Open me for an URGENT reminder about your ticket to wonderland, what goes into attending Cons and other In-Person events as a publisher and both exciting (and disappointing) news about our upcoming events! ✨
Greetings Gentle Reader from the Land of Whimsical!
It’s so good to see you again! I hope you have a good cup of iced tea (sweetened or unsweetened) before you dive into our most recent Whimsical newsletter. We’ve got a lot of important updates to share with you, including opportunities to meet us in person! We’re so excited to start making new leaps as a small publisher, and, we know that we tell you all this nearly every newsletter, but it’s so true: We’re only here because of your support! Thanks for continuing to support our staff and authors, and the stories they make possible!
Keep reading to see all the exciting parts of our next steps!
EXTRA TIME TO PREORDER ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Were you sweating about getting the exclusive preorder edition of Whimsical’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland? If you want to escape to Wonderland, you now have till May 12th to pre-order. After May 12th, the sprayed edges will be gone FOREVER. Don’t miss your chance! You won’t regret it. These books are SO PRETTY (We’re only slightly biased). They’re great gifts, look gorgeous on a shelf, and are an absolute delight to flip through all the illustrations.
If you share your our classics online, tag @whimsical.publishing and use the hashtag #whimsicalclassics so we can respond and reshare! 🫶
Whimsical at the CalgaryExpo
Yes, you read that right! At the CalgaryExpo from April 23rd to 26th Whimsical will be there with our books, art and flower crowns ready to share with you all! You can meet some of the Whimsical team, chat with us and take selfies, and grab some books for your collection.
For some extra fun, we will be hosting a raffle giveaway for the duration of the Expo! All you need to do is stop by the table, and we’ll direct you to our raffle box — the prize? A full, signed trilogy of Micheline Ryckman’s (Whimsical Publishing’s founder) “The Maiden Ship” with bonus art and goodies!
Not only that, but we are doing special, early access copies of Whimsical Publishing’s author, Hayley Reese-Chow’s upcoming magical paranormal mystery novel, “Fangs, Fate, and Mondays”! 😎 While this book is currently set to release on May 26th, we will be bringing a limited amount of them for early purchase – so you can take home this fang-tastic story from the CalgaryExpo a whole month early. 🥳 (Psst… we are only bringing 25 copies, so you better come snatch yours, quick)!
Additionally, we are going to have stock of our soon-to-be-released Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland at the table – so if you don’t want to wait on shipping, come stop by and pick up yours, they are simply stunning. 🥰
You will also be able to purchase special entire-series packages (at a discount, no less!) from each of our incredible authors featuring bonus goodies such as art postcards, stickers, bookmarks, and more!
We will be at the Expo for all 4 days, so you can come see us anytime! (Better pop by the table fast, all of our special edition books are sure to be snatched up quick. 😉) What better time to support human-made, human-designed books and artwork than at in-person events!?
Can’t Make It To CalgaryExpo? Join Us To Nelson, British Columbia!
Another exciting, Kootenay-local event that Whimsical Publishing is looking forward to is multiple dates at the Nelson, British Columbia, farmers’ market events during the summer!
We will have a table with all of our authors’ books and artwork – including limited edition goodies and sets – at THREE different markets:
- Saturday, May 23rd
- Friday, July 24th
- Saturday, July 25th
Just like the CalgaryExpo, you’ll be able to grab limited edition goodies, purchase full sets of books and meet and chat with some of the Whimsical team members!
Here’s who you can meet at the Nelson markets:
May 23rd, and July 24th and 25th: Whimsical Publishing’s owner, Hannah Greentree and her Whimsical co-owner and Whimsical shop manager husband, Ethan Greentree!
July 24th and 25th: Whimsical Publishing’s marketing-assistant-extraordinaire-and-newsletter-writer, Lauren D. Fulter! (Hi there!! Come meet me and talk about books!!!)
These are going to be fun, relaxed market events where we are looking forward to sharing our fabulously Whimsical book-ish goodies with you all!
BookCon, Book Festivals, Craft Markets: What’s The Hype For In-Person Book Events?
Once again, it’s your favorite small press here to share our thoughts on everything publishing!
We’ve officially entered conference and convention season. It feels unavoidable everytime you open social media someone is talking about the most recent book event they’re attending and authors are promoting their booth numbers at such-and-such con.
So why are in-person book events important? And why should you care about them (as a reader or a writer!).
As a small publisher, one of our biggest challenges is marketing. We’re a small team and taking on getting noticed in the oversaturated landscape of social media, competing against big brands with big budgets can be exhausting. Which is why we’re super thankful for our loyal followers! Marketing is the backbone of book sales. Publishers and authors alike can have the world’s most amazing book in the world, but unfortunately, that itself doesn’t sell it. And we live in a world where we have to make money and eat food!
In-person events, especially in recent years, have given small publishers a chance to stand out in the crowd. Not only is there a smaller selection than the endless profiles you could scroll through online, there’s something magical about meeting authors and for authors to meet their readers face-to-face. Many readers attend events to feel a part of a community, and many publishers attend in hopes to help grow one.
Especially in a digital age, there’s an ongoing conversation about human connection. Just this year, BookCon made its historic return after a 6 year hiatus to an astounding 25,000 attendees. In a surprising turn of event, the rise of virtual accessibility has actually made in-person events more popular. Moments like these feel more special, exclusive, and personal, whereas online feels “cheaper”. It’s a classic example of when something becomes more accessible, it makes whatever it’s replacing more valuable.
This is an interesting turn of events for publishers and authors who – for years – have been told social media is the one and only future. From a practical marketing stand point, it’s good not to put all your eggs in one basket! There’s a reason we have different outlets and mediums in hopes of reaching different readers and audiences.
The book community is a force to be reckoned with and meeting readers where they’re at is the best way to get their attention. More than ever, readers crave real, authentic connection, and it’s incredible to watch in real time how supportive a community can be!
Fangs, Fate, And Mondays Just Got A MASSIVE Upgrade!
We’re so so so excited to announce due to some restructuring with our printers and distributors, we had the opportunity to make the exclusive edition of Fangs, Fate, and Mondays EVEN BETTER?
“How can that be? The exclusive edition is already incredible!” You might be asking.
Well, let us show you!
The exclusive edition NOW includes:
- Patterned sprayed edges
- Hardcover art
- Dust jacket exterior art
PLUS:
- Dust jacket interior art
- Gold foiling on the hardcover and dust jacket
- Illustrated end pages
- Interior illustrations
- And, a bonus chapter!
What reason is there NOT to preorder? Remember, like all our preorder exclusives, once they’re gone, they’re gone FOREVER.
Reminder About 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! The preorder campaign is going to be launched on the same day so make sure to mark your calendars!
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*).
Again, we hope we see you in-person!! And if not, we hope you’ll set a reminder for our MANY upcoming exciting releases! We have so many fantastic stories we’re so excited to share with you all!
Dates To Keep In Mind:
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: Release Day, April 21st
- CalgaryExpo, Whimsical at the Expo: April 23rd-26th
- The Crafting Con: Cover Reveal & Preorder Campaign, April 28th
- Nelson Farmers’ Markets, Whimsical at the Market: May 23rd, July 24th & 25th
- Fangs, Fate, & Mondays: Launch Week, May 21st – May 27th
- A New Whimsical Title Reveal: June 2nd
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 to us!
Until next time,
Whimsical Publishing 🩷🦩
