Your inbox says someone “discovered” your book and wants to make you a bestseller. The flattery feels good, the promise feels big, and the risk is real. We sit down with publishing consultant and community builder Alexa Bigwarfe, founder of Write|Publish|Sell and the Women in Publishing Summit, to talk straight about what authors actually face right now in self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and book marketing.

We start where most people skip ahead: defining your why. Whether you are writing for healing, impact, credibility, income, or pure joy, your goal determines the publishing path, the timeline, and how much you should invest. From there we unpack the gray areas that trip writers up, including the difference between legitimate hybrid presses, boutique partners, and vanity press traps, plus the wave of AI-generated DMs and emails that target authors with generic praise and expensive offers. The throughline is simple: education beats hype, and community makes it easier to spot what is real.

Then we get practical about what is working: authentic connection with readers, email lists, word of mouth, strategic review-building, and the power of a backlist for authors who want to earn a living. We also get blunt about quality, because you cannot market a book that is not professionally edited, properly designed, and aligned with reader expectations.

If this helped, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a writer friend. What is the sketchiest “promotion” pitch you have received lately?

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

Learn more about Launch My Book