The Tiny Ghost Newsletter, edition #20, November 24, 2022
Hey ghoulish gal!
The year is starting to draw to a close with just one month left and here at Tiny Ghost headquarters we're beginning to feel the festive spirit...ooooh spooky!
It's been a while since we've done a check in on what's happening in the House of Ghost and seeing as the year is coming to a close we thought now might be a good time to look back at some of our achievements. "But there's still a month of the year to come!" I hear you say. True. But we have a couple of exciting announcements, some Christmas promotions, and plans for the future still to discuss so for now here is a just a little retrospective of everything that's happened in 2022.
We started the year off with a bang as a new, unknown entity with a mission to publish queer young adult books. Our first book The Alpha's Son came out in February 2022 and, honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around just how well it was received and the splash it made. I and everyone at Tiny Ghost will always be thankful for the support of our online communities (shout out to bookstagram!) and the readers who made The Alpha's Son such a success. This book has allowed us to grow and acquire more books and has become the backbone of the comapny. Who would have thought a couple of gay werewolves would help launch the company in a bigger way than we ever could have expected? TAS was a number one new release on Amazon for the entire month after its release and has since been published in hardcover and as an audiobook.
Ever since it came out people have been asking "when is the sequel coming out???" And I can say that we are super excited to continue Max and Jasper's story with news coming very soon about when you'll be able to find out if these two boys can make it work. Stay tuned...news is coming VERY soon!
Our next release came out in September and also achieved orange banner status on Amazon as a number one new release. My Name Is Magic, by Xan van Rooyen, features non-binary rep and is an exquisitely written urban fantasy set at a Finnish magic school. Bringing this book to market was a dream come true, not only were we bringing diverse queer representation to the table but because we were expanding our catalogue, and cementing ourselves as something other than a one trick ghosty. Look out for a very special MNIM Christmas promotion in the next couple of weeks, there may be some bonus content on the way!
The latest book we published came out just two weeks ago and for me this book is the most representative of us as a brand. Wicked Little Things by Justin Arnold is spooky and scary, with romance and humor, and it's super queer. My inspiration as a publisher was to publish the stories I loved but to make them overtly queer. When I first read WLT I was amazed, this book was everything I was looking for and everything we wanted to be known for publishing. While it's still a book baby I'm so excited for the future of this book and would love to spend more time in this world with these characters. If you haven't grabbed a copy Wicked Little Things is available now whereever books are sold.
We've also signed two more books which will be coming out early next year––Monstersona by Chloe Spencer (Feb 14, 2023), and Against the Stars by Christopher Hartland (April 18, 2023). You'll be hearing more about these titles in the coming months and I'm so excited for you all to read them.
I've loved working with our authors and I'm so excited to continue to expand the Tiny Ghost fam. Author happiness is high on our list of company values, we want to create a press where authors are taken care of and feel like a part of the process. The collaborations we've had so far have been so rewarding and I look forward to many more.
This year we also launch the Tiny Ghost Shop, with an exclusive line of official Tiny Ghost merch and a collection for each of our books. Seeing our little ghost on totes, hats, mugs, and more is so cool. I'm also very proud of the work we've done with artists and the team to create book-specific in-world pieces like our Knock-Knock Jokes band tee (Morgan's punk band in MNIM), and Hallow Bean (the local cafe in Jasper Hollow the setting for WLT) coffee shop merch . The shop is a great way for readers to help support our small, indie business, but for me I wanted to use the shop as a way to give back and our partnership with akt, a UK based charity helping LGBTQ+ youth who are homeless or struggling with their living situations, is something I'm really proud of. Keep reading to unlock a seasonal discount code!
We've been working really hard to expand our marketing and PR this last year, and I'm proud to say our authors have appeared on numerous podcasts, been interviewed by prominent Booktokers and Bookstagramers, and it's wild to see our books included in publications such as Nerd Daily and the School Librarian Toolbox. We also took part in our first live event as a guest publisher at Kirkdale Bookshop in London, for their Halloween Spook Shop. The night was a monster success with a reading from WLT and even an appearance from the tiny ghost themself!
A particular highlight for me along with working with our authors has been working with our amazing cover artists. We try and find exciting, up-and-coming artists to design stunning artwork for our book covers, that our authors and readers obsess over. Seeing our covers together always makes me grin.
Of course the year has had it's up and downs and we've learned so much since we set up shop. It might not always show but there have been some stressful moments, some late nights, and minor (okay major) panics. But we persevered and we're better for it. Moving forward we're striving to do more, be more prepared, strive for even greater diversity, and continue to publish our queer, spooky books.
Before I sign off I also have to say a massive thank you to everyone who's been part of the Tiny Ghost team over the last year. We've had some amazing interns who have been invaluable, so generous with their time, energy, and ideas. You've all helped build us into something more than I could ever have dreamed. We work with some spectacular editors who have a meticulous eye for detail and bring a professionalism and elevate our books like no one else. A massive thank you is also owed to our advisors, friends, and family who have been understanding, forthcoming with their wisdom, and so supportive. And one last shout out to our ARC readers, anyone who's left a review of our books, shared our content on their socials, posted about the company, and tried to help spread the word. Your support means so much! Here's to more spooky queer books and publishing adventures!
And finally I want to say thank you to our readers. Without you we wouldn't exist. And I hope we can continue to publish books that excite, frighten, and entertain. Your support means the world.
Before my recap of the year turns into more of an Oscar's acceptance speech, I better sign off. It's been a massive year and there is so much more to come. We're acquiring for 2024 and onward so if you have a queer young adult book we'd love to hear from you.
Lastly, as a token of our appreciation, from now until the end of December we're giving you, our newsletter subscribers, 50% off everything in the Tiny Ghost Shop, simply use code XMAS2022 when you check out.
I hope you have an amazing holiday season.
As always...stay scary.
Josh xxx