SPS-438: Bring Back the Mail! with James Blatch & Cissy Mecca
From The Self Publishing Show by James Blatch
March 12, 2026 · 57 min · Episode 438
About this episode
James and Cissy discuss marketing insights and mindset strategies for indie authors in a complex publishing landscape.
James and Cissy discuss new marketing insights and mindset strategies for indie authors navigating an increasingly complex publishing landscape. From experimenting with BookBub ads and improving AI-assisted translations to analysing breakout success in romance adaptations, the conversation explores how authors can stay competitive in a crowded market. Cissy also shares a creative direct-to-reader marketing tactic, sending postcards to readers, as a way to build stronger audience relationships beyond digital platforms. The episode concludes with the hosts' "Three Things" mindset practice, a simple daily habit designed to help authors maintain perspective, gratitude, and motivation in a challenging creative career. Key Talking Points How BookBub ads and promotional pricing strategies can create long-tail sales effects beyond the initial campaign. Lessons learned from improving AI-assisted translations and the impact of higher-quality translations on international book sales. Why certain romance stories and adaptations suddenly explode in popularity — and what authors can learn from those breakout successes. Creative marketing experiments, including sending postcards and physical…
People in this episode
Host: James Blatch
Guest: Cissy Mecca
Topics covered
- marketing insights
- mindset strategies
- indie authors
- publishing landscape
- audience relationships
- creative marketing tactics
- daily mindset practice
Keywords
- BookBub ads
- AI-assisted translations
- romance adaptations
- postcards marketing
- Three Things mindset practice
- audience connections
- long-tail sales
Sponsors
ProWritingAid
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BookBub
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