Self-Publishing A-Z, Writers Conference Highlights, Book Releases, New AI Series, Poetry Contests, Calendar of Events & Book Marketing Opportunities
Indie Author Insider V52 - August 2024
“Your platform is your voice, your impact, and your legacy.” ~ Jori Hanna
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WELCOME!
Let’s welcome new subscribers by checking out their books, newsletters, or other creative projects: Joe Hooli, Leigh Jyme, Kristin, Roni, Shane Hibdon, Stella Fosse, and Tizz.
Welcome to Indie Author Insiders! We are happy you are here and look forward to getting to know you. Please share your book launches, signings, and other events by inboxing me on Substack, posting info in the comments, or emailing kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com.
NEW BOOK RELEASES
I wish I had Self-Publishing for New Authors by
when I self-published my first book. It would have flattened the learning curve! I highly recommend his Self-Publishing A-Z series and following his YouTube Channel to keep up with the ever changing publishing world.
Write & Sell A Well-Seasoned Romance by
launches August 29, 2024. It’s a step-by-step guide to create, edit, publish and market a late life Romance with characters after midlife.KATHY’S CORNER
What’s happening in your writing world? Here’s what’s happening in mine.
Highlights from attending the Taylor University Professional Writers Conference:
Jori “J.J.” Hanna, suspense author and book marketing consultant with Hanna Book Solutions, gave a jam-packed two-day session on how to build your platform and market your books on social media. She recommends having a presence where book lovers hang out such as GoodReads, BookBub, and Amazon. You can create free author pages on all three of those platforms. She said book giveaways on GoodReads is an effective way to get attention and grow your email list, which she said is still the number one way to communicate with your readers. She said GoodReads shows up on WorldCat which where librarians find books. Did you know you can blog on GoodReads?
I also enjoyed the multi-million book selling author Lynn Austin’s keynote about what it means to be a successful author. She said at first it was to just hold her published book in her hands. Then it was money. She thought the publishing house made a mistake on her royalty check when there were a lot of zeros at the end. Can you imagine that feeling?! Ultimately she measured success by doing what she felt God called her to do with her gift and giving hope to even one person.
I got to sit down one-on-one with Lynn Austin and Susie Finkbeiner to talk about my historical fiction novel that I’ve been working on for 20+ years. They both gave great advice that I will blog about soon!
I am excited to be part of the art and poetry collaboration with the Poetry Society of Indiana (PSI) and the Kokomo Art Association. The poem I created and titled “Flames” was inspired by a painting of a monochrome couple intertwined against an orange background. My contribution is one of 32 poems and 20 paintings in the exhibit. The display is at the Artworks Gallery, 210 North Main Street, Kokomo, Indiana, August 2, 2024 - August 30, 2024. The Gallery hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 12-4 PM. Visiting this exhibit would be the perfect artist date!
Speaking of PSI, their Annual Poetry Contest is happening now through September 1st. You can enter poems in over 30 categories for a chance to win money and get your poems published in their popular Ink to Paper anthology.
I am honored to be the first guest of
’s 6 ‘P’s in AI Pods. Her series is about how real people around the world are using AI-based software tools or being affected by AI. As an early adopter to technology, I’m excited about the possibilities AI brings to the self-published author’s toolbox. As a creative, I’m also aware of the concerns. I’m sure Karen’s deep dives will shed light on the subject so we can all contribute to the solution.
2024 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!
August
8/1-4/24 — Pulpfest, Thursday, August 1, 2024 - Sunday, August 4, 2024, 9 AM - 4:45 PM at the DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Cranberry, 910 Sheraton Dr, Mars, Pennsylvania. Look for Brian K. Morris at this event.
8/2/24 — Paint The Poem and opening of the Poetry and Visual Art Connect Exhibit, Friday, August 2, 2024, 5:30 PM, Artworks Gallery, 210 North Main Street, Kokomo, Indiana. Look for Kathy Gerstorff at this event.
8/4-6/24 — Christian Product Expo, Sunday, August 4, 2024 - Tuesday, August 6, 2024, Grand Wayne Convention Center, 120 W. Jefferson Blvd, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
8/17/24 — Ripley County Reads Author Fair, Saturday, August 17, 2024, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Batesville Memorial Public Library, 131 N. Walnut St, Batesville, Indiana
8/17/24 — Meet Me in Milwaukee Romance Author & Reader Event, Saturday, August 17, 2024, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. CDT, Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 333 West Kilbourn Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53203. Look for Greta Rose West at this event.
8/24/24 — Local Author Fair, Saturday, August 24, 2024, 1–4 p.m. at the Carmel Clay Public Library, 425 E Main St, Carmel, Indiana
8/24/24 — Library of Congress National Book Festival, Saturday, August 24, 2024, 9 AM - 8 PM, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Allen Y. Lew Place NW, Washington, D.C.
8/29/24-8/31/24 — John Sherman will be lecturing and selling copies of his book, Santa Fe: A Pictorial History and Taos: A Pictorial History, Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 1 p.m., at the Couse-Sharp Historic Site in Taos, New Mexico, and Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant in Santa Fe, NM, Saturday, August 31, 2024 at lunchtime. His lectures will focus on stories about the "old-timers" he interviewed in the 1980s when living in Santa Fe.
September
9/7/24 - 9/8/24 — 39th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest, Saturday, September 7 & Sunday, September 8, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Takes place on the streets of South Dearborn, from Ida B Wells to Polk Street, Chicago, IL. Rain or shine. If you want to be a presenter, panelist, or performer at this event, submit your proposal application by June 15, 2024.
9/7/24 — Beyond the Book Festival, Saturday, September 7, 2024, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. CST, Starke County Public Library, 152 West Culver Road, Knox, Indiana
9/7/24 — Lexington Legendary Book Bash, Saturday, September 7, 2024, Hyatt Regency Lexington, 401 W High Street, Lexington, Kentucky. Visit their Facebook page for updates. Look for Bess Sturgis at this event!
9/7/24 - 9/8/24 — Big Four Arts Festival, Saturday, September 7, 2024, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. & Sunday, September 8, 2024, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Big Four Bridge Lawn, 1103 River Road, Louisville, Kentucky
9/15/24 — DEADLINE for the Nature’s Verse Poetry Contest. Poems due Sunday, September 15, 2024 at 5 PM, for the first juried poetry contest to capture the essence of Wesselman Woods or Howell Wetlands. Contest juror is former Indiana State Poet Laureate and University of Southern Indiana Professor Emeritus of English, Matthew Graham. Entries will be judged on their originality, creativity, and relevance to the theme. Selected poems will be displayed in the Nature Center, read at a reception, and printed in a booklet collection, Wesselman Woods membership letters, and future Annual Reports. Two stand-out poems will be selected by the juror and given the “Goldenrod Award” and $100 in addition to a one-year Wesselman Woods membership. Any Honorable Mentions selected by the juror will receive a one-year individual membership to Wesselman Woods.
October
10/4-5/24 – Books by the Arch, St. Louis, Missouri, on October 4th & 5th, 2024. Look for Bess Sturgis at this event!
10/18-19/24 – The 2024 Louisville Book Festival will be held in downtown Louisville, KY on Friday, October 18th, and Saturday, 19th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Look for Dan Klefstad at this event. Speaking of Dan, check out his interview with Nia Springer-Norris in Success Magazine, How to Promote Your Book, No Publicist Needed!
10/19/24 – Meet an Author, Be an Author, Saturday, October 19, 2024, Indianapolis Public Library, 40 E Saint Clair St, Indianapolis, Indiana
10/19/24 – West Virginia Book Festival, Saturday, October 19, 2024, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center in downtown Charleston, West Virginia.
10/19/24 – Twin Cities Book Festival, Saturday, October 19, 2024, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minnesota.
10/19/24 – DSM Book Festival - Saturday, October 19, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa, this event is dedicated to book lovers and features a range of activities including author readings, book signings, and more (BooksRun).
November
11/2/24 – 37th Annual Buckeye Book Fair, Saturday, November 2, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Greystone Event Center, 50 Riffel Road, Wooster, Ohio
11/6/24 – Local Authors at the Annual Christmas Gift & Hobby Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Kristina W. Kelly will be there November 6, 2024, from 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
11/11-15/24 – Author Nation (Formerly 20Books Vegas), November 11-15, 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada
11/30/24 – Lew Wallace Hoosier Author Fair, Saturday, November 30, 2024, from 5–8 PM at Fusion54 Coworking Space, 101 W. Main St., Crawfordsville, Indiana. No vendor fee! Plus, they provide a table and chairs.
January 2025
1/31/25-2/1/25 – Sixth Annual Sunshine State Book Festival, Friday, January 31, 2025, 7-9 PM and Saturday, February 1, 2025, 10 AM - 4 PM, at the Best Western Grand, 4200 NW 97th Blvd, Gainesville, Florida.
Do you have a book signing or event you would like added to the Indie Author Insider Calendar of Events? Email it to kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com
Thank you for reading Indie Author Insider #52 (August 2024). 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 sponsoring subscribers: Ashley Gary Johnson, Bess Sturgis, Bonnie Lieberman, John Sherman, Lloyd Mullins, Nancy Nau Sullivan, and Sarah Styf. Thank you for supporting indie authors. We appreciate you!
Thanks also to the Substack Publications recommending Indie Author Insider: 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, Susan's Expressions, 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, My Favorite Classical Music, John Roberts' Weekly Rambles, Courtenay Nold’s Poetry Warrior Substack, and 6 P’s in AI Pods. Thank you for supporting indie authors!
Kathy Gerstorff
Thanks very much for sharing about my August 29 book launch! I'm jazzed that Beta readers are already using "Write & Sell a Well-Seasoned Romance" to create their own stories - before the book even publishes!
You are most welcome, Stella. (I always think of “A Streetcar Named Desire” when I hear that name). How exciting that your book is getting a good reception and helping aspiring writers!