Host Edith welcomes author and coach Lee Baucom to Book Lover’s Companion to discuss what it means to treat writing—especially fiction—as a business. They distinguish hobby writing from pursuing income, emphasizing that authors must wear multiple hats, particularly marketing as simply making readers aware and connecting the right audience to the right book. They cover cutting through today’s “noise,” pitching podcasts with a clear hook and audience fit, planning publicity months in advance, and choosing platforms based on where readers are and what the author can sustain. Lee outlines strategies like consistency, building an email list (e.g., Substack/Beehive), engaging communities, and using constraints to stay productive, while noting time vs. money tradeoffs, the value of human editing, and AI’s limited role for fiction but usefulness for marketing tasks.Find out more about Lee:https://leebaucom.com⏰ Timestamp00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro00:44 Writing as a Business03:49 Marketing Hat Mindset06:03 Publishing Noise and Consistency06:57 Pitching Podcasts Right11:17 Conversation Style Interviews13:06 Choosing Promotion Channels17:11 Audience First Platform Choice18:48 Time vs Money Marketing22:08 Constraints and Daily Writing24:34 Start Marketing Early27:45 Building Suspense and Community31:02 Behind the Art Stories Sell32:54 Introverts Going Pro33:57 Marketing Is On You35:54 Success Takes Many Books37:36 Strategy And Growth39:44 Swag Versus Substance41:38 Stop Doing Readings45:33 Step By Step Marketing51:54 Invest In Editing55:46 AI For Marketing57:57 Reviews And Not Finishing01:01:18 Final Takeaways☕️ Support us:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/booklovercom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://ko-fi.com/bookcompanion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🔗 Links and Social media:💻 https://book-lovers-companion.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/book_companion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ez.fiction.7⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/book_companion/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vyAyrh3zzsxNeexfyU0uA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💌 [email protected] Music: English Country Garden by Aaron Kenny Video Link: https://youtu.be/mDcADD4oS5E

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related