E115: From Manuscript To Market: Turning Authors Into Confident Marketers with Word Association Publishers

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What makes Francine Costello with Word Association Publishers a good neighbor?

What if publishing didn’t feel like chasing gatekeepers but like joining a craft-focused community that tells you the truth and helps your book find its readers? We sit down with publisher Francine Costello of Word Association Publishers for a candid, energizing look at how serious authors can publish without an agent, market with confidence, and build a career that lasts beyond launch day.

Francine traces her path from CBS Radio News and her husband’s university classroom to a boutique publishing house built on editorial rigor, high production values, and radical honesty. We unpack the difference between vanity presses that print and vanish and a professional partner that reads closely, gives specific notes, and stands by authors for years. From developmental edits to design choices that signal credibility on a shelf, Francine shows how quality becomes your most reliable marketing channel.

Then we move from quiet drafts to public stages. Forget the lonely bookstore table; Francine’s team runs dynamic “gathering of authors” events with music, five-minute author spotlights, and a pop-up bookstore that turns attention into sales. We dig into practical book marketing- business cards that work, posters that travel, simple social media routines- and why speaking clearly about your book in under five minutes changes everything. Along the way, we explore organic growth, like the marketer who discovered their imprint on a niche title and opened a referral pipeline that still brings in clients.

You’ll also hear about the community that forms around their press- authors who return year after year, vibrant classes at the Pittsburgh Festival of Books, and a forthcoming project tied to Brown v. Board of Education that shows how publishing can preserve history and amplify voices. If you’re weighing self-publishing versus traditional routes, or wondering how to promote your book without cringing, this conversation offers a roadmap grounded in craft, candor, and community.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a writer who needs a nudge, and leave a review to help more authors find their path.

To learn more about Word Association Publishers go to:

https://www.wordassociation.com/

Word Association Publishers

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