Love & Romance, Birthday Charity & Substack Subscriber Challenge, New Book Releases, Book Signings & Events, Poetry & Nature Photography Contest, Insights for Word Lovers & Indie Authors
Indie Author Insights #58 - February 2025
Let your words be heartbeats that inspire the world. ~ WriterKat
Click here to view the complete newsletter online.
Welcome!
Let’s welcome new subscribers by checking out their books, newsletters, or other creative projects: Andrew Lawry, Anshulika Bansal, Anthony J. Hawley, Bradley Ramsey, Cary Tennis, Christiana,
, Cliff Lovette, Cyrus Blessing, DIY Investor, Emma Humfleet, James, Jams Pascal, Jason Statham, Jennifer Huston Schaeffer, Joe de Juicer, Johnson George, Kevin Hall, Liz Lawless, Lori, , Kitamirike Edrine, Kristina Kelly, Mark Alexander, Marilyn Lopez, Mary Ann Manders, Mason, Mohamed, Patricia A. Grenelle, Paula Buermele, P.Q. Rubin, Rob Warren, Scott Mullen, Sondra Harnes, Stacy Lantern, Steve Roy Parker, Stephen Stone, and .Welcome to Indie Author Insights! We are looking forward to getting to know 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.
Getting to know
…Bradley is drafting his debut novel. In the meantime he’s publishing short fiction, poetry, and articles on lessons he has learned as a writer over the years on Substack. He also has a weekly podcast with updates on his projects and tips for writers called "Saved as Draft." You can also find him on Vocal Creators, where he has published similar content for four years.
Below is a link to a recent article Bradley wrote on supporting other writers, as well as the first chapter of a fiction series he published on Substack. Please check it out and let Bradley know what you think!
Series (chapter one link)…
Substack Update
Substack is the place to be for writers! It’s FREE to use unless you turn on paid subscriptions, then they get a percentage of subscription fees. That’s fair. They recently added live video streaming. It is available to all accounts with at least 10 subscribers. If you join Substack, be sure to drop a link to your publication.
For more info about live streaming, visit
post.
First Indie Authors Association & Indie Author Insights Virtual Meeting Notes
My goal for 2025 is to host monthly indie author meetups to share our writing journey, book marketing tips, challenges, and opportunities. The first meeting was via Zoom. One person showed up live, Author McKayla Jade of McKayla Jade Books. We had fun talking shop about writing and book marketing. Apparently, I didn’t click the right buttons for Zoom to record our meeting, but I took notes!
The next meeting will be via Substack Live on Saturday, February 8, 2025, 12-12:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. The theme will be, “How are You Showing Love as a Creative in Your Community?”
is setting a great example with Going Small where she is supporting local authors, artists, and other creatives by purchasing their products and shopping at small businesses rather than the big stores. Check out her story.https://sarahstyf.substack.com/p/going-small
Happy Birthday to Me in February — Let’s Celebrate by Showing Some Love to Our Favorite Charity!
For my birthday this year, I am doing a fundraiser for Community Unity Network, which is my daughter and son-in-law’s ministry. They give so much of their time and money to help hundreds of people in our community and beyond. Let’s help our community by using our time, talents, and treasures!
https://www.facebook.com/donate/932524145676609/
What’s your favorite charity? Let’s celebrate by showing them some love!
My other birthday wish is to get to 500 subscribers to this newsletter. I’m only 130 subscribers away from reaching that goal. Please share this newsletter and let’s grow our community of word lovers!
New Book Releases
Congratulations to
for creating her new ezine, Poet-Tree. I have a few poems in her debut online poetry magazine. Check it out. Courtenay set up a poetry submission page on Facebook for poets to submit poems for future editions.
Do you want to learn how to publish wide? I do! Wide Publishing for Authors by Dale Roberts (
) shows us how to reach more readers and get our books into more stores and libraries. Whether you're an indie author or looking to break free from exclusivity, Dale provides actionable strategies to help you distribute your books across multiple platforms and maximize your impact. I’m a long time follower of Dale’s YouTube Channel and highly recommend him for every aspiring writer and independent author!
The Picture Book That Popped Off The Shelf by
and
The Invisible Lines of Poverty, an anthology by
, , and other authors.
100 Livestreaming & Digital Media Predictions by
. Ross and his team of digital marketers provide valuable insights for aspiring authors and other creatives trying to connect with their tribe and break through the noise in the tech age!
The Anti-Procrastinator: How Self-Awareness Can Change Your Life and Get You What You Want by
of The Lemon Tree Mindset publication. I’ll read this book tomorrow. Just kidding. As a life longer procrastinator who is entering my golden years, I need to read this book now!
Love and Romance
I read mostly nonfiction, but I enjoy indulging in fiction. Romance is my favorite fiction genre to read. I love escaping to worlds of passion, intrigue, and adventure. My February TBR includes romance novels by Jeana Mann, McKayla Jade, Teresa Keefer, and Lucy Score! Who are your favorite romance writers? What’s on your February reading list?
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!
March 2025
3/1/25 – Books, Authors & Publishers Fair, Nashville Fairgrounds, Expo Hall 2, 625 Smith Ave Nashville, Tennessee. Look for
at this event.3/8/25 - 3/9/25 – Author Con at The Spine Bookshop, Smyrna, TN, 10 AM - March 9, 2025 · 5pm CST. Look for
at this event.3/15/25 – Mounds State Park Annual Pete Domery Memorial Poetry and Photo Contest. Do you enjoy photographing nature and/or writing poetry? Deadline for entry is March 15th at 4 PM EST. Fee: $1 per entry. Photos must be taken in, or about, Mounds State Park, 4306 Mounds Road Anderson, Indiana. Poetry topics should be about Mounds State Park related topics (prehistory, Bronnenbergs, nature, etc.). Categories are poetry, youth poetry (ages 16 and under), poetry/photography hybrid, photography - plant, photography-people, photography-animals, photography-scenery, photography-youth (ages 16 and under). For contest rules and entry form, please contact Sheree at sbelt2@dnr.in.gov.
3/22/25 – Lexington Book Festival, Saturday, March 22, 2025, 10 AM - 5 PM, 202 N Main Street, Lexington, North Carolina.
April 2025
4/12/25 – Hamilton East Public Library (HEPL) Local Author Fair, Saturday, April 12, 2025, 1-4 PM, at the FORUM Events Center, 11313 USA Pkwy, Fishers, Indiana.
4/26/25 – Indy Author Event, Saturday, April 26, 2025, 12-5 PM, 502 East Event Center, 502 East Carmel Drive, Carmel, Indiana.
May 2025
5/3/25 – Ohioana Book Festival, Saturday, May 3, 2025, State Library of Ohio, 274 E. First Ave. #100, Columbus Ohio.
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
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 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
7/18-20/25 – Imaginarium Convention, Holiday Inn Louisville East, KY. Look for
at this event.7/25-26/25 – Taylor University Professional Writers Conference, Friday, July 25 - Saturday, 26, 2025. You can sell your books on consignment during this event. I plan to attend. Let me know if you register so we can connect to talk shop and share our workshop notes at lunch or dinner!
September 2025
9/6/25 – Beyond the Book, Saturday, September 6, 2025, 9 AM - 3 PM CST, Stark County Library, 152 W Culver Rd, Knox, Indiana.
9/6/25 – Book Bash, Saturday, September 6, 2025, 11 AM - 4 PM EDT, Hyatt Regency Lexington, 401 West High Street Lexington, Kentucky. Look for
at this event.9/27/25 – Readers and Writers Rendezvous, Saturday, September 27, 2025, 10 AM - 5 PM, Peoria Civic Center Ballroom, 201 SW Jefferson Ave, Peoria, Illinois.
October 2025
10/11/25 – Books By The Arch, Saturday, October, 11, 2025, 10 AM - 3 PM CDT, Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis At The Arch, 2 South 4th Street St. Louis, Missouri. Look for
at this event.10/24-26/25 – The Bloomington Book Festival, Friday, October 24 - Saturday, October 26, 2025, 849 S Auto Mall Rd, Bloomington, Indiana.
2026
8/8/26 – Indy Author Event, Saturday, August 8, 2026, Forum Event Center, 11313 USA Parkway, Fishers, Indiana. In addition to the author signing, they will be introducing author panels and exploring the possibility of seminars for authors. Complete the Interest Form to get on their list for this event.
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 February 2025 issue of Indie Author Insights (#58). I hope you found it helpful. You can share information about your books, events, and what you want to see in future editions by messaging me (@indieauthors) or emailing kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com.
Thanks to the Substack Publications recommending Indie Author Insights: Self-Publishing with Dale, The Life Strategies Playbook & Mentoring Program, Jon’s Substack, Johnny B. Truant’s Inspired as F**k, Bernie Books, Made From What's Not Real, Art Spot, Jess Wolfie's Wonderful World, Mordicai’s Substack, John Roberts’ Weekly Rambles, Cellar Door, Letters To My Brother, Lighthouse, Book Whisperer, Bradford’s Substack, John Roberts' Weekly Rambles, Courtenay Nold’s Poetry Warrior Substack, 6 P’s in AI Pods, Melissa’s Substack, and Creative Ukulele Adventures.
Special thanks to our patrons: Ashley Gary Johnson, Bess Sturgis, Bonnie Lieberman, Leland P. Gamson, Lloyd Mullins, Nancy Nau Sullivan, and Sarah Styf. Thank you for supporting indie authors. We appreciate you!
Kathy Gerstorff
Affiliate Links
Some of the links in this newsletter are affiliate links, meaning that if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support my work and allows me to continue creating valuable content. I only recommend products or services I personally use or believe will add value to our indie author community. Thank you for your support!
Chord – This new platform matches romance authors to influencers. I don’t get paid to promote them. I only get moved up on the waiting list if you sign up using my referral link. They are planning to launch in May 2025. If you write in the romance genre and want help marketing your books, check it out.
Thanks for the mention, Kathy!