By Desireé Duffy, Founder of Black Château, Books That Make You, and The BookFest® The publishing world has always had its share of unsavory players: scammy publishers, vanity presses, fake literary agents, and bad actors impersonating reputable marketing firms. What is new is how artificial intelligence has made these scams faster, more polished, and harder to recognize. Authors, especially independent
Is That Email Really from Black Château, The BookFest, or Books That Make You? How to verify suspicious emails, avoid scammers, and make sure you are communicating with our official brands and people. By Desireé Duffy, Founder of Black Château, Books That Make You, and The BookFest Adventure® I can’t tell you how much it pains me that scammers are impersonating
As a marketer, I can build targeted audiences and draw interested readers to books through advertising, branding, and public relations strategies. But my power ends where yours as the author begins. No matter what, I cannot make a reader buy your book. It’s like the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” only in our case,
Check out Black Château’s photos and highlights from the famous book event. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, one of the biggest literary events in the country, returned to the University of Southern California campus on April 18 and 19, 2026. Black Château participated in this literary celebration by hosting a variety of authors
As artificial intelligence becomes more mainstream and the average American grows increasingly familiar with it, authors and the publishing industry must confront a crucial question: Do readers care if AI is used in the creative process? And perhaps more importantly — how much do they want to know about it? We asked. And the answer
Ask any aspiring author how they want their book published, and many will say the same thing: land a deal with a major publishing house. Traditional publishing still carries a certain prestige, but is it the best option in today’s evolving book world? If you’re weighing traditional publishing vs self-publishing or hybrid publishing, the truth
Every author dreams of that big launch moment—the day your book hits the world and instantly takes off. But here’s the truth: success in book marketing rarely looks like a single explosive event. It’s more like a steady, glowing ember that needs to be stoked over time. If you’re an author wondering how to market
Award-winning author of Love Sick returns with flash essays that uncover the emotional aftershocks hidden in life’s smallest moments. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Grand Rapids, MI – Acclaimed author and memoirist Sue William Silverman returns with “Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader”, a visceral and revelatory collection of flash nonfiction that examines the
Every author dreams of that big launch moment—the day your book hits the world and instantly takes off. But here’s the truth: success in book marketing rarely looks like a single explosive event. It’s more like a steady, glowing ember that needs to be stoked over time. If you’re an author wondering how to market
Author Nation 2024 with Kevin Smith on stage – Horeshoe Hotel & Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada – Photo by Arpit Mehta New partnerships connect the virtual power of The BookFest with leading in-person events to strengthen the reader-writer community nationwide. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Los Angeles, CA – The BookFest Adventure, the recognized name in
“six to carry the casket and one to say the mass” invites readers to examine identity, belonging, and faith through intimate and transformative storytelling. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Seattle, WA – Author Bill Hulseman releases his powerful debut, “six to carry the casket and one to say the mass”, on July 8, 2025. A soul-baring essay
Explore moments from Black Château’s unforgettable weekend at one of the country’s top book festivals. On April 26 and 27, 2025, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books returned to the University of Southern California, drawing readers, writers, and publishers from across the country. Black Château was there once again, featuring a dynamic group of
