Lake Erie Lit Festival - After Action Report

Last weekend was the Lake Erie Lit Festival. I was one of 31 authors in attendance. It was an amazing event. Not only did it feature a multitude of authors, but it also included poetry readings, workshops, vendors, and food trucks. I’ll be honest, I didn’t get to participate in any of those events.

I arrived half an hour before I was scheduled to start setting up. The place was already a beehive of activity. There were people EVERYWHERE. I expected chaos when I walked in, but I was actually met with controlled mayhem. The tables were labeled, and the organizers were on hand to direct everyone. I was immediately shown to my table and left to set it up myself.

I took with me my Three Ravens Publishing anthologies, the first two Ps and Qs anthologies, and the books I published on my own. I also had a selection of “pre-loved” books to sell, too. I couldn’t bring the Raconteur Press anthologies since they used an AI generator to help create the covers.

Within ten minutes of setting up my table, I had my first sale. The festival had not even officially started yet. That first sale set the tone for the rest of the day. It was so busy and fast that I didn’t even have time to drink my coffee and only got sips of water between customers. Honestly, I loved every moment of the event. I’ve never talked to so many people about my books before.

By the end of the event, I had sold completely out of Princess Victory Rules and Dragon’s Pet. I had 2 out of 10 Cluck Cluck Booms left. I had sold at least one copy of everything else. I even sold a few used books, although not as many as I had hoped to sell.

Now, for some more concrete numbers, without telling you my actual profit. I “made table” with my very first transaction. That means I recouped the cost of the table for the event. I then “made table back” or broke even with the cost of all of the inventory I brought within three hours. After that, it was pure profit, and I made sales all seven hours of the event. (It was a six-hour event, but I started selling early.)

I didn’t get to look at any of the vendors or browse the other author tables. I didn’t even get to pick up some food from the trucks. I was too busy. I did get to sneak a quick look, though, while I was literally running to the restroom and back. Last year the event was TINY. This year, it was huge. There were book-related tents all down Frontier Park.

I look forward to doing this again next year. I’ll have even more books to sell and more time to promote the event. 

Lake Erie Lit Festival

I’m going to be at the Lake Erie Lit Festival this year! I was there last year as a speaker, but this year I’m going as an author. I’m so excited! This year it is on September 13th, from noon to six pm at Frontier Park in Erie, PA.

I’m going to be bringing a few of my books. This festival has a strict No AI rule, so none of the books from Raconteur Press can be sold there. They all have AI covers. Beast Hunt and Contested Landing also have some AI generation, so I can’t sell those either. BUT, I can sell the rest of them.

I’ll be bringing:

Princess Victory Rules - A children’s chapter book about a dog who gets adopted by a family, as well as another dog to be her “brother.” They have adventures and grow together. This is a feel-good book where nothing bad happens to the dog. I was tired of all the books where the dog dies or gets hurt, and decided to write something different.

Dragon’s Pet - This book is a non-spicy, no-romance urban paranormal. It explores a world in which dragons keep humans as pets much like we keep dogs. Poor Ansel didn’t think helping a woman in distress would get him into so much trouble. This is book one of a series that I’m still working on writing.

Hidden Bones - This scary story is based on the real-life haunting of my own home. While I have no idea what my ghost’s story is, telling this one was a lot of fun. It is creepy and thrilling without resorting to jump scares. I am not a fan of those. This one does have a trigger warning attached to it, so pay heed.

It Came From The Trailer Park Vol 4 - This colorful cover threw me off for a moment, and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to bring this book. However, one quick conversation with the publisher assured me that this one was actually a painting that was done specifically for the anthology.

It Came from the Trailer Park Double Wide - This anthology of novellas is the one that started the entire Giant Alien Chicken story set that I have going on.

Cluck Cluck Boom - This novella features Giant Alien Chickens, a total lack of the FDA, and features three marines with a guest starring Army Ranger. Looking for anime-style adventure in text form? Give this one a try. **Not responsible for lawn mower modifications or fishing accident jokes.**

Wyrd Werewolf Wranger - The second of the anthologies that my publishing house, Ps and Qs has produced. This wyrd west anthology features the best western paranormal stories I’ve ever read.

Wyrd Wytch West - This is the anthology that started it all with Ps and Qs Publishing. Not only do I have a story in it, but since it is the beginning, it needs to be shared far and wide.

Not only will I have the books I’ve worked on, but I will also have a bunch of Pre-Loved books from my PangoBooks store. I’ll be selling hardcovers for $5 and paperbacks for $2.50. I’m hoping to make a dent in my collection.

Now, some of you might have noticed that I have several anthologies that I will not be bringing beyond the AI Cover issues. That’s because it takes over a month to get author copies in. Do I really want to bring Gauges and Ghouls? You can bet your heart and soul on that. I couldn’t get it in on time. Spirits and Spreadsheets will also be out before the Lit Fest, but again, I can’t get it in on time.

There will be other festivals and conventions. I’ll definitely be bringing all of the rest of my publications to those.

Gauges and Ghouls

Eight months ago, I walked into my new position at work. It wasn’t a new company, or even a new position. It was simply a venue change. I switched from one building to another to help fill in a gap. I had visited that building once, twenty years ago, and fell in love with it. I still loved it.

This time, when I walked in, it was near Halloween. The place was decorated with spooky picture frames and little skulls. If that wasn’t enough, half of the building had been abandoned when they redid the offices, leaving empty offices or desks with scattered blueprints on them. Many of the offices appeared to have been abandoned, with workers simply picking up their belongings and leaving everything else behind. Add in the local lore of the lot being an old burial ground, and Gauges and Ghouls was born.

I didn’t get a story ready for this anthology. I couldn’t get it together. I had a couple of scenes, a protagonist, and a person of interest. No plot. It happens sometimes. That being said, the authors who compiled those stories, wow. They did not disappoint. Spooky without being obscene, scary without resorting to jump tactics. These are the type of stories that I am proud to share.

I am beyond honored that nineteen authors trusted me with publishing their stories, with the first batch being in Gauges and Ghouls and the second being in Spirits and Spreadsheets. It amazes me every time we do this that I get to participate in such a grand endeavor.

I'm not freaking out, you are

This is it, the second part of the Wyrd West series that Ps and Qs Publishing is putting out. It is also the last part until at least next year. This seemed like a really popular open call, so I think I might have to do it again. 

For right now, I'm just stoked to see Wyrd Werewolf Wrangler up for sale on Amazon, as well as all of the other online book buying sites. This has been a journey, and one that I could not have done alone. Not only have my authors been amazing, even with the setbacks and such going on, but I had a lot of help from my writing community. 

Seriously, without Sam Robb, we'd have never gotten this far to start with. That man is a wealth of information and encouragement. Jesse A Barrett was instramental in getting the website up and running. Don't ask me what he did. He explained it, and he swears it was in English, but I'm pretty sure it was a made up language that only he had the keys to. 

What's next for Ps and Qs Publishing? I'm currently reading for Gauges and Ghouls. That promises to be a spooky anthology. There are so many scary stories out there and the authors who are contributing have such a way of making everything come to life. I can't wait to read everything. I dread trying to widdle the selection down to a manageable number. That one is planned to be released for the third quarter of the year. 

Then there is the 1988 anthology coming up at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Elves taking on the 1980s rock scene? Yep, any era can be used in the storyline, as well as any genre. The details can be found at www.PsandQsPublishing.com. Just look under the tab for Open Calls. 

It's Alive!!!

The first of the anthologies published by Ps and Qs is live! AHHH!!!

I am beyond excited! I can barely think! 

Wyrd Wytch West has been an absolute joy, and terror, to work on. Seeing it become available to people is the best feeling! Knowing my authors are just as excited about this as I am makes it even more worth it. 

**grabs the Guinness** 

Here is to a great start and hopefully many more anthologies to follow. Be sure to pick up a copy for yourself and support small publishers. 

Publishing the First Anthology

I have published so much of my own stuff, one would think that I'm used to the myriad of emotions that it can cause. Just hitting that "publish" button makes me feel equal parts fear and excitement. Fear that no one will ever notice or like what I poured my heart and soul into, and excitement that I made something, accomplished a huge task. I am pretty sure that these sensations will never become normal for me. 

Today I felt an extra dose of those emotions when I took that final step. Not only do I worry about my own work, but I'm also responsible for making sure that the authors who entrusted their work with me are as successful as possible. I have done everything I can, and I know that, but I still worry that it's not enough. That I'm not enough. 

I know this is just my imposter syndrome talking. I read every one of those stories that I just released into the world. They are all amazing. I have double checked EVERYTHING. I know that Wyrd Wytch West is as good as I can possibly make it. I dare anyone to do better. 

As I wait for everything to finalize in the publication process, I'm thinking of the future. I have new and bright ideas for more anthologies. I think, with the help of my authors, we can become a power house in the small publishing world. Who knows, we might just tackle novels and collections as well as anthologies. 

This can be done, and I'm going to be the one to do it.