Father’s Day, Juneteenth, Pride Month, AI Marketing for Writers, Poet-Tree Magazine Call for Submissions, $100K Novelry Fiction Contest
Indie Author Insights #62 - June 2025
Celebrating stories that honor identity, healing, and hope. Whether you're reading or writing, may the words light you up so bright you inspire everyone in your orbit. ~ WriterKat
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Welcome!
Let’s welcome new subscribers by checking out their books, newsletters, or other creative projects:
, , , , , , and .Welcome to Indie Author Insights! We are looking forward to getting to know more about you and your writing journey. Please share your book launches, signings, and other events by posting info in the comment section or emailing kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com.
Hello, June!
Spring is in full swing with gardening and summer reading on the horizon! June is the perfect time to promote your books about fatherhood, LGBTQ+, and celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation.
I have a poem in the Father anthology published by the Poetry Society of Indiana. Unfortunately, my biological father wasn’t in my life and my stepfather was abusive, so I don’t have good father memories, except my Heavenly Father who I have come to rely on for every earthly thing. Perhaps that is the lesson I am here to learn.
With this thought in mind, I have divine inspiration to rewrite the ending of my historical fiction novel. I got the edits back and it made me rethink the entire story. I’ll go into more detail during my Sunday Substack Live. In the meantime, I hope whatever days you celebrate this month inspire you to write!
I’m thinking about entering my historical fiction novel in The Novelry Fiction Writing Contest. The grand prize is $100,000.00! The contest is open to writers around the world. You can enter this contest now through July 31, 2025. You only have to submit the first 1500 words of your novel. It doesn’t need to be completed, which is perfect for my twenty-five-year-work-in-progress!
Scribe Bytes
As an independent author we wear all the hats. Ideally, we would sub out all the work it takes to publish and sell our books, but the reality is most of us are working with a limited budget. AI can help with the tasks we like least so we can focus on our strengths and creativity. If you could have an assistant do any part of your author experience what would it be? From the hundreds of authors I’ve worked with and talked to over the past 20 years the answer I hear most often is MARKETING!
And it’s no wonder. Marketing requires a different skill set than writing—one that many creatives find draining, confusing, or just plain overwhelming. That’s where AI becomes a game-changer. Imagine having a tireless assistant who can generate social media captions, brainstorm promotional strategies, identify your target readers, and even optimize your Amazon listings—all in minutes. It’s not about replacing your voice; it’s about amplifying it.
So instead of dreading your next book launch or promotion, you can lean into the parts of the journey that light you up—crafting stories, connecting with readers, and building the kind of author life you dreamed of when you first put pen to paper.
There is an opportunity to learn how to thrive in the age of AI with Jane Cleland on Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 3 p.m. EST. I’ll be there!
Beat the Bots: How Writers Thrive in the Age of AI with Jane Cleland / June 8 at 3–4 p.m. EDT
With ChatGPT and other bots taking over the writing market, authors worry they’ll become irrelevant in the not-too-distant future. The answer isn’t to surrender to the doom and gloom predictions. On the contrary, it’s time to lean into your humanity, to do what artificial intelligence can’t. Based on Jane Cleland’s upcoming book, Beat the Bots: A Writer’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI, she shows you how to harness your innate creativity because if you bring your creativity, your individuality, and your judgment to your work, you’ll out-write a chatbot all day long. Register for free.
Are you interested in learning more about emerging technology? Check out
’s Women in AI and Data.
Did you know you can add your book to the Substack Library?!
New Book Releases
How to Sell 1000 Books a Month: Strategies to Improve Book Sales
by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS
The Universe by Mike Matzdorff
Check out Malika’s backstory as a debut author on her publication: The Geriatric Millennial.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-164857707
Call for Poetry Submissions for Poet-Tree iMagazine
Courtenay Nold, of
and publisher of Poet-Tree iMagazine is looking for contributors!Submission Deadline: June 15, 2025
The next edition (Issue No. 03) of Poet-Tree Imagazine will include Haibun, Haiku and Ekphrastic poetry. Courtenay will also consider an 'Other' section for Free Verse or Poetic Prose, etc.
Link for additional submission information: https://shorturl.at/QIrVu
Link for submission page: https://forms.gle/w2ewBqk8GifagUBo9
If you have any questions, email courtenaynold@att.net.
2025 Indie Author Calendar of Events
Book Marketing, Networking & Selling Opportunities
Do you want to connect with authors, meet book lovers, and sell more books? Check out these opportunities!
June 2025
6/7/25 – Words & Wonders, Saturday, June 7, 2025, 12-6 PM, Jackson Live & Event Center, 989 C Avenue E, Seymour, Indiana. Look for
, , and Teresa Keefer at this event.6/14/25 – Wild Deadwood Reads, Saturday, June 14, 2025, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM CST, The Lodge at Deadwood, 100 Pine Crest Drive, Deadwood, South Dakota. Look for Teresa Keefer and Lynda Cox at this event.
6/28-29/25 – Midwest Bookish Fest, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 8 AM - 8 PM, and Sunday, June 29, 2025, 8 AM - 6 PM, Minneapolis Marriott West, 9960 Wayzata Blvd, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
July 2025
7/10-12/25 – Midwest Writers Workshop, Thursday, July 10, 2025 - Saturday, July 12, 2025, Ball State Alumni Center in Muncie, Indiana—or virtually, from the comfort of your own computer. You can sell your books on consignment at this event even if you attend virtually!
7/18-20/25 – Imaginarium Convention, Friday, July 18 - Sunday, July 20, 2025, Holiday Inn Louisville East, KY. Look for Dan Klefstad at this event.
7/19/25 – Writers on the River, Saturday, July 19, 2025, 1-4 PM, Embassy Suites, East Peoria, IL.
7/25-26/25 – Taylor University Professional Writers Conference, Friday, July 25 - Saturday, July 26, 2025. They also offer pre-conference advanced tracks. This year includes a comic book workshop! You can sell your books on consignment during this event. This is my favorite conference. Let me know if you register so we can connect to talk shop and share our workshop notes at lunch or dinner!
Do you have an upcoming book signing or event to share? Post in the comments or email kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com.
Thank You!
Thank you for reading the June 2025 issue of Indie Author Insights (#62). I hope you found it helpful. You can share information about your books, events, and what you want to see in future editions by emailing kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com.
Special thanks to our patrons and founding members:
- (bonnielieberman.com)
- (whitedogeditorial.com)
- (jillebstein.com)
- (nancynausullivan.com)
- (sarahstyf.com)
Thank you for supporting aspiring and independent authors. We appreciate you!
Kathy Gerstorff
WriterKat
Indie Authors Association
P.S. During the month of June, I’m experimenting with going live on Substack every Sunday at 10 AM Eastern Standard Time. You are invited to join me to talk about your books, events, or AMA. Recordings will be sent to paid subscribers!
P.P.S. I lowered the annual subscription fee to $30 per year because I want to help more authors with the business side of writing. I’ll start by sending you my 62 Book Marketing Tips that’s not available to the public yet.