketing reviews the websites of Christian Historical Romance authors, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. It discusses website design, common mistakes, and simple fixes for SEO, navigation, and revenue.
- Book Promotion in 2025: How AI Gives Authors More Time to Write
This episode of Novel Marketing discusses how AI can assist authors with book promotion, allowing them more time to write. Alexander Macris shares insights on AI tools for marketing, improving book descriptions, pitches, and cover designs,…