Peaceful Independence Day, Guerrilla Marketing Opportunity, Writing Contests, New Book Releases, Author Features, Conferences & Events
Indie Author Insights #63 - July 2025
Who needs fireworks when indie authors are out here blowing minds one book at a time? ~ WriterKat
Welcome!
Let’s welcome new subscribers by checking out their books, newsletters, or other creative projects:
, , Chad Summerhill, , , , , , , , , , , , Robert Kurvers, , 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, direct message, or emailing kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com.
Special thanks to
for becoming a paid subscriber and recommending Indie Author Insights! Also, welcome back as a paid subscriber. We appreciate you!Paid subscribers help support indie authors with author features and book launch promotion. Paid subscribers also get lots more benefits. See below for more info.
Hello, Independence Lovers!
I don’t know what it is about getting older. I used to love watching fireworks during the July 4th celebrations. Now, the crowds give me anxiety and the loud noise disturbs my peace. I think about the people who will get hurt playing with fireworks and the money wasted on noisemakers that scare our fur babies. Not to mention the veterans with PTSD.
There has to be a more peaceful way to celebrate–like drone light shows with synchronized music. That would be a fun experience!
In the meantime, I’m searching for stress-relieving activities to rediscover peace on Independence Day and beyond that reflect what freedom means — like walking in nature, reading, writing, and listening to my favorite music.
What’s your favorite way to celebrate Independence Day? However you celebrate, I hope you have a safe and fun time that inspires your muse!
Guerrilla Book Marketing Opportunity
I have been a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach since 2008. I love providing unique promotion and fusion marketing opportunities like the latest book I’m working on, 62 Book Marketing Tips! I plan to update this book every year with a new tip along with tips from Indie Author Association members.
This book will be distributed to my newsletter and email subscribers, on social media, and at writerly events I attend. Thousands of book lovers and authors will see 62 Book Marketing Tips which provides an opportunity for Indie Author Insights’ PAID SUBSCRIBERS to promote your books and writing or editing services. If you want to participate, simply send me a tip along with your bio and/or info you want to share and website link. To see an example, check out
’s tip on the last page. She’s the first to join in this fun author promotion. You are welcome to send your tip anytime, but the book will debut July 25, 2025 at the Taylor University Professional Writers Conference. I will then go in-depth with each tip in my monthly newsletter.Paid subscribers also become a member of the Indie Authors Association and get a link on the Indie Authors Association website, in the Indie Author Insights Newsletter, and shout out on my live videos and podcasts. It’s the best bargain in the indie author biz. I lowered the price to $30 per year so we can build our indie author community to 1000 True Fans (that’s an affiliate link of course—we writers need all the passive income we can get ;)!
New Book Releases
Slacker by
Rob Janicke first got on my radar at The Riff, a popular Medium Publication where writers gush about our love of music (example linked below). I have followed Rob’s journey on publishing his book and while it may seem like things are moving fast, he has been working on it for years!
“In reality, this book took over 35 years to write, so three years and some change is nothing.” ~ Rob Janicke
The past few years, Rob has been ramping up the promotion of his book by recruiting a street team, writing blog posts about his book progress and process, guest appearing on podcasts and live video shows, hosting music parties, and more. I love seeing his hard work pay off. It shows us indie authors how much passion, time, and effort goes into our craft.
“I recognize and appreciate how difficult it is. It's an exercise in humility, self-consciousness, fear, and sometimes, insanity. What's amazing about admitting that though is how I've never once considered giving up. Those negative emotions we've all felt and continue to feel often are powerless when they come up against what my brain, heart, and soul tell me I have to do. It's liberating, to say the least.” ~ Rob Janicke
Below is an excerpt from the latest email I received from Rob. Take note! This, along with Rob’s other promotion activities, is a masterclass in book launch marketing.
SLACKER—1991, Teen Spirit Angst, and the Generation It Created (Inspired By You Books) is now available wherever books are sold! Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Indie stores, etc. Just visit them online and order your copy today. Signed copies are only available via my website. You can purchase your signed copy here.
If you have already purchased a copy, THANK YOU! Feel like leaving a review on Amazon? You can do that here. I also have an Author Profile on Goodreads where you can also leave a review. The more reviews I get, the more the algorithms like me, the more people get to know my book exists!
It was just announced that SLACKER has been optioned for a documentary! It's an unbelievable honor, and I get to work with some incredibly smart and talented people on this project. See the press release here.
The Universe by
narrated by Tony “Monk” Shalhoub. I loved Tony’s narration, and what a wild ride of a book Mike has written. The story makes you think about how much of our lives are coincidence versus planned and how seemingly small events can have cataclysmic consequences sort of like the butterfly effect. Check it out at mikematzdorff.ju.mp
Kiss Lori for Me by Dr. Lori Goss-Reaves will be available as an audiobook on July 25th. Happy birthday, Lori. What a great way to celebrate!
I’ve known Lori since she was a teenager. I worked with her mother at the local Y and remember hearing some of the stories Lori shares in her book. It’s one of the best love stories since The Notebook, which was also inspired by a real-life couple. I have no doubt Kiss Lori for Me will be adapted into a movie someday. In the meantime, I hope everyone who believes in the power of love gets the opportunity to check it out at kissloriforme.com.
This series of birthday books created school teacher, Kathy Marcuson, contain all sorts of activities for each month including mazes, hidden word searches, song, arts, crafts, grids, math, dot to dots, silly stories, find the differences, coloring, thermometer, crosswords, thumbprint art, comics, mandala, jokes and riddles, finish the picture, scrambled words, positive affirmation, birthday month facts, tic-tac-toe, poems, birthstones, birth flowers, matching, secret codes, measuring, piñatas, birthday shirt, indoor and outdoor games, party foods.creative thinking, and answer keys.
Karuna Mistry’s debut book You-me-verse-all Hueman contains poetry, art, and essays. He combines recurring concepts and themes that build through the chapters. Containing 120 poems across time and space, 40 digital images, 30 illustrations, and 4 essays, this book articulates the quintessential spectrum of being human.
USA:
www.amazon.com/dp/B0FF1FH379/
CAN:
www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FF1FH379/
UK:
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FF1FH379/
Win Money for Your Poem or Novel with Gut Punch Literary and The Novelry Contest
John Hinton, former President of the Poetry Society of Indiana, and founder of Gut Punch Literary is hosting his first poetry contest. Submissions are open through August 31, 2025. The prompt is “The Most Heartbreaking Moment of Your Life” which I have found to be challenging and inviting to my muse who has been on hiatus for months! I’ve entered two poems so far and am working on a few more. The top prize is half the entry fees and the opportunity to be published in the first Gut Punch Literary anthology. To enter the Gut Punch Literary contest, first acknowledge that your poem is original, unpublished, and no AI was used in any way. Then email your poem to gutpunchliterary@gmail.com, and send payment via Paypal or Venmo to that same email address. Good luck. I’m looking forward to reading the anthology, with a box of Kleenex!
There’s still time to enter The Novelry Fiction Writing Contest. The grand prize is $100K! 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 to your novel. It doesn’t need to be completed.
Submissions are also open for the 2025 Amazon KDP literary prizes. KDP's independent writing competitions recognize outstanding new books published through KDP. Contest deadline is August 31, 2025. You can learn more about the contest and rules at kdp.amazon.com.
Scribe Bytes
What have you used AI for recently? I asked ChatGPT which authors have the best A+ Content on Amazon. A+ Content helps your book stand out on Amazon. You can use visuals instead of plain text.
Not only did AI give me a list of authors and publishers with the best A+ content, it also listed best practices in creating A+ Content such as showing the book in use, emotional or social proof quotes, use high-resolution images, and have a call to action.
AI says the top three traditionally published authors with outstanding A+ Content are Colleen Hoover, James Clear, and Brené Brown and the top independent author with excellent A+ Content is Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur.
When I double-checked, I found AI is hallucinating (making stuff up) which it is known to do! James Clear has A+ Content on one book, Atomic Habits, and I didn’t even find any books on Amazon by Dave Chesson which is odd because he is a published author!
So, I looked up some authors on my own and found indie author
has excellent A+ Content on his books! Dale provides a wealth of info for indies. I highly recommend following him and reading all of his books!AI saves me from going down the rabbit hole and getting distracted, but only if it works! Even though AI isn’t perfect, I still use it enough to justify the $20 monthly fee on ChatGPT. I’ll talk more about it in my AI6P-AISW one-year anniversary interview with
.I ended up diving into the Amazon Best Sellers and saw Just Friends by debut author Haley Pham. It’s currently at #2 with no cover design and won’t be published until March 2026! How? She’s an influencer with millions of followers!
Author Features
In case you missed it, we featured three authors in June:
Paul Cobbin on Managing Chronic Illness, Creativity, AI, and Debut Author Insights on The Trinity of You: Decode Your Diagnosis by Aligning Mind, Body and Soul
“If there is one thing I regret in life, it would be not following my creative dreams earlier.” ~ Paul Cobbin Indie Author Insights is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. If you are already a subscriber, thank you. Please consider spreading the word about debut author, Paul Cobbin, …
Debut Author Mike Matzdorff Asks: What if THE UNIVERSE ran out of an office in Queens?
Debut author, Mike Matzdorff lives in California—and sometimes his home state of Wisconsin. He is a father of two and has a love-hate relationship with his two (Covid) cats. Mike likes a good mystery, historical stuff, and bad jokes! He plays the guitar and would like to walk across a continent sometime.
If YOU are interested in being a featured author — and why wouldn’t you want free publicity — write something up or answer the author interview questions at writerkat.com and I’ll take it from there.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The Arcane Quill – A new fantasy magazine where magic meets the written word is accepting submissions for their first issue, launching in January 2026! Deadline for submissions is October 15, 2025. Send all submissions, advertisement requests, and sponsorship inquiries to Keetup Publishing House: keetup@keetup.ca
Do you dream in dragon fire and ink? Write spells between the lines of your stories? Whether you’re a seasoned author, a lore-lover, or a passionate reviewer, we want your voice in our pages! We’re looking for short stories (1,000 – 5,000 words); articles on world building, fantasy tropes, history in fantasy, magic systems, and more; book reviews (recent or classic fantasy titles); personal essays or reflections on the fantasy genre; original fantasy art or illustrated micro-stories.
We also welcome book promotions (author features, new releases), advertisements (publishing services, fantasy products, art commissions, etc.), sponsorships, and event announcements (conventions, launches, festivals).
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!
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. I will be at this conference. Let me know if you register so we can connect and share notes at lunch or dinner!
9/27/25 — Readers and Writers Rendezvous Author Expo, Saturday, September 27, 2025, 10 AM - 5 PM, Peoria Civic Center Ballroom, 201 SW Jefferson Ave
Peoria, IL. Look for Teresa Keefer, McKayla Jade, Brian K. Morris, and many other authors at this event. Spaces are still available!
10/18/25 – Petals Tea Shop & Bookstore Book Fair, Saturday, October 18, 2025 from 12–5 PM, at Petals Tea Shop & Bookstore, 3510 Augusta Rd, Booth 529, Greenville, SC. Author tables are $40 and include space to sell and sign books, plus access to their Facebook group to share about your work and collect pre-orders. They're asking each author to donate 5 copies of a book of their choosing, which will be featured in their in-store Indie Author Display prior to the event. All participating authors will also receive social media promotion and a feature in their newsletter leading up to the book fair.
11/12-16/25 — Christmas Gift & Hobby Show, Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 East 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN. Suzanne Purewal hosts a section at this huge event for authors. She still has some openings on Wednesday, November 12th, 10 AM - 7 PM and Thursday, November 13th, 10 AM - 7 PM. If you are interested in selling your books and related merchandise at this show, email Suzanne at pspurewal1@aol.com and she will send you the vendor manual and application form.
I ran across this Google Spreadsheet of Author Events. Check it out to see if there is an event that interests you!
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 July 2025 issue of Indie Author Insights (#63). 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 paid subscribers and founding members: Ashley Gary Johnson, Bess Sturgis, Bonnie Lieberman, Jennifer Huston Schaeffer, Jill Ebstein, Leland P. Gamson, Lloyd Mullins, Nancy Nau Sullivan, Paul Cobbin, Sarah Styf, and Teresa Keefer.
Thank you for supporting independent authors. We appreciate you!
Kathy Gerstorff
WriterKat
Indie Authors Association
P.S. Check out these three inspiring messages shared by fellow Creatives:
- has a way of speaking right to my soul. I love her message about destroying every reason why you think you’re stuck and her challenge for us to, “Take one bold action before noon.”
If you’re a music lover, check out this inspiring story on The Riff by Smilin’ Jay McDowell about children visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. It reminds me of the power of music and the freedom it brings to people of all ages!
Ed Mylett and Brendon Burchard inspire me with their synergy. The message that stood out the most to me on this one is when Ed asked, “What’s your God-sized dream?”
Incredibly kind words, Kathy! Thank you!😊
Thank you Kathy. You are a wonderful supporter, and your newsletter is chock-full of information. I might even try to write a poem (which is not my jam). Appreciate your knowledge and help as a valued resource.