In this episode, Matt & Lauren share strategies for how to find, research, and hire the best possible freelancers to help you bring your book to life. Whether you need help with editing, formatting, designing, or marketing, these guidelines can help you assemble your dream team for long-term publishing success!

We talk through steps like:

• Understanding different types of freelancers
• The three best places to start your search (and research)
• Narrowing your pool of applicants to a shortlist of top candidates

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Explore These Resources

• Lulu’s Trusted Partners & Pros
• Editorial Freelancers Association
• Fiverr

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #8 | Self-Publishing is a Team Sport
• Ep #20 | Do You Need to Hire Professional Editors for Your Book?
• Ep #93 | Tales from the Scrypt: Self-Publishing Horror Stories (and How to Survive Them)

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• Build Your Publishing Team
• How to Choose an Editor

💡 Watch These Videos

• Types of Book Editing and How to Get Them Done
• How to Build Your Publishing Dream Team
• Webinar | Take Your Story to the Next Level with Experts from Lulu and Fiverr
  
  

💀 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.

Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, the mechanics behind distributing your book to online and brick-and-mortar bookstores are the same. But for indie authors doing it on their own, it’s imperative that you get the details just right.

So in this episode, Lauren & Matt embark on an exciting adventure through the retail distribution cycle! We talk through:

🔑 Understanding the key players in the distribution game

📚 The 4 most important stages from book publication to bookstore shelf

🎯 What indie authors need to do to set their book up for success

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #37 | How to Get Your Book Into Indie Bookstores
• Ep #59 | Mastering Book Metadata to Maximize Market Reach
• Ep #68 | Maximizing Your Chances of Discoverability in Generative AI Search
• Ep #90 | How to Get Your Book Into Libraries

💡 Read These Blog Posts

• What the Hell Is Metadata?
• Genres, BISAC Subject Codes, and You

💡 Explore These Resources from the Lulu Knowledge Base

• Global Distribution: The Basics
• Mandatory Print Book Distribution Requirements
• Common Retail Distribution Rejection Reasons
  
  
  

💀 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.

In this episode, Matt & Lauren reflect on their recent trips to two dramatically different events: London Book Fair and Sponsor Games.

One is an international event attended by over 33,000 publishing industry professionals from around the world; the other is an intimate, interactive gathering of content entrepreneurs dedicated to learning how to secure brand deals and sponsorships.

Attending these two events back-to-back highlighted the overlap and discrepancies between two types of creative audiences, so we’re asking the questions:

🤔 What can authors learn from content creators/entrepreneurs?

💡 What can content creators learn from authors?

🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 What does it look like when someone is taking the best from both worlds?

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video episode on YouTube!

Dive Deeper

💡 Learn More About These Events

• Publishers Weekly’s LBF Recap | A ‘Buzzy and Busy’ Fair
• Sponsor Games
• Momentum
• IBPA Publishing University
• Lulu’s 2026 Event Schedule

💡 Learn More About These Creators

• The Maker’s Table with Jeff Sieh and Katie Fawkes
• Katie Cross
• Austin L. Church

💡 Listen to These Episodes

• Ep #63 | Beyond the Algorithm: Relationship Marketing for Authors & Publishers [Video: Live from London Book Fair 2025]
• Ep #86 | Maximizing Your First Impression in the Attention Economy
• Ep #111 | Plot Twist: Indie Authors are Landing More Traditional Publishing Deals than Ever

💀 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.