Beyond the Page: Is Social Media Failing Authors? Publishing, AI & Book Marketing with Jodi Cowles

s social media actually helping authors sell books, or is it taking valuable time away from writing? In this episode of Beyond the Page , Steve welcomes author, entrepreneur, and publishing professional Jodi Cowles , co-founder of Blue Hat Pub & Print and Well Told Studio, for a candid conversation about the challenges of writing, publishing, and finding readers in an increasingly crowded marketplace. With more than 25 years of writing experience across multiple genres, Jodi has witnessed enormous changes in the publishing industry. She shares how independent publishing has opened opportunities for writers while making book discovery and marketing more challenging than ever. We discuss the pressure authors face to constantly promote themselves on social media, whether email newsletters and direct relationships with readers offer better alternatives, and why even excellent books can struggle to find an audience. Jodi also shares her perspective on traditional versus independent publishing, creative control, misleading marketing promises, and the growing presence of AI-generated books. Beyond the business of publishing, we explore what makes a story meaningful, why some books stay with us for decades, and the satisfaction of creating something that genuinely changes how a reader thinks. We also discuss her experiences writing across genres, living abroad, the importance of gratitude during difficult experiences, and the lessons she learned from her first job. Join us for an honest conversation about storytelling, creativity, publishing, and what it really takes to build a sustainable writing career. Find Jodi: https://jodicowles.com Page Chewing Blog Page Chewing Forum Support Page Chewing on Patreon Affiliate Links that support the show: Audible Standard Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4z1iKns Audible Standard Monthly Membership: https://amzn.to/3S6vadd Kindle Unlimited Free Trial: https://amzn.to/4wqkYdD Amazon Prime Free Trial: https://amzn.to/3UptxI9 Join Captivate.fm Send a message via SpeakPipe