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Alexa's Book Marketing & Publishing Chat

Alexa's Book Marketing & Publishing Chat

Alexa Bigwarfe 225 Episodes Oct 8, 2026

Host Alexa Bigwarfe interviews authors and publishing professionals about their struggles, stories, and success routes. The podcast covers book marketing, publishing advice, book launches, and tips for growing a book-focused business. It offers encouragement and resources for authors and industry professionals, emphasizing the #bettertogether community.

Episodes

They Just Banned Jane Eyre: Why Every Author Should Care
They Just Banned Jane Eyre: Why Every Author Should Care Oct 8, 2026 3280 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.
Podcast Guesting for Authors: How to Pitch Hosts with Jessica Rhodes
Podcast Guesting for Authors: How to Pitch Hosts with Jessica Rhodes Oct 1, 2026 1504 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.
Sell Books Direct Without a Website, feat. Chelsea Bennett
Sell Books Direct Without a Website, feat. Chelsea Bennett Sep 23, 2026 2304 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.
Assisted Self-Publishing Done Right, with Ruth Schwartz
Assisted Self-Publishing Done Right, with Ruth Schwartz Sep 16, 2026 2723 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.
Grief Becomes Purpose: 9/11 Stories with Ann Van Hine and Holly Little
Grief Becomes Purpose: 9/11 Stories with Ann Van Hine and Holly Little Sep 11, 2026 1189 On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Alexa honors two authors who transformed loss into purpose. Ann Van Hine's husband, an FDNY firefighter, never came home that day. Holly Little lost her brother. Both have written memoirs that honor the dead and help others heal. Their stories remind us why we write, and why we must be seen.
How to Get Speaking Gigs (and Keep Them) with Sasha Simmons
How to Get Speaking Gigs (and Keep Them) with Sasha Simmons Sep 2, 2026 2112 Speaking is half talent and half business. Sasha Simmons, founder of Speak Life LLC and author of 20 Major Keys to Establish Your Own Greatness, breaks down her SLAB framework for crafting a speech that lands, then shares the unglamorous work of actually getting booked: cold calls, persistent follow-up, and building the reel that sells you.
Bootstrap, Investors, or Crowdfunding? feat. Hannah Jacobson
Bootstrap, Investors, or Crowdfunding? feat. Hannah Jacobson Aug 26, 2026 3883 Bootstrap, investors, or crowdfunding? Hannah Jacobson built Book Award Pro from a spreadsheet into the world's largest database of legitimate book awards. She and Alexa break down how to fund an author or publishing business, price your work so you stop losing money, and own the platform you build on.
Why Your Author Income Is Stuck (And It Is Not Your Writing)
Why Your Author Income Is Stuck (And It Is Not Your Writing) Aug 19, 2026 852 Forty-four percent of indie authors earn one hundred dollars a month or less. Usually the gap is not craft, it is structure. Alexa breaks down the four business skills separating authors who plateau from authors who compound: money systems, legal foundations, a profitable model, and new markets. Bootcamp is August 21 to 22.
The Reader Is Your Co-Writer: Speculative Fiction with Heather Davis {ep. 230}
The Reader Is Your Co-Writer: Speculative Fiction with Heather Davis {ep. 230} Aug 12, 2026 1635 Heather Davis coaches speculative fiction writers and runs Worldshift, the conference built for the authors sci-fi and fantasy spaces keep overlooking. She and Alexa unpack why your reader is your co-writer, how genre-specific community protects a career, and what to do when your genre's sales cycle drops. For writers who want craft and business.
How to Spot Scams Targeting Authors & more with Patricia Marshall of Luminare Press {ep. 229}
How to Spot Scams Targeting Authors & more with Patricia Marshall of Luminare Press {ep. 229} Aug 6, 2026 2513 Patricia Marshall, CEO of Luminare Press and Lucent Book Group, reveals why publishing scams are proliferating, how authors can protect themselves, and why AI is a tool—not a shortcut. We dig into GEO, the changing landscape of book discoverability, and what indie authors truly need in their corner.
Audiobooks Are No Longer Optional: The $30 Billion Shift Every Author Needs to Understand {ep. 228}
Audiobooks Are No Longer Optional: The $30 Billion Shift Every Author Needs to Understand {ep. 228} Jul 15, 2026 3038 Audiobooks have eclipsed ebooks and are racing toward a $30 billion U.S. market by 2030. Award-winning producer Mary Catherine Jones returns to break down when to invest, what it really costs, why narration makes or breaks a book, the truth about AI voices, and how to use audio to grow your list.
Your Voice Is the Revolution: A Raw, Unscripted Conversation About Why We Write ⭐ {ep. 227}
Your Voice Is the Revolution: A Raw, Unscripted Conversation About Why We Write ⭐ {ep. 227} Jul 8, 2026 1468 In this raw, unscripted episode, Alexa gets real about the state of the world in 2026 and why women's voices — in books, on stages, and in every medium — matter more than ever. A deeply personal call to action for authors, speakers, and publishing professionals who are here to make a difference.

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