SPS-446: The Boxset Experiment with James Blatch & Cissy Mecca

About this episode

James and Cissy explore how indie authors are expanding their sales channels and creating premium gift products beyond Amazon.

James and Cissy dive into the growing world of direct sales, Etsy stores, and special edition books, exploring how indie authors are expanding beyond Amazon and turning their books into premium gift products. They also discuss the importance of professional branding photography, why readers increasingly connect with authors personally, and the latest Meta AI lawsuit involving pirated books used for training AI models. The episode features a detailed behind-the-scenes look at James's new Cold War-themed Etsy shop experiment, complete with slipcase box sets, MI6-style packaging, collectible golf balls, and premium gifting ideas inspired by the "gifting economy." Meanwhile, Cissy shares her experience with duplex paperback covers, sprayed edges, Etsy merchandise, and building collectible reader products around her romance worlds. Key Talking points: Why professional author photography matters more than ever Building an author brand in the AI era Readers buying into the author as much as the books The Meta AI copyright lawsuit involving pirated books and LLaMA training Direct sales and Etsy as a growing opportunity for indie authors Turning books into collectible gift products…

People in this episode

Host: James Blatch

Guest: Cissy Mecca

Topics covered

• direct sales
• Etsy stores
• indie authors
• professional branding
• AI copyright lawsuit
• collectible gift products
• author branding

Keywords

• direct sales
• Etsy
• indie authors
• branding photography
• Meta AI lawsuit
• collectible books
• gifting economy
• reader merchandise

Sponsors

ProWritingAid

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Meta

Products: ProWritingAid, BookVault duplex covers

Books & works: Cold War-themed Etsy shop

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