The Little Things Community

Ok, so maybe it's a butterfly... we never claimed to be scientists!

What are you doing tomorrow night? Wanna come hang with the coolest publishing company crew around? We will all be at Martyrs’ (3855 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago) for the monthly “Moth” story slam. It’s a really cool event that started in NYC- instead of authors slamming their poetry, people get up and tell 3-5 minute personal stories based on a theme (so no beret or finger-snapping required). This month’s topic is “fireworks.”

Check out The Moth podcast!

Doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets are $8 at the door. We recommend getting there early to guarantee a seat and to grab a drink (or two) with us before the show. Yes, we know it’s a Tuesday…

Recently, I attended Book Expo America, one of the biggest annual publishing conventions in the US. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, so I just jumped in and went with the flow.

BEA Tip #1: Get your badge the day before BEA opens. This saved me standing in long lines the day of BEA just to get registered and to go inside. I was overwhelmed by the amount of booths that were there, but I made a point to stop by a lot of them. This included Harper Collins, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and many more. The size of the publishing company depended on the size of the booth. As you can imagine, the bigger publishing companies had the larger booths. I visited some of the indie publishers too, who were very warm and welcoming.

BEA Tip #2: Don’t be annoying when promoting your product. So many book sellers and publishers came up to me, harassing me and forcing me to listen to what they were saying. This was annoying and not a good way to promote your product. I usually just ended up giving their swag away if someone was forceful. However, when a seller or publisher took the time to talk to me about my interests and credentials, I was more open and receptive to their product.

BEA Tip #3: Attend as many panels as you can. In this industry, I believe you can never stop learning. I attended a few panels, including the YA Editors Panel, to learn about what the trends were and what information was currently being passed around in this industry. It’s also fun to go to author breakfasts if you can get the ticket for them. I heard about four authors speak and they were very inspirational.

BEA Tip #4: Don’t be shy! Talking and networking got me invited to a VIP event at the Scholastic store, hosted by the lovely ladies at Scholastic. Famous YA authors such as Meg Cabot, David Levithan, and Libba Bray were also there. I also had the opportunity to learn more about smaller publishing companies and see what kind of books they are putting out there right now.

BEA Tip #5: Don’t expect this to be a vacation. I was up at 5 AM almost every morning to get ready and get to the convention by 7 AM. I would eat in the morning, but there was so much going on at BEA that I never had time to each lunch or leave BEA to eat. Bring lots of granola bars and water. By the time 5 PM rolled around, I was usually too tired to do anything but eat dinner and go to sleep. It’s fun, but it’s also a crazy whirlwind!

I really did have a fun experience, especially since I had the chance to talk about TLT Publishing and promote myself as an editor. I am definitely planning on going back next year. It’s a great experience for those who are serious about publishing.

Here's Kristi from the Story Siren, Jamie from Broke and the Bookish, and me and my friend Britney waiting in the BEA lobby to attend the YA Author Breakfast

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This past Sunday or rad CEO and fellow author, Randi Ertz, was supposed to appear on Blog Talk Radio for an interview.  Well, “supposed to” isn’t fair- she eventually did just got confused with the different time zones.

Luckily Geeta (author of Reaching Riverdale), was hanging out at home with the radio playing in the background, and noticed Randi was missing in action.  Wanting to buy her some time, Geeta swooped in and chatted with John Rakestraw herself, sharing some of the experiences and surprises that come with the territory of being an author.

Not only did she discuss her book and charm the listener with her depiction of what it is to have the courage to leave as well as the courage to stay, but she also gave an inside peek to the process of getting the book into the actual laps of readers.

She explained how TLT Publishing really connected with her on a value front.  Randi is very dedicated to the publishing house and makes sure her authors stay active throughout the whole creative process.  Whereas other publishing houses act like a big business and take over the book in order to make a profit, Geeta felt TLT made sure she was happy how her book was evolving every step of the way.  She was encouraged to work closely with the editor, was involved with the art, and was given the tools to market even after the campaign is over.  Basically, she tooted our horn til Randi realized her mistake and called in.  Thanks Geeta

Listen to the interview here: http://bit.ly/qLjPJS

Or listen to it through iTunes here: http://bit.ly/pgRdZ5

While you were lounging on deck chairs and watching firewroks crack open the sky, the staff of TLT Publishing was busy putting the finishing touches on our new e-commerce page!  Think of it as one of your new favorite bookstores, it now proudly boasts 9 books that are ready to be ordered.  To sweeten the deal a little more (and because we like you so darn much), we are now offering an extra 30% off of all pre-orders!  Just use the code  fffxxx2tlt at checkout. We’re not stingy though- feel free to share this code with friends, family, and any other fans. Happy reading : )

Let me lead you to our front door: http://bookstore.tltpublishing.com/

This weekend the TLT Team went to Wicker Park’s Learnapalooza to spread some of its vast, infinite knowledge on publishing.  Learnapalooza is a summer festival in Chicago that hosts nearly 100 free workshops, from sausage making to belly dancing.  TLT hosted two classes: the first one was taught by our CEO Randi on how to publish your book, and the second one was taught by our Senior Publicist Lindsey on how to promote your book.  There was a great turn-out and it was wonderful to see so many aspiring writers taking an interest in getting their books out there.  Then again, when faced with the dilemma of choosing between the Worm Composting class or hanging out with us, it’s a no-brainer

(Though no comment on the dilemma between us and the Wine Tasting class…)

Randi’s class!

Our lovely Publicity Team

Randi keeping the class hanging off of her every word

Senior Publicist Lindsey sneaking bites of her crepe.  If you saw it, you wouldn’t blame her.

We hope to see you guys at our next event!!

Our CEO and (apparently famous) published author Randi was spotted grabbing dinner and drinks at Public House last Saturday night!  With the intention of having a low-key evening, local Chicago fans approached her and demanded she party with them.  Who was she to deny them?

She spent the night shmoozing, laughing, and going down the beer list with the Evin Driscol Series lovers (fellow historians, if you will), with the idea of a chill night completely forgotten.  Happy with the change of plans, Randi had a great time meeting the fun people that love her characters and made some awesome new friends.

If any of you spot Randi out and about, snag a picture and send it in. Or better yet, come up to her and say hello!  We’ll need to provide her with a pair of shades and an entourage pretty soon….

Learnapalooza 2011 features nearly 100 free workshops on June 25th across Wicker Park/Bucktown. This year, TLT will be teaching two courses: “How to Publish Your Book” and “How to Promote Your Book.” You can now RSVP for our classes or a variety of other course offerings through the Communiteach website.

Belly Dance, sausage making, history of rock and roll, investment advice, small business resources, bee keeping, and more. Sign up for your favorite classes now to make sure you have a spot. Space is limited.

All classes are 100% free.

If you love Learnapalooza, support their Kickstarter campaign and let’s kept the festival going stong!

See you June 25th!

Thanks to everyone who came out to help us celebrate literature in Chicago at the 2011 Printers’ Row Lit Fest. It was a gorgeous day in the city and we were able to meet a lot of new people and spread the word about our company and our message. Additional photos can be seen by clicking the “photos” tab at the right of this page.

Stay tuned for information about more upcoming events!

Hello everyone!

We’re kicking off our summer events schedule with a bang this year– the mother of all Midwestern literary festivals– The Printers’ Row Lit Festival, presented by The Chicago Tribune! The festival occurs annually and takes place over two days, usually the first weekend of June. Publishing companies and book sellers from all over the Midwest participate as vendors and there are a variety of book signings, speeches and workshops to attend.

This year, we are planning to go as a group on Sunday, June 5th. We will meet for brunch at Blackie’s (http://www.blackieschicago.com/) on the corner of Clark and Polk and will follow the schedule of events below:

10am — Brunch — Blackie’s

11am – Memoir writing workshop with CAROL LaCHAPELLE, author of “Finding Your Voice, Telling Your Stories” — University Center Multimedia Room

…wandering time

1pm — When Books and Film Collide, with Chicago Tribune cultural critic JULIA KELLER and Chicago Tribune reporter NINA METZ — Trib Nation Stage

…more wandering

3pm – National Book Critics Circle, with Chicago Tribune literary editor ELIZABETH TAYLOR, KAREN R. LONG, DONNA SEAMAN and ART WINSLOW — Center Stage

The full schedule of events can be found at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/acrobat/2011-05/244686720-23170731.pdf. You are welcome to attend different events than the ones that we have chosen, but please be aware that some require tickets. These can be obtained for free through The Tribune’s website.

If you plan on joining us on Sunday, please send an RSVP email to publicity@tltpublishing.com BEFORE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1st with your name and the name of any guests that you will be bringing with you– remember that friends and family are welcome!

I hope to see you all there!