Storycomic Weekly Newsletter: April 18th
ALWAYS POSTED A WEEK EARLIER ON PATREON
🚨 Storycomic Patreon Update for Creators 🚨
If you're an author, indie comic creator, game designer, or storyteller looking for more visibility, the Storycomic Patreon is one of the easiest ways to get your work in front of a growing audience.
For just $5 a month (about the price of a cup of coffee), you get some real promotional benefits:
🎙 Front-of-the-Line Recording Access
I’m often booking podcast interviews three months in advance, but Patreon members jump to the front of the line. This is especially helpful if you have a time-sensitive launch, Kickstarter, or new release coming up.
🔗 Permanent Show Notes Promotion
Your website or project link will be included in the show notes of all interviews as long as you’re a member.
📣 Social Media Promotion
We’ll regularly help promote your projects across Storycomic’s social media channels.
And remember, the Storycomic podcast has over 30,000 downloads, so it’s a great way to get your work discovered by readers and fellow creators.
For the cost of a coffee each month, you get promotion, visibility, and priority booking.
If you’re a creative looking to grow your audience, it’s a pretty great deal.
👉 Join us on Patreon and let’s share your story with the world.
Founders Club patrons include amazing creators like:
Michael Winn, Higgins802, Von Allan, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, Marek Bennett, Donna Carr Roberts, Andrew Gronosky, Simki Kuznick, and Matt & Therese.
Explore their work:
Melissa Addey returns to talk ALLi’s Indie Author Bookstore and what indie authors need next
Melissa Addey is back on the show with timely news for indie authors and readers: the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) has launched the Indie Author Bookstore, a curated online showcase of books by ALLi members. ALLi describes it as a “living showcase” where readers can browse by genre, theme, and season, then buy direct from an author’s preferred retailer—built around ethical, professional self-publishing.
In our conversation, Melissa explains what it takes to bring a project like this to life, from soft-launch realities to why this kind of discovery infrastructure matters in a crowded market. We also zoom out into the bigger picture: how self-publishing has matured, what authors should focus on to improve discoverability, and why clarity—about audience, categories, and positioning—often beats chasing every new platform.
If you’re an indie author trying to get found, a traditionally published author curious about the current landscape, or a reader who loves discovering books outside the usual bestseller machine, this episode is a practical, hopeful look at where publishing is headed and how indie authors can build visibility with integrity.
J. Conwell’s The Boy in the Tree is a small story with a big emotional lesson
In this interview, I’m joined by J. Conwell to talk about his picture book The Boy in the Tree: When Weak is Okay, published by Little Ripples, the new children’s imprint from Ripples Media.
The story follows a boy who gets stuck high in a tree and has to face a hard truth: sometimes you can’t power your way out of fear. Instead, you have to name what you’re feeling, accept that you’re not fine, and let someone help you down. It’s a gentle way to teach emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and a more honest definition of courage—one that doesn’t require being tough all the time.
We also talk about why books like this matter right now. Little Ripples exists to publish stories with meaningful themes—books that can spark real conversations at home and in classrooms without feeling preachy.
If you’re a parent, teacher, or librarian looking for a read-aloud that opens the door to talking about feelings (and asking for help), this episode is worth your time.
Project Update: Still Slow Going
Things are still slow going with Appliance. I haven’t had the time to dive in as much as I’d like, but I’m continuing to stay connected to the project—reviewing sections, making notes, and keeping everything fresh.
It’s not a fast pace right now, but it’s enough to keep things moving forward, even if just a little at a time.
Book Review: The Snail and the Whale – A Big Adventure from a Small Perspective
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson is one of those bedtime stories that just feels right the moment you start reading it. I recently read it with my 5-year-old, and it quickly became one of those books where you can tell it’s going to stick in the rotation.
The story follows a tiny snail with big dreams who hitches a ride on the tail of a massive whale. Together, they travel the world—past icebergs, volcanoes, and faraway shores—before the adventure takes a turn and the little snail has to step up in a big way.
What makes this book so enjoyable, especially at bedtime, is the rhythm. The rhyming text flows so smoothly that it almost reads like a song, making it easy to fall into the story together. My kiddo was completely engaged, listening closely and taking in the journey page by page.
The contrast between the tiny snail and the enormous whale is what gives the story its heart. It’s a gentle reminder that even the smallest among us can make a big difference, which is a message that lands nicely without feeling heavy-handed.
As a bedtime read, it hits all the marks—engaging, calming, and just the right amount of adventure. It’s the kind of story that invites you to slow down, read it aloud, and enjoy the rhythm of the words together.
A cozy, meaningful read—and a great one to share at the end of the day.
Personal Update: Balancing the Books and Welcoming Warmer Days
On the business side of things, I’ve got some good news mixed with a bit of reality. From a bookkeeping perspective, my accounts receivable are higher than my accounts payable, which is a solid place to be. The challenge, though, is that a number of clients have been slow in paying, which in turn means I’ve had to be a little slower paying some bills on my end. It’s one of those cycles that happens, but it does mean I’ll need to start gently nudging folks to get caught up.
On the project front, the transition of the paper’s website over to Squarespace is just about ready to go, which feels great. That’s been a big lift, and it’s exciting to see it nearing the finish line.
Weather-wise, it finally feels like we’ve turned the corner. We had a brief dip back into the cold, but overall the warmer days are here, and the kids have been spending more time outside, which is always a welcome change after a long winter.
With all the focus on getting the Bridge Weekly website updated, it has pulled some attention away from getting the WYKR Classic station fully up and running. That said, we’re getting close there too—just a bit more to go.
It’s been a week of juggling priorities, but everything is moving forward, even if a few things are taking turns at the front of the line.
Iggy had some dentist time this week.
One of this week’s challenges was getting the streaming app for the radio staion up and running again. I love learning new things!