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Everybody sees the brand… but they don't see the sleepless nights, the setbacks, or the work it took to get there.On Episode 236: Gracy Print On Demand, M. Davis and Reggie sit down with Olivia, founder of Gracy Print On Demand, to talk about building a 10,000-square-foot print operation after coming from China to Los Angeles.We get into the business behind the business—from DTF printing, DTG printing, embroidery, gang sheets, rush orders, quality control, pricing, and scaling a clothing brand to what it really takes to survive in the apparel game.If you've ever wanted to start your own clothing line, level up your brand, or learn how successful creators get their merch made, this episode is packed with real game from someone who's living it every day.We still ain't editing sh*t.Just real conversations, real experiences, and the kind of game you can actually use.This is the first episode of Season 11 of the RIDINOUTALLDAY Podcast.Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major streaming platforms.Follow everyone:RIDINOUTALLDAY: @ridinoutalldayM. Davis: @mdavisReggie: @jones.boyzGracy Print On Demand: @gracytextile
In this episode I'm sharing 5 print on demand niches that you can target to increase your sales in the near future
Bu video, Türkiye'de ürettiğiniz ürünleri yurt dışına nasıl gönderebileceğinizi ve e ticaret platformlarında başarılı bir şekilde satış yapmanın yollarını öğrenecek. Özellikle ihracat süreçleri, global sales stratejileri ve Amazon FBA gibi popüler yöntemler üzerinde duruyoruz. Ayrıca, internetten para kazanmak isteyenler için Shopify Dropshipping ve Print On Demand gibi alanlarda adım adım rehberlik sunuyoruz.
Print on Demand can still be an incredible business model– but most sellers never make it past a few hundred dollars a month. In this episode, Heather and I unpack the habits, decisions, and blind spots that separate hobby shops from thriving businesses, including what successful POD sellers are doing differently in today's market. If your shop feels stuck, this conversation will help you focus on the things that actually move the needle. **"How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy" is not affiliated with or endorsed by Etsy.com STUFF I MENTIONED: Profittree Link (lifetime access $67): https://lifetime.profittree.io/?via=lizzie87 Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO7Ra18ZPTw&t=1s ➡️ Heather's Claude Plugin: Free Prompt Guides from Heather: https://studio.heatherxstudio.com/10aiprompts AI Magic Masterclass: https://aimagic.heatherstudio.com/ FIND HEATHER: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsheatherstudio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsheatherstudio/ HOW I HELP ETSY SELLERS GROW: ⭐Scaling Society: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/scaling-society ⭐"How to Blow Up Your Etsy Shop" free training: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/interested-in-blow-up-shop ⭐Trendspotting: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/trendspotting ----------------------
Exact Sciences are things folks who consider themselves rational and logical assume can be trusted. And they would be, but scientists are only human, and some of them aren't even autistic, gasp! I had the privilege of pursuing an academic career in Natural Sciences, and there I found hard-working, dedicated professors, who would base their calculations on values with dubious origins, and reject valid findings to scoop the author's work and publish it as their own. In this scientific episode I will be joined by Dr. Mary Sims (pronouns: she/her), and together we will spill the tea about science shenanigans, and on the way, you might even learn some random details about atmospheric aerosols, vibrational spectroscopy and self-assambled monolayers. You can find Dr Mary Sims' podcast, Clinical Misfits on the Autistic Culture Podcast Network here.You can support Aut2Aut on Betterplace and Gofundme, or buy our #ActuallyAutistic designs in our print-on-demand shop. This will help prepped.to go on providing a platform for autistic folks to share locations' sensory info and service instructions.My cat Merlin has a message for you at the end of the episode.Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Mary Sims' podcast, Clinical Misfits [APCN please insert link here]My paper about the refractive index of Elemental CarbonMy paper about using the Vibrational Stark effect to investigate Self-Assambled MonolayersFafarman et al. 2010 about the effect of hydrogen bonding on the Star tuning rate. Correction: the numbers I'm referring to are not in a table but a chart in their supplementary material section.Where physicists upload their papers without peer review: arXiv.orgAut2Aut, the nonprofit I founded, providing free platforms and content by and for autistic peopleprepped.to is the website I created where autistic folks can upload and consult sensory info and service instructions about places, so folks can prep and script before going thereHow to support my nonprofitTheme music composed and produced by Lir Lutau Shahar (pronouns: he/fae/sea): YouTube, Soundcloud. For collaborations: lutaoshzh@gmail.com Follow Dr. Gal Schkolnik on LinkedIn, Mastodon or Tumblr
Building an Art-Led eCommerce Fashion Brand: Kyall & Maku Fenaroli on Maku The LabelIn this episode, Ryan sits down with Kyall and Maku Fenaroli, the husband-and-wife team behind Maku The Label, an art-centric fashion brand that's gone from Maku painting designs on blank t-shirts to landing David Jones as a stockist, all in under 18 months.Maku spent over a decade in finance before turning her lifelong passion for art into a business. Kyall left a career as a plumber and general manager in construction to run the operations side full-time. Together they've built a brand defined by original artwork, rapid organic growth, and a willingness to make big, fast calls, including ripping up their entire fulfilment model mid-flight.This one's a masterclass in scrappy growth, knowing when to change your model, and what it actually takes to go from side hustle to major retail partner.From side hustle to Style Runner in four monthsMaku started printing her art on blank tees with zero branding, just a decision to stop buying t-shirts she didn't love. Four months later they landed Style Runner, their first major stockist, before either of them had heard of an SSCC barcode.Why they walked away from print-on-demandPrint-on-demand gave Maku total creative flexibility (paint today, sell tomorrow), but it was killing customer experience with two-week delivery windows and mispicked orders. After a rough Black Friday period exposed the gap, they moved to a 3PL and in-stock model in a matter of months.The real cost of switching to held stockKyall breaks down what changes when you go from print-on-demand to holding inventory: deposits on stock six months out, a five-to-nine month cash conversion cycle, and having to plan collections over a year in advance. Maku is already painting for August 2027.Contribution margin over vanity revenueKyall's biggest lesson from the last 18 months: understanding gross margin, delivered margin, and contribution profit, not just top-line revenue. He talks candidly about how much of the "guru" advice in eCommerce ignores what it actually costs to get a sale to break-even.Wholesale lessons from Style Runner and David JonesMaku credits Style Runner for patiently teaching them the basics of wholesale (barcodes, dispatch windows, systems) before they stepped up to David Jones, where the same requirements come with far less flexibility.Personalised influencer gifting that actually gets sharedMaku's approach to influencer seeding isn't a mail-merge, it's DM'ing people directly, matching values and aesthetic, and adding a genuinely personal touch (a hand-painted portrait for Alana Hadid, a custom tee tied to Celeste Barber's own brand). The result: organic shares from influencers with audiences in the hundreds of thousands to over a million.Pulling back from paid ads toward organic and IRLAfter ramping up Meta and Google ads over the past year, the pair are consciously shifting back toward the organic-first strategy that built the brand, including real-world events they say outperform equivalent ad spend.New York Fashion Week, twiceMaku The Label is heading back to New York in September for NYFW, running a gifting suite with PR agency Kate & Co. and exploring a possible pop-up retail space alongside other Australian brands.What's next: the Australian designer categoryMaku's goal is to move the brand firmly into ready-to-wear and the Australian designer space, with the US identified as the next major growth market for both DTC and wholesale.Links & MentionsMaku The LabelStyle RunnerDavid JonesKate & Co. PRNew York Fashion Week (September)Yotpo: Amazing Women in eCommerce retreatHumble Brag's retreat
“Bestseller” has become one of the easiest words to fake in publishing, and it's costing authors money and readers' trust. I sit down with publishing expert Michele DeFilippo, who brings decades of real-world experience helping authors produce high-quality books without giving away control, rights, or royalties.We talk about why self-publishing no longer carries the old vanity-press stigma, and why the power has shifted now that Amazon and print-on-demand make global book distribution accessible. Michelle breaks down the difference between needing a publisher and needing professional publishing services, plus the red flags of hybrid publishing companies that charge authors upfront and still take a cut of sales. We also get practical about what “professional” actually looks like: editing, cover design, book typesetting, ebook formatting, and the kind of investment it can take to make your book compete with traditional releases.We also dug into author scams, including how “bestseller” schemes game Amazon's algorithm, what a real bestseller metric looks like, and why distribution tools like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark still don't do your marketing for you.If you're planning to self-publish, want to avoid costly traps, or simply want your book to look unmistakably legit, hit play, subscribe, share with a writer friend, and leave a review so more authors can find the show.Send us Fan MailSupport the show
Unlock the secret to turning your story into a powerful, lasting business asset—without wasting years or money. Henry DeVries, a renowned marketing expert, reveals how publishing a book can become your most effective lead magnet, authority builder, and distribution lever in today's digital world. Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, or dreaming of leaving your nine-to-five behind, this episode uncovers the exact steps to get started—and why acting now can redefine your success in 2026.Henry shares jaw-dropping stories from working with giants like IBM, Kodak, and Hewlett-Packard—showing how a single book or article can open doors you never imagined. He discusses the real leverage today: distribution channels like Amazon, Audible, and print-on-demand that make getting your message to the world easier and more affordable than ever. You'll discover how to navigate the publishing process efficiently, from crafting a compelling framework to utilizing YouTube and social media for maximum reach. Plus, learn Henry's "Magnificent Seven" marketing strategies that turn your book into a sales, speaking, and networking machine.In this episode, we break down:Henry's personal journey from banking on expensive marketing to becoming a bestselling author and publisher.The step-by-step process for authors and founders to create impactful books in months, not years.The distribution hacks—print on demand, e-books, audiobooks—that turbocharge your reach globally.Proven marketing frameworks, including hosting webinars, leveraging podcasts, and building online authority.How to turn your book into a business-building tool that attracts clients, partners, and speaking opportunities.Why does this matter? Because if you ignore the power of publishing and distribution, you risk falling behind in an increasingly content-driven world. The opportunity is enormous: a well-crafted book combined with strategic marketing can catapult your visibility, credibility, and revenue—faster than you think.Henry DeVries is a marketing veteran, author of 20 books, and founder of PersuadeWithAStory.com, known for helping entrepreneurs and executives amplify their reach through publishing and storytelling. His insights are battle-tested from decades working with Fortune 500 companies and countless founders, making this a must-listen for anyone ready to scale with purpose.If you're a founder looking to elevate your influence—whether just starting out or seeking the next big breakthrough—this episode is your blueprint for mastering the art and science of publishing and distribution. Hit play now and learn how to turn your story into your biggest asset in 2026 and beyond.
In this episode I'm sharing 5 print on demand niches that you can target to increase your sales in the near future
As the Director of IngramSpark, Paige Allen has built the platform into a global print-on-demand and ebook distribution solution for authors who want to self-publish their works and provide hard-copy distribution to its massive network of over 40,000 retailers, libraries, and online stores, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Key features include: • Global Distribution: Reaches major international markets through extensive wholesale networks. • Format Variety: Prints high-quality paperbacks, hardcovers, and diverse trim sizes. • Wholesale Pricing: Allows authors to set standard discounts, making books attractive to physical bookstores. • Free Title Setup: Offers no-fee standard book creation to lower upfront costs. Learn more at www.ingramspark.com.
As the Director of IngramSpark, Paige Allen has built the platform into a global print-on-demand and ebook distribution solution for authors who want to self-publish their works and provide hard-copy distribution to its massive network of over 40,000 retailers, libraries, and online stores, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Key features include: • Global Distribution: Reaches major international markets through extensive wholesale networks. • Format Variety: Prints high-quality paperbacks, hardcovers, and diverse trim sizes. • Wholesale Pricing: Allows authors to set standard discounts, making books attractive to physical bookstores. • Free Title Setup: Offers no-fee standard book creation to lower upfront costs. Learn more at www.ingramspark.com. United Public Radio & UFO Paranormal Radio www.uprntalkradio.com
Content warning: mentions of self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders and medical gaslightingWhat happens when you go to a mental health professional who has zero information about what it means when you, their patient, may be autistic? For this episode I was joined by Rey Rissanen (pronouns: they/them). Together we will rant and tell you about the horrors of needing help with our mental health, and instead of getting it, getting misdiagnosed, gaslighted and harmed by misinformed mental health professionals, and how great it is to finally realize you're autistic and to learn to self-advocate in the mental health setting.Rey is an artist who creates beautiful crochet designs, including crochet stim toys and houseplants, and they're also the one who came up with the idea for prepped.to, a platform for autistic folks to share locations' sensory info and service instructions, and you can see their beautiful illustrations of their story on our blog. You can support Aut2Aut and its platform prepped.to on Betterplace and Gofundme, or buy our #ActuallyAutistic designs in our print-on-demand shop. Mentioned in this episode:Rey's crochet designs: @rainbowrey.crafts and their art on InstagramAut2Aut, the nonprofit I founded, providing free platforms and content by and for autistic peopleprepped.to is the website I created where autistic folks can upload and consult sensory info and service instructions about places, so folks can prep and script before going thereHow to support my nonprofitTheme music composed and produced by Lir Lutau Shahar (pronouns: he/fae/sea): YouTube, Soundcloud. For collaborations: lutaoshzh@gmail.com Follow Dr. Gal Schkolnik on LinkedIn, Mastodon or Tumblr
Amazon just rolled out AI-powered visual search — and it's live first on apparel. On its own, that's just a search update. But put it next to a listing Amazon already runs — where customers upload their own design and Amazon keeps 100% of the sale, no creator royalty at all — and a pretty uncomfortable pattern starts to show up.In this video I break down exactly what Amazon's new AI search actually does, show you the existing Amazon listing that already cuts creators out of print-on-demand entirely, and explain why this is really about who captures the equity in this market going forward — plus 4 things you should start doing now to protect yourself.
dnksaus (Carter) explores the future of Ableton Live, creative sound design workflows, Max for Live tools, and the new Ableton Extensions feature. They dive deep into building custom tools, making better "mud pies," AI-assisted coding, workflow optimization, and how producers can stay inspired while finishing more music. dnksaus is a producer, Max for Live developer, and sound designer known for his innovative Ableton tutorials and custom devices. His Max for Live devices and Ableton racks are used by producers including Marshmello, Skrillex, and RÜFÜS DU SOL. Carter has collaborated with Ableton on educational content and presentations, contributed to Sounds of KSHMR Vol. 5, and has become known for unconventional production techniques that help producers unlock new creative workflows.Sponsored by DistroKid:This episode is supported by DistroKid, which lets you upload once, get your tracks on all major platforms, and keep 100% of your streaming earnings. Their new DistroKid Direct feature also turns your artwork into print‑on‑demand merch like t‑shirts, mugs, and totes with no inventory to manage. Learn more below:https://bit.ly/distrokid-musicFollow dnksaus Below:https://dnksaus.comGrab limited-edition Producer Merch & save 10% with the code "podcast":https://www.abletonpodcast.com/merchJoin the newsletter to get free downloads, early episode access, and upcoming events:https://www.abletonpodcast.com/newsletter
In this episode I'm sharing 5 print on demand niches that you can target to increase your sales in the near future
In this week's episode, we take a look at 5 lessons indie authors can learn from tradpub. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Crown of the Gods, Book #9 in the Dragonskull series, (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store: JULYCROWN The coupon code is valid through July 20, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 310 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is July 2nd, 2026 and today we are discussing five lessons indie authors can learn from traditional publishing. Given how negative I've been about traditional publishing over the years, that may be a bit of a surprise, but we will find out more later. We will also have a Coupon of the Week and a progress update at my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Crown of the Gods, Book #9 of my Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) at my Payhip store. That coupon code is JULYCROWN. As always, you can get the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through July 20th, 2026, so if you need a new audiobook for your summer travels, we have got you covered. And now for an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I'm pleased to report that Blade of Thieves is now done and published. Once this episode goes out, you should be able to get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, bookshop.org, and my own Payhip store. It's starting off strong, so thank you to everyone who is reading and enjoying it. Thank you for everyone being patient while I got to it. Now that Blade of Thieves is finished, my next main project will be Cloak of Frost, the 15th book in the Cloak Mage urban fantasy novel series. I'm currently 24,000 words into that. I think the rough draft will be about 100,000 words. If all goes well, I hope to have that out in August. My new secondary project is now Blade of Visions, which of course will be the direct sequel to Blade of Thieves. As of this recording, I am 1,000 words into it. In audiobook news, Leanne Woodward has started recording Dragon-Mage and Hollis McCarthy is currently recording Cloak of Worlds, which was the 13th book in the Cloak Mage series. In a few days after this, Brad Wills is going to start recording on Blade of Thieves. So we should have a bunch of new audiobooks coming up for you to listen to before too much longer, if all goes well. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:23 Main Topic of the Week: 5 Things Indie Authors Can Learn From TradPub Now onto our main topic this week, five lessons indie authors can learn from TradPub. Given how critical I have been and continue to be of traditional publishing on this blog and my podcast, this might come as a bit of a surprise and this should be in no way an endorsement for anyone to pursue traditional publishing. My blunt opinion is that if you are a new author starting out, you are much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much better served going indie instead of traditionally publishing. You will retain ownership over your IP. You will potentially be able to make more money and you won't have to deal with the various problems endemic in traditional publishing. Occasionally I see on social media a newish author trying to get an agent or being excited that an agent responded to their query letter or whatever. I don't do this because arguing with strangers on the internet is a waste of time, but I want to tell them, "Don't do this. Go indie. You'll be much happier in the long run and you won't have to worry about your agents stealing all your money," of which there have been documented cases that have happened. Now with all those caveats aside, traditional publishing has lasted for a long time. There is a reason that traditional publishing has survived so many changes and continues in many different forms to this day. And while I wouldn't recommend that you pursue traditional publishing, there are things you can learn from it to enhance your career as an indie author. So today I'm going to talk about five things you can learn from TradPub as an indie author. #1: Your book doesn't exist in a vacuum. Many authors are resistant to their book being put into categories or being paired with similar books. I've frequently noticed that aspiring and first time authors are particularly resistant to the either idea of their book best fitting into a single category or being similar to another authors. It doesn't mean that your book isn't creative or unique, it's accepting the reality of bookselling. Even in the modern indie era, books are still very much classified by a limited number of categories on book sites and ads are built on comparing your books to other authors. Focus on the category that best represents your book if it spans genres and focus extra effort on finding similar authors to help potential readers understand what type of book you are offering. For example, I had this problem with Cloak Games and Cloak Mage for a couple of years because the series is primarily an urban fantasy, but it's also set 300 years in the future. There are increasing science fiction elements in the series. The protagonist has visited several different planets and so forth, so trying to cram that all into an ad description or an ad targeting is a difficult proposition. I had better success when I started describing the series as the Dresden Files crossed with the Shadowrun RPG, which readers of it will say probably captures it quite well and then in the marketing, I always focus on the urban fantasy elements. I don't even mention the sci-fi elements because I think that's a fair representation of the book is that it's 80% urban fantasy with some sci-fi stuff in the background. So that is an example from my own books that I've done where I have emphasized the urban fantasy and contemporary fantasy aspect of Cloak Mage in the advertising and then just didn't mention the rest of the stuff in the other advertising. Traditional publishers even create the feeling of similarity with their own books by using the same artists and styles for their book covers. There was a post going around last year showing all the romance books with blue covers, cartoon figures facing each other while outside, and swooping white font. Book genres have conventions and trends in their covers. Instead of fighting that, you might want to take a time to look at the best sellers in your category to take note of what's working for other authors in your category. A book cover doesn't have to match everything about your book. It just has to give people a quick impression of what the book is about so it makes sense and doesn't confuse people and gives them something that is least in line with genre expectations. My rule of thumb for book covers is always that it should, in a space of two seconds of looking at a book cover, it should tell you the title of the book, the author of the book, and the genre of the book and it should do this all in an aesthetically pleasing and attractive matter. Those are essentially the four rules for a successful book cover, that you look at it and you can within two seconds know the title, the author, the genre, and it's presented in aesthetically pleasing and attractive manner. So to get a good book cover for your category, it would be a good idea to look at the other books in your category and see if you can find a design that while it doesn't copy the other designs, nonetheless follows some of the same design rules. #2: Timing matters. Traditional publishing is largely based on three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. By building the release schedule this way, it offers reliability for booksellers and libraries and each season has a general theme that makes it easier to market new releases. For example, fall has a lot of prestige literary fiction titles while summer might focus more on beach reads and SATs study guides. Indie publishing isn't beholden to this type of thinking about scheduling book releases, but it's smart to learn from what has worked for traditional publishing over the last couple centuries. Book sales in the US are generally a little softer in January and the summer and peak around the winter gift giving season. Thrillers often get published in September and October so they can get the "spooky season" boost from people looking for Halloween adjacent reads. It makes sense to look at the rhythm of what has been working for bookselling in your genre and see if there's a time that is especially advantageous for you to put out your book where you're just starting out and don't have very much in the way of your own sales data yet. For myself, I found what indie authors really need to watch out for is holidays. Publishing a book the day before Christmas or the day after Christmas is not a good idea. One of the reasons I didn't rush to get Blade of Thieves out the last week of June is because a lot of people will be taking the last week of June off because it leads right into the 4th of July holiday, which is why Blade of Thieves came out after 4th of July. I'd say the weakest times in my experience for indie authors are generally on November, December (because of the late Christmas), and then August and September also tend to be fairly weak because that is back to school time, which is very often very expensive and a financial strain for many people, in addition to their time and energy being focused on things other than recreational reading. Also, I've been doing this long enough to say this with some authority is that presidential election years, especially in the run up to the election are always pretty weak times in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024, especially 2024. I did notice a dip in sales as we approached the election and the general intensity of the campaigning and the ads and everything picked up. I've come to realize that a significant portion of the reading public, especially in the United States, also overlaps with the very politically involved public. I mean, it's not a perfect Venn Diagram, but there is significant overlap. So as the election season heats up, you can expect to see a drop in sales. I honestly wonder if traditional publishing has that as well. I would look into that at some point. So I'd say for an indie author, be mindful of holidays and don't be alarmed if you see a sales dip before and during the holidays and it might be a good idea if you have a big release to wait until after the holiday to push it. Tip #3: If it's a product, make it a good one. Another thing that many authors reject is the notion that their book is a product to be sold and not just a piece of art. Publishing isn't shy about thinking of their books as products with units just like a can of beans on a shelf and when you're shipping hundreds of thousands of books across the world, the general process isn't all that different (with the possible exception that books are generally quite heavy). When you remove some of that emotional attachment to a book and think of it as a product, it becomes a little easier to work with. And what do I mean by that? It's much easier to tear a book apart in editing, change the cover, fix the blurb, and make ads by thinking of the book as a product that exists next to similar products instead of a special and unique masterpiece. If your book is a product, then make it a good one. Take the time to improve it and look at it from an outsider's perspective. Seek feedback, just like TradPub does through the use of advanced reader copies. Tip #4: Deadlines work. One thing traditionally published authors usually have that indie authors do not is a deadline. The TradPub book is set to be released on a specific date and missing the deadline is a pretty efficient way to get your publisher upset with you as a TradPub writer since that release date has likely been publicized and changing release dates could impact how your book sells against other books. The problem with not having a set deadline for finishing a book is that many indie authors fall prey to waiting for inspiration or letting themselves get into the habit of undisciplined work time. They let, as I often say, the perfect to be the enemy of the possible, or just as importantly, the finished. Some people need an external deadline and pressure from other people in order to work for any meaningful amount of time. It's best to know yourself and if you're the kind of person who needs some structure to work well, to find a way to put that structure and those deadlines into your work as a writer. You can try making deadlines and sharing them with someone else in a form of accountability buddy or making a set of rewards based on making your own deadlines. Plotting out your release schedule at the beginning of another year is a way of doing this. Tip #5: Paper books still matter. A surprising area of opportunity for TradPub has been print books. For some categories like children's books or cookbooks, ebooks have never been the driving force and the demand for physical copies over ebooks has remained fairly consistent. Some of the trend of readers wanting more print books started in the COVID era when people were spending entire days on Zoom meetings and staring at computer screens for work or school and needed a break from their screens in their leisure time. Bookstagram and BookTok have also driven this print trend. These influencers typically use physical books in their photos and videos and they are often arranged in various athletically pleasing ways. Publishers responded with a slew of special and exclusive print editions for this market and existing fans of the series. They often have sprayed edges or color illustrations and are so prized by collectors that some have the [sprayed edges] on the books facing out in their bookshelves or books on stands to display certain interior illustrations. Traditional publishing did not give up on print and neither should you as an indie author. Most of your income as an indie author is probably going to come from some form of ebooks, but print should not be overlooked. Some categories do better than others in the print format, but many readers will want the print version of a favorite book they have already read as an ebook or just prefer print as their preferred reading format. Fortunately, the days of having to buy a large amount of print books and keep them in your garage has passed for indie authors. Many companies, including Amazon, Ingram Spark, and Draft2Digital offer print on demand services for indie authors so you don't have to spend a large sum of money printing your own books. It's worth investigating how the print on demand format might work for you as an indie author. One thing I should also mention is that if you write nonfiction, it's also a very good idea to have a print edition because for certain kinds of nonfiction books, the reader will keep the nonfiction book and reference it again and again and keep it for years as opposed to a fiction book where the reader might read it once and be done with it and if it's not their favorite book, they might not need a print edition. My Linux Command Line Beginner's Guide is also available in print and is my overall bestselling print book because it's essentially a tutorial for learning the basics of the Linux command line and it makes sense therefore that people would want the physical copy as a quick reference when doing things in the Linux command line. In conclusion, there's no point in throwing out the centuries of experience that traditional publishers have in selling books. Although the publishing industry continues to change (and although I still think you're better off self-publishing than pursuing a TradPub deal), it's wise to look at things that are working there and adapt them to suit your needs (although once again, I still think you're better off self-publishing). So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your view on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and we'll see you all next week.
Have you ever gone to the doctor with some symptoms and had them not find anything wrong with you? We've all run into medical staff who don't know we were autistic or what that even meant, never suspected EDS, POTS, ME, endometriosis or autoimmune conditions. They either dismissed us right off or ran a battery of tests on us. But in the end, the conclusion was the same: There doesn't seem to be anything medically wrong with you. For this episode I am joined by Simo_tier (pronouns: it/they), so we can rant about some of these frustrating stories that literally take years off our lives. Simo_tier is a multi-media artist and activist, influenced by its lived reality as a disabled, Indigenous, agender, white, gay, AuDHD femme. It is deeply passionate about lifting up and supporting QTBIPoC voices and projects, as well as breaking down barriers to create a community based on Disability Justice and reformative change. If you want to read about Simo_tier's activism (in German), check out its website https://vamky.de/ where you can also find a podcast (also in German) about disabilities and exclusion by society and inside the community. If you want to keep up to date with events it organizes, check out Instagram @simo_tier You can support Aut2Aut on Betterplace and Gofundme, or buy our #ActuallyAutistic designs in our print-on-demand shop. This will help prepped.to go on providing a platform for autistic folks to share locations' sensory info and service instructions. Mentioned in this episode:Aut2Aut, the nonprofit I founded, providing free platforms and content by and for autistic peopleprepped.to is the website I created where autistic folks can upload and consult sensory info and service instructions about places, so folks can prep and script before going thereHow to support prepped.toTheme music composed and produced by Lir Lutau Shahar (pronouns: he/fae/sea): YouTube, Soundcloud. For collaborations: lutaoshzh@]gmail.com Follow Dr. Gal Schkolnik on LinkedIn, Mastodon or Tumblr
Learn how to connect Printify to TikTok Shop, publish print-on-demand products, and automatically fulfill customer orders step-by-step. Plus, discover why TikTok Shop is becoming one of the biggest opportunities for POD sellers and how to get started faster with expert guidance.• Fiverr Launch your TikTok Shop w/ an expert → https://bit.ly/FiverrTikTokShop• Printify (Print on Demand Fulfillment) → https://bit.ly/POD_Printify (CODE: "RYANHOGUE30")
I used MerchDominator to find the #1 best-selling t-shirt on Amazon — and its BSR of 201 is one of the lowest I've seen in 9 years of selling print on demand. In this video, I break down what that number means, how much it's earning, and what POD sellers should do about it right now.• Merch Dominator (Amazon Research) → https://bit.ly/PODMerchDominator
In this episode I'm sharing 5 print on demand niches that you can target to increase your sales in the near future
In this episode I'm sharing 5 print on demand niches that you can target to increase your sales in the near future
I've sold thousands of embroidered hats through print on demand, and in this video I break down one of my favorite products: the Yupoong 6245CM dad cap from Printify. We'll analyze real Amazon and Etsy best sellers to uncover what makes embroidered hats consistently profitable year after year.• Printify (POD Fulfillment) → https://bit.ly/POD_Printify (CODE: "RYANHOGUE30")• Everbee (Etsy Research) → https://bit.ly/PODEverbee• Merch Dominator (Amazon Research) → https://bit.ly/PODMerchDominator
Thanks to companies such as Printful, an enterprising entrepreneur can select a product, upload an image to place on it, sync it with her ecommerce site, sell it, and then pay for it.Print-on-demand is big business, and David Hooker is a prominent participant. He's the brand director at Printful and a long-time SaaS executive.In this episode, he addresses POD pricing strategies, sales tactics, merchandising, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/printful-exec-on-profitable-print-on-demandFor all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts******Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Everybody hates bureaucracy. So many of the things we need to survive entail torturously collecting documents, attempting to upload them to websites that may or may not work, filling forms with mystery fields, and horror of horrors, calling the authorities on the phone. I recently founded Aut2Aut, a nonprofit that provides free digital platforms and content by and for the autistic community, and believe you me, the German authorities weren't exactly going out of their ways to make it a seamless, easy process. In the meantime, I've also had some adventures in the welfare system.So if you've ever stood powerless in the face of the powers that be, a half-filled form in one hand, and a phone that's been on hold for the past 30 minutes in the other, and you want to feel less alone with your experience, or learn how to start a nonprofit in Germany, this is the episode for you. You can support Aut2Aut on Betterplace and Gofundme, or buy our #ActuallyAutistic designs in our print-on-demand shop. This will help prepped.to go on providing a platform for autistic folks to share locations' sensory info and service instructions. Mentioned in this episode:FrauenLoop, free tech education and network for anyone who identifies as a womanAut2Aut, the nonprofit I founded, providing free platforms and content by and for autistic peopleprepped.to is the website I created where autistic folks can upload and consult sensory info and service instructions about places, so folks can prep and script before going thereHow to support my nonprofitTheme music composed and produced by Lir Lutau Shahar (pronouns: he/fae/sea): YouTube, Soundcloud. For collaborations: lutaoshzh@gmail.com Follow Dr. Gal Schkolnik on LinkedIn, Mastodon or Tumblr
Discover how to use Kittl AI to remix best-selling print-on-demand designs into dozens of new variations using AI image styles and text effects. In this video, I'll use Merch Dominator to research winning Amazon POD products, then show how Kittl's Remix feature can help scale your print-on-demand business faster.• *Kittl*: https://kittl.pxf.io/n4W3e7 (CODE: "RYANYT" = 25% off the first month or year on Kittl Pro and Expert plans)• Merch Dominator (Amazon Research) → https://bit.ly/PODMerchDominator
Our Season Finale guest is Rachel Dratch, a comedy LEGEND who was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1999-2006, during which she developed and performed such iconic characters as Debbie Downer, “The Love-ahs” with Will Ferrell, and the Boston teen Denise "Zazu" McDenna. (And she still pops up there from time to time to play Senator Amy Klobuchar.) She's appeared in countless TV shows including The King of Queens, Frasier, 30 Rock, and Broad City, and in films including Down with Love, Wine Country, and A Clüsterfünke Christmas which she co-wrote with her co-star and fellow SNL alum Ana Gasteyer.Rachel has starred in several Broadway shows, earning her two Tony nominations, the first for POTUS in 2022, and the second just this year in The Rocky Horror Show which she's starring in now. She is also the author of the memoir Girl Walks into a Bar...: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle, and she's the host of the supernatural podcast, Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch. On this episode, Rachel discusses the occult aspects of improv, the inspiration behind her most iconic sketch characters, and the importance of staying open to magic.Pam also talks about bewitching comedy guru Del Close, and answers a listener question about forging one's own eclectic spiritual path.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you're at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Witchspace, Weiser Books, Blessed Be Magick, BetterHelp, and Mithras Candle.We also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam's monthly online rituals, and more! That's patreon.com/witchwave
In this episode, Matt & Lauren look to the past to see if they were right about the future! Way back in December 2025 we suggested 6 trends we expected to see in the publishing industry this year… 6 months later, we're checking in to see whether or not our visions are manifesting into reality.
Most indie authors know print-on-demand. Pop-up and movable books inhabit a very different world — one of hand-assembly, specialist printers, and minimum print runs that make the economics unlike anything in standard publishing. In this episode, Anna Featherstone talks with Kelli Anderson, paper engineer and author of Alphabet in Motion, about what it actually takes to bring a movable book to life. They cover the manufacturing process, working with printers, using Kickstarter to fund a 25,000-copy print run, and where a curious author might begin if this form is calling to them. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Sponsor This podcast is proudly sponsored by Gatekeeper Press — your partner in premium independent publishing. Empowering authors with expert guidance, 100% rights, 100% royalties, and global distribution. From editing to marketing, their all-inclusive services help you publish professionally and confidently. Gatekeeper Press — Where Authors Are Family. Show Notes Movable Book Society Alphabet in Motion Kickstarter About the Host Anna Featherstone is ALLi's nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she's also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to books and memoirs, and her book Look-It's Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she's not being bookish, Anna's into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time. About the Guest Kelli Anderson uses handheld revelations to reconnect people with the depth and possibility of their world. Her books force readers to touch grass paper. She created This Book is a Camera (MoMA)—which transforms into a working camera—and This Book is a Planetarium (Chronicle)—which houses paper devices (including a planetarium) and has sold more than 100,000 copies. Alphabet in Motion, an interactive book about typography and technology, was published to wide acclaim in the Fall of 2025. The Washington Post book editor writes that "the work of literature that delighted me most this year is this pop-up book." Other projects include a viral paper record player and—with The Yes Men—a utopian counterfeited New York Times, which won the Ars Electronica Prix. Doctors without Borders have used the award-winning Tinybop Human Body app she illustrated to communicate illness and treatment nonverbally to their patients in remote areas. Clients include NPR, The New Yorker, The Guggenheim, MoMA, Apple, and the New York Times. She has been nominated for the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Award twice and teaches at NYU, SVA, and Cooper Union. You can find Kelli on her website and on Instagram.
In this video, I analyze the Gildan 5000 t-shirt from Printify and reverse engineer real best-selling examples from Amazon and Etsy to uncover what makes print-on-demand products succeed. Learn how to validate demand, spot winning niches, and apply these strategies to your own POD business.• *Printify* (Print on Demand Fulfillment) → https://bit.ly/POD_Printify (CODE: "RYANHOGUE30")• *Everbee* (Etsy Research) → https://bit.ly/PODEverbee• Merch Dominator (Amazon Research) → https://bit.ly/PODMerchDominator
You know how they tell you that websites and apps follow your every move and then design their product to get the most out of you? And you know how each and every time a digital product gets updated it gets worse and harder to use? How can both of these be true? Well, let me get you in on a Product Analytics secret: It's true that most websites and apps collect your data, but most of them just let it rot in dashboards nobody looks at, and release major features and redesigns without performing any mathematically rigorous analysis of the users' response. This is only one of many reasons why it's so hard to be autistic in Tech. My Product Analytics ex-colleague, Carolina (pronouns: she/they), will join me on this episode to rant with all our accumulated frustrations about the sad sad fact that most digital product providers really don't care about your data, and also just in general about being autistic in Tech.You can find Carolina on Instagram @millenialspinster Language note: The words Shit and Bullshit are being said a few times in the episode. You can support Aut2Aut on Betterplace and Gofundme, or buy our #ActuallyAutistic designs in our print-on-demand shop. This will help prepped.to go on providing a platform for autistic folks to share locations' sensory info and service instructions. Mentioned in this episode:Aut2Aut, the nonprofit I founded, providing free platforms and content by and for autistic peopleprepped.to is the website I created where autistic folks can upload and consult sensory info and service instructions about places, so folks can prep and script before going thereHow to support my nonprofitTheme music composed and produced by Lir Lutau Shahar (pronouns: he/fae/sea): YouTube, Soundcloud. For collaborations: lutaoshzh@gmail.com Follow Dr. Gal Schkolnik on LinkedIn, Mastodon or Tumblr
Vampire: The Masquerade is expanding its presence on D&D Beyond with a new 5.5E crossover product titled Bound by Blood, published by Ghostfire Gaming and featuring a new Kindred class and adventure. This move follows similar partnerships with other publishers, indicating a trend of rival games embracing the 5.5E ruleset. In a related shift, Renegade Games has announced it will discontinue its bespoke Essence20 system for new editions of its licensed properties like Transformers, GI Joe, and Power Rangers, transitioning instead to a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E to reach a broader player base. Green Ronin Publishing has officially released Valiant Adventures, a new TTRPG setting supplement for the Mutants & Masterminds third edition system. Based on the Valiant Universe, a shared world featuring characters like Bloodshot and X-O Manowa, the release includes two main volumes: the Hero's Handbook and the Worlds of Valiant sourcebook. These supplements provide updated combat mechanics, a new “Hero Point” economy, and extensive lore, allowing players to explore this gritty and morally complex comic universe without requiring additional source material. Award-winning designer Mike Shea, known as Sly Flourish, has announced Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster, a new 160-page resource designed to complement his previous Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master series. Unlike his earlier works that focused primarily on D&D 5E, this upcoming book will be system-agnostic, offering tools, tips, and adventure outlines adaptable to various systems including Shadowdark, Daggerheart, and Dragonbane. Shea aims to provide practical advice to speed up preparation and enhance interactivity, with a crowdfunding campaign for the project scheduled to launch in early July. The independent TTRPG market has a new competitor with the launch of RPG Trader, a marketplace created by Ten Acre Games founder Hugh Lashbrooke to support indie creators. Designed as a specific alternative to larger platforms like DriveThruRPG and Itch.io, RPG Trader focuses on discoverability and flexible publishing tools, offering creators an 80% share of sales revenue. The platform distinguishes itself with a zero-tolerance policy for AI-generated content, an integrated print-on-demand service through Lulu, and a detailed taxonomy system to help players find games based on specific play styles and themes. #vapirerpg #valiantcomics #lazydungeonmaster #rpgtrader Valiant Adventures for Mutans and Masterminds: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/567952/valiant-adventures-worlds-of-valiant?affiliate_id=2081746 RPG Trader: https://rpg-trader.com/ Roll Big or Go Home Bundle: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/k49Mnd Doctor Who and Warhammer to Cthulhu, Transformers, and even My Little Pony! Return to Dark Tower Household and Visigoths vs. Mall Goths! over 50 TTRPG books! Dungeon Crawl Classics Essentials Bundle: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/4aym3o over 106 ebooks and PDFs Cyberpunk RED: Ready-to-Run Essentials Bundle: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/rEOrdG Free League BundleRPG Collection: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/zzrGdm Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/ Jeremy's Links: http://www.abusecartoons.com/ http://www.rcharvey.com Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/
#954 Ever wonder how a side hustle born in a guest bedroom can grow into a nationwide licensed apparel brand? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel sits down with entrepreneur Megan Smalley, founder of Scarlet & Gold, to explore her 13-year journey building a thriving apparel company that creates products people actually want to wear. Megan shares how she evolved from running a small side hustle out of her guest bedroom to managing a licensed apparel brand serving universities nationwide. She opens up about the twists and turns of entrepreneurship — from shutting down her business during motherhood, to relaunching with a print-on-demand model, to scaling into wholesale and overseas manufacturing. Megan also offers valuable insight into leadership, building team culture, managing growth, and breaking into the wholesale market. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this episode is packed with real-world lessons on pivoting, perseverance, and creating meaningful products! (Original Air Date - 10/20/25) What we discuss with Megan: + From guest bedroom to national brand + Building licensed collegiate apparel + Transitioning from retail to print-on-demand + Overcoming challenges during motherhood + Scaling through wholesale and manufacturing + Breaking into the NCAA licensing space + Managing a growing in-person team + Creating strong company culture and values + Wholesale tips for boutique partnerships + Lessons on leadership and business pivots Thank you, Megan! Check out Scarlet & Gold at ScarletandGoldShop.com. Follow Megan on Instagram. Watch the video podcast of this episode! To get access to our FREE Business Training course go to MillionaireUniversity.com/training. To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, host Melanie Johnson welcomes acclaimed author and coach Karen Eldad to share her candid and empowering journey through the highs and lows of publishing. Karen reveals the challenges she faced when her publisher went bankrupt, how she safeguarded her rights, and the crucial business decisions that helped her regain control over her work. Together, they dive into the reality of modern authorship—including the importance of print-on-demand, building a book as an engine for your business, and transforming setbacks into opportunities for growth.
How can horror writing help readers — and writers — work through psychological trauma? Why does cross-genre fiction take longer to find an audience, but pay off in the long run? Is running a direct sales store actually worth the inventory, postage, and learning curve? And how can SubStack work for fiction authors? With psychotherapist and award-winning author P.D. Alleva. In the intro, thoughts on why in-person conferences are still worth it, even when they are a challenge for sensitive introverts! and tips for making the best of conferences [Self-Publishing Show]. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com to get started. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn P.D. Alleva is the award-winning author of horror, sci-fi, thrillers, and fantasy books. He's also a psychotherapist. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why horror puts the human condition on display better than any other genre Emotional trauma as the silent psychological killer most people overlook The pros and challenges of cross-genre writing and finding your audience Practical lessons from running a direct store, including integration and signed-copy fulfilment How a 3 a.m. writing routine keeps the writing separate from the marketing and admin Serialising fiction on Substack, multiple newsletters, and avoiding paid subscriber promotions Why Facebook groups, TikTok Lives, and the three-to-one rule are working right now You can find P.D. at PDAlleva.com or on Substack. Transcript of the interview with P.D. Alleva Jo: P.D. Alleva is the award-winning author of horror, sci-fi, thrillers, and fantasy books. He's also a psychotherapist. So welcome, Paul. PD: Thank you very much. Thank you for having me. This is a great opportunity. I love doing interviews, and I love talking to great people. Jo: Oh, good. Well, first up— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing and being an indie author. PD: So I've been writing since I was a kid, at least second grade and more than likely even before that. I've always had that creative itch. Getting into indie author publishing, I published my first book in 2011. At the time I was also operating my own business, which took up about 24 hours of my time every single day. Then I kind of got through that and sold that in 2016, and I'm like, you know what? The time has come. I'd always written books, poetry, short stories, but never really did anything with them because I just didn't have the time. So in 2017, that's when I really came out and said, all right, the time is now. Indie publishing was doing great. The one good thing I do love about Amazon is they allowed us to come out there and start showing our craft to people. So in 2017, I just started—let's do this. Let's write full time. Let's put books out there. Let's be creative. Let's really get those juices flowing. Plus, I was getting a little bit old, and I was like, now is definitely the time to do this. Since then I've been publishing consistently, and most of my books are horror books, but I dabble. I have a sci-fi series, and I'm starting to get into psychological thrillers too. I've got a new psychological thriller that'll be published in early 2027 called Girl on a Mission. For the most part, I'm definitely into the horror genre—books, short stories, all that good fun stuff. Jo: Right, so a couple of follow-ups. You said you're a bit old. Can you give us what decade you're in at least? PD: Well, I'm 51, so born in 1971. Jo: Oh, there you go. Same age as me. PD: All right, good. See that? So we're going head-to-head there. Jo: I don't think that's old at all. Also, you mentioned you sold your business in 2016. So what was your business before? Because I think business experience is so important. PD: Agreed 100%. So I'm a psychotherapist, and I had owned a treatment centre for mental health and addiction. That was started in 2011, and in 2016 is when it sold. Since then, my wife and I started a private practice. So I still, even to this day—well, about a year and a half ago is when I stopped. I specialise in trauma, PTSD, and addiction. Trauma mostly. Most of my caseload has always been trauma, PTSD, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, war-type trauma. I was doing that mostly individually since 2016 in private practice, and I'll still go into treatment centres and see patients there too, specifically for trauma. About a year and a half ago is when I started wanting to do writing 100% full time. I thought about becoming a professor, maybe going to college, but then I wasn't sure if I wanted to get into that full time, as far as a caseload and school and everything like that. So I decided to just do group therapy, group facilitation, and I've been doing that consistently since then. It may be 15 hours a week. I do love to give back, and to me, it's more what I teach. I specialise in neuro-linguistic programming, bilateral stimulation or EMDR, hypnotherapy, science of mind concepts, psychopharmacology, biological bases of behaviour—which is pretty much how your brain works—ancient wisdom, quantum physics. I do this in a drug addiction treatment centre mostly, also mental health. And of course, just living an addictive lifestyle is traumatic, too, in and of itself. So pretty much I'm teaching them. Behaviour modification is a big part of what I'm teaching during that time. You'll see that, too, if you read my books. There's two things you can figure out from my books. You can figure out how to murder people and get away with it, and two, you can figure out how to overcome trauma as well. The whole “murder people and get away with it” comes from my upbringing. I have a very sorted past, let's put it that way. My upbringing was very different than what most people grow up in. Jo: Oh, can you give us any more than that? Now everyone's like, “Oh.” PD: “What's going on with this guy, right?” So I grew up, let's say, quote unquote, “in an Italian New York family.” Jo: Okay. All right. PD: That might give people ideas, right? Jo: That's going to give people a lot of ideas. PD: If you've ever seen the movie Goodfellas, I kind of grew up in that atmosphere, and with even some of those people too. My family had connections to those people in that movie, which I find very funny. If you watch that movie with me, you get a very different perspective on what's going on in the movie. Jo: Wow. So you're an interesting guy with an interesting background, with a very interesting backstory job as well. Some people are like, “Well, of course he's writing horror because horror is just awful and full of slasher gore and all that.” I often have to say to people who don't read horror, “Look, it's not like that.” Maybe some of it is, sure. But most of it isn't. Could you talk about how reading and writing horror can also be psychologically healthy? How do these worlds intertwine for you? PD: Well, sure. It 100% can be healthy. Especially over the last few years, there's a trend going on out there right now where people are taking their trauma and putting it into a creative process through poems, short stories, and even novels. They're taking their trauma and giving it a face, like a monster, where people are overcoming that monster within the creative process. I always say that horror is the genre that puts on display, better than any other genre out there, the human condition. Why is that? When people are in a terrifying situation, you really see who they are. You get to the heart of the matter of who that person is by putting them in these horrific but undefinable situations where it's like, what are they going to come out as? That real true personality needs to come out, and that courage comes out. That's huge in horror, and I think horror gets such a bad name. Now, I know there's the extreme horror and the splatterpunk, and that has its kind of role too in what I'm saying, but that's where horror is getting its bad reputation out there with the over-the-top type of gore. For the most part, that's a small part of the horror genre. It's a subgenre for a reason. It has its readership, and that's fine. Nothing wrong with it. I read it all the time. I find a lot of joy in it, a lot of excitement. However, for the most part, any horror novel that is not completely with the gore and stuff like splatterpunk can be seen as a psychological thriller, and a lot of psychological thrillers can be seen as a horror novel. Look at books like The Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon. That's horrific as well, but if you read the novel, it's in there. It just gets that bad rap right now, and it's not all gore. Most horror novels that I read today are psychological horror. It's tame on the gore, and the psychological aspect is there. I always see that psychological aspect—it's like psychological trauma. Most people, even in my industry, when people are out there and you mention trauma, PTSD, they're thinking about sexual abuse, physical abuse, or war-type trauma. The silent psychological one—I once wrote an article called “Emotional Trauma: The Silent Psychological Killer.” The one that's out there is the psychological trauma, the emotional trauma that is widespread. Most people go through that, and it could even be from parent to child, and most people don't understand that that's a traumatic experience. It's like a distortion of reality that you're experiencing that then creates a belief system in your brain, and you're constantly acting out that belief system. That's where the psychological component of horror really comes out. People breaking through that psychological belief system that was created through a traumatic experience by reaching courage and coming out through a horrific situation. Jo: Yes, it really annoys me, because with romance, of course people understand that romance is a huge genre. Something like a small town sweet romance is a world away from the bully romantasy, dark, or mafia. Mafia romance is a really big thing with very dark themes. I'm like, well, how can you understand that romance is a huge genre with all these different subgenres, and not think that horror or thriller or fantasy or sci-fi all have so many different subgenres within them? I personally read a lot of supernatural horror, but rarely the slasher gore kind of stuff. So I'm really glad you said that, and hopefully more people will open up a bit more. I did also want to ask you about what you write. You write all these different things. You write standalone—I mean, often horror is standalone—but you also have some series. How do you balance it? What are the benefits of cross-genre writing, but also the challenges of it? PD: Okay. So obviously I love cross-genre writing. To me, I use fantasy to explain the supernatural elements. I blend mostly a tad of fantasy to help explain the supernatural components in my supernatural novels. When I write sci-fi, specifically sci-fi, that has the fantasy element in it too, but there's also a tad of horror in there as well. It's just who I am. When I grew up, I had a lot of different influences. I had Star Wars on one side, and then I'm watching B-rated '80s slasher films on the other side. Those two mixes just kind of followed me throughout my life, and that's why I like putting them into my novels. As I tell my patients, don't limit yourself. Never limit yourself. If you're just limiting yourself to one genre, you're missing out on so much more that's out there. So I love the blend of mixing genres. It just gets my goat each and every time. It is a challenge though. I remember when I first started getting into indie publishing, I was never big into Facebook and social media up until I started becoming an indie author. Before that, with my type of upbringing, you don't advertise yourself. You don't advertise where you're going. That's a big no-no. So I always had this aversion to social media. I'll tell you a funny story. It was the late 2000s, probably 2006. I was a full-time single father at that time, and I was living in Florida. My family—brothers and sisters-in-law—were living in New York, and my sister-in-law said, “Get a Facebook account so we can see pictures of the kids.” I said, “Oh.” I didn't want to do it, but I said, “Okay,” so I did it. And I'm thinking, looking at this Facebook thing, “How do I put pictures on here?” So I figured out how to put pictures in folders. Then I phone called her, and I'm like, “Okay, so they're on there.” And they're like, “Well, where are they?” I'm like, “I put them in these folders. You can go and look at them.” She's like, “No, you've got to post them.” That to me was like, “I'm not posting pictures of my kids.” That was a big no-no. It didn't click. When I got on there finally in 2016, 2017, I'm like, “Okay, so I need to figure out social media. As an indie author, I need to be on there, so I need to get through this aversion and get on there.” I started noticing how people are so particular with their genres. If they're reading a romance, it had to be very specific with that exact type of romance, and if you deviated from it, they're not going to like it. So that was the challenge. I was like, “All right, number one, I'm not going to dilute myself” and say, “All right, take things out of my writing or out of my novel just so I could cater to a certain type of audience.” I'm like, “I'm not going to do that.” I know with me, myself, as a reader, I'll read everything. I don't limit myself to a specific genre. I'll read psychological thrillers. I'll read romance. I've been doing that all my life. So I'm like, if there's a person like me out there—and look at this, I just met like four other people who also read cross genres—then I know that there's at least another 30,000 people, and I know that at least then there's 300,000, then there's three million people out there. So just write the books that you're writing and find your audience. Now, that takes longer. So you've got to chip away. Chip away. You're going to find readers here and there, and then that reader kind of tells a few people about you, and then you've got a few more readers. Then you keep going, and you go on these Facebook groups, and you do a whole bunch of different things, and then you gather a few more readers. Then they're telling some friends, and then you've got more. The process takes a lot longer, yes, 100% agreed, but I would say be true to yourself and you can never go wrong. Jo: Yes, I agree. I write cross-genre as well, and I've browsed your collection. Golem was the one I was like, “Ooh, yes, I like that one.” I haven't read it yet, it's on my list. I think when you're cross-genre, my people come to my store as well, and it's like, “Okay, I'm interested in lots of things, but this is the one by this author that I'm interested in.” Whereas with other authors who only write one type of thing, then I might not like any of their stuff. So I think there are definitely pros and cons and different ways into our world. I also wanted to ask you about the differences in business. Obviously you ran this treatment centre and there were physical humans on all sides, and now you've got a business as an author. So what have you learned in business from what you used to do and what you do now? PD: Okay. You're right. The treatment centre industry is very different from what I'm doing now, but it's still people. Treat those people right, have integrity. If you say you're going to do something, follow through with it. My word is my bond type of thing. That definitely has fed into the writing and publishing industry that I'm in now in a huge way. Just connecting with people is, to me, the biggest part of it. I mean, treatment centres, you've got to connect with people. When I would market the treatment centre, where would I go? I would go to hospitals, residential facilities, detoxes, and talk to them about my programme and why they should be referring clients there. It's the same thing here. Why should you be reading my books? You get there through interviews like what I'm doing here with you. Other podcasts. You get there by doing Facebook Lives, TikTok. I haven't started TikTok Lives yet, but I actually love that platform. I'm falling in love with it. IG Lives, anything like that where you're talking to people and you're making a connection with those people. Through that, I've gathered so many different types of readers who are like, “Yes, I'll give this book a shot.” And then they read it and they're like, “Hey, this is really good, and I'm going to read another book.” With my books, I have very different books. Golem is my psychological horror novel. It's my slow-burn psychological horror novel, heavily inspired by Frankenstein and the Pygmalion myth. It's my first true horror book that I published. Then there's Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect, which is inspired by B-rated '80s horror movies and the old grindhouse movies of the '70s, and it's mind manipulation. It's just wild and bizarre. And then The Sleepy Hollow Incident is my Gothic tale—it's like a dark romance mixed in with Gothic horror. So I always try to put something for everyone that's out there. To me, when I'm writing, it's got to be about depth, psychological depth. I always refer to my books to be like peeling layers off a Texas-sized onion. The more you read, the more in-depth you get into not only the characters, but the story. It's just something that comes out of me. It's part of me. That's the way I always have to do it. I always have to put that depth in there. To me, that's good storytelling. When I grew up, I read a lot of classic literature. Yes, Edgar Allan Poe, but also Dante's Inferno, Milton's Paradise Lost, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Brontë sisters. Keep going. Ray Bradbury, Ayn Rand, Daphne du Maurier, Shirley Jackson. Those to me are my books that I absolutely love. So there's a sweet science in today's fast-paced, social media type of world in marrying the depth of the old classic literature and the entertainment value that is required today for being an author. There's that sweet science behind it, and I love just hitting that nail on the head every time. Jo: So did you ever pitch traditional publishing, or have you thought about going that way? Because I also find that a lot of horror actually sits very close to literary. Like, I read a lot more literary horror than I do in some of the other genres. PD: Correct. So in the beginning, yes. Not in a long time. I maybe went to a couple of indie publishers, but as far as traditional, the Big Five publishers, I have an aversion to them for a big reason. I know people who have worked in that industry that have told me some pretty bad horror stories about those places. So I haven't sent anything to that type of place in a very, very long time. Maybe close to 20 years. Indie publishers, the small presses, yes, here and there, but even then, I'm always moving at a fast pace. So if I've got a book and I'm sending it out as a query letter, by the time that query letter is even read, I'm almost done publishing. I love that aspect of it. The control of my story, where I know where this character's going. And listen, I've got my beta readers, I've got my ARC readers. They're there to tell me, “Hey, maybe you should change this or change that.” Whether I take that advice or not, of course my editor too, is really up to me. I always put out the book that I know is the one I want to read. And to me, I haven't gone wrong in doing so. I know with traditional publishing, you sometimes get too many thoughts in the pot there. Let's put it that way. Jo: Okay, so coming back to being indie then. You mentioned Amazon earlier, but you have a store where you sell direct. Many authors are doing this now, but it can be a challenge. So what have you found are the pros and cons of your direct store? What's working? Any lessons there? PD: Okay. So I use a place called Big Cartel. They're the platform where the books are on. They're hosting my website, PDAlleva.com. The big challenge was actually just starting it. It was so overwhelming. How do I put this on there? At the time, I've got all these books, so how do I present them? I'm even going to be doing another revamp with it too, because I want better pictures—taking pictures of the books, stuff like that, instead of just having the covers on there. I also have a lot of shirts that I'm selling. So I think the biggest challenge is just getting on there and starting it. Then of course, you've got to learn a whole new platform, and the mechanics, and how people are going to be downloading, and how that's done on an e-book versus a print version of the book. So it's a huge learning curve that you've really got to put your focus on and give it time. What most people like in indie publishing is signed copies. It's a huge part of indie publishing, selling those signed copies. People love a signed copy, and that's primarily what my website is for. You can order signed copies from me. I also use a place called IngramSpark, and they're more like a distributor. They're used by everyone. They've been around for a very long time. Traditional publishing uses them too, and they're just distributing your novel. I'd say about a year ago, maybe two years ago, they started where you can sell your books on discount through them as well. So I have that on my website too, where you're just clicking on the book and you're pretty much going directly to their site and you're buying paperbacks and hardbacks at a discount. That's going well too. For the most part, people are definitely coming to my site because they want the signed copies. A good thing with indie publishing is limited editions, first print copies, special editions. That type of stuff really just takes off. People love to see that, especially in the indie community. You can sell them too. I go to a few different book conventions during the year, and the limited editions are there. Like I said, people love the signed copies. They love being a part of that and getting that signed copy. They treasure it, just like I treasure my books too. I'm not referring to my books that I've written, but books that I have as well. I love my e-reader, don't get me wrong, but I still prefer the physical copy—the paperback, and even more so than the paperback, the hardback. So people love those signed copies, and that's why I created the website, to sell on there for them. Jo: Yes, I mean, we're getting to a point now though where I think some people are questioning the pros and cons of it. For example, you doing the signed copies—I don't do that from my Shopify store because I don't want to hold stock and I don't want to deal with postage. So I only do it when I do a Kickstarter. I've just finished one recently, Bones of the Deep, and I'm going up to the printer, and I'm going to sign a couple of hundred copies and then they do the postage. That's the only way I'm willing to do it because of the pain of getting books to your house, signing them, getting them in the post. So how do you manage that practically? PD: Okay, so the inventory's there. I don't go and sign everything right away. I just keep the inventory. Once somebody buys the book, then I'll pull out the book, log it and all that good fun stuff, sign it, and then ship it out immediately. Here in my country, we get discounts at the United States Post Office because they're books. So they pass that shipping cost over to the reader too, so it's a little bit cheaper for shipping. I'll just take books once or twice a week over to the United States Postal Service and ship those books out. I don't sign them until I actually get that order. Jo: How many do you have in your house? It's the holding stock of all the backlist that is the problem. PD: Ooh, gotcha. All right. That's why I have a two-car garage. But here's the thing, I won't order 500 at a time. I'll order 20 at a time. Jo: Okay. Right. PD: When I see that inventory's getting low, I'll order another 20 at a time. Jo: And you get those from IngramSpark? PD: Correct. When the new one comes out, maybe at that time I'm just selling those, bringing those to conventions that I go to. Or maybe doing a sale on those books at that time to get rid of the inventory so it's not sitting around anymore. Jo: I think that's so important. Then like you mentioned, you do T-shirts or shirts. That is also really hard because of sizing. So is that all print on demand? PD: Yes. So I don't really hold the stock on the shirts. When I get an order, whatever the size is at that time, I go directly to the place and order it. I use a place called Sublimation Station that's here in Orlando. They do great all-over print T-shirts. They're fantastic. I just did one for The Sleepy Hollow Incident. So The Sleepy Hollow Incident is one long story, and it's broken up into four books. Each book has its own. The covers are fantastic. I use a lady named Cherie Foxley. She's a phenomenal cover designer. So the shirts are, like, book one is on the front of one shirt with book two on the back, and then the second shirt is book three on the cover and book four on the back. However, I can customise those. I just did a giveaway in my Facebook group and I let people know I could customise them, and she wanted book one and book four, so I just got that and sent it out to her. Now, if people go ahead and order that on the website, I can just order it right away from them, boom, and that place will get it shipped right then and there. Jo: Right, so they do the shipping. These are all sort of practical things that people need to answer because I feel like sometimes it's like, “Oh, yes, having a direct store is great,” but there's actually quite a lot of work that goes into it, isn't there? PD: There is. There's a lot of work. You're pretty much opening almost like your own brick-and-mortar store at that point. You just don't have walk-in traffic coming in—your traffic is all coming online. So there is a lot to it, but it's worth it. If you're a self-published author or even a small indie press, it's good to have. Because like I said, people love the signed copies. Jo: When you say it's worth it, is it worth it financially or just because you like to serve the customers in that way? PD: Both. Jo: Right. So it is financially worth it for you? PD: Yes. Jo: I was talking to a friend of mine and saying, are you valuing your time in terms of things like taking the books to the post office and stuff like that? Do you find it eats into your writing at all, or do you just manage it all separately? PD: No, I manage it separately. So I'm an early morning riser. I get up at 3:00 in the morning, and that's when I write my books or do editing or brainstorming. I'm about to write a new novella now called The Adam and Eve Story, which is actually based on a little-known CIA shelved book from the 1990s called The Adam and Eve Story as well. So I've been brainstorming that, and I was doing that this morning. I get up at 3:00 a.m. and I do my writing, and by the time the kids are up and by the time the wife is up, it's like 8:00 a.m. is rolling around and I'm pretty much done at that point. Then I have my days. Tuesday I'm completely working from home and I do my thing in the morning, and then the rest of the day is marketing, fulfilling orders, stuff like that. On the days when I'm going to do group facilitation, I'll of course still get up at 3:00 o'clock in the morning, and then I'll plan out the day. I've got an hour between this group and I can go ahead and do that, and I'm already there so it's not a problem. The post office is right around the corner. You kind of figure out all the logistics for yourself. There are some days, like on Monday, I don't facilitate groups until the afternoon, so I've got the whole morning to work on marketing and do other things, and fulfilment. Then of course Saturday's a big day for that too. Jo: Oh, that's good. I feel like people always need to know how to balance their time, but it sounds like you manage, because at 3:00 a.m., as you say, there's not much else to do other than write. You mentioned marketing, and you have a Substack, pdsalternativefiction.substack.com. Talk about that and serialising fiction and how Substack works. Because I feel like a load of people are jumping in but might not necessarily know how it works, especially for fiction. PD: Correct. It is becoming quite popular out there. I think the one before that was Patreon, and Patreon is pretty big for that too, kind of the same thing. I wanted to start something and just get the work out there. I was very interested when Amazon came out a few years ago with what was called Vella. They kind of started that. I was like, “This is kind of cool.” Couple chapters at a time. I'm writing the books anyway, so why don't we kick this off and see how it goes—a type of experiment. I had a lot of fun doing it. I started on October 4th, 2024. I've done four novels so far. One is still going, which is Volume 3 of my Dark Veil serie— that's a sci-fi series. I wrote three other novels. The Hypnotist, which is a thriller, heavy on the sci-fi and a tad of horror in there too. And then I wrote Girl on a Mission, which is my psychological thriller, and then Cat Fight, which is a horror novel—all within that time. I think I finished all three of those novels in January, and then the first week of February they were all pretty much done. Now what I'm doing is, I went paid recently on the Substack. It's like everything else that's out there—chip away, chip away. I fell into that hole where they say, “Hey, we can promote you and get people to sign up for your newsletter.” And I'll be honest with you, don't do it. It's not worth it. You spend money, and what happens is they're what I refer to as dead leads. They don't click. You wind up shuffling them off after three to six months, because they're just not clicking. Everybody gets a star rating, so you know—are they clicking, are they staying on, are they not? So I got rid of pretty much all of those people, and I'll never do that again. It's got to be done organically. That's why when you read my books, especially the new books, towards the end it'll say, “Sign up for my newsletter.” I do more with that newsletter too. If you're on the free tier, every month I do a monthly newsletter, which is just me talking about updates, things going on in the publishing industry, things going on with me. My daughter puts together a weekly Horror and Sci-Fi Chronicles newsletter, which gives what's going on in new releases in the industry—sci-fi, horror, books, movies, television. She does deep dives into industry tropes, historical tidbits, and a weekly quiz. I also do a monthly Terrors and Tales newsletter. I started this last year, and it was a quarterly newsletter. It's other authors who are new, upcoming, never been published before, looking to get published. It's a chance for them to be on the newsletter where they have a flash fiction story or poem or even a short story that I publish for them. It's called the Terrors and Tales newsletter. What happened is I would put out calls for submissions. And a place called Duotrope—I don't even know who these people are, but all of a sudden I got an email from them stating, “Hey, we found that you're looking for submissions, and we posted your link. We hope you don't mind.” I'm like, “No, of course I don't mind.” I got so many submissions from that one link. I'm like, “Okay.” Do I really want to deny people? I'm not like that. I want to help promote other authors. I know what it's like when you're new and upcoming, no matter what age you are, to say, “Hey, here's a platform for you to see your stuff in print.” Obviously, I read through them just to make sure they're up to a certain standard, but for the most part, if you submit, you're getting in there. With Duotrope, I'm like, I have enough here to put out one a month. So in May 2026, the first one goes out, and then I'll have one each month until December, and then who knows? In 2027 I might go back to quarterly. I might get enough submissions to just keep it going once a month. So that's the Terrors and Tales newsletter, and it usually comes out towards the end of the month—the last two weeks. I have nothing to do with it in terms of content. None of my stories are on there. None of my poems are on there. None of my flash fiction. It's all other authors, just for them to see their name in print, see their work in print, share it with their friends, and put something on their resume, and to encourage people to keep reading and keep the craft going. Jo: When you say in print, you don't mean in physical print? PD: Oh, I mean in the newsletter. I'm sorry. Jo: I think that's important, or you're going to get a lot more submissions, and you will need to do publishing contracts and all that kind of thing. I think that's the difficult thing with a Substack newsletter approach—it's difficult to know where to categorise it. Is it marketing? Is it publishing? It's all of these things, I suppose. A bit like this podcast, it's all kinds of things. In terms of Substack actually making money on its own or leading to book sales that make money, do you think it does serve that purpose? PD: I think I've gotten more book sales through it, and also ARC readers who are enjoying the books and giving reviews. As far as the paid tiers, that's kind of a little bit slow, and that's where I'm saying chip away at it. Keep it up there. Keep it going. Over time, you're going to build that type of audience where it's going to be like, “Hey, this is financially feasible for me to continue to do this.” That's the response that I'm getting out there. Jo: Yes. Before, you mentioned you were doing Facebook Lives and you're looking at TikTok, but— Is anything else working for you in book marketing? If people have a few books and they're like, “What is working for book marketing right now?”—what do you recommend? PD: Okay. For me, the thing that has made the most sense is making sure the reader knows the book is out there through some sort of social media. I've had really good success on TikTok since the beginning of this year especially. I started it about a year ago, year and a half ago, but then my father got sick and passed away, and it was a new venture and I put it off to the side. I really got the flavour going at the beginning of this year. February, March of this year. It seems to be going really well, and I've noticed an uptick in sales from just getting the videos out there and getting it in front of people's eyes. There's an event I'm going to in August called ShiverCon, which is a pretty big event. After that event, I'm going to look to see what type of inventory I have left over from the event, and I'm going to start doing TikTok Lives. I'm very comfortable being on camera. So I'm like, “Yeah, that seems like a good way to go.” I know there's a few other horror authors who are doing it and having good success with TikTok Lives as well. A guy named Jason Davis is doing really well with TikTok Lives, and a few other authors too. I'm like, “Yes, I could definitely do that.” I want to get up to a certain number of people, and I want these events. I'm going to one in July, and then ShiverCon in August. Once those are done, I'm going to have more time to do the TikTok Lives. As far as Facebook is concerned, what I've had really great success with on Facebook is being in the groups and meeting other authors. That's not always about my book per se, but whatever books I'm reading, I'm posting my reviews about those books in those groups and meeting readers. Then obviously, they always say the three-to-one rule. Post about three different books and then post about your own book, whether you're doing a sale or a new release or a re-release or whatever. I've found success through that just by interacting with readers. When they post a book, I'll comment, “Hey, I've read that book,” or, “Hey, that book looks really cool. I like the review.” Commenting on it so you start these relationships with people who are out there in these Facebook groups. I've recently started my own Facebook reader group. I kind of go with the same thing. Last night, we did a live reading for another author. I like other authors to be on there. I always like to think, what does the reader need? What do I want to see as a reader? I would love to hear live readings from authors. So I kind of learn about them, learn about the book, and get a live reading. To me, that's a good way to go. So I started that recently, and it seems to be going well. I've got a new folk horror coming out soon, and I put out a call for ARC readers and got a fantastic response from that. That kind of drives the sales anyway, because when you get those reviews, then people see it gives credibility to the book, and then other people see it, and then they're buying it too. So that comes from the groups. There's so many wheels to spin in this industry as an indie author when you're doing this, especially when you're doing 99% of it on your own. You've got to get out there. No one's going to know your book exists if you don't get out there and tell somebody about it. Jo: Brilliant. Well, tell us— Where can people find you and your books online? PD: All right. Perfect. So obviously I'm on Amazon like everyone. Most of my books are worldwide, so you'll find them in Barnes & Noble as well. And of course, if you want the signed copies or discount print books, I always lead people straight to my website, PDAlleva.com. Then, of course, if you go to my Substack, you'll get all the updates, and you'll get all the links to purchase or find out where they are on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and things like that too. Jo: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Paul. That was great. PD: Thank you very much for having me. It was great chatting with you. The post Writing Cross-Genre, Selling Direct, And Serialising On SubStack With P.D. Alleva first appeared on The Creative Penn.
In this episode I'm sharing 5 print on demand niches that you can target to increase your sales in the near future
Lindsay Mack is an intuitive tarot teacher, writer, and founder of Tarot for the Wild Soul, as well as the host of the popular podcast of the same name, which has been downloaded over ten million times. Lindsay's new book Tarot for the Wild Soul: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Growth, Healing, and Grounding in the Present Moment is out now, as is their new tarot deck Soul Tarot, illustrated by Chelsea Granger.Through Lindsay's beloved workshops, retreats, and online Tarot courses, they have taught Soul Tarot to many tens of thousands of students from all around the world. And as a queer, neurodivergent, and (now) joyful survivor of childhood abuse living with complex PTSD and chronic pain, Lindsay is passionately dedicated to honoring and helping to bring space, light, and healing to those who are experiencing any kind of suffering.On this episode, Lindsay discusses how to use tarot as a tool for understanding the present, why it's OK to show up to your deck “messy,” and their gender-transcending interpretations of the cards.Pam also talks about seeking more tender tarot, and answers a listener question about magical support for a life-giving medical procedure.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you're at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Enchanted Heart Shadow Work Oracle Deck, Blessed Be Magick, BetterHelp, The Body Oracle Deck from North Atlantic Books, and Bridgette the StrangeWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam's monthly online rituals, and more! That's patreon.com/witchwave
AI Hustle: News on Open AI, ChatGPT, Midjourney, NVIDIA, Anthropic, Open Source LLMs
In this episode, we discuss Amazon's new feature that allows shoppers to design custom merchandise using AI prompts and Alexa, potentially reshaping the print-on-demand market. We explore how this innovation could impact platforms like Etsy and provide insights based on personal experiences in merchandise sales.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:28 Amazon's Custom Merch Feature01:40 Print on Demand Insights08:01 Future Implications for Businesses Our AI Hustle Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/aihustleGet the top 80+ AI Models for $8.99 at AI Box: https://aibox.aiGet the AI Chat Daily Newsletter: https://www.aichatdaily.com/newsletter
Lindsay Mack is an intuitive tarot teacher, writer, and founder of Tarot for the Wild Soul, as well as the host of the popular podcast of the same name, which has been downloaded over ten million times. Lindsay's new book Tarot for the Wild Soul: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Growth, Healing, and Grounding in the Present Moment is out now, as is their new tarot deck Soul Tarot, illustrated by Chelsea Granger.Through Lindsay's beloved workshops, retreats, and online Tarot courses, they have taught Soul Tarot to many tens of thousands of students from all around the world. And as a queer, neurodivergent, and (now) joyful survivor of childhood abuse living with complex PTSD and chronic pain, Lindsay is passionately dedicated to honoring and helping to bring space, light, and healing to those who are experiencing any kind of suffering.On this episode, Lindsay discusses how to use tarot as a tool for understanding the present, why it's OK to show up to your deck “messy,” and their gender-transcending interpretations of the cards.Pam also talks about seeking more tender tarot, and answers a listener question about magical support for a life-giving medical procedure.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you're at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Enchanted Heart Shadow Work Oracle Deck, Blessed Be Magick, BetterHelp, The Body Oracle Deck from North Atlantic Books, and Bridgette the StrangeWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam's monthly online rituals, and more! That's patreon.com/witchwave
In this video, I reveal a brand-new print-on-demand product recently added to Printify's catalog and show why I believe it presents a unique opportunity for Etsy sellers. Using Etsy product research and EverBee sales estimates, we'll analyze real bestsellers, validate demand, and explore how print-on-demand sellers can compete in a market where customers are already spending $50+ per order.• Printify (Print on Demand Fulfillment) → https://bit.ly/POD_Printify (CODE: "RYANHOGUE30")• *Everbee* (Etsy Research) → https://bit.ly/PODEverbee
What if you could create something once and get paid for it for years? In this episode, I'm speaking with mother-daughter team Elke and Jen Clarke about how they built location-independent income through print-on-demand, allowing them to leave traditional career paths and design lives with more freedom.Takeaways from this episode:How Elke transitioned from a six-figure corporate career into entrepreneurship.How Jen used this business model to move to Spain and live abroad for 10 years.What print-on-demand actually is, and why it's more than just t-shirts and mugsWhy business strategy matters more than artistic talent.If you're looking for a flexible, location-independent way to earn income online, this episode offers an inside look at how Elke and Jen built businesses that continue generating revenue long after the work is done.Subscribe and ReviewIf you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more visionaries who need these insights.
Learn how to turn your product images into video ads in minutes using Amazon Ads' Video Generator inside Creative Studio. In this step-by-step tutorial, I'll show you how to create, customize, and test Sponsored Brands video ads without any editing experience.• *Learn More* https://advertising.amazon.com/lp/build-your-business-with-amazon-advertising#Ad #AmazonAds
What do a baby sleep mask, a detail van, and a print-on-demand candle have in common? They're all quietly generating serious income for real people — and in this episode, we dig into the numbers behind six of the most interesting side hustle stories making the rounds right now. I'm joined by Cody Berman — co-host of The FI Show and author of Retire by 30: How to Build Wealth, Gain Freedom, and Live Life on Your Own Terms — for a roundtable breakdown of the latest Side Hustle Headlines. Each story comes with real numbers, honest reactions, and ideas for how the same model might work in your own life. Listen to Episode 742 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: how a first-time mom built a $90k/month business in 20-minute bursts between feedings why a "boring" service side hustle is quietly keeping pace with a six-figure salary what the print-on-demand candle boom reveals about finding underserved niches Full Show Notes: $60k/mo Selling Baby Sleep Masks, the $72k “Secret” Detailing Business, $500k in Print on Demand Candles, and more New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses! Whatnot — Whatnot will match your first $150 sold in the first month! About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
In this video, I break down four print-on-demand products that already have proven demand on Etsy, including newly added Printify products and a viral t-shirt niche powered by AI-generated designs. If you're looking for fresh POD opportunities in 2026, this is a great place to start.• *Printify* (Print on Demand Fulfillment) → https://bit.ly/POD_Printify (CODE: "RYANHOGUE30")• *Everbee* (Etsy Research) → https://bit.ly/PODEverbee• *MyDesigns* (AI POD Workflows) → http://bit.ly/PODMyDesigns (CODE: "RYAN25" = 25% Off)
hey guys! So as promised, I'm giving you guys a special re-airing of an interview episode I originally released for FREE 5 years ago. YES! this episode was up for QUITE sometime but It was unfortunately taken down because of a song clip that was used in the beginning of the interview. but now I'm re-uploading it without the song clip.and let me tell you guys. this band was absolutely INCREDIBLE! they were SO talented, and it was an absolute HONOR to interview one of the original members of this group on my podcast.If your'e new to listening to this show. I normally don't release interview episodes for free but this interview I originally released for the free version of my podcast prior to launching the premium version of my podcast. but it was taken down because of a song clip so I'm re uploading it without the song clip.anyways, I TRULY believe that their music has held up over the years. Millennial Acoustic Singer Songwriters can EASILY sink their teeth into their stuff. and they had a REALLY good blend of Folk, Country, and Pop/Rock & Roll sensibilities.these guys ALSO mixed in Jug Band Blues into their stuff as well.here are the songs we discussed in this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnbfuAcCqpY&list=RDJnbfuAcCqpY&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIM579H-f7Y&list=RDBIM579H-f7Y&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4uCug9y0_k&list=RDm4uCug9y0_k&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt5Jy983uTE&list=RDLt5Jy983uTE&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txTEhgReZUA&list=RDtxTEhgReZUA&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G9JEauj7A8&list=RD8G9JEauj7A8&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAzJR0AiSI&list=RDoJAzJR0AiSI&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YgevxRGXIU&list=RD5YgevxRGXIU&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfXpqgKWJ7g&list=RDPfXpqgKWJ7g&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZqgFyj5uTo&list=RD9ZqgFyj5uTo&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAur4CWJIPw&list=RDpAur4CWJIPw&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9gKcb2DSb8&list=RDG9gKcb2DSb8&start_radio=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyw29FZki0Y&list=RDZyw29FZki0Y&start_radio=1If you want to hear more interviews like this, please click this link right here & sign up for the premium version of my podcast: https://themillennialthrowbackmachine.supercast.com/also definitely follow me & reach out to me on IG & Tik Tok right here:https://www.instagram.com/iheartoldieshttps://www.tiktok.com/@iheartoldiessince I released this episode for free, I did add the songs that we discussed in this interview to the Spotify & Youtube playlists for this podcast. you can find these playlists right here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/21f3uBS6kU4hUF6QAC5JMj?si=17c92f74d1b5470fhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS1sYR7xky8&list=PL66sgq_GAmRcXy8yKZJfVmAD14HUYj7NfI'm holding off on promoting my merch until I find some new print on demand companies for my merch, but please do listen to my last music project so you can brace yourself for my next one. you can find that right here:https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/samlwilliams/an-old-soul-with-new--remiagined-thingsIf your a Millennial/ Gen Z and you absolutely LOVED this interview and you got turned on to the Lovin Spoonful's music from me, then PLEASE email me at samltwilli@icloud.com. I wish I could give you more album updates guys with me for this particular episode but I"m running out of character space, so what I'll do is that I'll record a solo episode and release it this month and give you guys some more album updates then. but I hope you guys enjoyed this interview episode. this episode surely is a throwback episode because I'm not 25 anymore (I'm 30 now) but I know that some other earlier podcast episodes were also taken down, but if you want those to be re-uploaded, please let me know. even though it'll definitely be tough to re-upload those. I'll talk to you guys again one more time this month.
In this episode, we dive into how modern e-commerce brands are scaling faster and reducing risk using print-on-demand and AI-powered tools.David Hooker, Head of Brand at Printify, shares how the platform helps business owners launch global stores without buying upfront inventory or managing messy shipping logistics.He also reveals how AI is automating boring tasks like product tagging, creating photorealistic mockups in seconds, and helping sellers target the perfect niche audience. Topics discussed in this episode: How AI automates repetitive store setup tasks. What print-on-demand means for modern inventory. Why photorealistic AI mockups save massive photography costs. How global fulfillment networks enable rapid local shipping.What traits separate successful sellers from failed stores.Why gathering direct audience feedback drives brand growth.How to launch an online business without risk.What custom products the rising Gen Z audience demands.Why text-based t-shirts often become massive bestsellers.How print-on-demand offers true location and time freedom. Links & ResourcesWebsite: https://printify.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/printify/LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/hookerdjInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/printify/X/Twitter: https://x.com/printifyGet access to more free resources by visiting the show notes at https://tinyurl.com/yd85xumbI'd love your feedback. Tap the the link to send me a text. ______________________________________________________LOVE THE SHOW? HERE ARE THE NEXT STEPS!Follow the podcast to get every bonus episode. Tap follow now and don't miss out! Rate & Review: Help others discover the show by rating the show on Apple Podcasts at https://tinyurl.com/ecb-apple-podcasts Join our Free Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommercecoffeebreak.com/ Support The Show On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EcommerceCoffeeBreak Partner with us: https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/partner-with-us/
Hey guys! so it's at the end of the month now, which means I"m gonna release another free episode for my podcast. and actually, next month I"m doing something pretty special. One of the interviews that I released for the free version of my podcast was unfortunately taken down because of a song clip that I used in the interview, and I didn't get back to my distributor in time to let them know that the song clip was used in context of fair use of my interview that I released. so it was unfortunately taken down. so next month, I'm gonna re release the interview and it's with an original member of the Lovin Spoonful! that was originally released in February of 2021. the playlists for my podcast won't be updated next month as this was a previously released episode for my podcast.it will not have the song clip in the interview (unlike the original interview) but it will be the original interview as it was when I recorded it with Steve Boone (the original member of the Lovin Spoonful who I interviewed for my podcast). but anyways, this month, I'm diving into a song in a very specific style from the 60's known as Swamp PopI dive into exactly what genre is in this episode. here's the song I discuss this month right here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5L5i7ARdAY&list=RDD5L5i7ARdAY&start_radio=1do also follow me & reach out to me on Instagram & Tik Tok right here:https://www.instagram.com/iheartoldieshttps://www.tiktok.com/@iheartoldiesalso PLEASE do subscribe to the premium verison of my podcast! next month I will be re releasing a special interview that I originally released for the free version of my podcast so that way, you guys can get a taste of what you would get for the free version of my podcast. if you want more of those interviews with these REALLY cool 60's music legends, PLEASE click this link right here:https://themillennialthrowbackmachine.supercast.com/also PLEASE do listen to the Spotify and Youtube playlists for this podcast. so that way you guys can hear the songs that I have talked about on my podcast. you can do that by clicking the link right here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/21f3uBS6kU4hUF6QAC5JMj?si=452caeb240974f61https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS1sYR7xky8&list=PL66sgq_GAmRcXy8yKZJfVmAD14HUYj7Nfalso here's another thing guys. I know that I have been plugging the podcast merch stores for a while, but at this moment, I'm looking for new Print On Demand stores for my merch items. mainly because I"m pretty disappointed with the quality of fabric with the T shirts I've gotten from my merch stores from both makers of my Sam L. Williams Merch and my podcast Merch. I got two shirts from both stores as Christmas Gifts and by March, both shirts were pretty worn out and the logos were very much faded. so I am going to make some moves to another Print On Demand companies with MUCH better quality of products/Fabrics.So I'm gonna hold off on plugging my merch for now, but PLEASE do listen to my last EP so you can brace yourself for my next album that I"m SO excited to finish: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/samlwilliams/an-old-soul-with-new--remiagined-thingsif you guys enjoyed this interview and you fell in love with this song through me, or maybe you weren't crazy about it and your a Millennial/Gen Z, PLEASE email me at samltwilli@icloud.com. you can also follow me & reach out to me on Instagram & Tik Tok @iheartoldies. hope you guys are doing great. I will give you updates about my album in July. but maybe I'll do a solo episode in June as well. we'll see. if it'll help increate listenership for my podcast that'll be good. anyways, I'll talk to you guys next month. Until then, PLEASE, Keep Things Groovy!.
Sam Pinkleton is the Tony Award-winning director of Oh, Mary! and the 9-time Tony Award-nominated revival of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway at Studio 54. His work as a director also includes Josh Sharp's TA-DA!, Morgan Bassichis' Can I Be Frank?, Noah Diaz' You Will Get Sick, The Wizard of Oz, Elizabeth Swados' Runaways, Head Over Heels (with Jenny Koons), La Cage Aux Folles, and UNTITLED DANCESHOWPARTYTHING (with Ani Taj). Highlights of his work as a choreographer include Stephen Sondheim's final musical Here We Are, Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang's Soft Power, and eight shows on Broadway including Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Tony Nomination), Macbeth, and Machinal. His film/TV work includes Dying for Sex and the musical The End, starring Tilda Swinton. His upcoming projects include the participatory Scottish dance musical Ceilidh and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.On this episode, Sam discusses the deliciously Dionysian alchemy of Rocky Horror, his blending of stagecraft and witchcraft, and why theatre is collective magic in action.Pam also talks about excavating both personal and historical roots of theatrical magic, and answers a listener question about conjuring supernatural support for a canine familiar.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you're at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Wheel of Fate, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, Blessed Be Magick, and Zouz IncenseWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam's monthly online rituals, and more! That's patreon.com/witchwave
Chris Heckman stared at his computer screen with a sinking feeling: his first major e-commerce store launch was a complete zero, leaving him with $100,000 in credit card debt. Instead of crawling back to the safety of his corporate job at Amazon, he adopted a "burn the boats" mentality, treated his failures as data, and built a print on demand (POD) powerhouse that has since generated over $25 million in total sales.In this episode of the UpFlip Podcast, Chris breaks down the realities of building an e-commerce brand from scratch. He explains how he bounced back from massive debt, why most beginners quit right before they find success, and the exact digital marketing strategies he uses today to generate over $1.1M a year without touching a single piece of inventory.
Aidan Wachter is an animist magician who has been actively involved in magical practice since the 1980s. His work reflects a wide ranging, eclectic, and non-dogmatic approach, with influences from many paths. His books include Six Ways: Approaches and Entries for Practical Magic; Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past, and Telling True Lies; and Changeling: A Book of Qualities. Aidan's writings and extensive Patreon teachings focus on the practice of the craft as a learnable set of skills that can be developed rather than innate talents that must be inherited or granted to the seeker. His books are field guides rather than philosophy. He is based in the Pacific Northwest.On this episode, Aidan discusses his practice of “dirt sorcery,” the romance of animism, and how magic can help us conjure a better world.Pam also talks about how she's making space for new energy, and answers a listener question about working with bird deities.Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you're at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Mithras Candle, BetterHelp, Blessed Be Magick, and Zouz IncenseWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam's monthly online rituals, and more! That's patreon.com/witchwave
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