Distributing through Publish Drive with Danica Favorite

Meeting summary for PublishDrive Q and A (09/03/2024)Quick recapThe team discussed the benefits and new features of Publish Drive, a platform that supports authors and publishers, including a free plan, a metadata generator tool, and a royalty splitter tool. They also explored the cost-effectiveness and time-saving aspects of using Publish Drive for catalog management, sales events, and promotions, as well as the potential for using AI-generated audio for book publishing. Challenges and potential improvements were also discussed, with a focus on continuous improvement and better communication within the team.Next steps• Russell to explore using Publish Drive for comic book distribution and connect with Danica for more details.• Monica to investigate using Publish Drive's Abacus tool for co-authored book royalty splitting.• Danica to follow up with Russell and Monica at upcoming conferences to discuss Publish Drive's ecosystem approach.• Publish Drive team to improve communication about their full range of services and tools to authors.• Authors interested in Publish Drive to reach out to Danica at danica@publishdrive.com for more information or personalized assistance.SummaryPublish Drive's New Features and ToolsRussell, Danica, and Monica discussed the recent announcement from Publish Drive, a platform that supports authors and publishers. Danica, the community manager at Publish Drive, explained that they now offer a free plan, allowing anyone to upload a book and try out their services. They also launched a metadata generator tool, which uses AI to create book descriptions and keywords, helping authors improve their marketing efforts. Additionally, Publish Drive introduced Abacus, a royalty splitter tool, designed to simplify the process of splitting earnings among multiple authors. The team expressed excitement about these new offerings and their potential to support authors at different stages of their journey.Discussing Publish Drive Benefits and CostsRussell and Danica discussed the benefits of using Publish Drive for authors, particularly those making less than $5 on a book. They highlighted the cost-effectiveness of Publish Drive compared to other solutions and the time-saving aspect of having a dedicated person, Frushi, who sends out promotional emails for store promotions. Danica also mentioned a tool that allows authors to compare the costs and benefits of using Publish Drive versus competitors. Monica shared her experience of going direct with some of her books, but noted that she still has some books that are not yet published.Discussing PublishDrive for Catalog ManagementMonica and Danica discussed the benefits and challenges of using PublishDrive for catalog management. Monica highlighted the cost-effectiveness of using PublishDrive, especially for large catalogs, and the ability to easily upload content to various platforms. Danica emphasized the importance of author feedback in improving the platform and the support provided by PublishDrive's customer success manager for transferring reviews. They also discussed the potential for future improvements and the platform's role as a software as a service. Monica expressed her need to explore the Abacus feature for co-authored content.Discussing Publish Drive for Sales Events and PromotionsDanica, Russell, and Monica discussed the benefits of using Publish Drive for sales events and promotions. Russell highlighted the convenience of not having to individually find and upload to each store, and the potential cost savings compared to using aggregators. They also discussed the importance of analyzing the effectiveness of their current processes and considering alternatives, such as using Publish Drive for all sales events. Monica emphasized the potential cost savings of using Publish Drive, as it bundles in payments that would otherwise be made separately.Product Integration and User-Friendly Dashboard DiscussionRussell expressed his satisfaction with the integration of various products into a single dashboard, which he found more user-friendly than logging into multiple dashboards. He also appreciated the ability to see all necessary information in one place, especially for promotions and price consistency. Danica agreed with Russell's feedback and mentioned that they occasionally conduct user interviews to improve the user-friendliness of their products. She also highlighted a new feature, the pod template generator, which can convert ebook covers into print covers, a feature that could be beneficial for authors like herself.AI Audio for Book Publishing ChallengesThe team discussed the advantages and challenges of using AI-generated audio for book publishing across different platforms. Danica mentioned that while Apple's AI audio is exclusive to their platform, Google Play's AI audio can be distributed to other stores like Kobo and libraries through Publish Drive. Managing multiple dashboards was highlighted as a challenge, with Danica preferring simpler processes. Moving books to Publish Drive was discussed, with Danica offering assistance from their customer success manager. Monica inquired about Publish Drive's ability to accept and distribute Google Play's AI audio, which Danica confirmed. Danica also mentioned upcoming presentations at author nation conferences to discuss Publish Drive's ecosystem and capabilities.Comic Creator Challenges and Platform SolutionsDanica and Russell discussed the challenges faced by comic creators in uploading their work to various platforms. Danica confirmed that their platform serves the comic community and that one prominent comic creator is making significant profits through their site. She offered to connect Russell with their customer success manager to help him navigate the process. Monica expressed interest in this topic, suggesting it could be a potential episode for their show. The conversation ended with an emphasis on continuous improvement and better communication within the team.Discussing Publish Drive and AI Tools for AuthorsRussell and Danica discussed the benefits of using Publish Drive as a distribution platform for authors. They highlighted the platform's ability to reach a wider audience, including places where other distributors may not have a presence. Danica emphasized the importance of authors being able to control which stores their books are distributed to. Russell also mentioned the challenges of using Apple's system, suggesting that Publish Drive could be a more user-friendly option. The team also discussed the potential for using AI tools to increase author efficiency and the upcoming Author Nation conference where Danica will be speaking about Publish Drive and AI tools.