Open me for a title reveal for an update on your Narnia books, learn more about our upcoming original releases, and finally figure out why authors and publishers ask for reviews so much! ✨

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Greetings Gentle Reader from the Land of Whimsical!

Can you believe we’re already in spring? That means it’s officially the Whimsical season (flower crowns for everyone!). The year has really sped by and has been a real season of change for many, including us here at Whimsical, so more than ever, the power of stories has become important. We’re exceptionally proud of our titles and authors we have coming up, so keep reading to see what worlds you could be transported to!

Some important dates to save! 

• MARCH 31ST: We’ll finally be sharing the cover and opening preorders for Trickster In The Palace & Other Tales! (Keep an eye out for the announcement newsletter tomorrow morning!)
• EASTER SALE: Save money on books from April 3rd – April 6th
• APRIL 21st: Our beautiful edition of Alice In Wonderland comes out!
• And more! Read on!

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Want To Hear From An Author LIVE? (And Have A Chance To Win Free Books?)

 Well, you have your chance THIS MORNING on our Instagram (@whimsicalpublishing)!

Whimsical’s owner, Hannah Greentree, will be interviewing author Kaitlyn Carter Brown on her newest release with Whimsical: Trickster In The Palace And Other Tales! As per all of our author chats, we’ll be running a giveaway alongside the chat, so make sure to show up!

Returning  to Kaitlyn’s rich, fantastical desert world, following your favorite characters from the Instanolde Chronicles, including the man featured in the title! Everyone’s favorite Razhar! (If you haven’t met him yet, we highly encourage you to check out the Instandole duology. You will love him.)

And can we just appreciate this INCREDIBLE art from @suzelfruz.draws on Instagram?!

Also, the cover reveal and preorder campaign will be launched tomorrow – yes that’s right! THIS TUESDAY! And we cannot wait! Why must the mid-June release date feel so far away?

If you’re as excited as we are, make sure to hop onto the chat! Reminder, it’s at 10AM MST!

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The Power of Reviews: Why Authors And Publishers Are Always Asking For Them

You open up Instagram instead of actually doing the thing you’ve supposed to be doing. Just a couple minutes you tell yourself. (Admit it. We all do it.)

Since you’re obsessed with books and have a neverending TBR, it’s only natural you scroll across a few author pages. Maybe a few publishers—your favorite small press and even a Big 5 you see on all shelves.

Indie authors are reminding you to review their latest books on Amazon and GoodReads. Publishers are encouraging you to apply for an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of their next release in exchange for a reveiw.

Maybe you’ve stopped to yourself to wonder why there seems to be such a press for reviews on books. Shouldn’t the premise sell itself? Your reveiw is surely not going to make that big of a difference, right?

Welcome to Whimsical Publishing, your local small publisher, here to answer just that.

Reviews aren’t just for giving fellow readers your opinion on the book, but that is an important part. Often times people read reviews to get a sense of whether or not a book will be up their alley. That’s why it’s okay to be honest. Say you don’t like something. Someone might disagree with you and love that thing and read the book anyway. People want your honest reveiw to get the best analysis on their books.

More important, however, for many others and publishers is discoverability.

With millions of books being published online, especially with the rise of self-publishing, it’s easy to get lost in the sauce. There are thousands of books that don’t even get one review. So literally one review could make a difference to help the book rise. Book sites, like Amazon, ThriftBooks, and Barnes and Noble, bring books with higher review counts, higher on the search page. They see the numbers of people talking about the book, and therefore assume it’s something people want to read, pushing it out to be more visible to readers.

Reviews also allow the books to become discovered due to word of mouth (which is the strongest, most fool-proof way to get books into reader’s hands). If you generate buzz and conversation around a novel, it’s more likely other people will pick it up. Hence, ARCs. They want to get people talking and posting before the book even gets published, helping the numbers once the book does officially launch.

You’ve probably been in the situation numerous times where you’ve picked up a book because you want to talk to your friends about it or join the online fandom conversation.

In brief, reviewing books is one of the things in publishing READERS have full control over! We’re rooting for you to help our books be seen. These stories are for YOU after all!

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The Classics Like You’ve Never Seen Them…Are Out For Delivery!

That’s right! If you ordered a Whimsical edition of “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe”, it’s currently in the process of being shipped out. We’re as excited as you are to get these edition in your hands. If you share your books online, tag @whimsical.publishing and use the hashtag #whimsicalclassics so we can respond and reshare!

You can still preorder Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (releasing April 21st) and Grimm’s Fairytales (releasing May 12th)! If you preorder, all of these books include exclusive sprayed edges and preorder gifts. And did you know all of the books have illustrations?! We’re drooling.

 

Speaking of classics… we’re so excited about our rapidly growing classics collection. We currently have preorder campaigns running for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Grimm’s Fairytales as well. Take a peek below! We’re still not over how utterly gorgeous these turned out!

And of course, we can’t forget about our Jane Austen editions. They look gorgeous on a shelf together. It’s the same stories you love, repackaged with gorgeous human-made art! These are all available for purchase now! No wait needed.

Remember be  your editions online and tag us @whimsical.publishing, using the hashtag #WhimsicalClassics !! Seeing these books in your hands is one of the big reasons we do this.

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Exciting News For Whimsical’s newest nerdy CONTEMPORARY romance!

You know us for our fantasy, but we’re so excited to give you more information about our newest book, set right here in our world, a story about all of us nerdy artists! “The Crafting Con” by E.P. Stavs, our newest author, is getting a cover reveal on APRIL 28TH!

No spoilers, but you are all going to love it! It’s going to look so cute on your book shelf (or in your tote bag to read between panels at conventions this summer *wink wink*).

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Preorder Fangs, Fate, And Monday (And Win Free Merch Every Week?!)

We’re doing something a little different with the Fangs, Fate, & Mondays!

Every week the book is available for preorder, everyone who has preordered will be entered in a raffle! Each week will have different prizes, including a coffee mug, a desk mat, and more! If you preorder now, you will earn 3 entries for each physical copy of the book you order! If you’re an e-reader, you will get 1 entry per copy of the e-book you order.

After the raffle, these exclusive items will never be available to purchase anywhere else again!

Even if you don’t win, you’ll still be getting all these delicious preorder gooodies and the book is fang-tastic (check out the reviews on NetGalley, GoodReads or Amazon if you need convincing!)

Grab yourself a copy here !

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Exciting news! We’re going to be exhibiting at a few IN PERSON (!!!) events this year in Nelson, British Columbia! You can meet some of the Whimsical team members, grab some books, and specific package sets all in person! We would be thrilled to meet you.

The following dates are set for us to attend the Nelson markets:

• May 23rd
• July 24th, and
• July 25th

With more in-person event dates this spring and summer season waiting to be announced! We are plotting some more events for both Canada and the US, so keep an eye out!

If you’ve read all the way to the end, you deserve a bunch of chocolate eggs and marshmallow Peeps (have you ever tried microwaving them?).

Thank you all so much for supporting our journey thus far. We’re a small team and we appreciate and see all your comments, messages, and orders. As a family run press, it means the world!

Until next time,
Whimsical Publishing 🩷🦩