The Publishing Playbook with Sarah Russo

New Books Network
  • 5.0 (29)
  • BOOKS

About The Publishing Playbook: a Page One Media® Podcast Are you a published writer trying to get noticed? A first-time author who wants to better understand the publishing system? Are you writing a book right now and wish you understood more about the next steps? The Publishing Playbook offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how book publishing works today and how to break through the noise in today’s publishing and media landscapes. Hosted by Sarah Russo of Page One Media®, The Publishing Playbook spotlights authors, publishing professionals from across the eco-system, and other experts shaping the literary conversation — on and off the page. Each episode provides real, actionable insight into how publishing works, from understanding agents, acquisitions, and advances right through to promotion and how to maintain momentum between books. A guide to publishing from Page One to The End! Authors will talk about both their latest work and the paths that brought them there, while publicists, agents, editors, and publishing professionals across the industry will talk about their perspective on a rapidly evolving industry and best practices. Thoughtful, strategic, and deeply informed by publishing experts, The Publishing Playbook delivers lasting value to anyone navigating the business of books.

Episodes

  1. APR 28

    Are Libraries the Hidden Book Market? with Erin Cox of Words & Money

    What if the most powerful tool in your book marketing strategy isn't social media — it's your local library? In the debut episode of The Publishing Playbook, host Sarah Russo of Page One Media sits down with publishing veteran Erin Cox to unpack one of the industry's most overlooked opportunities: libraries. With a career spanning publicity at Scribner and HarperCollins, agenting, and her current role as publisher of Publishing Perspectives and co-founder of Words and Money, Erin brings rare, 360-degree expertise to the conversation. Together, Sarah and Erin break down how libraries actually buy books, why they're a powerful (and underutilized) marketing channel for authors, and the misconceptions that are costing publishers real money. Whether you're a debut author, a seasoned writer, or publishing-curious, this episode will change how you think about getting your book into readers' hands. Words & Money Publishing Perspectives Essay by Auyon Mukharji, author of HEARTLAND MASALAPageMatch by SpotifyKey Moments0:00 - Libraries Are Selling Books 📚Erin explains why libraries aren't the enemy of book sales — they are book sales.1:56 - Meet Erin Cox 🎙️ Host Sarah Russo introduces her guest: a publishing lifer whose career spans Scribner, HarperCollins, The New Yorker, literary agenting, and beyond.7:28 - Words and Money 💡Erin shares the origin story of her new venture with Andrew Albanese, a digital media platform shining a spotlight on libraries' overlooked role in publishing.8:19 - The Library Misconception 🏛️Sarah and Erin bust the myth that libraries hurt book sales and explain why those purchases are some of the best a publisher can get.14:24 - The Hold System Trap ⚠️Erin reveals why encouraging fans to place library holds can actually backfire — and hurt smaller publishers in the process.21:23 - Reasons to Be Excited 🎧Erin shares the publishing news she's genuinely buzzing about, including Spotify's surprising new moves that are bringing print books and audio together in a whole new way.Books and authors mentioned in this episode. We encourage you to check them out at the library, buy them from your local independent bookstore or from Bookshop.org:My Antonia by Will CatherRichard Powers’s The Overstory and PlaygroundJustin Cronin's The FerrymanLaura Ingalls WilderPrairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline FraserJudy BloomAnne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire (and the book I read the manuscript of at my very first job in publishing was Merrick)

    29 min
  • 1 Episode

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
29 Ratings

About

About The Publishing Playbook: a Page One Media® Podcast Are you a published writer trying to get noticed? A first-time author who wants to better understand the publishing system? Are you writing a book right now and wish you understood more about the next steps? The Publishing Playbook offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how book publishing works today and how to break through the noise in today’s publishing and media landscapes. Hosted by Sarah Russo of Page One Media®, The Publishing Playbook spotlights authors, publishing professionals from across the eco-system, and other experts shaping the literary conversation — on and off the page. Each episode provides real, actionable insight into how publishing works, from understanding agents, acquisitions, and advances right through to promotion and how to maintain momentum between books. A guide to publishing from Page One to The End! Authors will talk about both their latest work and the paths that brought them there, while publicists, agents, editors, and publishing professionals across the industry will talk about their perspective on a rapidly evolving industry and best practices. Thoughtful, strategic, and deeply informed by publishing experts, The Publishing Playbook delivers lasting value to anyone navigating the business of books.

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