The Blog

Notes on Books & the Author Life

Honest thoughts on reading, writing, the book community, and everything in between.

Shattered glass teaser graphic from a dark romance Instagram campaign

Jul 23, 2026

What Actually Works in Author Marketing

I pulled apart a dark romance campaign post by post. The teasers that sold nothing outperformed the product announcements 3 to 1, and there's a reason for that. Here's the breakdown.

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Jul 21, 2026

Your Checkout Is Probably Costing You Sales

I build author stores for a living, and my own checkout still broke on me. Here's what actually makes readers abandon their carts, backed by real research instead of made-up marketing stats.

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Jul 19, 2026

I Wrote the Playbook I Wish I'd Had When I Started

The business side of author PA work, in one fillable workbook: pricing, contracts, finding clients, nearly 50 tools, and a full year of income tracking.

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Jul 13, 2026

Don't Give Up Guaranteed Work for a Maybe: A Freelancer's Hard Lesson

What a fast, high-stakes hiring process taught me about protecting your income, respecting a candidate's time, and never restructuring your business for a deal that isn't signed.

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Jul 12, 2026

So You Want to Be an Author PA? Here's What the Job Actually Is

What an author PA actually does, how it differs from a marketing manager and a social media manager, the tools to learn, and a publisher ARC-contacts reference.

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Jul 12, 2026

How to Become an ARC Reader (and Read Your Favorite Books Before Anyone Else)

What an ARC reader is, what you're responsible for, how to find indie authors on Threads, Instagram, and TikTok, and how to fill out signup forms.

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Jul 11, 2026

What Actually Separates a Hobby From a Business in Author Services

Talent isn't what decides who's still here in two years. Here's what actually does, plus real, tactical tips on how to stand out and get more clients coming your way.

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Jul 10, 2026

I Tried to Build a Referral Network. What I Actually Learned.

The honest, behind-the-scenes story of building an author-services referral network, what went wrong, and what actually makes someone easy to refer.

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Jul 10, 2026

You're Leaving Money on the Table (And You Don't Even Know It)

A PSA for my fellow author service providers. I opened up collab submissions, and what I learned about follow-through, and the income it quietly costs, might just help you.

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Romance author Lynne Solisse

May 28, 2026

Author Hot Seat: Getting to Know Lynne Solisse

Romance author Lynne Solisse on late-in-life creativity, writing women who have actually lived, and creating stories that make readers feel something real.

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Feb 27, 2026

The Algorithm Loves Conflict

How escalation culture is changing online reading spaces. On spectacle, interpretation layers, reaction identity, and choosing curiosity over conflict.

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Feb 25, 2026

Why Authors Are Quietly Pulling Out of Book Events

How much should event organizers disclose before authors and vendors financially commit? On transparency and trust.

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Feb 23, 2026

The Quiet Cost of Cancel Culture in Bookstagram and BookTok

On accountability, performance, and self-censorship in online reading communities, and how to hold each other accountable without losing empathy.

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You're Not Well-Read If You Only Read What You Agree With

Feb 21, 2026

You're Not “Well-Read” If You Only Read What You Already Agree With

The problem isn't your comfort reads. It's avoidance disguised as taste. Plus a genre-by-genre reading list to push you out of your lane.

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Heated Rivalry and Game Changer hockey romance novels

Feb 19, 2026

Stop Calling It “Hockey Porn”

What happens when media tries to explain a genre it refuses to respect. On Heated Rivalry, romance literacy, and the double standard around female desire.

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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Feb 17, 2026

“Fairy Smut” Isn't Dumbing Down Literature

The problem isn't romantasy. It's who decides what counts as serious reading. On gatekeeping, double standards, and why critics still get the genre wrong.

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A grid of Stuff Your Kindle dark romance covers

Feb 17, 2026

Stuff Your Kindle Days: Are We Reading or Just Hoarding?

Are Stuff Your Kindle Days actually worth it? On free-book frenzies, overconsumption, author visibility, and reading with intention instead of urgency.

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Unbroken by Janice Whiteaker

Feb 16, 2026

Unbroken by Janice Whiteaker: A Review

An honest look at healing, vulnerability, and a love story that lets its characters stay beautifully human. A review of Unbroken by Janice Whiteaker.

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The special edition of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Feb 16, 2026

How Special Edition Culture Put Me in Debt (and Led Me to Bookbinding)

On going into debt chasing special editions, and how book binding turned comparison into creation. A confession about keeping up with book culture.

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Just for the Cameras by Meghan Quinn

Feb 15, 2026

I Read the New Romance ARCs So You Know What to Grab First

Three recent romance ARCs worth your February TBR: The Hotshot, Love for Hire, and Just for the Cameras, plus an honest look at ARC culture.

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Readers with stacks of books at a book convention

Feb 15, 2026

Are Book Conventions Still for Readers, or Just for People Who Can Afford the Experience?

Book conventions used to feel like a celebration of readers. But between rising costs, tiered access, and the influencer factor, are they still built for everyday readers?

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Feb 14, 2026

I Thought Being a Stay-at-Home Mom Would Give Me Time to Read. I Was Hilariously Wrong.

I really believed I would finally get through my TBR pile. Instead, I read in chaotic fragments while someone climbs on me. On making space for yourself when your time never fully belongs to you.

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The Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole

Feb 14, 2026

The Problem With Seasonal Support: Why POC Authors Still Feel Like an Afterthought

Every February, the book community remembers how important representation is. But support often feels temporary. On the difference between seasonal enthusiasm and real, year-round consistency.

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Feb 13, 2026

The ARC System & Social Media Influencers

The changing psychology of reading culture. ARC programs now sit at the intersection of marketing, community, and persuasion psychology, and readers can tell when content feels genuine.

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