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  • We Missed You!

    We Missed You!

    Over 30 people joined us at last weekend’s mixer, and three lucky attendees walked away with signed books or custom art. The room was buzzing with conversation, laughter, and new connections, and we truly wished you could have been there. It was an evening full of energy, creativity, and good company. I love meeting people…


  • For a Limited Time: One of Our Boldest Books for 99¢

    For a Limited Time: One of Our Boldest Books for 99¢

    There are books you read. And then there are books that read you. Hibernaculum by Anthony Doyle is the latter. Set in a near-future world where human hibernation has become a solution to climate strain, illness, and the quiet exhaustion of modern life, Hibernaculum asks a deceptively simple question: what happens when we step out of our lives… and then try…


  • Don’t Miss the Mixer!

    Don’t Miss the Mixer!

    This Saturday! Meet Dave, Dianne, and some of the Old Scratch Press crew. We’ve got some free goodies to give away too! Let’s hang out!Hope to see you there! REGISTER to attend. (Sorry, no bots allowed!) 🙂 Dianne


  • This Week’s Hot Take

    This Week’s Hot Take

    Are you a subscriber to The Line Edit? If not you’re missing free editing tips, and hot takes like this week’s: When the luck of the Irish won’t help you with your writing, The Line Edit will! And it’s free!


  • We’re Having a Contest and You’re Invited

    We’re Having a Contest and You’re Invited

    In anticipation of the upcoming Old Scratch Press poetry collection HOWLING INTO THE VOID by R. David Fulcher, we invite you to take part in a cover reveal guessing contest. Three cover designs are shown on the contest page. One of them has already been selected as the final, official cover. Your task is to…


  • Popping the Cork on Champagne, or champagne?

    Popping the Cork on Champagne, or champagne?

    Did you know there is a difference between Champagne and champagne? Well, honestly, there never was in my house growing up. My parents called Asti Spumante, Lancer’s Rose, and cold duck, “Champagne,” because they thought they all were the same. (And I can still remember the oohs and aahs over pink champagne! It was pink!)…


  • A New Year “Hello!” from a Very Real Publishing Team

    A New Year “Hello!” from a Very Real Publishing Team

    Hi Everyone~Before the year wraps up, we wanted to say hello, and introduce ourselves properly. Yes, that is our dog, Oliver. Yes, that is our Christmas tree behind him. And yes, we are very real people who genuinely care about writers and books. We know the internet can feel crowded with promises, shortcuts, and programs…


  • Dan Cohen’s Father’s Dementia Made Dan Into an Author, and One of Our Partners

    Dan Cohen’s Father’s Dementia Made Dan Into an Author, and One of Our Partners

    When did you become a writer? For myself, I had been a writing since elementary school. I began as a playwright. I would write one-act comedy skits I would coerce my friends into performing with me. Fortunately for me, the teachers at Leedom Elementary School were very encouraging, and they always managed to find a…


  • In the Spotlight | Ignoring Alva by Emilie Khair

    In the Spotlight | Ignoring Alva by Emilie Khair

    In the latest installment of our new series, IN THE SPOTLIGHT, Dianne discusses and reads from Emilie Khair’s delightful cozy mystery/adventure tale, IGNORNING ALVA, which features two unforgettable elderly siblings, IGNORING ALVA.


  • NOODLES!!!!

    NOODLES!!!!

    Are you full yet? As if last week didn’t have enough fooooooooood in it, it’s time for Instant Noodles. Instant Noodles is our online literary magazine. Free to read, and free to submit to. The magazine used to be my own private project, with a “little” help from Dave on most of the covers. I…


  • In the Spotlight | A Witch Awakens by Ellis Elliott

    In the Spotlight | A Witch Awakens by Ellis Elliott

    In the latest installment of our new series, IN THE SPOTLIGHT, we take a look Ellis Elliott’s cozy mystery novel, A WITCH AWAKENS.


  • Muting, and How to Prevent it From Happening to You on Facebook—Tips for Authors

    Muting, and How to Prevent it From Happening to You on Facebook—Tips for Authors

    Introduction This post is about muting or, rather, how to avoid being muted, by your Facebook audience. Let’s dig in…Every author has seen it—the desperate “Like my page!” posts, the relentless book plugs, the awkward event invites that aren’t really events. Although often well intended, these requests are among the fastest ways to get muted…


  • In the Spotlight | Dreams of the Return by Alan Bern

    In the Spotlight | Dreams of the Return by Alan Bern

    In the first installment of our new series, IN THE SPOTLIGHT, we take a look Alan Bern’s DREAMS OF THE RETURN.


  • Principles Authors Should Live By on Facebook

    Principles Authors Should Live By on Facebook

    Introduction “Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are.”— Franklin D. Roosevelt Facebook sometimes (or often) feels like shouting into the void, you’re not alone. Many authors struggle with what to post, how often to post, and whether their efforts even matter. The truth is, there’s no single formula. But there are guiding principles that separate…


  • Facebook Author Strategy: Pages, Profiles, and What Actually Works

    Facebook Author Strategy: Pages, Profiles, and What Actually Works

    Introduction Few subjects stir more confusion among authors than the topic of their Facebook author strategy and answering the question: Should I create a separate author page, or just use my personal profile? On the surface, a fan page feels more “official.” But profiles often feel more authentic, and in today’s Facebook ecosystem, authenticity tends…


  • “You Wrote It. Now Sell It.” Episode 13: Making Time to Promote and Sell Your Writing

    “You Wrote It. Now Sell It.” Episode 13: Making Time to Promote and Sell Your Writing

    In this week’s episode of Your Wrote It. Now Sell It. Di explains the importance of giving yourself the gift of time, and why not allowing yourself this gift can ultimately hinder your success as an author.


  • Unpublished Authors: To Build or Not to Build a Facebook Following?

    Unpublished Authors: To Build or Not to Build a Facebook Following?

    Introduction If you’re an unpublished author, social media can feel like putting the cart before the horse. Should you invest time in building a Facebook presence before you even have a book? The short answer: maybe—but only if it aligns with your goals and genre. Let’s walk through why building a platform before publication sometimes…


  • Publisher to Author: “Get on Facebook!” — Essential Strategies for Navigating the Terrain

    Publisher to Author: “Get on Facebook!” — Essential Strategies for Navigating the Terrain

    Introduction It can happen that your publisher, editor, or even agent casually advises you to be on “on Facebook.” For many writers, that suggestion feels less like encouragement and more like a creativity death sentence. After all, you signed up to write books, not craft witty posts every day. So what do you do when…


  • “You Wrote It. Now Sell It.” Episode 12: Substack for Writers: Growing Deeper Connections

    “You Wrote It. Now Sell It.” Episode 12: Substack for Writers: Growing Deeper Connections

    This week, Di takes a deeper dive into Substack, with suggestions on how to make meaningful engagements that will help build your readership.


  • Sunday Morning Podcast

    Sunday Morning Podcast

    A podcast is a fantastic way to get yourself and your writing endeavors out there. They last a long time, and are endlessly interesting to people who haven’t heard them. If you listen to one author on one podcast you may discover many more authors you might end up loving… bonus! This is a podcast…