Finding Passion and Purpose in Publishing

05/11/23 • 28 min

The Ingenium Books Podcast: Author. Publisher. Changemaker.

First up, it's a new season and a new name! Boni and John discuss the reasons for the name change from The Empowered Author Podcast to the Ingenium Books Podcast. Then we dive in to the wonderful ways to find passion and purpose in publishing.
Are you tired of being told to just keep writing more books, without any real progress in your pursuit of getting your book published and to market? Are you confused about which publishing approach is right for you? You're not alone. In this episode, we'll explore alternative paths to success and reveal how branching out beyond traditional book publishing can lead to exciting new avenues for your work. Get ready to discover untapped opportunities and unlock your potential in the world of independent publishing.
In this episode, you will be able to:

Understand the essence of independent publishing and the significance of being an active author.
See how nurturing a genuine passion is instrumental in the independent publishing world.
Investigate the correlation between profitable margins and providing a livable wage in publishing.
Dive into the challenges posed by AI innovations and the imperative for ceaseless learning.
Reveal untapped opportunities that lie outside of traditional book publishing, like venturing into TV and film licensing.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:01 - The Future of Publishing is Independent
00:05:21 - Running a Successful Independent Publishing Business
00:10:25 - Historical Domain of Publishers
00:13:55 - Author Engagement in the Marketing Process
00:16:17 - The Importance of Diversifying Income
00:18:41 - The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Publishing
00:22:13 - Pursuing Film and TV Licensing
00:27:12 - The Business of Film and TV Licensing
00:28:00 - Conclusion and Call to Action

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

Visit the Ingenium Books website to learn more about their publishing services and to check out their stories that inspire, enlighten, and challenge.
Join the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) to connect with other independent publishers and to attend their annual conference.
Consider becoming an independent author or publisher if you have a passion for creative expression and want to have more control over the publishing process.
Make sure to pay yourself and your team a living wage, even if margins in the publishing industry are tight.
Be engaged in the exercise of marketing your book to reach your readers, as readers are often more interested in the author than the publisher.
Check out the cool little video on the Ingenium Books website that explains their core values.
If you're interested in film and TV licensing, music tracks, or audiobooks, stay tuned for upcoming episodes that will cover these topics and learn more at https://ingeni

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Find us wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (@ingeniumbooks) or visit our website at ingeniumbooks.com.

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Understand the essence of independent publishing and the significance of being an active author.
See how nurturing a genuine passion is instrumental in the independent publishing world.
Investigate the correlation between profitable margins and providing a livable wage in publishing.
Dive into the challenges posed by AI innovations and the imperative for ceaseless learning.
Reveal untapped opportunities that lie outside of traditional book publishing, like venturing into TV and film licensing.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:01 - The Future of Publishing is Independent
00:05:21 - Running a Successful Independent Publishing Business
00:10:25 - Historical Domain of Publishers
00:13:55 - Author Engagement in the Marketing Process
00:16:17 - The Importance of Diversifying Income
00:18:41 - The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Publishing
00:22:13 - Pursuing Film and TV Licensing
00:27:12 - The Business of Film and TV Licensing
00:28:00 - Conclusion and Call to Action

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

Visit the Ingenium Books website to learn more about their publishing services and to check out their stories that inspire, enlighten, and challenge.
Join the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) to connect with other independent publishers and to attend their annual conference.
Consider becoming an independent author or publisher if you have a passion for creative expression and want to have more control over the publishing process.
Make sure to pay yourself and your team a living wage, even if margins in the publishing industry are tight.
Be engaged in the exercise of marketing your book to reach your readers, as readers are often more interested in the author than the publisher.
Check out the cool little video on the Ingenium Books website that explains their core values.
If you're interested in film and TV licensing, music tracks, or audiobooks, stay tuned for upcoming episodes that will cover these topics and learn more at https://ingeni

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Find us wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (@ingeniumbooks) or visit our website at ingeniumbooks.com.

Previous Episode

Sell Sheets: What Are They And Why Do You Need One?

The sell sheet is a tool that helps retailers see how your book can help them reach, engage and satisfy their customers. The sell sheet can help us achieve our goals for sales, reviews and promotion but it is also a powerful tool for working with retailers and buyers. As authors, we are often reluctant to talk up our books, and ourselves. Sell sheets help us get over this discomfort and give retailers what they need to know in order to position your book in their store. In this episode, publisher Boni Wagner-Stafford and marketing expert Stephanie Feger chat with Ingenium Books authors and answer their questions about sell sheets, and how to use them.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Find us wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (@ingeniumbooks) or visit our website at ingeniumbooks.com.

Next Episode

Discover the Power of Preparation in Publishing

Authors, are you tired of hearing these myths about launching your book?
Myth #1: Launching a book is a one-time event.
Myth #2: It's best to focus solely on writing and worry about marketing later.
Myth #3: Preparing the market takes too much time and effort.
Well, get ready to debunk these misconceptions, because John & Boni Wagner-Stafford of Ingenium Books are here to share the truth about strategically launching your book.
In this episode, you will:
•Discover the significance of investing time in market preparation for desired outcomes.
•Gain valuable insights into the essential components of the publishing timeline.
•Uncover the crucial role of marketing within the publishing process.
•Learn how refining your book for quality standards leads to overall success.
•Develop strategies for generating buzz prior to publication to elevate visibility and sales.
John Wagner-Stafford is cofounder and CFO of Ingenium Books, and a creative entrepreneur who has managed complex and large-scale projects — from film and television soundtracks to award-winning video games to bestselling book projects at Ingenium Books. Together with Boni, publisher and award-winning former journalist, and the rest of the team at Ingenium Books, this expertise in market preparation and its crucial role in a successful book launch has helped them launch bestsellers and award-winners.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
1.Check out Publishing for Profit, by Thomas Woll, for a three-year timeline of the traditional publishing process.
2.Start preparing the manuscript right away and engage in editing and rewriting as necessary.
3.Begin competitive analysis early on and take note of competing titles, cover designs, pricing, and other factors.
4.Create a design brief for the cover design team and give them four-to-six weeks of lead time, if possible.
5.Work on the layout of the book while waiting for the cover concepts to come in.
6.Create a list of potential endorsers or editorial reviewers and keep track of the status of your requests on a spreadsheet.
7.Keep the target reader or audience in mind throughout the entire process and ensure that the content meets their expectations.
8.Focus marketing efforts on the target reader and where they can be reached.

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Find us wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (@ingeniumbooks) or visit our website at ingeniumbooks.com.