Description: In their first collection of poetry, Gibson covers topics like a soldier’s lingering psychological wounds, childhood bullying, the repercussions of assault, and love. They do so with “a bold and unforgettable internal voice rich with the kind of questioning that inspires action,” all with unflinching honesty. Gibson leaves it all on the page.
This collection holds twenty-six poems, mostly free verse. These are poems that Gibson also performs, so the style can sometimes be off-putting for some. That being said, Gibson’s use of language, while often straightforward (as is common in performance) is also incredibly poetic/figurative – and whether reading or listening, it’s easy to hold on.
Why I recommend this book: There are poems in this book that still give me goosebumps, even after reading them dozens of times and hearing Gibson perform them over and over. Don’t just take my word for it – whenever I include work by Gibson in my poetry class, my students always react by asking for more.
If you are someone struggling, and can’t stand the platitudes often espoused as a result that are ‘supposed to make you feel better,’ Gibson is your poet. While they come to these difficult topics with grace, tenderness, and, often, joy – they don’t do so condescendingly. They offer a different viewpoint that allows for both sorrow and joy to sit side by side.
I also recommend the rest of Gibson’s books. Often times, the first collection is the most interesting because the writer has spent the most time writing and revising it before publication. The rest can often feel hurried. That is not the case with Gibson – they just get better and better. I merely chose this one because it was Gibson’s first, and my first of theirs.
“Andrea Gibson does not just show up to pluck your heart strings, [they stick] around to tune them. If being floored is new to you, ya might wanna grab a cushion. Beware the highway in [their] grace and the crowbar in [their] verse.” ~ Buddy Wakefield, author of Stunt Water
“I thought, ‘The flowers, save the flowers…’
I never thought for a second we wouldn’t save the people” ~ Andrea Gibson, Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns
“Because anyone who has ever sat in lotus for more than a few seconds knows it takes a hell of a lot more muscle to stay then to go.” ~ Andrea Gibson, Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns
My favorite lines of Gibson’s (click the link for a YouTube video of their performance):
“and I know my heart is a broken freezer chest ‘cause I can never keep anything frozen. So no, I am not “always crying.” I am just thawing outside of the lines.” ~ Andrea Gibson, “Letter to a Playground Bully from Andrea (age 8)“
I remember when St@rbucks first became popular. I’ll admit, I was super judgy of folks who went there that had complicated drink orders. I didn’t even drink coffee at that point, so I had no clue what a bone dry cappuccino or a half-caff double-shot soy caramel macchiato even were. Honestly, most of the orders I’d overhear sounded like a foreign language.
How little did I know of this world? A café in town had a chai frappe on the menu, and I love a chai, so I asked – what does the frappe part mean?
Barista: It’s like a coffee frappe but with chai. Me: [blank stare] Yeah, I don’t know what that means. [laughs awkwardly at self]
That was the day I learned that frappe means a blended drink. This is a word I would end up saying a LOT in my future, usually with the word ‘mocha’ attached to it.
Back then, I just didn’t get it. Why did something you drink need to be sooo complicated?
And then, one day, I heard the following string of words spill from my mouth: grande chai tea latte with soy milk and no water. (Back in the day, St@rbucks would add water to their chai concentrate.) I remember saying it…and then it hitting me. I had a complicated drink order. I was no longer a simple water and tea bag kind gal. And once I started drinking coffee, it only got worse.
And then, I finally stopped judging myself (and others) for it. Because what’s wrong with ordering something you know you will like? (So long as you are kind to the barista when doing so.) Or something you need (a lactose sensitivity snuck up on me in college). I’ve still not ever had a cappuccino or macchiato, but thanks to the chalkboard drawn up at my fav local coffee shop (looking at you, Kavarna), I at least know what they are without having to ask. 😂
I don’t remember what this was, but there was strawberry in it.Chai Latte with Cherry Cold CreamGinger TurmericIced Raspberry Green TeaIced Cherry MochaI also don’t remember what this was – but I remember it was tasty.Rose Rooibos Latte (hot)Rose Rooibos Latte (iced)Cold Brew
I will say that black coffee or steeped tea is still my ‘go to’ most of the time (followed by a chai latte or mocha when I want something a little extra), but I do enjoy trying new things. I really love that flights are a thing, too.
Latte FlightCoffee FlightCocoa Flight
Are you a complicated drink order-er? What is your fav?
I think one of the trickiest things about self-publishing is figuring out what to charge for your book. (Well, that and trying to summarize an 80,000-word novel into a couple-hundred-word blurb. And don’t even get me started on log lines…) A few years back, I wrote up a series of posts that went over everything I had learned through the self-publishing journey. I have to imagine at this point, the Royalties post is outdated due to rising costs, but the sentiments are still there.
The first thing you’ll want to do is stop by your local book shop (ooooh noooo…) and take a look at other books in you genre. What are they charging? What seems to be average? Consider, also, the length of your book compared to theirs. The longer the book, the higher the printing costs. Also, be aware that depending on your print on demand (POD) company, they will have a minimum you can sell it for (since the price will need to, at a minimum, cover printing costs/fees – each company varies in their costs, so some research is necessary).
You will also need to check with your state’s Department of Revenue (DoR) to see if you are required to have a seller’s permit. I was recently invited to participate in an event that required one. The permit in my state (Wisconsin) is twenty bucks, which covers two years, with a renewal cost of ten bucks, which also lasts two years. I wasn’t thrilled about the added cost to the event (since they were charging forty bucks for the booth…), but I went to investigate anyhow. In talking with the person at the DoR, however, they noted that I didn’t need a permit unless I sold more than two grand a year in sales. Now – every state will have different laws, so make sure you check into whether or not you might need one and how much it will cost. Factor things like this into the price for selling your book and attending events.
So what goes into the cost of a book?
First, does your POD charge for creating an account or to upload the file? (For example, one particular company used to charge forty-nine bucks to upload a book for print, and then they would charge the same cost every time you need to re-upload it, such as you found errors or made other changes). They have since changed this – they now do not charge for the initial upload or for any changes made within the first sixty days; then it’s twenty-five bucks per ‘revision’ (or upload). Other companies never charge for the uploading or re-uploading of files.
The next part is the printing of the book. Many things will go into the cost: size (6×9 is most common these days, so I’ll use that in this example), number of pages (let’s go with 300), whether the interior is black and white or color (most novels are B&W), if you want to print on the inside of the cover (I did not), and how quickly you want it printed (this particular company’s lowest price point means it will be printed in up to five business days – you can pay more to get them faster, as there are two-day and a one-day options, though that will cost you $6 and $7.09 per book). For all of the choices I made above, printing the book will cost $5.45. (A second company with the same criteria came to 4.60. A third is 4.84. In other words, do your research. You can probably guess what company was the cheapest cost – but cheaper doesn’t mean better. Also, that cheap version is from a company that most local bookshops will not buy from, so keep that in mind**.) There are other decisions to make that won’t affect the cost, such as what paper you want to use and whether you want the cover to be gloss or matte.
You will also need to take into account what it will cost to ship those books to you. At the company I’m using above, to ship one book to my area (obviously shipping will depend on where you live), it would cost another $3.49 (this is for their basic shipping, which is SLOW and has no tracking, so not the best option – if the shipment never arrives, you have no recourse; I do their standard ground because I’m shipping to a residence and it provides tracking – however, this is $9.69 for a single book – not at all great. If you can buy in bulk, the cost of shipping will, of course, go down per book. At this particular company, I found that ordering fifty copies was the most economical to ship. At fifty copies, it would cost $38.99 for standard ground, which comes down to $.78 per book. They also have two-day and next-day, but the price to ship fifty goes up to over five and over fifteen per book respectively.)
Don’t forget the sales tax (and, yes, you should be declaring any book sales as income on your taxes each year – so make sure you develop a way to track your sales and compensation, as well as all business expenses – save every single receipt). Each state, city, county, etc., will have their own sales tax, so you will need to figure out what they are for where you live (things will get more complicated if you are selling in other areas/states. I am not a tax accountant; you’ll want to talk to yours. For the purpose of this post, I’m speaking in generalities of what I’ve learned). For example, my state has a 5% sales tax, and my county has an additional .5% – so I would need to collect a 5.5% sales tax.
And last, the IBSN. I didn’t take this into account per individual book what this will cost, because you have it for the life of the book. But for most PODs, you will need to purchase and provide the ISBN (there is one in particular, the one small shops won’t buy from, that will provide you an ASIN, but that is not transferable. If you want to sell through anywhere else, you will still have to buy an ISBN. Also, you will need an individual ISBN for each version of the book – ebook, paperback, and hardcover – as well as any new editions that you may publish down the road.) I was given Bowker as a recommendation, and I did end up using them. Please know that ISBNs are not cheap – and it is better off if you can buy them in bulk (but, again, that is if you can afford to do so). At the time of this writing, one ISBN was $125. And remember – you need one for each version. You can buy in bulk – 10 was $295, so a significant savings. 100 is $575. There is an option to buy 1,000, but unless you are a publisher, that’s definitely on the extreme side.
Ok – let’s say that I did my research, and the typical price for my genre/page count is 15 bucks. Selling my book directly from me to a customer will get me the highest royalty: Total – printing – shipping – sales tax = royalty 15 – 5.45 – 3.49 – .83 = 5.23 (if I bought one copy) 15 – 5.45 – .51 – .83 = 8.21 (if I bought fifty copies) It’s understandable that not everyone can afford to buy bulk in advance – it’s also a risk because you don’t know how many you will sell. If I buy ten and sell ten, I’m ahead. If I buy fifty and sell ten, I’m at a loss. Also, make sure you consider costs involved with making that sale – including your own time. If you go to an event, you may have a booth fee and that seller’s permit fee mentioned above.
Now, five to eight bucks per book probably sounds GREAT. However, consider that most of your sales likely won’t come in this manner. Another option is that your local bookshop might carry your book (and may even hold a launch event or reading). This is great. If they buy from you, meaning they will take your book on consignment, you will print/ship the book to yourself and then hand over some copies to them; if the book sells, they will send you the royalties. Most bookshops will ask for a 40% cut. So if your book is 15 bucks, you get nine bucks, and they get six. But remember – your shipping and printing cost comes out of your cut. If you bought in bulk, and your book cost $5.45 to print and $.78 to ship (in this scenario, the shop would collect/deal with the sales tax), you will figure royalties like this: (15*60%)-5.45-.78 = 2.77
Another option with local bookshops is that they can order directly from a POD (this is why it’s important to pay attention to which you use – there is a particular company small shops won’t buy from). In this instance, you don’t have to worry about paying for anything up front*. The shop will pay for shipping and handle sales tax; the printing cost comes out of your cut. The bookshop will take 40% of the sale. BUT – the POD will ALSO take a cut because they are acting as a distributor in this instance. In this scenario, you will have to set the ‘discount’ (i.e. the price the bookshop will pay). When using this same company, you have to set it as 53-55% (your cut is reduced to 47-45% – obviously, setting it at 53% is the best option for you). The plus is that you get the royalty when the shop makes the purchase*. (15*47%) – 5.45 = 1.60 (there is no reason to set at 55% – don’t give the POD extra thirty cents)
So when it comes to local-to-you bookshops, it’s a better margin to get the copies yourself and work on consignment. The OTHER reason it’s better is that if the book doesn’t sell, you can get it back at no cost (aside from the travel to that shop to pick it up).
*If they buy from the POD company, and it doesn’t sell, if you have your book set up as allowing returns, you are on the hook for reimbursing the POD for that cost. You have the option to have it returned to you (you pay shipping and print costs, though you can hopefully turn around and sell it) or have it destroyed (you still pay printing costs).
This return policy may not be a huge deal if it’s only a book or two. However, this particular company pushes wide with distribution – you will be on every book-selling website that allows it. Those companies may opt to buy more copies than they actually sold to save on shipping costs for them. If those then don’t sell, and they return them, you’re on the hook. (You can read about this more in my Seventeen and Seventeen: Part Two posts.) You can opt to put ‘no’ for returns, but they warn that this might stop bookshops from ordering your book at all.
One more thing to think about if you are selling direct is what ways you will accept compensation. Obviously, cash is the easiest (assuming you have money on you at all times to make change). However, these days, folks don’t always carry cash – so you will need to consider your other options. Venmo (and others like it; I do use Venmo, but, no, this is not an ad, and I’m not getting anything for mentioning them) allows you to transfer money, and if you do it certain ways, you don’t get charged fees, which would eat into your royalties. (By certain ways, I mean things like – when you transfer from Venmo to your bank account, if you’re ok waiting a couple days for the money to show up, then you don’t get charged. They would charge a fee for an instant transfer.) Also, consider if you would you take a check (if you don’t know them personally, make sure you get a phone number in case the check were to bounce) or credit cards.
I recently learned how easy Square is to use (again, not an ad). In downloading the app, I found out that you don’t need to buy the little square to plug into your phone (they will actually send you one for free), and if you have an iPhone and the card has a chip, they can tap to pay with the Square app right on your phone (no device needed). There are fees with this, however – 2.6% + 15¢ (or .54 for a $15 book) for magstripe card transactions (i.e. swiping using the device), chip card transactions, and contactless (NFC) payments. They also charge 3.5% + 15¢ (or .675 for a $15 book) for manually entered transactions (where you have to type the number into the app). So take all of this into consideration for how often you might use the thing. Total – printing – shipping – sales tax – Square fee = royalty 15 – 5.45 – 3.49 – .83 – ((15*2.6%) + .15) = 4.69 (or 7.40 if you can buy bulk) 15 – 5.45 – 3.49 – .83 – ((15*3.5%) + .15) = 4.56 (or 7.26 if you can buy bulk) Square also allows you to send invoices. The fees for that are 3.3% + 30¢ (or .795 for a $15 book) per invoice when customers pay with credit or debit online.
The square app also lets you set up tax and mark which items should be taxes, and it will add it to the cost. You can opt to say tax is included on books paid for with cash, check, or Venmo, and then say it’s not included on Square because of the other fees they charge. Or you can still include it. These are all choices you’ll need to make for yourself.
There are other costs to consider – such as if you want to buy swag (either to hand out for free, like bookmarks, or to sell). Also, if you will be attending events, consider what you might have to purchase (you might want a cashbox or bag to hold you cash, to create displays, buy a tablecloth as not all events provide them). I didn’t even go over online sales, which might also include the cost of creating and running ads. You might also require costs such as paying someone to typeset the book or create the cover, not to mention editing. Self-publishing is not a cheap endeavor if done right – but it does allow for the most flexibility and control of any publishing option.
**You can opt to post your book at multiple PODs. You can then buy author copies from a cheaper one (to get that higher royalty) and still have it at a POD that local shops will buy from. Just realize that these copies WILL be different. This is the same book from two different POD companies:
I know I’ve talked about Cave Point a few times overs the years I’ve been writing this blog, but given it’s my favorite place on Earth, I think we should all be surprised I don’t talk about it a whole lot more. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A bit ago, I wrote about how I took a drive up and down the Door County Peninsula. I hadn’t planned to stop at Cave Point, but the universe apparently knew I needed it anyway.
Every time I’m there, there’s something new to see, to explore. And this time, it was parts of the land I’ve not seen in…maybe decades. I honestly can’t remember the last time the lake was THIS low:
March 13, 2025
Most often, there isn’t much climbing down to be done because the water is being pushed up against the cliffs themselves – which always makes for an excellent show of perfect splashes. Every now and then, we’re able to climb down a bit along those ledges on the right side of the photo above. (The decision to climb down also depends on the person – some are a bit more adventurous than others. If you ever go, be smart and be safe. You do not want to land in the lake. Also, if you ever go in winter, never go near the edge or attempt to climb if you are not wearing cleats!) This is what it commonly is like when the water is what we would consider low (that’s my friend Jen – she was actually on her way to grab a water bottle someone had left behind [sigh] – always take out what you bring in with you):
June 5, 2021
On a more normal day, the lake is like this – water up to the cliffs making some great splashes (the sound is unreal – provides an absolute reset to one’s nervous system) (again, that’s my friend Jen perched up on that cliff):
October 22, 2022
Another pic of the same sport on a particularly windy day:
April 28, 2024
But my last trek, the water was so low – it was almost nerve wracking how far out I could walk onto the limestone bed. The wind was minimal, so there weren’t really splashes. I should be in water up to my knees standing here and looking back at the trees:
March 13, 2025
One of my fav grabs from another trip – that’s Jen squatting near the splash. We can sit for hours and just watch the water, waiting for the perfect splash. And, sometimes, the lake gets a bit sassy about it.
August 11, 2022
Cave Point is located on the lake side of the Door Peninsula, between Institute and Jacksonport. If you go straight to Cave Point (which is a county park), you do not need a park pass. If you go by way of Whitefish State Dunes, you do need one (as it’s a state park). If you’re up to it, you can park at Cave Point (again, for free) and walk all the way to the dunes (which is a lot easier now that the state park has put in a gravel walking path).
March 13, 2025
For ages, my friend Philip has been posting photos of hearts he finds out in the word. Sometimes, they are intentional hearts. But often they were more like this:
It’s because of him I’ve started noticing them everywhere. It’s another thing Jen and I look for when we go – and we always find a slew of hearts here. So be on the look out if you go. As Philip would say, #LoveIsEverywhere.
Title: The Sing Sing Files Author: Dan Slepian Genre: nonfiction, true crime, sociology Pages: 224 Publication Date: 2024 StoryGraph* Moods: informative, reflective, tense How I Stumbled Upon This Book: Armchair Expert interview Other Books by Slepian: none at the moment, though Slepian has a large body of work as a journalist and working on Dateline *StoryGraph also offers content warnings.
Description: In his work on Dateline, Dan Slepian had the opportunity to ride shotgun with a couple homicide detectives in the Bronx. Through this relationship, Slepian learned of a 1990 murder case for which two men were serving twenty-five years. However, the detective believed the wrong men were serving time (at this point, they had already served twelve years). Slepian began his own investigation into what happened and to find out whether or not these men who claimed to be innocent really were. One of the men in this case, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez becomes the spine of the book, bringing to Slepian’s attention other men he believed were innocent of the crimes they were convicted of.
While hitting a number of roadblocks (i.e. flaws in the justice system), these men maintained their innocence, and one by one, they were proven to be telling the truth.
This is not an easy read, by any means – but it is a necessary one.
Why I recommend this book: I will start by saying agreeing with a number of reviews about the book – there is a lot in this that paints Slepian as a hero and talks a lot about his own life. This is not a straight nonfiction story about these six men. It is written more as a memoir of the time Slepian spent with them. If that’s not your thing, I get it.
That being said, I do think it is an important read regarding the lives of these specific six men and the ways their journeys point out incredibly serious flaws in the judicial system. There are many books out there that do similar things – this is just the one that crossed my path first.
“A remarkable, moving account about the lives of people who have been too easily discarded, forgotten, and condemned. These compelling narratives help us understand why we should do better when it comes to punishment and justice in America.” ~ Bryan Stevenson, New York Times bestselling author of Just Mercy
A couple times a year, I get the urge to, as I call it, drive the Door. For those unfamiliar with my state, which is Wisconsin, the thumb that juts out of the northwest into Lake Michigan is called Door County. It’s a popular tourist place. So far, they’ve managed to keep chains out of northern Door (aside from things like gas stations and a Little Cesars in one of those stations), and they offer all kinds of summer and winter activities (though the county is MUCH quieter during the colder months). There are two main highways – 42 runs up the bay side and 57 down the lake side. So long as you don’t drive into the water, it’s rather difficult to get lost.
Every now and then, I get to the urge to visit this county that I’ve known my whole life. And that’s not hyperbole. My mother tent camped pregnant with me, and my family visited there several times every summer before we moved there when I was just about to turn ten (our record was thirteen times). There are places I like to visit often, like DC Coffee (for their hash brown bake and delicious coffee) and the Skyway Drive-In during the summer (I actually worked there while I was in college). And, of course, Cave Point – my favorite place on Earth.
And sometimes, I just get the urge to drive and visit as many of my fav spots as I can. I’ll drive up the bayside and down the lake side, which I did yesterday. I stopped at two cafes (because, well, I love a good cafe) – Blue Horse in Fish Creek and Sip in (between Ephraim and Sister Bay) (I also partook in lunch here because my fav spot, Grasse’s Grill isn’t open for the season yet). The bathrooms at Sip always make me giggle.
I did a double take when I drove by Anderson Dock, so I had to turn around and stop. The building on the dock, which houses an art gallery, is usually completed covered with people’s graffiti. (They used to have benches, but people ignored the ‘no graffiti on benches’ sign, and those disappeared. Unfortunately, the graffiti has also moved to the posts around the dock and on some areas of the cement, as well. [sigh]) Every now and then, the building gets a new paint job – which it apparently did recently since, you know, you can actually see the color it was painted.
I also stopped by Peninsula State Park to walk up the Eagle Tower – which maybe wasn’t the smartest thing to do as my legs hadn’t quite recovered from deadlift day. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But the view at the top is always worth it. This isn’t the original tower, the one my sister had to run up and down while on our high school’s cross country team. (Did I mention there are, like, ninety-five steps to the top?) The plus about this new tower, though is that they made it accessible by building a ramp up to the top. (I will note that it’s still quite a hike and in places feels a bit steep if someone were to push themselves all the way up in a manual chair.) Unless you walk into the park, you will need a park pass to get to the tower.
At the tip of the peninsula, you can catch a ferry, year round, to Washington Island – which is absolutely worth it if you ever get the chance. I made it just as the ferry was finishing loading, and tempted as I was, I decided not to jump aboard. The waters were calm, though, so I imagine these folks had a smooth ride. (One time when I took the ferry over, there were splashes coming over the side. At least my car got a good wash. :-P)
I hadn’t actually planned to stop at Cave Point. In fact, I had a third cafe in mind (Roost + Banter in Baileys Harbor), but when I had stopped at Pen Park, I bought a yearly park pass at their kiosk. Unfortunately, it dispenses a receipt, and you have thirty days to visit an open station to trade it for the actual pass. Their website said Whitefish Dunes State Park had an open station, so I opted to head there first. Well the website lied (well, likely it never got switched to their winter hours). They were not open. But since Cave Point is right next door, I figured I’d stop for a few minutes and enjoy some natural ASMR. But then… the water levels were nice and low, and the cliffs begged to be climbed. What’s a girl to do?
I had a few other stops on my trek, like looking for ice shoves (as the ice on the bay breaks up, the wind will push it toward the shore; in some cases, sheets upon sheets will get stacked in places – makes for an incredible sight) and swinging by Cana Island. It’s always nice just to wander without much of a plan, and DC in the winter/early spring is a great place to do that.
A couple weeks ago, I participated in an event at my local art gallery. Recently, The Art Garage in Green Bay, WI, has been looking for ways to expand to include the literary arts, which I’m all for. I love this spot (it even makes an appearance in my first book, though I may have relocated it to Chicago, IL). They put on shows and hold classes, and now they are offering writerly things like community gatherings and book fairs.
During one of those community gatherings, they even offered the chance for us to have our books in their gift shop on consignment. How could I say no to that opportunity? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I wrote in a previous post about some of the prep that I did for this event (you can read about it Book Fair + Author Fest: Prep). I will say things went as expected – I caffeinated and spent five hours being outgoing in an effort to intrigue people enough to buy my books – and then I absolutely crashed into a little introvert puddle. I did have a shared table, and I landed next to Bob Seize (who wrote Supermanic, which has a really killer cover), and we had a nice chat (and even swapped books).
Neither of us remembered a table cloth (well, to be fair, I did as I was arriving… but I didn’t want to bother going to find one) – but we were ok with that. The tables were paint-splotched, and we thought it looked cool. (The gallery offered us one, but we opted to keep it uncovered.)
I did managed to successfully accept sales through both Venmo and Square (though I learned it will be handy to have that swipe once it arrives – the chip on the first card a customer tried didn’t work; she said it was an old card, so maybe too worn or too old for the tech – her second worked perfectly. If this happens again, I’ll be able to connect that device and swipe the card instead). I also overdid it on how many singles and fives I brought to make change – not one person used cash to buy (though I did make change for my tablemate at one point). 😛
I think one thing I will do differently (aside from buying a nice tablecloth to have on hand) is not use the foam core displays and blurb cards I made. People still reached for the pile of books I had behind them – they want to feel them in their hands, I guess. Which I get. I think I will just pick a copy of each to use as the display. (My worry had been all the hands touching and finger prints – and what if they bend the cover when they flip through it, etc. – I won’t be able to sell it.)
One other thing is I might put a rainbow sticker on my Goode vs Melville display cover so that people can see from a distance that it has queer representation. I saw some folks who were clearly part of the community, but unless they stopped to talk or read the blurb, they had no idea. In fact, one of my sales came from talking to the mom of a trans teen – soon as she heard the book had queer representation, she called her kid over, and they ended up buying a copy of both books. A little rainbow sticker might draw people to the table who might just walk by otherwise. I might also create smaller foam core displays that say things like “Like Magic Realism?” or “Like stories of found family?” (Clearly those both need some editing and more thought. But you get the idea.) Things that will draw folks to the table to even begin that conversation.
I also need to work on my elevator pitch. GvM is an easy one – but trying to explain Lucy’s story in a sentence or two has proven time and again to be tricky. She’s been in the world two years, and I’m trying struggling to find the right words.
They will be holding another event in November, and thankfully my sales from this first one already covered the initial application fee, as well as the five bucks per event table fee (only five since I’m sharing, which I will do again) and then some. Hopefully, I will have figured out my pitches by then. 🙂
Starting last semester, I taught in a classroom/hallway I hadn’t taught in for quite a while. Right across from my classroom door, there’s an admin office door with a window that runs down the left side of it. And sitting in this window was a creepy little gnome. I hadn’t thought to take a photo of that version, of the gnome just being his little gnome self – because I had no idea what I was in for with this little creeper.
Then Halloween hit:
And this little gnome upped his creepy game tenfold. 😐 It was hard not to take notice of him after that. While this was the height of his creepiness, he did not sleep on the costumes:
Little Craig has gathered a bit of a following among my non-work friends, so I thought I would share with you all out there in cyberland. In fact, it was in sharing him that I learned he even has a name.
Are you someone who decorates? If so, what holiday would you be most excited to dress up little Creepy Craig?
Title: Legends & Lattes Author: Travis Baldree Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, LGBTQIA+ Pages: 305 Publication Date: 2022 StoryGraph* Moods: Lighthearted, Hopeful, Relaxing How I Stumbled Upon This Book: SciFi/Fantasy Book Club Other Books by Baldree: Bookshops & Bonedust *StoryGraph also offers content warnings.
This series had popped up in a few conversations over the years, and I’ve been meaning to read it – and I finally had managed to get ahead enough in book club reads to sit down with it. And I devoured it (and then the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust) fairly quickly.
Description: In this story, our narrator, Viv, is an orc looking to hang up her sword for a gentler life. She had it all planned out – earn enough money to open her own coffee shop in Thune and put the world of being a warrior behind her.
But no one has ever even heard of coffee, and some are unwilling to even try it…at first. But little by little, and with the help of a baking Ratkin, the shop becomes a success – and all of Thune is hooked on the beverage and the baked goods. This review sums it up nicely:
Don’t think it’s all coffee and roses, though – there are adversaries to be dealt with and magic run amuck. This, too, is handled in a cozy sort of way. From everything I’ve read about it, you will either love it or hate it. And I loved it. Can’t wait for the next one!
Why I recommend this book: It’s a cozy (which is NOT code for boring), low-stakes (also not a code for boring) sort of read – more character driven than plot driven, which is right up my own alley. (There’s a third, Brigands & Breadknives, set to come out later this year, as well as a short story prequel that comes in the L&L second edition.) If you like stories of friendship/found family, as well as some magic (or coffee!), give this series a shot!
“After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An orc’s life was strength and violence and a sudden, sharp end — but she’d be damned if she’d let hers finish that way. It was time for something new.” ~ Travis Baldree, Legends & Lattes
My introvert is officially hating me. For SIX HOURS tomorrow, I will have to be outgoing and sunshiny, and I will have to have my saleswoman pants on.
The joys of a writer who actually wants to share their stories. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Why couldn’t I have been one of those writers satisfied with just writing the thing?
I’ve said before on this blog that it was my dream as a child to write a book and someday see it on the shelf of my local bookstore (which I have) and my local library (which I also have). Past me, little me, didn’t really think through the process of getting there. Sure, I can dream up stories and type them out and spend way too many hours obsessively revising and even more hunting for typos (and then STILL find some in the book…). But little me didn’t anticipate the number of people I’d have to then talk to in order to get said book out into the world.
If you’re not an introvert, this post might be incredibly confusing (what do you mean you don’t relish the idea of meeting strangers and talking to them for SIX HOURS??). As an introvert, I’m already worrying about how exhausted I’m going to be at the end of the day. I’m worrying about all that small talk I’ll have to make.
I’m also worrying about all the things I didn’t consider while I’ve been ignoring the fact that I committed to this even several weeks ago. Like – I don’t have a square (or other device) to take credit cards. (I do at least have Venmo.) And I’ll have to run to the bank to get singles for folks who have cash but don’t bring anything smaller than a twenty. And I need to make signs. And I need to come up with something quick and clever to include with my signature. And I’ll need to have my elevator pitches at ready. (Do you know how hard it is to distill an entire novel in a few seconds?
And I need to prepare myself for the fact that I may do all of these things, and no one will buy a single copy. So. There’s that. *laughs through the tears*
So here’s some tips if you ever want to embark on such an adventure:
Get a Venmo account. If you use it ‘carefully’, you won’t have fees. (I started using it for royalties from my local bookshop – if you are ok waiting a couple days for the money to transfer from your Venmo to your bank, they don’t charge a fee for it.) Profit margins on books aren’t great, so it’s important to watch those fees.
On that note, I just started looking into Square – because I do worry about what if someone only has a credit card? I know I rarely have much cash on my these days. (I have a miles advantage card, so I’m #TeamChargeEverythingAndPayItOffEachMonth. Gimme those miles, bay-bee!) There are several devices and apps and such – I’m just most familiar with Square and have watched my friend use it for ages. (As I said, I do not currently have one, nor am I receiving any money for talking about them here.)
There are a lot of levels of square devices, and I assumed they would all be expensive. I was a bit surprised to see that the square you plug into your phone is ten bucks* at my local electronics shop (this is a swipe-only device; there are ones that can tap and accept chips, which cost more – take some time to look into the risks of a swipe-only system before making any decisions). According to their website, their fees are as follows: 2.6% + 15¢** for magstripe card transactions, chip card transactions, and contactless (NFC) payments. 3.5% + 15¢ for manually entered transactions (which I assume means you can skip buying the device, download the app, and manually enter everything). So take all of this into consideration for how often you might use the thing.
Let’s say your book is $15. Square is going to take 2.6% ($.39) plus another $.15 (for a total of $.54). (Make sure you also take into account what it cost to print and ship the book when figuring your profits per book to decide if the fees are worth it.) (If you manually enter, that transaction will cost you $.675. In this scenario, the break even for just buying the square versus entering manually would be seventy-four sales.) All in all, not as bad as I originally assumed.
Some people will pay cash. So take into account what sort of change you might need. If your book is a rounded number, you won’t need coins. (Mine all end in .99, so I’ll be bringing pennies [facepalm]). If your books aren’t evens of ten or five, make sure you have singles. Don’t forget to take into account combinations of your books – if they buy both or all, what is the total? Mine are 15.99 and 11.99, so I will need plenty of ones. (Also consider if you want a full-on cashbox or if one of those blue, zippered canvas bags banks use will suffice. Just have a plan for organizing your dough.) You can consider rounding numbers down or offering sales for in-person since when you sell direct, there is a bit more of a royalty than if you sell through an online or brick-and-mortar store.
Also, when considering your break-even, also consider the cost of the event. There was another event a friend had reached out and told me about – but the booth fee was forty bucks, and they required a seller’s permit, which is another twenty. (I’ve not sold enough yet to warrant needing one, so this was an added cost for me.) Make sure you take that event total and divide by the royalty per book – this is how many you would need to sell just to break even. For me, it would have been fifteen books. Not worth it.
Consider how the table will look. If you’ve got the personality to just draw people in, to chat with complete strangers and pull them toward your table, a pile of your books might suffice. For others, we may need our tables to work a little harder. Consider a display. Using Canva, I whipped up a flyer for each of my books (I kept it simple – cover and tagline). I bought some 8×10 foam core from my local craft shop, as well as a couple stands to hold them up. (I bought stands that are sturdy enough and have wide enough ledges that I could also use them to prop up a book in case I ever need them in that capacity. These came from the same craft shop.) I plan to print them later today at my local print shop so that they are clean and crisp. I also created pages with the back blurbs, which I’ll laminate. Figured better to have these on the table than folks getting their fingerprints all over copies of the book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Consider also ‘extras’. I have in the past printed things from Vista – if you have the time to watch for sales, do so. I’ve gotten some good deals on bookmarks, which I’ll have on hand tomorrow, as well. Don’t go overboard with giveaways – remember, they eat into your profit, too. They can also aid in catching a customer’s eye.
If you are going solo, consider what you might need to bring (water, snacks, lunch, etc.). This event has a drinking fountain and bathrooms on the premise, and they are offering some author snacks (though if you’re like me and don’t eat things certain things, like meat, it might still be best to bring something just in case). Also, it can help to make friendly with the folks on either side of you, so you can watch each other’s stuff while you run to the bathroom. If you require anything for accessibility purposes, don’t be afraid to ask and advocate for yourself. If they wish this event to be a success, it needs to be accessible to any who wish to participate or wander through. (This event included a note that if we need a power supply, we’ll have to provide our own – not something I would have thought of, but a good thing to include in your list of questions if you are creating one. Which, on that note, make sure your phone is charged and ready to go if you do go the Square route.)
I’m sure there are things I’m forgetting (or don’t even know about because this is my first event of this kind), so feel free to add tips and tricks in the comments if you have any to share!
Meanwhile, wish me luck. [strained smile]
*I’m updating this because I’ve now gone through the process. If you sign up for the Square app, there is a prompt where you can order and be sent a magstripe Square for free. In addition, during the set up process, if you have an Apple phone, you can set up Tap to Pay through Square, which means you don’t need the magstripe reader (but probably good to have on hand just in case). In this instance, once you get to the appropriate screen, they tap their card to your phone to pay.
**Square also allows you to send invoices. The fees for that are 3.3% + 30¢ per invoice when customers pay with credit or debit online.
Ami Maxine 