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Today, I received an exciting update from Patreon—the platform has finally introduced free seven-day trials!

This is great news because I’ve been hoping for free trials for a while, and now I can invite my followers to see what all the fuss is about for themselves. But before we dive into Patreon itself, I’ll answer some of the most common questions I get about it.

Table of ContentsWhat is Patreon?

Patreon is a platform where artists, musicians, writers, and other creative entrepreneurs can share exclusive content with their fans, who pay a monthly subscription for access and membership perks.

I like to describe it as a backstage pass. I share quite a bit of content on my website and social media pages, but my Patreon subscribers get to go behind the scenes and see more of the creative process, not just the finished result. Depending on the membership tier, some subscribers have the opportunity to take a more hands-on role and directly impact the books.

What Types of Content Can You Expect When You Subscribe?

Every creator has the freedom to set their own pay tiers and perks, which can include merchandise, discounts, special announcements, early access, exclusive content, downloads, and more.

I have three different tiers, each one offering varying levels of exclusivity and engagement. Although the majority of my content is centered around the series, I do also feature my artwork as well.

Level 1: Human

The entry-level tier is $5 a month. It’s like buying your favorite creator a cup of coffee every month to support their hard work! (Or in my case, maybe a bubble tea since I don’t like coffee.)

Patrons at the Human level get regular posts and reminders about upcoming events in their inbox so they don’t have to check my website for last-minute schedule changes. They also get early access to content before it’s released to the public, plus a handwritten thank-you note for their support and their name listed in book acknowledgments. Level 1 patrons also get 15% off Old Soul Artisan’s and my .

Here is the full list of membership perks:

Patron-only posts & updatesHandwritten thank-you noteName listed in acknowledgmentsUpcoming event announcementsEarly access to content & new products15% off merchExclusive promosLevel 2: Kálos

My $10 mid-level tier includes all of the perks from Level 1 but brings subscribers much deeper behind the scenes. Kálos patrons not only gain access to worldbuilding content about the series, early book cover reveals, and glimpses into my creative process, but they also unlock timelapse videos to watch me create a new featured art piece every month.

Subscribers who join the Level 2 tier receive the full Kit emoji sticker collection in the mail, and ongoing patrons will receive any new designs that arrive later so their collection is always complete. Patrons at this level who are part of the gain access to a patron-exclusive channel.

The complete list of Level 2 perks:

Kit emoji sticker collection (including new designs)Behind-the-scenes contentWorldbuilding bonus contentArt timelapse videosEarly book cover revealsAccess to Patreon channel in DiscordLevel 3: Alpha

Alpha is my highest tier at $15 per month. Level 1 is a basic way to show support while receiving announcements and updates; Level 2 dives into behind-the-scenes content; Level 3 ups the ante as the most interactive tier while including all of the perks from the two lower tiers.

Alpha subscribers get exclusive sneak peeks at deleted scenes and current works in progress. They can also submit questions to either me or a character for a Q&A post. Top-tier patrons have a direct say in creative decisions by participating in polls (my Alpha subscribers named Ryland and Mateo in ).

Patrons who have been in the Alpha tier for a minimum of three months unlock some other cool perks! They automatically qualify to receive an autographed copy of the next book in the series (plus future books if they remain a subscriber) from the first print run. But they don’t just receive a book�� they’re also in the book, and not just in the acknowledgments. They can !

Here are all of the membership perks that come with the Level 3 tier:

A place or minor character named after you in a future bookFREE autographed copy of new book releases + collectible pinsExclusive sneak peeks at WIPsDeleted scenesAuthor Q&A submissionsCharacter Q&A submissionsExclusive voting power in pollsHow Do Patreon Subscriptions Help Creators?

I love having the freedom to express myself and create new content�� but unfortunately, the creative process isn’t free. From hosting this website to publishing books, there are a lot of expenses involved. Monthly subscriptions from Patreon go directly into a business account that enables me to continue producing content by helping me cover costs for:

Business insuranceWebsite hosting & domainsBook editingEbook formattingAudiobook narration & productionMarketingProof copiesOffice supplies & materialsArt suppliesVendor fees for eventsInventory orders

I operate on an extremely tight budget as I work to get my business off the ground. As an indie author, I don’t have the support of a publishing house behind me to cover production costs—it all falls on my shoulders. Which means that every little bit of support helps me clear one hurdle at a time as I work to publish the next book in the series and set up a booth at another event so I can meet fans and introduce the series to new readers.

For more information about how Patreon subscriptions and donations aid my business, .

Ready for a Free Trial?

Check out Patreon for yourself! Now with the new feature, you can try it for FREE for seven days. Access more than 100 exclusive posts, including , , , , , , and more.

Note: your subscription will automatically renew after the trial period, but you can  at any time. Although trial participants can access past and upcoming posts during the seven-day period, they do not qualify to receive any merchandise or have their name in a book unless they become a regular subscriber.

If you enjoy the content during your trial, I hope you’ll consider remaining as part of my after your trial has expired!

The post first appeared on .

When it comes to self-publishing, I take on a LOT of the work myself. In part, I do this to cut costs, but there’s more to it than just money. I’m an artist with a background in landscape architecture (which included some basic graphic design skills). Since my art is part of my brand, I take great pride in being able to create my own book covers and handle the interior layouts of the print books.

However, I acknowledge that I do have limitations, so I don’t hesitate to invest in freelancers and outside services when necessary to ensure that my books are high quality. I ALWAYS recommend hiring a line editor at the bare minimum. In my case, I also realized that I needed an ebook formatter to fill a gap in my skillset.

I published in 2018. Initially, I assumed that formatting an ebook �ɴdzܱ����’t be too complicated, so I should be able to figure it out myself. But after launching my hardcover and paperback, I hit a snag. I was overwhelmed by the ebook, which caused me to drag my feet about getting it out.

I decided to seek help, and I found . Here’s my review after working with them on three novels now.

Table of Contents

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST. I do not receive any compensation or perks from Polgarus Studio for writing this article. All opinions are my own.

Also: Polgarus Studio offers . I already have a line editor that I trust, so I do not use Polgarus Studio for editing and therefore can’t personally attest whether their book editing service is good or not; this review is focused solely on their .

The Pros

Obviously, this review is going to be positive overall since I’ve chosen to return to the same ebook formatter for my second and third novels (and I plan to use them again for my next novel). Here’s what I like about Polgarus Studio for ebook formatting:

Proper Formatting: HTML Conversion

Some authors have said to me, “Why didn’t you just run your manuscript through software to automatically convert your book?��

I mentioned in the introduction that quality is important to me, right? I know firsthand from doing the interior print layouts that programs can be glitchy. I’ve had to fight with wonky header settings, page numbers, paragraph indents, you name it.

Ebooks are different than print formats because they’re fluid. Readers can adjust the font, text size, and layout (portrait or landscape), which means the text isn’t fixed in one place like it is for a paperback or hardcover. If there are any issues, it’s not going to display correctly.

Here is how Polgarus Studio addresses that (copied directly from ):

Unlike some formatters, we don’t use software to convert your book automatically. That rarely works well and can cause all sorts of problems. Every book we format is done by hand, first converting your manuscript to HTML, then manually cleaning it up to make sure there are no hidden problems (and believe us, Word likes to hide all sorts of junk in your manuscript!) At this stage we also take the time to fix common issues like tabs or spaces at the start of paragraphs (these are converted to automatic indents), multiple spaces, ensure ellipses display on the one line, etc. Once we have a clean, problem-free file, only then do we convert it into the format(s) that you want.

The end result? Your ebook will be a small, optimized file that won’t have any of the glitches or other problems that an automated tool can create, and will display exactly how it should.

I went a step beyond basic ebook formatting, which I �ɴdzܱ����’t have been able to do without HTML knowledge. Jason from Polgarus Studio was able to use my book’s unique font for the chapter headings by inserting jpeg images instead of text. Otherwise, due to the fluidity of ebooks, there’s no way to display specific fonts outside of the default options.

When proofreading Book III, I found a spacing error in the hardcover proof and manuscript, and I asked if it could be fixed. Turns out, it already had been due to the process that Polgarus Studio uses to flag and fix those types of issues! Which proves that they aren’t exaggerating their claim on the website.

Their process also ensures that the table of contents is interactive so readers can skip directly to the chapter they want.

Ebook Formatting Cost

Every time I publish a book, I’m operating on a tight budget. I want to make sure that I’m spending my money wisely. When researching ebook formatting services for my first novel, I was searching for options that were relatively budget-friendly but would still provide a high-quality service.

Ebook formatting services from Polgarus Studio landed right in the middle of the scale during my research phase. They weren’t the cheapest option I explored, but they also weren’t the most expensive. Polgarus Studio was squarely in the middle of the road, and I was okay with that. I felt like they were reasonably priced to offer a good service without charging an arm and a leg, especially since they took the time to manually convert my ebook to HTML instead of running it through a generic software converter.

Supporting a Small Business

Polgarus Studio is not a giant corporation churning out ebooks with a massive team of employees. It’s primarily a husband-and-wife team of two. For book editing, they do . But for ebook formatting, Jason is the only person I’ve worked with.

Fun fact: they named their business after their cat Polgara. Unfortunately, she passed away at the age of ten. When Jason and Marina were throwing around possible names for their new business, they decided to honor her by using a variation of her name.

I love supporting small businesses. (If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you probably know about the I did with a small, woman-owned business in the US.)

I feel that small businesses like Polgarus Studio care about their clients and provide a more personalized experience. I also appreciate that I’ve gotten to know Jason on a professional level. I know that I’ll be working with him, not a random customer service representative who might change every time I send a new message. The consistency and reliability is definitely a pro if you’re considering working with this company to format your ebook.

Overall Professionalism

I’ve worked with Jason for all three of my books that have been published to date, and he’s been very professional and patient. He takes the time to explain the process if I have questions, and he’s made formatting recommendations based on current practices with traditional publishers. Occasionally, I’ve decided that I want to ignore what’s considered “common practice�� and implement a formatting change based on my personal preference, and he’s honored my wishes.

I feel comfortable asking Jason for advice. My third novel included maps for the first time. Two of the maps were vertically aligned, but the third was horizontal and spread across two pages in the print versions, so I asked Jason for his opinion on how to lay them out. Should the landscape map be turned onto its side to take up the full page (causing readers to turn their phone/tablet/e-reader to study it), or keep it aligned horizontally as it was printed in the hardcover and paperback (making it smaller with extra white space above and below so people would need to zoom in to read it)?

I also have to give Jason kudos for dealing with my perfectionism. Unfortunately for him, I’m never a one-and-done client. I always have extra requests and tweaks, which he commendably honors in a timely manner without charging additional fees.

(I will note that Book II was a different case, but that was my own fault. I bit off more than I could chew by trying to release the hardcover, paperback, and ebook all at once. Trying to save time, I made the mistake of sending the ebook off to be formatted before I had received the proof copies of the hardcover and paperback. I always find typos and make changes in the first proof copy. Unfortunately, I found way too many things I wanted to change—so many that it would have been less work for Jason to reformat the entire document again than manually make all of those updates. I was billed twice because he had to format it twice. Again, my fault for jumping the gun and causing him a lot more work, so even though I was kicking myself, I wasn’t surprised by the extra invoice.)

The Cons

My overall experiences have been positive (at least, positive enough that I’ve become a repeat client). That being said, the process didn’t always go smoothly. There were a few road bumps:

Time Difference

Since I’m in the United States and Polgarus Studio is based in Australia, we’re in opposite time zones.

On the one hand, I sometimes found myself in a pinch if I needed a quick response to meet a last-minute deadline. But on the other, I’m a night owl, so there were times when our work hours did actually overlap if I was up late at night (which I usually am).

Now that I’m not tied to a 9-5 office job schedule and can work my own hours, I didn’t have as much of an issue with the time difference for Book III as I did with the first two books. But if you’re a US-based author on a normal work/sleep schedule, just know that there will probably be a communication delay due to the time change. That’s not anybody’s fault, but it’s still something to keep in mind.

Responsiveness

This feedback falls into both the pro and con list. Usually, Jason was very responsive, and I could rely on him to get back to me within 12-24 hours.

However, there were a few times when our communication was disrupted. With Book II, I couldn’t get any response at all when I first reached out. I sent multiple emails and used the contact form on their website. When I finally connected, I learned that my messages had apparently been filtered into a spam folder, so they weren’t getting through. That was back in 2020, and I haven’t had that problem again.

With Book III, though, I ran into a communication issue again. We’d had steady correspondence, and the ebook had a successful launch. The novel then , so I reached out to Jason to see if he could make a few minor changes, including updating the cover file and tweaking a sentence in the About the Author section to mention the award.

Crickets.

I followed up several times, but still no response. Not even an automated “sorry I’m out of the office�� message. I was starting to get frustrated and look for other options since the ebook was already formatted and just needed a few small updates.

Finally, almost a week later, I got a reply. Jason had been sick. He apologized for not responding and sent me the updated ebook file. This is where being a small business falls into the con category even though it’s also on the pro list—Polgarus Studio is primarily a two-person operation. Which means that if Jason and/or Marina are unavailable for any reason, there’s not a full staff there to step in and provide service in their absence.

I will say that 95% of the time, Polgarus Studio is very responsive. However, because this is an honest review and I’ve had at least two major communication issues with my last two books, those instances were worth mentioning in the con list.

Conclusion

It’s fair to say that the pros outweigh the cons. I’ve recommended Polgarus Studio to multiple authors who needed help formatting their ebooks, and I intend to utilize their services again when I’m ready to move forward with Book IV in my series.

Polgarus Studio is reasonably priced for the work they do. They aren’t a shady business charging authors just to run a manuscript through an auto-converter—they actually take the time to manually convert the document to HTML and fix any formatting errors by hand to ensure that everything displays correctly. It’s a small business, and Jason is knowledgeable about not only formatting, but also the current practices used in the traditional publishing industry. He’s generally quick, professional, and willing to talk about customizations and preferences, and he’s willing to make updates even after the ebook has been formatted and sent back to the author.

The time change between Australia and the United States can be a little bit of a pain, but it’s certainly not a breaking point. And, occasionally, communications can be disrupted since this is a small business that doesn’t have a big staff of customer service reps.

All in all, I recommend Polgarus Studio as a trusted ebook formatting service for indie authors.

The post first appeared on .

I’m not shy about voicing my opinion on this blog. I write honest reviews, and I’m upfront about my experiences as a self-published author (both good and bad). I believe this is the best way to help other indie authors on their journey so they don’t make the same mistakes that I did!

about eliminating their setup and revision fees is HUGE for me, and in this article, I’ll explain why I’m so thrilled about their decision.

Table of ContentsIngramSpark’s Pandemic Decline

In 2019, I transferred my title from to . Two of my were my and my .

At the time, I raved about IngramSpark because my experience with B&N Press was so awful that IngramSpark was, in comparison, phenomenal.

But unfortunately, something changed with IngramSpark during the pandemic. Their exceptional customer service plummeted. Authors no longer had access to a CX rep by phone or live chat—only email (which was one of my complaints about B&N Press). Their reps also seemed to have become much less helpful and knowledgeable than they were before. Books took much longer to print and ship.

For a while, I was understanding. COVID-19 disrupted not only the entire country, but also the worldwide supply chain. IngramSpark had a whole new set of challenges to face, just like everyone else.

And yet�� they never returned to their pre-pandemic glory. To make matters worse, in July 2021, IngramSpark decided to put the brakes on public-accessible promo codes to waive the fees for setups and revisions. The only way to get these codes was by joining a publishing association that had partnered with IngramSpark (which meant that instead of paying the fees, you had to pay an annual membership) or waiting for IngramSpark to run a promotion.

For me, this was one of the worst moves they could have done. It was a critical factor that made me reconsider whether I’d return to IngramSpark to publish the fourth novel .

Why I Hated IngramSpark’s Revision Fees (But Didn’t Mind Their Setup Fees)

Obviously, fees in general aren’t something most people are happy about. But here’s the thing—during my research back in 2018 when I was publishing , my first novel, I realized that IngramSpark’s global distribution network was the best option on the market.

That has proven true over the years as I’ve continued to publish books and build my brand. When approaching bookstores, I found that they relied on two primary distributors—Baker & Taylor and Ingram. Which meant that I was rarely turned down. The only time a bookstore said they �ɴdzܱ����’t carry my book was if they had a personal no self-published books policy, which, unfortunately, does still happen.

Not once was I ever turned down because a store couldn’t order from Ingram.

Because of Ingram’s strong distribution network, I honestly didn’t mind paying a one-time setup fee for each title in exchange for gaining access to that worldwide network. IngramSpark made my books available through Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Kobo, and more, not to mention countless libraries and indie bookstores. To me, the setup fee was simply the cost of admission, and I factored it into my publishing budget.

What bothered me A LOT was the revision fees.

I never liked them, even before the policy change in 2021. However, there used to be ways around those fees. With a little online sleuthing, one could find a promo code to waive them. IngramSpark also ran a reliable promotion that lasted from November through March every year, and it waived all setup and revision fees. There was no limit to how many times you could use the code during that time period.

As of July 2021, that was no longer the case. IngramSpark cracked down on those accessible codes, and their NaNoWriMo code could be used only once for setup OR one revision.

I haven’t been quiet about how I feel regarding IngramSpark’s revision fees—whether that’s here on the blog or directly to IngramSpark’s customer service team. They probably aren’t too fond of me after we went back and forth multiple times on this very issue earlier this year when I released my third book, and I also encouraged other authors to fill out and make their opinion about the ridiculous fees heard.

Here’s why I abhorred the old revision fee policy:

1. Self-Publishing is already expensive (if you’re investing in it properly).

I, like many indie authors, operate on an extremely tight budget. I cut costs wherever I can—I create my own covers, do the interior layouts myself, handle most of the marketing, etc. But I always, ALWAYS advocate for authors to invest in a professional editor. That is the one corner I will not cut. A good editor WILL make your book better and catch typos that you and your beta readers have missed. It is 100% worth the cost, even if you have to wait and save up to make it happen.

(By the way, I LOVE my line editor and to other authors! She’s incredibly knowledgeable, and she’s willing to work out payment plans with me so I don’t have to come up with the full amount all at once.)

I’m an artist with a background in landscape architecture (which came with some experience with basic graphic design). Because of that, I’m equipped to handle the cover and interior�� but other authors might not be. We want our books to look as professional as traditionally published works, which means that if parts of the publishing process are beyond our skills, we have to pay someone to help us.

Those costs add up quickly. I write big books, and since my editor charges by word count, that’s easily over $1,000 investment right there. That’s not counting any other publishing expenses.

IngramSpark’s revision fees were $25 per file upload. What does that mean? If I found a typo that had slipped through my hardcover, paperback, and ebook, that’s $25 x3 file uploads for $75.

You might be saying, “Easy solution. Proofread your book and make sure there aren’t any typos.��

Trust me, that’s easier said than done. Even with a professional line editor, and even with the author and beta readers hunting for mistakes, I guarantee you that at least one error will slip through into the final manuscript. It never fails.

For a perfectionist like me, it drives me NUTS to leave it in there after I’m aware of its existence! One typo could cost $75, which is just ridiculous.

2. Indie authors have to fight a stigma against low-quality self-published books.

Earlier in this article, I mentioned that some bookstores have a no self-published books policy. There could be several reasons for that, but the one I usually suspect is�� you probably guessed it�� Amazon.

, and they have their own self-publishing company (). Not surprisingly, bookstores aren’t usually keen to carry books that are printed and distributed by their biggest competitor. But it goes deeper than that.

Because Amazon self-publishing has always been completely free to use, it developed a bad reputation early on. Authors could churn out low-quality, unedited books because it was easy for anyone and everyone with minimal writing skills to publish through Amazon without investing a dime in their books. “Self-published�� became synonymous with “low quality.��

Some bookstores have a specific policy against KDP-published books but will still allow other indie books. Others simply put a ban on ALL self-published books.

Even though self-publishing companies, including KDP, have been pushing to improve the quality of their books, indie authors still have an uphill battle to fight that lingering stigma. I’ll admit that before I published in 2018, I wanted to go the traditional route because I believed that bad reputation. I felt that self-publishing was for the authors whose books weren’t good enough to be accepted by a publishing house.

I was wrong, of course, and I wrote about that in another post: . But still, there’s no denying that the stigma exists, so indie authors need to work extra hard to make sure they’re producing high-quality books. Charging revision fees is counterproductive to that goal. Authors should be encouraged to fix mistakes in their books.

3. IngramSpark’s revision fees actively DISCOURAGED authors from fixing errors.

When rolling out their new policy to limit promo codes in 2021, IngramSpark made this public statement made to : “IngramSpark works to ensure independently published books are valued for their significant contribution to the publishing industry at large. Part of connecting the work of our joint community with readers is maintaining a catalog of books that distribution channels and end consumers can trust. In line with our ongoing catalog integrity efforts, we now limit per-account use of promotional codes to help distinguish the works of our community from the millions of mass-produced and public domain books too often found in the self-publishing landscape. In this way, , we hope to reduce bias against self-published works.”��

Basically, they claimed that they were limiting their promotional codes in order to improve the overall quality of IngramSpark-produced books and “reduce bias against self-published works.��

But�� by charging revision fees, they were doing the exact opposite. The authors who genuinely cared about the quality of their books and wanted to fix any errors were being punished, while those who didn’t care about typos or formatting issues after the book was approved just let it slide and didn’t have to pay additional fees.

By doing this, IngramSpark was encouraging authors to NOT improve their books! After all, it was cheaper to shrug and say, “Oh well. Guess there are some typos I missed!�� than it was to actually fix them.

4. IngramSpark didn’t allow authors to receive a proof copy before approving their title.

This really irked me. Once you submitted your files, IngramSpark took a day or two to process everything. Then, they sent you an eproof (a digital mock-up).

From there, you had three options: you could reject it and submit new files, approve it and make it immediately available for distribution, or approve it but NOT enable distribution so only you could order copies.

However, if you wanted to get a hard copy to review before enabling for distribution, you HAD to approve the eproof first. And once you did that, even if nobody but you was authorized to order copies, you immediately became subject to revision fees if you wanted to make changes.

First, reading an actual book is different than reading an electronic copy. My brain processes the text differently. I always catch typos, mistakes, and formatting errors that I miss on the computer screen, and I mark up sentences that I want to tweak. I really need to read the printed book for one last check.

Second, there’s no way to tell how the margins are going to look on the eproof. It all depends on how big the book is and how the pages are bound together.

This was a relatively minor grievance for me with my first two books, but with Book III, I published a two-page map for the first time. I needed to see how it printed since it was at the beginning of a thick book. Just because I’d centered it digitally on the pages didn’t mean that would be the optimal printing layout once the pages were bound and glued to the spine. Sure enough, I had to make some small adjustments. And I was charged for it because I had to approve the eproof first in order to get a hard proof copy, even though there was no way for me to accurately judge how that margin would look until I had the book in my hands.

5. Authors who won awards and wanted to boost the marketability of their book had to pay for it.

I’m incredibly fortunate to say that all three of my novels have won a . As part of the honor, I’m allowed to include an award medallion on the covers of my books.

That should be a huge accomplishment, right? Since IngramSpark claims that they care so much about maintaining high standards and reducing bias around self-published books, they should have been happy that one of their authors wanted to improve the marketability of her book by including an award on the cover and mentioning it in the About the Author section. Right?

Their response when I inquired about the possibility of waiving the revision fees to include the award on/in Book III: “I do understand where you are coming from, but policy is still a policy.��

Translation: Congrats, that’ll be $150 to update your book ($25 x3 to revise the covers for the hardcover, paperback, and ebook, and then double that amount since you’re also uploading new interior files for each format as well).

That’s more than it costs me to buy an entire box of my books!!

6. IngramSpark’s response to complaints about fees was to pay different fees to get free promo codes.

In my many exchanges back and forth with various members of IngramSpark’s customer service team, I frequently received this copied-and-pasted email template:

While we currently do not have any promotions regarding complimentary revisions, we work with several publishing associations who offer promotion codes to their members to use for complimentary title setups and revisions for print and ebook titles. Many times, the offer of complimentary title setup and free revisions more than pays for the membership fee. Check out their websites and see what they have to offer.

Is joining a publishing association a bad thing? No�� if that’s an extra expense you can afford. I had looked into joining ALLi, but after last year and going full-time with my business, it wasn’t in my budget.

And that right there is the kicker. IngramSpark was basically telling me that if I didn’t like having to pay $150 to revise my files when the book won an award, then I should pay $119 for an annual ALLi membership instead, and then I could receive free promo codes to waive their fees.

Some of us live paycheck to paycheck. Some of us put all of our savings into other aspects of publishing, such as paying a line editor, purchasing ISBNs, and ordering boxes of books to sell at local events. IngramSpark liked to play the “it’s only $25�� card, but it wasn’t. That $25 added up VERY fast when charged multiple times per file, per book format. The insensitivity from IngramSpark was infuriating, and as a result, I was truly on the fence about continuing any further with them.

I still felt that they had the best global distribution network on the market, and I honestly don’t trust Amazon/KDP due to their shady past (and, let’s be honest, current practices) of screwing over authors. A couple of years ago, I had received a paperback proof from KDP to compare against my IngramSpark books, and the print quality was noticeably lower. Hence, I kept my print books with IngramSpark even though KDP does have my Kindle ebook version. However�� when my third book won the award, KDP let me update the Kindle version for free, no strings attached. IngramSpark made me pay.

I hated that IngramSpark was forcing me to choose. Should I switch to KDP where I could afford to publish the best book I possibly could while sacrificing print quality and losing Ingram’s distribution network? Or cough up the extra money while IngramSpark treated me more like a cash cow than a respected author?

IngramSpark’s Announcement: No More Setup Fees + 60 Days of Free Revisions

This week, : starting on May 1, 2023, their setup and revision fees would be no more!

(Yep, I did a little happy dance!)

The setup fee for new titles will be completely gone. Before, you had the option of setting up a print book for $49, an ebook for $25, or a bundle print + ebook for $49. That’s $98 if you’re doing hardcover, paperback, and ebook while bundling the ebook with one of the print formats.

It’s worth noting that the revision fee isn’t completely gone. Authors will have a 60-day window from the book’s first production date to make free revisions before they start getting charged.

Ideally, I would have liked for the revision fees to go away completely. However, this is still a much better policy than their old one. At least now, authors have some time to order a proof copy for review so they can make necessary updates before they have to start paying.

Will IngramSpark eventually eliminate their revision fees completely? They might down the road. Their competitors, including KDP and B&N Press, don’t charge any revision fees at all. I’ve been predicting for a long time now that IngramSpark’s fees are hurting the company and driving indie authors to alternative self-publishing companies.

needed to strike a better balance between weeding out the types of authors who wanted a free, easy option to upload their book without putting in any extra costs (including, unfortunately, editing in many cases) vs. fostering a healthy community of authors who genuinely care about producing great books and being successful.

This feels like a great step in the right direction. IngramSpark is finally removing most of their unnecessary extra financial barriers to make self-publishing quality books accessible for authors on a tight budget.

Of course, their new policy does come with a trade-off. Although the setup fees are gone, IngramSpark will be compensating by adding a new distribution fee they didn’t have before: “Books enabled for distribution will be charged a market access fee equivalent to 1% of the local list price at the time of sale.��

This new fee will start in July 2023. In the long run, this change will certainly benefit IngramSpark. The distribution fee won’t be a one-and-done charge, so as long as authors keep selling books, IngramSpark will keep bringing in money with this new fee tacked onto every sale. 1% isn’t much, but as indie authors know all too well, a little bit from each sale does add up over time�� especially after IngramSpark recently raised the print cost to produce books. Every per-sale fee takes a little more out of an indie author’s pocket.

What are your thoughts? Are you happy about IngramSpark restructuring its fee policies? How do you feel about the new distribution fee going into effect? Please share in the comments!

The post first appeared on .

When I first published this article in 2020 after releasing my second book, I didn’t expect it to get as much traffic as it did! Since then, I’ve published my third award-winning novel, become a full-time author, and had more than 75 book-signing events in my career so far.

This blog has become a resource for writers and indie authors since its creation back in 2016. I’m glad that I’ve been able to mentor aspiring authors, both in person and through this website. It feels like a good time to revisit this post and give it an update with some new tips now that I have a lot more book signings under my belt.

If you’re reached this point in your author career, congratulations! You finished your book, survived the editing process, navigated through publishing, and now it’s time to autograph that beautiful work of art for readers. Here are my 20 tips to have a successful book signing.

Table of Contents1. Practice your signature beforehand.

An elegant autograph rarely happens by dumb luck. I spent quite a bit of time signing my name, studying the letters, and deciding how to format my signature. (I’m afraid to ask my coworkers what they thought about the scraps of paper with my name all over my desk. They probably thought I was a narcissist��)

Once I settled on a setup I liked, I practiced it over and over and over until it was second nature. Even if you’ve decided to go for the tastefully illegible scribble-scrawl, it’s still a good idea to practice on scrap paper first rather than the pristine first page of your book.

Trust me�� it’s no fun messing up your autograph!

2. Know how to sign a book �� plan what you’re going to write.

If you’re not sure how to sign a book, it’s helpful to have a basic idea of what you’re going to write before you start. You can keep it simple and just sign your name, but a lot of authors include a little note. It can be as easy as “Enjoy the book!�� or “Happy reading!��

Or you might pick a memorable quote or phrase from the book. Author DJ MacHale, for example, writes “Hobey-ho,�� which is an exclamation he invented for his Pendragon series. It’s a fun shout-out that fans appreciate.

If you have multiple books, I recommend coming up with a consistent but different phrase to write in each book. I have three books out, and unless someone requests a specific message, I write a designated note for each book. That way, it’s easy to remember what to write instead of twirling my pen trying to think of something clever, plus I know that I’m not accidentally repeating myself.

3. Have a clipboard with a sign-up sheet for your newsletter.

Hopefully you have a newsletter already, and if you don’t, I highly recommend it! Having a sheet handy at your book signing makes it easy to collect new email addresses and connect with people who seem to be genuinely interested in your book.

You might consider adding an incentive such as a prize drawing for people who sign up. It’s a great extra incentive that doesn’t cost too much since there’s only one winner. I did this for a while, although I did end up discontinuing the practice (and I didn’t see a drop in sign-ups).

Psst�� for more tips and updates (and for examples of an author’s newsletter if you’re in need of inspiration), you can !

4. Memorize your elevator pitch.

An elevator pitch is a brief summary of your book, usually about three to four sentences max. It earned its name from the scenario of standing in an elevator when an agent steps in, and you’ve got only as much time to pitch your book as it takes for the elevator to stop on the agent’s floor. Once the agent steps out of that elevator, you’ve lost your chance, so you have to make every second count.

If someone walks up to your table and asks what your book is about, you need to be able to snap off an interesting pitch in just a few sentences. This is your elevator moment; if you don’t capture your guest’s attention right away and convince them to pick up your book, they’ll simply nod politely at you and walk away.

I still remember one of my earliest book signings. I’d been struggling with my elevator pitch and couldn’t seem to stop rambling; after stumbling for a few minutes, I stopped mid-sentence, chuckled nervously, and said, “I promise I write better than I speak, and the book is better than I’m making it sound.�� Shockingly, the lady actually bought a copy! But that moment made me realize how important it was to have a concise, confident pitch.

Important elements of the elevator pitch: genre and conflict. If nothing else, get that information across. People make a quick decision about whether they’re interested enough to hear more or say “no thank you�� and leave.

5. Have a unique setup.

This will help you to stand apart, which is especially important if you’re participating in a group event such as an author fair with many other tables of books. Why should a potential customer come to yours?

I was speaking at an author panel in Racine, WI last summer. As I was setting up my display, one of the panelists walked up and said, “Oh, I know you! You’re the girl with the black feathers. I’ve seen your photos on Instagram.��

I was shocked that not only did this author know about my work, but also that the recognizable images of the feathers were so embedded in his mind that he instantly knew who I was. I absolutely embraced that association because it made me stand apart. Ravens and crows are important in my books, which is why I use the black feather aesthetic, but once I saw how critical it was to be recognizable, I incorporated the feathers into most of my table displays, the only exception being outdoor signings when the wind is too strong. I also use wax-sealed envelopes that customers aren’t allowed to open until after they finish reading the book as a way of piquing interest.

Find something unique to your book. I’ve seen others set up elaborate displays that look like they’re in medieval times with candlesticks, lanterns, quills, parchment, daggers, etc. You don’t have to overcomplicate it; simple is powerful, too. I know an author who utilizes red rose petals to great effect. Maybe a dog is a key element of your book; set a figurine of a dog on your table and incorporate paw prints into the display. Whatever it takes to stand out and draw people’s attention.

Another technique that I use is arranging my novels into a bookstagram-worthy spiraling tower. It adds some height to an otherwise low display, and it’s interesting enough to pull people in.

6. A vertical banner is a great investment!

I was participating in an author fair a few years ago and noticed that several other authors had a portable, vertical banner that easily assembled into position and didn’t require anything to mount, unlike my vinyl banner. Because I wasn’t by a wall and couldn’t attach my banner to my table due to the tablecloth, I had to sacrifice that attention-grabbing bonus.

I did a little research after that event and bought a for about $100.

Seriously�� GREAT investment!

I rarely use my vinyl banner anymore, as this one suits my needs in almost every circumstance and doesn’t take up much room, making it great for author fairs where everyone has a limited amount of space. It’s definitely an attention-grabber!

7. Give away customized bookmarks.

Adding in a free bookmark when someone buys your novel is a relatively cheap way to earn bonus points. Readers get very excited when the book comes with a bookmark! It can be a symbol from your novel, or the cover, or character art, or even just your signature, as long as it’s unique and matches your aesthetic and theme. I’ve seen a lot of authors utilize a free bookmark that doubles as their business card with all of their contact information on it.

8. Postcards are another worthwhile low-cost marketing investment.

Making postcards (again, I used ) with your cover on the front and the synopsis on the back helps you reach those uncertain readers. If someone seems to be on the fence about buying your book but then ends up walking away without making a purchase, you can give them a postcard to keep your novel in the front of their mind.

It’s helpful if you include information on the back about where they can buy it online, just in case they decide to purchase it later. They may even give your postcard away to a friend or family member who might be more interested in your novel. Either way, it boosts your chances of not being forgotten! I hand out a lot of postcards to potential readers who seem interested in the book but prefer a digital version (ebook or audiobook).

9. Have bags available for customers.

This is something I overlooked in the beginning. Sometimes, people purchase multiple copies; you don’t want to see them staggering away with their arms full. Even if they just buy one copy, they probably want to keep the book protected since it’s an autographed copy, especially if they’re at a market and will be browsing for a while.

When my first book came out, I created in the hopes that other guests at events might see the title on the bag and then recognize it when they passed my booth. As I added more books to my series, I stop spending the extra money for personalized bags and instead went to larger paper bags that could fit all three hardcovers if necessary.

Whatever you decide to use, whether it’s customized or plain, having bags on hand is a good move! Nine times out of ten, if I offer someone a bag, they say, “Yes, please!��

10. Have something tactile or interactive that draws people in.

I created collectible pins based on symbols and elements from my books. Having them in a little wooden chest for people to touch and examine gives them a more memorable experience, and it draws kids in as well.

But you can accomplish a similar strategy by having a candy dish on your table. Cookies can also be enticing!

11. Have plenty of pens on hand.

This one should be a no-brainer, but sometimes it’s so obvious that we don’t think to include it on our checklist. The last thing you want is your only pen to run out of ink in the middle of a book signing! Make sure you have several, just in case!

amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "snowy626-20";amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual";amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";amzn_assoc_region = "US";amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links";amzn_assoc_asins = "B00M382RJO";amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit";amzn_assoc_linkid = "342ba5176facca7d8b9c37ded02697b7";12. Business cards are a must.

Make it easy for people to connect with you (whether they buy a book or not). Have a business card ready to go with your name and website at a bare minimum. You can also include contact information if you’re comfortable doing so. Letting people know which social media platforms you’re on is a good idea as well.

Business cards are also good for networking, because you never know whom you’ll meet at an event! As I started doing author fairs and larger events such as festivals, comic-cons, artisan markets, et cetera, I connected with all sorts of people. There have even been some collaboration discussions. Handing either a customer or professional contact makes a good first impression.

13. Have enough starting cash in your cash box.

Again, it seems obvious, but this is a small detail that can be easily overlooked. And it’s no fun having to awkwardly admit that you can’t break a large bill to make the sale.

If you’re going to accept checks, do so at your own risk. If they bounce when you try to cash them later, there’s not much you can do. Somebody got a free book at your expense.

I do recommend allowing credit and debit payments. I use , but there are other options available. A small fee will be taken out of your total, but it’s worth it. A lot of people don’t carry much cash, so you might miss out on sales if you can’t take a card payment.

14. Optional: cosplay as your protagonist (or villain).

If you’re a where your characters aren’t exactly dressed in convention clothes, cosplay can be a fantastic way to catch attention.

For my first 18 book signing events, I didn’t cosplay. I wore a nice dress, jacket, or blouse, put on lipstick, and played the role of a professional author. And it worked out well enough.

But when my was released, I stepped up my game.

I started cosplaying at my protagonist, Cato (featured on the front and back of Book II’s cover). The reason I started doing this was directly linked to the coronavirus pandemic. Book II was released in July 2020, before vaccines were available, so rather than resent having to wear a mask for my events, I fully embraced the mandate and went all-out with Cato’s unique mask and .

The effect was particularly impactful at festival-type events with lots of booths competing for attention.

I noticed that 95% of the people I talked to when I was cosplaying were really interested in my books, whereas before, it was more like 50%.

Why?

Because I was now attracting the right crowd. Before, people would walk up without knowing anything about the book or even the genre. They just saw a normal-looking author sitting behind the booth and came over to find out what the book was about. Some people, upon learning that the book was fantasy, would immediately set it back down and say they read only nonfiction.

But when I was cosplaying, people could obviously tell at a first glance that my books were fantasy (or at the very least, not nonfiction). They were already interested before knowing any other details.

15. Bring an assistant to help you.

I am EXTREMELY fortunate to have a phenomenal assistant who accompanies me to most of my events. As an introvert, I struggle to put on a sales hat and talk to people about my work, let alone try to upsell. Having a complementary personality with me who is able to fulfill that role is a lifesaver!

Even if your assistant is a shy friend or family member, having an extra person with you makes everything go much smoother, giving you time to autograph the book and talk to your new fan while the assistant processes the payment. It also saves time setting up and tearing down your display.

16. Log all transactions in your payment-processing app.

In the beginning, I did NOT do a good job of keeping records. I was using Square for credit card transactions but not cash transactions�� and things got messy. Tax time was were a nightmare when I tried to go back and figure it all out.

Life became much simpler when I started keeping track of everything in Square. At the end of the day, I could go in and easily pull an itemized report to see every item that sold, how much sales tax I’d collected, when my peak sales hours were throughout the day, etc. Not only that, but I could go back to any day, month, year, whatever period I needed and have a complete report at my fingertips.

17. Art attracts attention �� find a way to leverage that focal point.

I knew that I was going to have maps published in my third book. What I didn’t know was how eye-catching the first map would be when I incorporated it into my setup last year.

To my surprise, it drew people in like a moth to a flame, especially fans of D&D. I even had people ask me if the map was for sale even though they knew nothing about the book series!

Maps are great, but really, any bold, prominent artwork can have a similar effect. Just make sure that you credit the artist if it’s not your own work.

18. Don’t get discouraged if the event has a slow start.

I’m a night owl. My target niche also seems to be on a similar schedule. When I do festivals and markets that last all day, I usually don’t start getting momentum until mid-day. It’s easy to keep checking my early numbers and get discouraged, but I remind myself that if I had the choice, I �ɴdzܱ����’t be up at that time, either.

Be patient. Learn about your audience over time. You’ll eventually know when to expect sales peaks. If you’re like me, those bursts are more likely to come in the morning than the afternoon (or maybe you’re vice-versa).

19. Engage with people.

This is another one that feels like a no-brainer but still needs to be said. I’ve seen so many vendors hunched over at the back of their booth, eyes glued to their phone. They look unapproachable if anyone has a question.

You definitely don’t want to give that impression! Smile at people. Say hello. Make eye contact. You don’t have to be an obnoxious salesperson; there’s a nice middle ground. You’ll sell more books if you’re nice and engaging.

20. Be memorable.

This is going a step further than just having a unique setup. How you cement a memorable experience for fans is totally up to you!

When someone buys a book from me at an event, I let them pick out a wax-sealed envelope. I put them together myself, so each wax seal is a different combination of colors. Once the person picks out their favorite color, they see the other side of the envelope, which says that they aren’t allowed to open it until after they finish reading the book.

It’s a fun, memorable way to end our transaction, not to mention it encourages people to actually read the book. (I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you what’s in the envelopes).

That’s a very specific example of one way I make sure people remember meeting me. I will note that putting together the wax-sealed envelopes is very time-consuming, so that might not be something you want to tackle.

But you can still accomplish a similar result in other ways. Letting the customer choose something makes the experience interactive. You could have a variety of bookmarks or book-themed stickers and let them select their favorite as a free gift with their book. Or set up a photographic background and encourage them to get a selfie with you. Or create some sort of game or challenge.

Whatever you decide to do, just make sure that they remember meeting you!

Relax! You’re going to have fun!

It’s easy to get stressed out, but there’s really no need to! If people are interested in your book, they’ll ask you questions and push the conversation forward. The more events you do, the more comfortable you’ll become when you’re talking about your book.

I initially found it to be very awkward when first talking about my first novel. Because I write fantasy and had plenty of invented words, I felt very uncomfortable saying them aloud because I hadn’t practiced. Even saying the characters�� names out loud felt weird! And no, they’re not complicated names. It’s just a very strange feeling to have these people in your head for so long, and saying their names suddenly makes them feel real but taboo, as if you’re giving up a carefully guarded secret.

Don’t be discouraged if you have some events without selling a single book. It happens. If you’re a new author, people don’t know who you are yet. It’s okay; still take photos and add that signing event to your résumé. It’s another notch on your experience belt, and nobody else has to know that you didn’t sell any books! Just post a photo of you smiling with your display and let people know that you’re out signing books. Stay positive! Keep putting yourself out there.

What I love is seeing the evolution of interactions at book signing events. When I first started, I was a complete nobody. The types of questions readers would ask me were very generic: what’s your book about? How long did it take you to write it? What made you want to be an author? How did you get published? I was happy to answer those questions, of course, and I do still get them frequently.

But now that people are becoming familiar with my series, the questions are much more specific. People tell me who their favorite character is and ask me how to pronounce words. They hypothesize what’s going to happen in the next book. They ask me about symbolism and whether or not I had intended for the fantasy story to have so many parallels to current societal issues happening right now. I’m thrilled to have these much more in-depth conversations with fans who know the story, know the characters, and can contribute ideas and opinions!

I hope these tips are helpful! Just remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and the more book signing events you do, the more you’ll learn until you’re easily able to tailor your methods and displays to suit your personal needs. Good luck!

Originally published on September 11, 2020

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If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I’m transparent and candid about my experiences as an indie author. I write these articles to share my story, advice, mistakes, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way so I can help other new and aspiring authors.

When I was younger and I daydreamed about being an author, I imagined sitting at a table in a cozy bookstore with a line of readers waiting, my book in their arms, eagerly waiting for my signature. That’s the portrayal in movies and television shows, after all. It’s how you know you’ve “made it�� as an author.

(I’m willing to bet that a lot of other aspiring authors dream about that scenario, too.)

But, no surprise, reality doesn’t fall in line with daydreams.

I published my first novel in 2018, and I quickly learned that although the idea of traveling from bookstore to bookstore meeting fans is a pleasant notion, it’s not realistic if you’re banking on making a living selling your books.

Maybe that could be a reality for me someday, if I ever become an internationally famous author who sells millions of books.

Maybe.

But today, I rarely agree to do bookstore signings anymore, and I’ll explain why. My experience is based on being an indie (self-published) author. This perspective might be a completely different story for traditionally published authors who have agents and marketing specialists working for them behind the scenes.

My perspective comes from self-publishing three award-winning fantasy novels in the last four and a half years (in the middle of a pandemic). For me, deciding whether or not to do a bookstore signing comes down to two primary factors: traffic and profits.

Unless you’re a well-known author, don’t expect much foot traffic.

I hate to be a downer, but the truth is, bookstore traffic is pretty sparse compared to other types of events I’ve done. Unfortunately, there isn’t going to be a line of people wrapping around the block for you.

I’ve set up shop in small, independent bookstores as well as larger Barnes & Noble stores, and most of that time was spent sitting behind a table with nothing to do. Some people stopped by to check out my books and ask questions, but I found that the chances were about 50/50 that the reader would be interested in my genre. Other people adamantly avoided eye contact as they browsed the shelves (readers tend to be introverts�� so can you really blame them?).

Despite the bookstore advertising my signing, and despite my own efforts on social media and local press releases, there just wasn’t much going on. Now, to be fair, I’m based in the Midwest. It might be a different story if you’re in a big city like NYC. In my experience, bookstore signings had very low organic traffic. A few people came to see me specifically, but I wasn’t reaching a broad range of new readers like I needed to.

After doing my 2019 B&N book signing tour that took me to seven cities in three states, I started tapping into other types of events—festivals, comic-cons, artisan markets, etc. Places where there was MUCH higher foot traffic and the built-in opportunity to reach a lot more people without extra advertising.

When I first started, I wondered if people would even be interested in books at these types of venues. Turns out, they were! I sold out of paperbacks for my first novel at the first festival I did, which was an Independence Day celebration. I was the only author there.

I attribute the success not only to good traffic, but also to less competition. If people liked books, my booth was the only place to get them, not to mention the opportunity to meet the author and get the novels autographed at an event where people were already shopping for crafts, keepsakes, food, etc. At some events, there were one or two other authors with booths, but even though we were all selling our books, we usually had different genres and therefore weren’t closely competing for the same fan base.

In a bookstore setting, selling more than 5 books was a good day. At a festival or market, I often sold 20, 30, even 50 books. If you’re planning on making money as an author, that’s a huge leap in sales and exposure. Which leads me into my next point��

Bookstores take a hefty cut out of your profit margins.

Typically, bookstores handle your book sales one of two ways when you do a signing.

Option one: they order their own copies to the store. This means they’re buying the books from your distributor and paying the wholesale price for them. Depending on your distributor, that’s probably a 35-55% discount off the retail price, plus subtracting the print cost.

In my case, depending on the size of the book and whether it’s a paperback or hardcover, I’m pocketing between 11.5% and 20.9% profits from the retail price after factoring in those costs and wholesale discounts.

The good part about this method is once your signing is done, any unsold books remain at the bookstore to go on the shelf and potentially reach more readers after you’re gone. And of course, you can usually autograph them so they have higher value.

Option two: the bookstore takes a 40% cut of your sales during the signing, but you supply the books. At face value, it doesn’t sound like a bad deal. They host the venue and advertise your signing, and you get 60% of each sale. You’re taking home a bigger percentage�� right?

Not exactly.

The 60/40 split is an industry standard, but it’s based solely on the price of the book being sold to a customer. What it doesn’t account for is the money that you have to pay to get the books.

When you do the math, you’re losing more than you think. For example, one of my paperback books retails for $19.99. But each book costs $7.83 to print, then $1.04 per unit in shipping costs (after dividing the total shipping amount by the number of books in a box). So, when someone buys a book from me, I’m not actually getting $19.99. I’m getting $9.72 per book after factoring out the sales tax. That’s 48.6% of the retail price.

With that in mind, it’s a completely different picture when I tell you that bookstores take 40% of every sale I make at a signing considering that I’m making only 48.6% BEFORE they take their cut. Since more than half of my profits are already going into the printing/shipping costs, the bookstore is walking away with about $8 per book (40% of $20) while I’m getting just over $3 in profits. That math is going to vary a little since the bookstore adds sales tax on top of the retail price (I don’t do that when selling the books myself because it’s easier to charge people an even $20 at events), but you get the picture.

60% sounds good at face value, but that’s not the profit you’re actually getting. In terms of money, a bookstore signing is much more profitable for the store than it is for the person who wrote and published the book.

Bookstores don’t seem to acknowledge (or realize?) that a 60/40 cut is actually a hard blow for indie authors, especially with the cost to print/ship books on the rise. Because I decided not to raise the price of my most recent hardcover, my profit margin is so low that I would be in the red if I lost 40% of the sale to a bookstore. I literally can’t afford to do a bookstore signing with that particular novel. Because my margins are better for paperbacks than they are for hardcovers, I do only paperbacks now for bookstore signings.

When Do I Recommend Doing Bookstore Signings?

At this point in my career, I’m pursuing two goals: make enough money to earn a living and expand my fan base by reaching as many readers as possible. For both of those reasons, bookstores really aren’t on my radar at the moment. I typically consider doing a bookstore signing for two reasons:

Exposure OpportunitySupporting the Bookstore

Bookstores can still be an adequate source of exposure, especially if you’re able to book a signing during another event that’s happening at the store. I’ve done several author fairs at bookstores, and those are fun because you have the opportunity to meet other authors, network, and cross-market with each other to draw more readers to the event, especially if the other authors write in a variety of genres.

As my event schedule fills throughout the year, sometimes I end up with open weekends. In lieu of alternative festivals, markets, or conventions, a bookstore signing can be a nice filler. It is, after all, more exposure and revenue than sitting at home.

I’m also more likely do bookstore signings if the store is a small, local bookstore that deserves support. For those events, I acknowledge that the bookstore will make more than double the profits on my books than I do. That’s just the way it is. At that point, I’m not doing it for the money; I simply enjoy supporting indie bookstores to help keep them in business.

Bookstore signings at this time are not very profitable for me, nor do they garner much foot traffic compared to the festivals, markets, conventions, and other types of events I do.

I’m not saying that new authors ����dzܱ����’t do bookstore signings. But if traffic, exposure, and profits are your top priorities, then a bookstore probably isn’t where you want to be focusing the brunt of your attention.

I recommend starting with local festivals and markets in your area, even if they’re not themed around books or your particular genre. (In fact, it’s probably better if they aren’t—less competition is a good thing.) See how you do. You might be surprised, as I was! And the results just might alter the trajectory of your in-person marketing plans.

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On March 3rd, Literary Titan announced their latest round of book awards�� officially making a three-time award-winning series!

The award comes less than a month after ‘s official release.

Book III aesthetic The author just revealed the Blood of the Enemy cover! What do you think?

On the same day, the shipment of Book III finally arrived! These are the first 50 copies ever printed. They’ll all be autographed, numbered, and stickered as a limited copy from the first print run. Several have already been claimed by my Alpha-level , who receive free copies as part of their membership perk.

Others were preordered from my website to either be picked up or shipped. The is still live, so if you would like to secure a copy for yourself, you can still do so.

Look what arrived on this nasty, snowy, rainy, slushy day! Luckily, I happened to see the mailman dropping the boxes over the fence so I could snag them right away. This is the FIRST print run of Book 3! These 50 books will be autographed and numbered as limited copies. Some of these books have already been claimed by Patreon subscribers and fans who pre-ordered on my website. If you want to secure one of these copies yourself, you can still place an order on my website at Or, if you’re local, you can join me for a special Book III signing at the Co-Op Shoppes on State Street in La Porte, IN on March 11th from 10 am to 2 pm.

I will be selling and signing copies of Book III on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at the Co-Op Shoppes on State Street in La Porte, IN from 10 am to 2 pm. If you’re local, stop by to say hi and snag one of these limited copies before they’re all gone!

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When I started writing my first novella in eight grade and my first full-length fantasy novel in high school, I had no idea that I’d someday be an award-winning published author. It’s been a long and incredibly fulfilling journey, and I’ve learned a lot along the way.

I meet a lot of aspiring authors when I do events, and I get tons of questions about writing and publishing. Originally, this blog started as a back in 2016. It was a place for me to share my unpublished writing, art, and photography.

Since publishing my first novel two years later, this website has evolved into a resource where I share tips and information about writing, publishing, marketing, etc.

In this article, I’m here to share some advice about how to improve your writing. These tips are simple in theory but might take a little time to master. Once you do, though, your writing will never be the same!

Here are my top three tips for writers who want to improve their craft:

Table of Contents1. Add Sensory Details

These little details can separate amateur writing from superb prose.

When I hear readers discuss their favorite books and say things like, “I felt like I was right there with the characters�� or “it completely sucked me into the world,�� they’re almost always talking about sensory details, even if they don’t realize it.

Many writers have at least a basic grasp on visual descriptions. But a common pitfall for new writers is focusing exclusively on describing what everything looks like. The truth is, we don’t experience our environment using only our eyes.

A scene can be greatly enhanced simply by adding more sensory details. What does the character smell? Hear? Feel? Is the wind blowing? Is the smell of food making them hungry? Are they touching things—a smooth metal railing, a warm windowsill, a soft blanket, rough tree bark? What do they taste when they’re eating? Is the food salty? Sweet? Spicy? Cold? Stale? Is the texture crunchy when they take a bite?

Examine your scenes and look for opportunities to upgrade your writing with other sensory details beyond visual descriptions. Once you start looking for places to expand upon these details, you might be surprised by how many opportunities you’ll find. This simple tip can add a LOT of depth to your writing.

2. Keep Dialogue Casual

One of the biggest red flags I see when reading work from new writers is overly formal dialogue. The usual culprit? Failing to utilize contractions.

Writing dialogue is not the same as writing an academic essay.

When you speak, are you more likely to say, “I don’t understand�� or “I do not understand��? The first one flows naturally off the tongue. The second one feels a bit robotic when you read it aloud, doesn’t it? Using contractions is one of the easiest first steps to making your dialogue more casual and realistic.

Pay attention to how people around you speak. Pay attention to how you speak. People don’t use grammatically perfect sentences. They often answer with a phrase rather than a complete sentence. They also use interjections such as um, uh, er, well, etc. Not to mention trailing off without finishing�� And then switching to a new thought or rephrasing their idea if they were struggling to find the right words.

People are also prone to interrupting each other. Don’t be afraid to let that happen in your writing. My characters are constantly cutting each other off and engaging in quick back-and-forth dialogue that isn’t always completed.

I’m incredibly fortunate to say that writing dialogue is something that came naturally to me, but if you find yourself struggling with it, I’d recommend going to a public place such as a coffee shop or a park where you can sit and listen to the conversations around you. Take notes if you need to�� but don’t be creepy! Try to notice the speech patterns and imagine your characters partaking in the conversation.

It also helps to read your writing aloud. When you read your dialogue, does it sound forced? Would you talk like that in a normal conversation?

3. Mix Speech + Action

Dialogue is an important part of writing, but when it drags on and on, it can get�� tedious. Even if the information is important.

When you’re talking to someone, are you both holding perfectly still? Probably not. If you pay attention to people, you’ll notice that they’re constantly in motion. Tapping their fingers on the table, looking out the window, glancing at their phone, scratching their nose, fiddling with a bracelet, bouncing their foot, picking at a hangnail, sipping on a drink, etc.

Mentioning these little motions is an excellent way to help break up dialogue. It feels natural and realistic, not to mention it gives the brain a short reprieve from the constant quotes and “s/he said�� speech tags.

Remember that you need to start a new paragraph every time a new speaker talks. However, if one speaker has a lot to say, it’s a good idea to break that paragraph up into smaller ones since readers are prone to losing focus if your paragraphs are too long.

Personally, I don’t love breaking a paragraph in the middle of a quote. It’s technically correct as far as English grammar goes, but I find it disruptive. Adding action helps me create a natural break. Maybe the character pauses to take a sip of water before continuing, or they shake their head and heave a deep sigh before dropping bad news. That action break is an excellent opportunity to divide a long paragraph without cutting a quote in half.

For example, below is a short scene from my latest novel , which is the third novel in the series.

In this scene, Madison and Wes are having a conversation, but they’re both preoccupied. Wes’s attention is focused outside, and Madison is making a sandwich while she’s talking. Not only is their conversation broken by physical actions, but it’s also interrupted by unrelated questions, such as Madison asking where the plates are as she hunts for various items in the kitchen.

All of this helps the scene to flow naturally instead of a comparably boring “he said, she said�� exchange with two characters standing completely motionless in a room.

Wes was so close to the window that his nose was pressed against the glass. “There, on the porch step. Do you see it?��

Madison’s focus shifted to the foreground. On the porch step, a fluffy white cat was sprawled in the sunshine, dozing contentedly.

“The cat?��

“Yeah.�� Wes’s breath fogged the window for a moment before the glass cleared again. “Does it look suspicious to you?��

“What?�� Madison studied it for a few seconds. Except for a lazy tail flick, it didn’t move. “Um, no. Why?��

He finally leaned away from the window, although his intense stare didn’t leave the furry interloper napping on his step. “The thing about Amínytes is, they have a telltale marking. Their right front foot—paw, wing, whatever—is always white. Which makes it easy to identify certain species—I mean, you don’t usually see foxes or squirrels with a white paw—but cats and dogs are harder to spot.��

“Oh,�� Madison said, finally grasping his bizarre reaction. “You think that’s Kit?��

“I don’t know. It hasn’t moved in twenty minutes.��

Madison turned away and started opening cupboards. “Well, Kit probably has better things to do than sleep all day in your backyard, so I’m going to take a wild guess that it isn’t her. And you’re going to drive yourself insane if you’re suspicious of every single cat with a white paw in Phantom Heights. Where are your plates?��

“Left of the sink. But, even if it’s not Kit, it might be spying on me.��

Madison set a plate on the counter and muttered, “Then why don’t you go ask it what it wants?��

Wes shot her a cold look from the corner of his eye. “You’re not taking this seriously, are you?��

“Of course not. You’re being ridiculous and paranoid. Peanut butter?��

“P���Գٰ���.��

She nodded in acknowledgment and rounded the island, pausing at the fridge to hunt for a jar of preserves before continuing to the pantry. “Hey, Wes?�� Madison asked as she skimmed the shelves. “How long does it usually take to recover from a burnout?�� She finally spotted the jar and returned to the counter. “Wes?��

Taking a closer look at the dialogue, you’ll notice that these characters are definitely not using formal grammar and complete sentences. Wes’s first line in this excerpt is, “There, on the porch step.�� When talking about Amínytes, he interrupts his own train of thought twice, as marked by em dashes. He and Madison also communicate with one-word questions and answers. (Peanut butter? Pantry.)

Meanwhile, Madison is in a nearly constant state of motion during the exchange. She’s opening cupboards, walking around the kitchen, setting a plate on the counter, searching for ingredients, etc. When Wes directs her to the pantry, she doesn’t answer aloud; she nods in acknowledgment. Body language becomes part of her dialogue.

Although the sensory details are subtle, they’re still present. You can almost feel the warmth of sunshine on the porch step where the cat is dozing, and the moisture of Wes’s breath on the glass, and the sound of Madison setting a plate down. Writers can capture sensory details without having to say, “Wes felt�� or “Madison heard�� every time. As your writing becomes more and more descriptive, you’ll start to naturally weave in sensory details without even noticing.

It’s taken over a decade of writing for me to reach this point, and there’s still so much to learn. Writing is one of those trades where you’ll be a lifelong student. Every writer has a unique voice, but we grow by studying each other and paying attention to different styles until we eventually pull all of these pieces together and develop our own voice.

Of course, there are many, many more tips to becoming a great writer. Hopefully, these three introductory lessons were valuable. I know these tips have helped me in my career!

The post first appeared on .

, the third novel in the  series, is finally here!

In my , I shared the target 02.08.23 release date and the factors that caused the delay from the original 2022 goal, plus I unveiled new website pages and unlocked several Patreon posts. You can also read my about Book III.

Now that the release date is finally here, what do you need to know about Book III (and how to get your hands on a copy)? Here are some FAQs to help:

Table of ContentsWhat Does the Cover Look Like?

If you’re one of my Kálos or Alpha , you’ve gotten exclusive sneak peeks at the cover during various stages when I was working on it. (If you missed a post, you can see all cover-related Patreon posts .)

If you follow me on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook, you might have seen my unboxing video and cover reveal when the first proof copies arrived!

The proof copies have arrived!! Here is the very first look at Book III in print!

Although Blood of the Enemy’s cover follows the same pattern as the first two covers, Axel’s snarling face hidden in shadow definitely gives the book a darker vibe, especially when you notice his sharp fangs and the blood dripping down the back page. Rayven also made an appearance on the back cover, clutching his telltale ivory Amínyte pendant in his talons.

Can I Buy the Book on February 8th?

Probably not. Although the book is being released on 02.08.23, it takes time for retailers to upload the metadata from IngramSpark and add all of the information onto their websites.

Depending on the retailer, it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Based on my past experience, Amazon and Barnes & Noble are both usually pretty quick, but I can’t guarantee when the book will be available through any particular retailer.

How Can I Preorder a Copy from the FIRST Print Run?

For the first time, I’m offering preorders! This wasn’t something I was equipped to do with the first two books, but I’m better prepared to do it with Book III.

I will have fifty books arriving in the next few weeks. These copies will be the first official print run for BOTE, and they’ll be numbered and autographed. I don’t know how quickly these first fifty will sell out, so the best chance to secure one is by preordering.

You can preorder Blood of the Enemy . Please make sure that you read all of the instructions, as there are two separate buttons you’ll have to click to submit everything. One is a form providing important information such as what name you want printed in the book (if applicable), your contact info, and whether you want to pick up the book yourself at a local event/drop-off point or have it shipped to your address. The other button is for your payment. Please note: there’s an extra $5 charge for shipping.

If you preorder, you’ll also receive a tea light sample of the and the five BOTE-designed pins for free! (If you didn’t already know, the paw print design is my cat Calypso’s signature.)

***This special offer is ONLY for preorders***

Preorders help me out a LOT, enabling me to estimate demands for the book and have startup capital to place the order for the first print run. I’ve already received several preorders—THANK YOU to those who have placed their orders!!

When Will the Paperback & Ebook Versions Be Available?

�³����� launched, I tried to release all three versions—hardcover, paperback, and ebook—at the same time. Throw in the beginning of the pandemic causing massive delays with my distributor, and it was a nightmare. I did somehow manage to get all three formats out just in the nick of time, but I put a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure on myself.

(Remember, I do all of the interior print formatting, cover designs, uploading, and proofing myself. I do hire an ebook formatter, but most of the publishing tasks still fall on me.)

For BOTE, I decided to take a step back and release it the same way I did  with the hardcover coming first. The paperback and ebook will follow soon after, but there will be a delay, which means if you’re holding out for those formats, you’ll have about another month or so to wait. Because the hardcover and paperback are different sizes, I have to format them separately. For my own sanity, I needed to focus on the hardcover first.

This month, now that the hardcover is finally done, I’ll be working on formatting the paperback while my ebook formatter works on the epub file. My goal is to release the other two versions in March.

Do I Need to Reread the First Two Books?

Ideally, I recommend rereading both of the first books if you can. There are a lot of details that finally tie together in Blood of the Enemy. But if you can’t (which I totally understand), I definitely recommend reading at least Chapter 46 through the epilogue of Book II for a quick refresher.

When I say that Book III picks up where II ended, I’m not exaggerating. You’ll want to read through the final battle so you can shift into BOTE without wondering what the heck is happening.

Reminder: there’s a guide available  that provides a quick recap of definitions, places, and characters. It might be beneficial to help you remember!

Are There Book Club Questions?

A Fallen Hero�����Ի���Phantom’s Mask both have book club discussion questions/topics .��Blood of the Enemy book club material has now been added to this page. These topics are designed to inspire thoughtful discussions about the book. Each PDF is broken into ten-chapter segments.

NOTE: There are spoilers in these documents! Don’t access the material until after you’ve read the respective section of Book III.

What Is the Price & Page Count of Book III?

Although Book III is the biggest novel so far (and therefore has a higher print cost than the other two), I decided to keep it at the same price as Book II. That means the hardcover will be priced at $29.99 USD, the paperback will be $24.99, and the ebook will be $7.99.

If at all possible, my goal is to not raise my book prices, although I can’t guarantee anything since the print cost per book and the overall shipping costs have both increased since the pandemic started.

The page counts of the hardcovers for comparison:

A Fallen Hero: 378 pages
Phantom’s Mask: 481 pages
Blood of the Enemy: 500 pages

What Did Beta Readers Think of BOTE?

Last year, I asked some of my beta readers to share their overall thoughts about Blood of the Enemy. Here’s what they had to say:

“Book 3 is another award-winning novel, believe me!��

“I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and it doesn’t disappoint! These characters continue to grow and change as they struggle to make a place for themselves in a hostile world. Ms. Noë has written another wonderful novel!��

“Book III starts strong and doesn’t slow down. The pacing is immaculate�� The careful attention to the psychology behind the characters�� motives is raw, genuine, relatable, and compelling.��

“Two minutes after cracking Book III, I was hooked. The drama keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the development of characters is mesmerizing. Ms. Noë uses each page to lure you deeper into the unique lives of the characters and the mythical world where suspense and family loyalty are deeply rooted.��

The first editorial review also came in from , who had this to say (a link to their full review will be available after the book is on Amazon):

“This is a beautifully written tale with tragic characters haunted by the past while trying to ensure the future and deal with people who don’t always understand the inner turmoil they’re going through. A wonderful continuation of this teen and young adult saga Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms.��

Can I Purchase Prints of the Maps?

Yes! Blood of the Enemy has a special feature that the first two books didn’t have��! Readers can explore the Ghost Realm, the town of Phantom Heights, and the floorplan of Saros Manor. I created these maps myself, and I’m in the middle of creating a lot of fun .

Concepts vs. final renderings. These maps will be published in Book III: Blood of the Enemy next month! (My Patreon subscribers can watch me create all of them in exclusive timelapse videos)

The map of Avilésor was on display at many of my events last year, but it hadn’t been for sale. Now that the maps have been finalized for publication, that’s changed. I debuted new poster board prints of the three maps during my first 2023 event, and I’ll have them available for sale at most events moving forward.

(FYI, the Phantom Heights map had some small changes made between the proof copy and the final�� which means there are only four limited-edition prints of the proof version. They are numbered and signed. Once they’re gone, they’ll be replaced with the updated version!)

At this time, these map prints are event-exclusive. I don’t sell them online or in brick-and-mortar stores. As Book III and the maps roll out into the early 2023 event season, I’ll likely be experimenting with new products that feature the maps.

I’m so excited to have these poster board map prints available at my next event!

Now, the only question is�� are you ready for Book III: Blood of the Enemy???

The post first appeared on .

Table of ContentsTarget Release Date: February 2023

The tentative release date for Book III: Blood of the Enemy is February 8, 2023.

Why is this date tentative?

I’ve already submitted the files to IngramSpark, received and approved the electronic proof, and ordered proof copies. At this point in the process, the timing of everything is largely dependent on the distributor now—how long they take to print the proof copies, then how long it takes those books to be shipped and delivered so some of my beta readers and I can review the proofs to check for errors, typos, formatting issues, etc.

If those steps happen relatively quickly, I’ll be in good shape to meet the deadline. If there are delays printing/shipping the books�� there’s not really anything I can do.

Why did I choose February 8th?

If you’ve read the first two books, you might have noticed that the numbers seven and eight are important. They’re part of the prophecy that appears throughout the series, not to mention Cato is A7 and there are eight Alpha ghosts in total.

That’s why was published on August 7th (8/7) and on July 8th (7/8).

February 8th will be 2/8/23.

2+8+2+3 = 15

7+8 = 15

Why Didn’t Book III Makes Its 2022 Goal?

I discussed this topic a bit in when reflecting on the past year. The short answer? Life got hectic and expensive. The long answer�� 2022 was a perfect storm of delays on multiple fronts.

At this time last year, I was working a day job as a freelance writer for an agency. I didn’t think I was ready to turn my writing and art into a full-time career�� but when that lifeline was cut, I had two options. Start the tedious process of skimming job listings and filling out applications, or take a chance on myself and go all in on my own business.

I realized that I really, really didn’t want to work for yet another boss. I’ve never loved any of my jobs, nor have I aspired to work my way up any corporate ladders and turn a day job into a full-time career. They’ve always just been paychecks so I can pursue my real passions. I was tired of spending so much of my time working to make a boss’s vision come true instead of my own. I decided to take the risk and go with option #2.

But, as I learned, running my LLC as a full-time business meant a lot more time and responsibilities. It meant packing a full schedule of events so I had enough income, keeping up with vendor deadlines, managing budgets, and maintaining records. All of that was on top of all the responsibilities that already fall on an indie author—marketing, posting on social media, creating Patreon content, keeping my blog active, drafting the monthly newsletter, writing/editing the next book, etc.

Book III went through multiple rounds of editing in 2022—first my own edits, then beta reader notes, then the tedious process of the line edit. I created my own cover, took my own author photo, did the interior layout myself, and drew multiple maps to be printed in this novel.

Basically, time was not my friend last year. I had too much to do and not enough time to manage it all with the busy event schedule.

Then, factor in the . If everything had gone according to plan, Phantom’s Mask would have been released in 2020 (which it was), the audiobook for A Fallen Hero would have launched in 2021, and Blood of the Enemy in 2022. But COVID delayed the , which partially funded the audiobook project, by a full year. That, in turn, delayed the audiobook so it landed right on top of Book III’s target 2022 publication, taking even more time away from me while I focused on the audiobook launch and virtual tour. I had to prioritize the audiobook first because it was funded in part by a state grant that had a strict deadline. BOTE had to take a back seat.

Then, add in the financial burden. Self-publishing is expensive (but, as I learned, audiobook production is even MORE expensive). Unfortunately, the audiobook went over the estimated budget, which was already high to begin with. I simply didn’t have the financial means to cover Book III’s publication costs at the same time as the audiobook, all while trying to lift my business off the ground and make it a sustainable source of income. Gotta pay the bills first, right?

Time. Capacity. Financial resources. None of those factors were in my favor. I had a hard time admitting it, but I was stretched too thin.

I’d hoped to have Book III out before the holidays, but then COVID finally caught up with me for the first time. After about a week, I’d shaken off the worst of the illness, but the fatigue stayed with me for a while.

As much as I hated pushing Blood of the Enemy back in the schedule, it had to be done. If you know me, you know that I’m a perfectionist. I didn’t want to sacrifice the quality of the book by trying to rush through the publication just to get it out.

Special Request from the Author

My home base is northwest Indiana, specifically La Porte and Michigan City. For local fans, it would help me out a lot if readers purchased Book III directly from me or stopped into the Co-Op Shoppes on State Street in La Porte to pick up a copy.

Amazon is convenient, but it’s probably no surprise to hear that they take a big cut out of an author’s royalties. The more I can sell locally, the better. (Not to mention they’d be autographed, which you can’t get from Amazon!)

I spoke with the owner of the Co-Op Shoppes at the end of last year. She hosted the first signing for both A Fallen Hero and Phantom’s Mask when they were each released, and she’s ready to host another local signing for Blood of the Enemy once I receive copies. I will also be leaving signed copies there.

For BOTE, I’m trying something new that I haven’t done before. I’ll be accepting preorders for autographed hardcovers. If you would like to preorder and secure a copy from the very first print run, please contact me (email, social media dm, etc.). I can accept PayPal, Venmo, or Square payments, or cash if you’re local. No checks unless I know you personally.

I don’t know how quickly the first batch will sell out, so preordering is the only way to guarantee a copy as soon as the shipment arrives, plus having that list will give me a better idea about demand so I can plan how many to order.

New Pages on the Chronicles of Avilésor Website

The has gone red!

The green eye on the homepage has been updated for the BOTE launch. Speaking of Book III, you’ll now find that Blood of the Enemy has its own on the website. It includes the book blurb, links to related content, and videos. This page will see updates over the next few weeks after the cover reveal. Links will be added to shop online once the book is released, and reviews will be added over time.

(In the meantime, check out the first review from Literary Titan!)

Blood of the Enemy isn’t the only new page on the official CoA site! Under Art in the top menu, you’ll now find a section dedicated to the maps that will be published in BOTE.

Explore the Ghost Realm, Phantom Heights, and Saros Manor. have already gotten sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes videos of these graphics while they were being created, and now the for fans to see.

Patreon Posts Unlocked for Public Access

I’ve been releasing a lot of patron-exclusive content about what’s happening behind the scenes as I prepare for Book III’s publication. With the upcoming publication date so close, I decided to unlock some of these posts for public access. Even if you’re not a member of my Patreon community, you can now access these images, videos, and articles:

This is, of course, only a small sample of the content you’ll find if you become a Patreon subscriber. Related Blood of the Enemy posts that are still exclusive for patrons include:

(This poll is closed, but Alpha subscribers got the chance to vote on a name for a character in Blood of the Enemy)

Over the next few weeks (while I wait for the proof copies of Book III to arrive), I’ll continue to work on the series of patron-exclusive posts that explore the planning, design, and creation of Phantom Heights and Saros Manor. If you’re a fan of the series and interested in mapmaking and worldbuilding, it’s a great time to join the community and access this content!

For more information about Patreon and how the subscriptions help to directly support my art/publishing career, check out the . Patrons at different levels also get some fun perks such as free merch, exclusive discounts, and even a place or minor character named after them in a future book!

The post first appeared on .

Hello, fellow book dragons! Looking for book-themed holidays to celebrate this year?

I’ve compiled a list of literary holidays for readers, writers, grammar-lovers, and bilbliophiles so you can make sure your favorites are marked on your calendar. This list is updated for 2023 with some new bookish holidays that have been added from .

Table of ContentsJANUARY 2023

Jan 1: | |

Jan 2:

Jan 3:

Jan 8-14: (Second full week of January)

Jan 9:

Jan 10: (Second Tuesday of January)

Jan 16:

Jan 18: | (author ‘s birthday)

Jan 23:

Jan 25: (poet ‘s birthday) | (fourth Wednesday of January)

Jan 30 �� Feb 6:

FEBRUARY 2023

Feb 1: |

Feb 4:

Feb 5-11: (First week of February)

Feb 9:

Feb 12-18: (Second week of February)

Feb 14: | |

Feb 20:

Feb 26:

MARCH 2023

Mar 2:

Mar 4:

Mar 5-11: |

Mar 14:

Mar 16:

Mar 20:

Mar 21:

Mar 25:

Mar 30:

APRIL 2023

Apr 1: |

Apr 2:

Apr 4:

Apr 10:

Apr 12:

Apr 13: |

Apr 15: |

Apr 16:

Apr 17:

Apr 18:

Apr 23: | |

Apr 23-29:

Apr 25: (Tuesday of National Library Week)

Apr 26: (Wednesday of National Library Week �� formerly National Bookmobile Day)

Apr 27: |

Apr 28:

Apr 30: (Last Saturday of April)

MAY 2023

May 1:

May 2: (Anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts)

May 2-8:

May 3:

May 5:

May 6: | (First Saturday of May)

May 9: Peter Pan Day

May 12:

May 16:

May 22:

May 25: (in honor of author )

May 31:

JUNE 2023

Jun 10:

Jun 16: (in honor of writer )

Jun 19:

Jun 23:

JULY 2023Read an Almanac Month

Jul 4:

Jul 30:

AUGUST 2023

Aug 2:

Aug 9:

Aug 18:

Aug 21:

Aug 25:

Aug 30: (author ‘s birthday)

Aug 31:

SEPTEMBER 2023 (also December)

Sept 6:

Sept 7:

Sept 8: |

Sept 11:

Sept 13:

Sept 18:

Sept 17-23:

Sept 22: |

Sept 24:

Sept 25:

OCTOBER 2023

Oct 1:

Oct 1-7: | (Starts on the first Sunday of October) | (First full week of October)

Oct 6:

Oct 8:

Oct 11:

Oct 12: |

Oct 16:

Oct 15-21: (Third week of October)

Oct 17:

Oct 20:

Oct 27: (Last Friday in October)

Oct 31:

NOVEMBER 2023 (NaNoWriMo)

Nov 1: |

Nov 2: (First Thursday of November)

Nov 5-11:

Nov 7-13:

Nov 12:

Nov 13-17: |

Nov 14: (Second Tuesday of November)

Nov 15:

Nov 18: High Five a Librarian Day

Nov 19-25:

Nov 20-26:

DECEMBER 2023 (also September)

Dec 7:

Dec 10:

Dec 21: | | (from Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne)

Dec 24: , also known as the Christmas or Yule Book Flood (Iceland)

Dec 25: (Pun Day �� “No L�� = Noel�� get it?)

Did I miss any book-related holidays? Please let me know in the comments and I will consider adding them to the list!

Love fantasy worldbuilding, strong character bonds, and page-turning adventures? Check out my award-winning .

Sources:

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