Wrap Up and What's Next

Above: A photo of me at my table from the Bookish Market event on July 5, 2026. (The banner on the right (to my left) is not mine, but the author behind me.)

July 20, 2026

I don’t know about you all, but I feel like this summer has been the busiest one I’ve had in years. Between author events and family commitments, I’ve somehow managed to make progress on not one but two new projects, and I don’t know how. Sheer willpower, I suppose. Also caffeine.

Anyway, read on for some project updates, an overview of how my first author event went, and what’s to come.

Updates

Rise of Iron (Tredania Chronicles, book one): I’ve mentioned before that I decided to query this first book in my next series. So far, I’ve heard back from 3 out of 7 agents, all with rejections. This is what I expected, although I take heart that none of them were within 24 hours (which has happened before).

I’m anticipating that I will self-publish this series, so I’ve taken steps to get that process started. Specifically, I’ve secured a cover artist. I’m so pleased to announce that I’ll be working with Kim Dingwall again! Her work on The Way of the Wielder series was amazing, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll do with this one. More to come soon.

Unnamed (Tredania Chronicles, book two): I’ve written three chapters of this project, or about 11,000 words. It took me some time to get into this, but I’m pleased with how things are going and can’t wait to get back to it this week.

I have a title for this project (I have titles for all books in this series), which I’ll share soon. Likely in my next blog post, where I’ll go into more about this series in general.

Standalone project #1: I decided to work on this last week, since I knew I wouldn’t have time to focus on TC, book two. I wrote just the first chapter, which I know will need some work, but the plot opens up from this point on, and I’m excited to finally get this story written.

This also has a title, which I’ll share once I hit about 20 percent complete (likely in a couple of months).

Market Bonanza

You’ll recall from my previous blog post that I attended my first public event as an author earlier this month. I’m pleased to say that it was a wild success!

Bookish Market

A “successful” event has several factors—the event’s location, the event’s focus (a book market, state fair, etc.), and the genre you write in, to name a few. Based on what I’ve heard from other independent authors, anything over about a dozen sales is a good turnout, especially for a first event.

I had 61.

Here’s what I brought and how much I sold (brought, sold):

–The Way of the Wielder: 42, sold 28

–Mysteries of the Material: 13, sold 8

–Convergence of Connection: 13, sold 8

–After the Awakening: 13, sold 8

–Mission Aboard the Longfin: 15, sold 9

I went into this event assuming that most people would buy just the first book in The Way of the Wielder series, so I brought fewer of books 2-4. However, eight people (EIGHT!) bought the whole series! I was shook in the best way.

I also didn’t expect to sell many copies of Mission Aboard the Longfin, but that title did surprisingly well. In fact, I had at least two people approach me for additional follow up: one from a local library, another from Barnes & Noble in Manchester, NH. The former will contact me, while I reached out to the latter shortly after the event. I’ve yet to hear from either, but I remain hopeful.

(As a side note, Mission Aboard the Longfin is now stocked at the USS Albacore Museum in Portsmouth! If you’re ever in the area, stop on by, tour the submarine, and check out the shop where my book is for sale.)

What Went Right

At first, I was supposed to be in the back corner of the “Author Alley” pavilion. I was alright with that, considering people would have to walk by me to exit. However, my position was switched last minute, and suddenly I was the first table people saw when they entered Author Alley. I won’t deny, that was a little intimidating, but I think that positioning was one of the key factors to my success.

Another factor was my simple table set up. I didn’t have any fancy displays or racks of books (although I did have a 24x36 poster print of The Way of the Wielder’s cover). I kept it simple, more like a display you’d find in a local bookstore. That, paired with the sun illuminating the table for the first couple hours of the event, and people seemed to be drawn to me. Not that I’m complaining.

Finally, I offered a discount on the complete series. You could buy one book for $20, or the complete series for $60—essentially, buy three get one free. As I mentioned, eight people took me up on that offer, which fills me with so much joy.

Lessons Learned

While the Bookish Market was a success, I did learn several things by attending it. First, I need to get some bags. When people purchased all four books, they sometimes had to juggle holding them, and I felt bad about that. For next time, I’ll look into some simple paper bags for those who buy more than one book. Maybe I’ll even get my name printed on them!

Second, the poster display kept blowing over in the breeze. While I put my husband to work keeping it in place, I should figure out another method. Maybe a different tripod, or adding some weight to the base.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, I want to walk around Author Alley and check out the other authors in attendance. Other than a few who were close to me, I didn’t get a chance to do that, and I wish I had. Events like this are great for finding readers, but building a network of authors is also important. Supporting other independent authors is important to me, and there’s no better way to do that than mingling with them at events.

All in all, the Bookish Market was a great success, and I look forward to doing it again soon.

What’s Next

By soon, I mean ‘in five weeks’, soon. Yes, Bookish Bliss Mobile Bookstore is hosting at least two more events this year: the Last Chapter of Summer Book Fair on August 23, and Spines & Spice Fall Festival on October 24.

I’ve already signed up for both, and have ordered more books to stock up my supplies. So, if you meant to come out and buy my books—or if you want to buy the rest of the series—you have two other opportunities to do so. Lucky you!

These next two events will be held in the same location as the first: Sandlot Sports & Entertainment, 56 North Road, Sandown, NH 03873, from 11am-4pm.

I hope to see you there!

NOTE: I may also sign up to attend events in other areas of the state. In particular, I know of one that happens at the Tanger Outlets in Tilton. They might do something around the holidays, so stay tuned for more info on that. Books make the best gifts, although as an author, I might be a little biased.

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That’s all for now. Thanks for reading! As always, be well, and stay creative.

~Sarah