JUNE NEWSLETTER
On The Cobblestone Road
What's New This Month?
The newsletter looks a little different this month because it’s coming to you from a new platform!
You might have received a few emails from me over the last couple of weeks as I completed the migration from MailChimp to Substack (and accidentally sent the first Substack post as an email to all subscribers… oops!)
I discussed this major change in a lot more detail in one of my recent blog posts, but here’s a quick recap:
Last year, MailChimp reduced the number of subscribers in their free plan from 2,000 to 500.
I was about to hit that new threshold and have my account frozen unless I upgraded to their paid plan, which simply wasn’t in my budget considering I primarily used their services for a once-a-month email campaign.
Unlike MailChimp, Substack has a front-end website experience for visitors to access archived posts, read about my business, explore relevant links to my other websites and social media pages, see what other accounts I recommend, and more.
Substack enables me to create free content (the monthly newsletter) + paid content (monthly subscriptions, similar to Patreon).
The archive of past MailChimp newsletters is still accessible on my website.
I knew when I published the May newsletter that I was getting dangerously close to maxing out my subscriber list with MailChimp, so this transition wasn’t unexpected. It was, however, more time-consuming than I’d planned.
Essentially, I had to design a new website through Substack, which meant customizing my About page, designing imagery to reflect my brand, adding links, etc. I also had to export my existing MailChimp audience and import it into Substack, plus redirect landing pages and create new graphics to lead people from my primary website to the new sign-up page.
But it’s officially up and running in time for the June newsletter! YAY!!
BOOK UPDATES
I would love to say that I made a ton of progress on Lab Rat (Book IV in the Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series) this month… but as I mentioned, setting up Substack ate up a lot of my time in between the usual chaos of making products and prepping for weekend events.
I did make some headway on the manuscript during the first part of the month. I’m currently on Chapter 14 of the printed first draft.
However… I paused on those edits for a while to write a new chapter, which had a domino effect that caused some other scenes to change. Even though I was excited about adding a new action scene, I struggled a bit with writing it.
Despite a new chapter (21) being added, the merging of two others after I finished rearranging scenes left the total number of chapters unchanged at 32 as of now.
When I printed the first draft of Lab Rat, it was 147,889 words. With the new addition, the word count has now increased to 150,779, bringing it a little closer to A Fallen Hero’s 154k mark. That number will continue to fluctuate during edits. I have another new scene playing out in my head, but I’m not sure if it will be added to Book IV or Book V.
Once I get through the new scenes, I’ll resume normal editing as I work through the printed manuscript chapter by chapter.
WEBSITE UPDATES
With the addition of Substack’s premium membership tier and the newsletter migration, On The Cobblestone Road went through an update as well.
Visitors will see a noticeable change on the homepage so it’s easier to connect with me on Patreon, social media, and Substack. Blog posts will also feature new callout graphics for the newsletter and subscription.
KEYCHAIN SALE
I’m discontinuing a handful of my keychains to make room for new designs! These keychains are on sale for $5 on my website and at events until they’re gone.
NEW BOOK PRINTS & BOOKMARKS
My newest book prints (Titon, Azar & Kovak, and Phantom vs. A7-5292) and laminated bookmarks (Azar/Kovak and Phantom/A7-5292) have been added to my event inventory and uploaded onto my website for online purchase.
These sketches are printed directly onto actual pages from A Fallen Hero, but the two newest book prints are a bit different!
For Azar & Kovak, some of the pages have “blood” (red paint) splattered across the front, although I do also have clean copies available as well.
The Phantom vs. A7-5292 print is torn in half prior to being laminated, highlighting the rift between Cato’s early days as Phantom and his current state as a battle-hardened fugitive.
**This video is a shortened and sped-up sneak peek at the Patreon video that was released to Kálos and Alpha subscribers.
RECENT EVENTS
May 11: Halfway to Halloween Macabre Market in Valparaiso, IN
May 18: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN
May 25: Chesterton European Market in Chesterton, IN
June 1: Greenwood Pride Fest in Greenwood, IN
PATREON UPDATES
$5 a month isn't much, but all of the support adds up and helps to sustain my business so I can continue creating art and publishing books!
Patreon is a subscription platform where fans get access to exclusive content while supporting their favorite artist(s). These subscriptions help me cover the publishing costs for upcoming books in the series along with many other business expenses such as vendor fees, liability insurance, website costs, and more. I have three membership tiers: Human ($5), Kálos ($10), and Alpha ($15).
Here are the latest posts in my Patreon community since the last newsletter:
• Upcoming event announcements
• Reminder for Alpha patrons to message me if they have a preference for their name being used in Lab Rat (first name, last name, both, nickname, etc.) as part of their membership perk
• News and updates on projects, events, Book IV, etc.
• Vote for exclusive Alpha content
• Early announcement about the switch to Substack and new premium content opportunity for creative solopreneurs
• Art in progress update
• Timelapse video of the latest featured artwork (Phantom vs. A7-5292)
• Sneak peek at a scene from Lab Rat!!
For more information about the membership tiers and how subscriptions/donations support my business, check out this FAQ page on my website.
SUBSTACK UPDATES
While Patreon will remain a fan-based community featuring behind-the-scenes content centered around my books and art, the new subscription I just started on Substack prioritizes business-oriented content for creative solopreneurs where I discuss my experiences as an author, artist, and entrepreneur with over 135 in-person events ranging from book signings and artist pop-ups to festivals, markets, and conventions now on my résumé.
Subscriptions are only $5/month, and members have the opportunity to read, share, comment, and network with other creative professionals as I grow this new community. I only JUST launched this new platform at the end of May. Here are the latest premium posts on Substack:
• Solopreneur Tips: Introduction
• Vendor Tip: Bundle Discounts
**These posts are partially visible for free subscribers, but to read the entire post, members need to upgrade to the premium subscription tier.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Be sure to check my website for the most up-to-date list.
To receive event reminders, you can join my Discord server, follow me on Facebook or Buy Me a Coffee, or become a Patreon subscriber. Here's the current schedule of events as of now:
STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
Friday, June 07, 2024
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Saturday, June 08, 2024
9:00 am - 8:00 pm
State Road 23 & State Road 4
North Liberty, IN
REBEL ART FEST
Sunday, June 09, 2024
12:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Potawatomi Park
South Bend, IN
PRIDE FEST
Saturday, June 15, 2024
1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Guy Foreman Amphitheater
Michigan City, IN
TWIN CITIES PRIDEFEST
Saturday, June 22, 2024
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Dwight P. Mitchell Park
Benton Harbor, MI
INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
Saturday, June 29, 2024
3:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Central Park
Mishawaka, IN
KOGAN CON
Saturday, July 06, 2024
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Central Park Place
Grand Haven, MI
CHESTERTON'S EUROPEAN MARKET
Saturday, August 03, 2024
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Broadway & Third Street
Chesterton, IN
MICHIANA REN FEST
Saturday, August 24, 2024
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday, August 25, 2024
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
St. Joe County 4H Fairgrounds
South Bend, IN
Friday, August 30, 2024
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 31, 2024
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sunday, September 01, 2024
9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Monday, September 02, 2024
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Centennial Park
Plymouth, IN
POPCORN FESTIVAL
Saturday, September 07, 2024
8:00 am - 6:30 pm
Downtown
Valparaiso, IN
SUNFLOWER FAIR
Saturday, September 21, 2024
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Michigan Avenue
La Porte, IN
WOLF HOLLOW WITCHES MARKET
Saturday, October 05, 2024
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Boone County Fairgrounds
Belvidere, IL
MIGHTY CON
Saturday, October 26, 2024
1:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds
Lafayette, IN
Saturday, November 23, 2024
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday, November 24, 2024
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Porter County Expo Center
Valparaiso, IN
INDOOR SANTA MARKET
Friday, December 06, 2024
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Saturday, December 07, 2024
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Lake County Fairgrounds
Crown Point, IN
CHRISTMAS AT THE CIVIC
Sunday, December 08, 2024
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Civic Auditorium
La Porte, IN
RECENT BLOG POSTS
My Newsletter Has Migrated from MailChimp to Substack! Here’s Why.
Everything you need to know about my switch from MailChimp, why it happened, how Substack is different from MailChimp and Patreon, and what to expect moving forward…
Best Liability Insurance for Authors & Artists (ACT vs. Next)
My personal head-to-head comparison from the perspective of an author, artist, and entrepreneur using both ACT Insurance and Next Insurance for event coverage…
FEATURED ARTWORK
Phantom vs. A7-5292 © 2024
Patreon subscribers can read about this character sketch and watch me draw it in the exclusive patrons-only timelapse video for Level 2 and 3 subscribers.
SHOP
This year, I finally launched my own ecommerce site so anyone in the U.S. now has the opportunity to order online directly from me. Many of my products are available, including notecards, keychains, buttons, postcards, bookmarks, stickers, mouse pads, novelty CoA merch, and autographed books. Some products, such as my canvas prints, puzzles, resin book holders, and build-your-own bookmarks, are still event-exclusive.
Browse my custom designs on apparel and accessories produced and shipped by Spring. Shop for Chronicles of Avilésor designs plus others inspired by reading and writing (and my popular banned books graphic).
In 2020, I partnered with Old Soul Artisan — a small USA business operated by an amazing woman solopreneur — to create a custom candle fragrance inspired by my book series. The “mystical forest” scent is a blend of apple, cedar, chrysanthemum, and green leaf that captures the essence of Avilésor. Online purchases help to support wolf conservation!
