HAPPY NEW YEAR from LOVELY WOODS PUBLISHING
Cheers!
Another journey around the sun means a wrap on what is technically year two for Lovely Woods Publishing, and we want to take a moment to remind you that we could not do this without you. Every book, earring or sticker purchased through Lovely Woods goes back to just a few dreamers who want nothing more than to spread joy to their community.
So, whether you’ve found us through friends, family, or via a serendipitous meeting at an event…
THANK YOU for supporting us.
Looking Forward to 2025
A new year with new goals, and enough unknowns to keep us on the edge of our seats. We’re not thrill seekers by any means, but being in the world of indie publishing sure makes us feel that way.
We’re learning more every year, and there’s certainly more we plan to tackle this year. Let’s recap a few things we’ve learned from 2024 to show the inspirations for our goals in 2025:
Authenticity is Key
We writers are mostly introverted at heart, and it can sometimes be tough to “put on the face” for events when we’re not completely feeling it. We’ve even had the unfortunate experience of family emergencies just days or hours before an event. It’s bound to happen—life is dynamic. Even on those days, we’ve still had some of our best conversations at events, talking to readers at our table. We always part ways with the reader feeling fulfilled, and we leave eager to talk to even more readers.
It took us a while to consider why this was the case—especially compared to online engagement—and we can only guess it’s because we simply love interacting with our readers in person, without an imaginary fourth wall between us. That’s when M.R. and C.E. can riff off each other in real time. Now our goal is to translate that same authenticity to our social presence. We see it all the time with content creators across Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and more. Wish us luck!
It’s About the Journey
Not all book events are created equal. Some are newer, some are more seasoned in their locations, and some weren’t even intended for novels—yet we still do great! That’s one reason we started a tradition of turning to each other after an event and asking, “What were your top three moments?” On the surface, it’s just a way to pass time on the journey home, but it also helps us reflect on the small moments that truly fuel us. The funny thing is, half the time it’s not even a sales moment! Sure, sometimes those great conversations lead to a sale, but not always.
This is one reason we’re adjusting our convention plans for next year. We’re focusing more on local events around the Twin Cities to carve out time for writing more books. You can find our list of events at the bottom of every newsletter and on our website. We’ll add more as we go and announce them on social media too.
Networking = Support
We’ve been so thankful that, on our journeys, we’ve never encountered a single author who wasn’t willing to share what they’ve learned about the writing process. It’s likely because every writer follows their own path and discovers that writing is a beast unto itself—familiar enough to tempt you into thinking it’ll be fun, yet formidable enough to remind you it’s unwise to tackle alone.
That’s where community comes in. It’s a resource for everything from lamenting about setbacks to swapping marketing strategies. Until two months ago, we didn’t even know what a newsletter swap was! So, it would be a shame not to continue that spirit of generosity by sharing our own knowledge. After all, it’s essential to who we are as an indie publisher.
