#independent-authors — Public Fediverse posts

Personal Journey: A Story That Questions the “Happily Ever After”

https://sowetoapparel.wordpress.com/2026/05/15/a-story-that-questions-the-happily-ever-after/

World Book Night in Knaresborough: Live at the Library

Our first Knaresborough Library Books and Beverages of the year brought together three very different but equally engaging writers, Susanna Lewis, Tony Bunnell, and Tom Sibson for an evening that moved easily between music, poetry, fiction, and real-life experience. The event was hosted by local crime writer Tom Sibson, who kept things lively with humour, thoughtful questions, and the occasional glimpse into his own writing process.

https://youtu.be/1Jd3XT2VoOA

Susanna writes across a wide range of genres, from poetry and memoir to fiction, but her reading from Finding Joy in the Everyday was firmly rooted in real life. Inspired by the loss of her mother, the book grew out of her daily journaling practice and focuses on gratitude, even during difficult times. Her extract, set on Bridlington beach as she scatters her mother’s ashes, was both heartfelt and quietly uplifting, showing how writing can help make sense of grief and find moments of light in the everyday. She spoke about drawing inspiration from real people and conversations, often quite literally overheard, and weaving those observations into her work.

Tony, by contrast, brought a more unusual mix of music and storytelling to the evening. A long-time singer-songwriter, she performed several songs alongside readings from her fiction, much of which explores the supernatural and parallel worlds. Her novel The Nameless Children, inspired by unmarked graves in Haworth, imagines forgotten children returning to claim their place in the world, and her performance gave the story an eerie, almost folkloric quality. Tony explained that her ideas often come from small moments—something seen, heard, or half-remembered—and develop naturally without much planning, whether she is writing songs or novels.

Alongside the readings, Tom guided the conversation into the craft of writing itself, drawing out how each author approaches storytelling. Susanna spoke about weaving messages of wellbeing and resilience into her fiction, while Tony described her instinctive, almost dreamlike way of writing without a fixed plan. Tom offered his own perspective as a crime writer, talking about structure, pacing, and keeping readers hooked.

As always, it was a lively and wide-ranging evening, with something to interest both readers and writers alike, and a reminder that stories can come from almost anywhere if you’re paying attention.

If you prefer, you can also watch our videos on YouTube @booksandbeveragesUK where you can support us by liking and subscribing!

News Summary: Bookshop.org Sales Surge 55% to $70 Million; E-books Now 5% of Total Sales

We start the week with some good news that segues interestingly out of the news that many indie authors have found alarming at the end of last week. The indie corner of the internet has been filled with little other than discussion (much heated) of Draft2Digital's decision to introduce fees for new and low-activity accounts in the face (it claims) of a vast increase in artificially generated content.
The post News Summary: Bookshop.org Sales Surge 55% to $70 Million; E-books Now 5% of Total Sales appeared first on The Self-Publishing Advice Center.
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/bookshop-org-sales-surge/

#Bookshoporg #Draft2Digital #ebooksales #independentauthors #indiebookstores

Spring into Poetry: Live at the Library

by Kate Swann

Four poets met at Harrogate library on Friday 10th April to inform and entertain the audience about writing poetry. Peter Burgham, Steve Singleton, and Peter Donnelly were led in the discussion by Kate Swann.

https://youtu.be/wZ4kBNdDX2Q

The session began with a reading from each of the poets, followed by discussion about where they get their inspiration and ideas from, and how long it takes for these to be transformed into a poem. The consensus seemed to be that, although it varied, there was generally some weeks or months between the initial idea being formed and the finished poem, if it is ever finished, being committed to paper.

Following another reading the discussion moved on to how these poems were brought together in a book and whether or not independent publishing was preferred to going through a publisher. Small local publishers were preferred but on the whole independent publishing was the most common.

A further reading rounded off the session followed by questions from the audience and a good round of applause in appreciation. One-to-one discussion with the poets and some book sales completed the afternoon.

If you prefer, you can also watch our videos on YouTube @booksandbeveragesUK where you can support us by liking and subscribing!

Looking for a read that feels like a conversation with an old friend? ☕📖

"The Book of Irwin Gould: Book 1" offers a collection of life reflections that are equal parts hilarious and thought-provoking. Irwin Gould’s voice is a breath of fresh air in the digital world. 🕊️✨

Link: https://www.irwingould.com/the-book-of-irwin-gould-book-1/

#Books #IrwinGould #LifeStories #Memoir #Bookstodon #IndependentAuthors #Books #Book #Reading #Read #Readers #Author #Writing #Writer

Audio Interview: Producing Affordable Audiobooks with AI Assistance — Anna Featherstone and Phil Marshall

In this episode of the ALLi Self-Publishing Advice Podcast, Anna Featherstone speaks with Phil Marshall, co-founder of Spoken, about the fast-changing world of audiobook production and how authors can now…
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-producing-affordable-audiobooks/

#Podcast #affordableaudiobooks #AIaudiobooks #audiobookproduction #independentauthors

Poetry Collection Awards: More Opportunities Than You Think

In this Alliance of Independent Authors post, Book Award Adviser Hannah Jacobson explains why poetry collections have more award opportunities than many poets realize and how to find competitions that align with their work.
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/poetry-collection-awards/

#Process5And6MarketingAndPromotion #ALLiadvice #bookawards #hannahjacobson #independentauthors

Never Miss Your Chance: Why Great Books Win Awards Any Month of the Year

In this Alliance of Independent Authors post, Book Award Adviser Hannah Jacobson explains why there’s no single “award season” for books and how authors can take advantage of year-round opportunities to gain recognition.
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/awards-any-month/

#Process5And6MarketingAndPromotion #awardseasonmyth #awardstrategy #bookawards #independentauthors
@indieauthors

The Untold Truth: Award Recognition for Children’s Books, Picture Books, and Low Content Books

In this Alliance of Independent Authors post, Book Award Adviser Hannah Jacobson explains how children’s books, picture books, and low content books are…
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/award-recognition-for-childrens-books-picture-books/

#Process3And4ProductionAndDistribution #awardrecognitionforchildrensbooks #bookawardmyths #independentauthors #lowcontentbookawards
@indieauthors

I need a way to find author review sites for queer mildly spicy indie paranormal romance books to submit mine to. Anyone know any good lists out there?

#queerfiction #independentauthors