We’re branching out a bit to expand our offerings.
I’m excited. Read on, dear writers & audience members.
You’re a writer on Substack.
You publish YOUR book. Now, you have to promote YOUR book. The publishing world isn’t what it used to be. In the olden days, publishers did more and spent more to promote their authors. They paid publicists and they covered travel expenses for book launches and readings.
Now, only the big names get that kind of treatment.
Authors have to foot the bill to go out into the world to get their books into the hands of readers.
Who might get left out of the chance to see you IRL?
Your readers on Substack. Our audience. Chances are they don’t live in a city or a town that’s on your book tour schedule. That’s a lost opportunity for both of you.
So, we’re bringing the bookstore/book tour to your readers here. And it’s not a regular reading or launch, either.
It’s a book event à la Wham! Bam! Thank You! Slam! To fill that need, we’re offering book events here in our virtual bookstore.
If you write on Substack and have a new book–or not so new, or you’re about to, this is a destination everyone can access.
In keeping with the spirit and intention of the Wham! Bam! community, you do have a feminist mindset.
We won’t be spotlighting books that celebrate tradwives and the manosphere.
A thing you may not know about me:
I’m a bookseller at heart. I sold books for years. There’s nothing better than putting a beloved book into a reader’s hands. Once a bookseller, always a bookseller.
You should see me switch into tidying and alphabetizing mode when I’m in any local bookstore. I can’t shake the habit. I don’t really want to.
Starting in July 2026 we’re doing book events. Launches. Giveaways. Readings. Kind of. Kind of, because we’re adding a twist to the old cocktail.
The twist?
Storytelling. It’s a mini-slam!
Instead of coming to hear you read an excerpt from your new book, talk about your writing process and chat with your reade
rs, we’re asking you to do this a little differently than doing a more traditional launch.
And it goes like this…
I do the Introductions. It’s my job!
You, the author, invite 2 or 3 Substack writers to participate. They have published books, or soon-to-be published books. And they write on Substack, too.
It’s time to tell your stories. Each will tell a 4-minute story based on a theme you choose to open the event.
Then, we’ll have a “Hollywood Squares” style conversation about the author’s new book with your invited guests. And technically, they’re really rectangles, not squares.
Now it’s time for the Q&A. Audience members, don’t be shy, this is your chance!
We’ll provide the links to all of the books. They’re listed in our Wham! Bam! bookstores on Bookshop and Amazon. If audience members purchase a book on either platform and send us their receipt and a snail-mail address, they’ll receive a custom signed bookplate designed by me and signed by you. Wham! Bam! will earn a microscopic commission, but it adds up and helps support this project.
In keeping with our slam tradition, I’ll tell the closing story based on your theme.
So lovely authors, you may want to wait and check out a couple of these book slams, OR you may be more like me and jump right in.
Reserve your spot soon, because this idea has you so excited you don’t want to miss your chance to shine, to celebrate with us. Fill out the form linked here and get yourself on our calendar. For now, I’m planning 1-2 book slams a month in addition to our regular monthly slam. I’ll be announcing our July event on Friday, and I have another 4 book slams schedule through next spring and fall. So, when are you doing yours?
What we provide:
Custom graphics for promoting your event. Created by designer Nan Tepper.
Promotion in our event posts. They go out to my ever-growing community on WBTYS and to my personal stack, The Next Write Thing. That’s an audience of over 3000 subscribers.
Ability to cross-post to your Substack readers.
Regular Notes posted on Substack and posts on Instagram.
Event creation on Luma for free audience reservations.
Custom-designed bookplates for your bookbuyers.
Private email blasts promoting your event.
Branded video of your event and individual reels of each writer’s story for your personal use and theirs.
Pre-recording with each writer for back-up (in case of tech-glitches, they do happen sometimes)
Storytelling coaching if needed (hourly fee for sessions with me).
What you provide:
YOURSELF! And your chosen guests.
An email list of invitees
Headshots and snarky bios for you and your guests.
Book titles for you and your guests
Donation of 1-3 copies of your book for a giveaway. Your guest authors can donate, too.
Promotional copy that YOU write about your theme and your book.
Full engagement in promoting your event.
If you want to do the WBBS Twist with us, schedule YOUR book slam, complete the form, make a $100 deposit to reserve your spot on our calendar, and subscribe to Wham! Bam! Thank You! Slam!
Our slam fee is very reasonable and flexible. I’ll work with you when we touch base. It’s a marketing expense, for sure, but one that will pay off.
If you need to use a different payment method, DM me, but still fill out the form.
Wham! Bam! Thank You! Slam! takes place the third weekend of each month. That’s the only weekend we won’t schedule book slams.
We’re happy to accommodate requests for weekday and weekend events.
Talk to me. We’ll make this happen.
To our audience members:
If you’ve been enjoying the OG version of Wham! Bam! Thank You! Slam! you’ll love this new spin. Wham! Bam! Book! Slams are free to attend, and you’ll come away with some great reads to add to your book stack!
And, one of you might win our book drawing. You never know.
Nan, what an amazing idea! A true gift to writers.
Fabulous idea, Nan! I'm already brimming with ideas of writers to reach out to. Question: Is there a pub date requirement, i.e., is it OK to invite authors of books published earlier than 2025-26?