From podcast to print: How The Village published a book to monetise their audio show

Publishers who produce podcasts might wonder how to reach a broader audience and extend their show’s life cycle. For some, the solution is to publish a book.

In recent years some news outlets have found book publishing to be the next big business opportunity, and the listener base for a successful podcast is a good starting ground for promoting a book.

The Fix looked at one case of converting an acclaimed podcast into a popular book – Ukrainian lifestyle publisher The Village, which released two books about popular psychology based on their audio show. We spoke with Mark Livin, publisher of The Village, as well as co-host of the show and co-author of the book.

How the idea was born

The Village team began discussing the idea of creating a podcast in early 2019. At that time, Livin was curious about psychology and started his own therapy process.

Initially, they launched a series of articles called “In Simple Words”, partnering with a Ukrainian therapist-matching service. The audience responded well to the articles, prompting the editorial team to launch a podcast. 

“People need stories. They need real-life examples, a mirror [to better understand themselves]. That’s why we chose the format of a conversation,” says Livin. Ilya Poludyonny, a co-founder of the therapist-matching service and a psychotherapist himself, became the co-host and, later, co-author of the book.

Today, the “In Simple Words” podcast boasts an audience of 50,000 listeners with close to 100,000 plays for each episode – high results for the Ukrainian podcasting market. They have over 4,000 ratings on Apple Podcasts, averaging a 4.8 score.

The podcast has brought revenue in multiple ways, including through sponsorships, donor support, merch sales, and a membership program. Yet, the most successful monetisation strategy has been using the show to publish a book.

The first book, published in 2020 with a major Ukrainian publisher, sold around 30,000 copies – many times higher than a typical Ukrainian-language nonfiction book. Its success enabled publication of the second part, which came out in 2022 and sold over 10,000 copies.

Livin had already been a published author before, which was helpful in getting the book deal. He says the authors didn’t want to merely rehash the topics discussed on the podcast. The book needed to offer additional value to the reader. “We devised a format that could provide readers with what the podcast couldn’t: deeper insights, structured recommendations, and hands-on practice,” Livin told The Fix.

Six steps to publish a book: a case study of “In Simple Words”

Step 1. Identify if your podcast is a product. “Not every podcast is a product. If your podcast doesn’t serve essential functions or doesn’t solve a problem for your listener, it’s not a product,” Livin explains.

If your podcast can be transformed into a product, you should then think about how to scale the product’s benefits. “We realised that a book as a subproduct would provide the most benefits. Digital articles fade rapidly, and the active phase of podcasts also ends quickly, but a book can extend the life cycle of the product,” Livin adds.

Step 2. Determine the book’s format. “It’s crucial to determine what your book will look like. What unique aspects will differentiate it from what’s already in the market? Our format was a life-navigation tool. It offers 20 chapters that can be read in any order. Feeling ashamed? Open the book and read the chapter on shame,” Livin elaborates.

Step 3. Find a publishing partner. Decide if you want to find a publisher to take on this part of the job or if you’ll publish the book independently. In their search for a publisher, The Village prioritised a strong brand with an extensive distribution network, acknowledging their own gaps in this domain.

Step 4. Work on the book. Once you finalise arrangements with the publisher, start working on the text and its design.

Step 5. Marketing. The Village merged digital and analogue strategies to amplify their book’s launch. They leaned heavily into word-of-mouth marketing, which was bolstered by the podcast community. Members actively promoted the upcoming book, sharing news and posting unboxings online. With a marketing approach emphasising frequent and genuine communication, the majority of books were sold online, ensuring profits even before the book hit store shelves.

Step 6. Pre-orders. “People pre-ordered 3,000 copies of ‘In Simple Words’ in just one day. Apart from the book, they were expecting bonuses like a special stamp from the podcast and stickers. When we came to sign the book, we noticed that all illustrations in the first edition were only in black; there was no orange colour [as we’d intended]. We wrote an apology letter to each customer explaining the quality issue and gifted everyone who received the first edition an extra book. Our approach worked as a marketing bomb, and sales skyrocketed,” Livin recounts. In a few weeks, they sold over 10,000 copies.

Tips for media managers interested in publishing a book

• Are you sure someone is interested? Before starting work on the book, test your hypothesis. Run an audience survey or just talk to your listeners or readers. If there’s no interest, first work to create it within your community.
• Hire someone who can tell engaging stories. It’s beneficial to have someone on the team with creative writing skills who knows how to tell stories.
• Engage with the community. Communicate with your audience. The community can be a powerful tool for advocating your product. Use their influence to increase organic reach.
• Provide quality service. Think about how to create a unique experience for your reader, as The Village did with a special stamp and stickers in each book. People who are pleasantly surprised are more likely to share the product with their friends or on social media.
• Appearance matters. Unpacking is an essential part of marketing. Bestsellers attract attention not just because of their content. People should enjoy picking up the book, flipping through it, reading, and photographing. The cover, paper quality, illustrations matter a great deal.

Source of the cover photo: courtesy of Anastasiia Kuzmenko

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