Indigo: editing, design, and more

10/12/2026

Submissions for CLMP's Firecracker Awards for Independently Published Literature are open through November 18!

The Firecracker Awards "are given annually to celebrate the books and magazines that make a significant contribution to our literary culture and the publishers that strive to introduce important voices to readers far and wide. Prizes are awarded in the categories of Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Magazines/General Excellence, and Magazines/Best Debut."

Repost /

Interested in submitting? Learn more here: https://www.clmp.org/programs-opportunities/firecracker/

Celebrating the Best of Independently Published Literature The CLMP Firecracker Awards for Independently Published Literature are given annually to celebrate the books and magazines that make a significant contribution to our literary culture and the publishers that strive to introduce important voi...

10/09/2026

From slapjacks to sour cream peach pie, InLiterature catalogs seasonal sweet and savory eats from a classic in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Menus & Recipes."

Find the full list of recipes and background here: https://inliterature.net/sleepy-hollow/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-menus-recipes/

Looking to find different bookish inspiration for your feast? InLiterature recreates recipes inspired by favorite novels and children’s books. Find more here: https://inliterature.net/

[PD: A graphic with an indigo border, "Indigo Recommends" in the top left corner and "Fun, Games, & Activities" in the top right corner. In center is the linked article title, images of a honeycomb, autumn pieces, and a teapot tiled above, and a blurb below: "This Halloween, journey back to 1790s New York with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Follow schoolteacher Ichabod Crane as he encounters the legendary Headless Horseman after attending a harvest feast at the Van Tassels' estate, where Ichabod is particularly taken with Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of the family.]

10/08/2026

"Characters are the heart and soul of fiction, the driving force that captivates readers and draws them into the world of your story. To craft memorable characters, rather than just giving them names and physical descriptions, it is essential to give them depth, complexity, and authenticity.

"Your characters should come across as real people with personalities, motivations, and flaws. What makes your characters tick, what drives their actions, and what fears or desires fuel their journey? By delving into their pasts, their hopes, and their dreams you can..."

Author and guest poster Paula Judith Johnson offers tricks for developing a character's complexity in "Crafting Memorable Characters with Depth and Authenticity" from our blog archives.

Read the full piece here: https://indigoediting.com/crafting-memorable-characters-with-depth-and-authenticity/

[PD: A gradient graphic showcases the aforementioned blog post. An image of a person, viewed from behind, writing at a wooden desk is center. The author's byline appears at the bottom of the image.]

10/07/2026

Indigo Recommends: "The Travel Memoir" Featuring Ebony Walden / from the Memoir Nation Podcast

"...The act of travel in fact has much in common with writing memoir, as both pursuits push you outside your comfort zone, and both invite self-interrogation. Not to mention, memoir-writing itself is a form of travel—to your past, into the recesses of personal experience...."

Listen to the full podcast episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ebony-walden-on-the-travel-memoir/id1411527439?i=1000792012113

Learn more about Memoir Nation and find all episodes here: https://www.memoirnation.com/podcast

[PD: A promo image and info for the podcast episode listed above. A photo of Ebony Walden is in center above listed promo text.]

10/06/2026

✍️ Nonfiction writers aiming for traditional publication need top-notch proposals to submit to publishers or agents.

✅️ Indigo’s proposal experts can take care of the tasks of researching and writing genre and sales evaluations, the author platform, a marketing agenda, and chapter summaries.

Interested in pricing? Send us your project details here: https://indigoediting.com/contact/

[PD: A promo graphic for the proposal development service listed above. Below is a photo of two people writing on a pad on a table next to two open laptop computers.]

10/05/2026

Help protect the freedom to read! Banned Books Week is Oct. 4–10.

Learn more about the initiative and ways to support it here: https://bannedbooksweek.org/

Award-Winning Authors and Advocates Bess Kalb and Tony Weaver, Jr., to Headline Banned Books Week 2026 Award-winning authors and free expression advocates Bess Kalb (Buffalo Fluffalo series) and Tony Weaver, Jr. (Weirdo), have been named honorary chairs for Banned Books Week 2026 (October 4–10, 20...

10/02/2026

If you've got some old or damaged books, it's not hard to make them into something beautiful! With just some scissors, glue, and the know-how from "Stunning DIY Book Page Crafts For Adults" in Hootshack, you can create some gorgeous handmade treasures.

Find the tutorials here: https://hootshack.com/easy-book-page-crafts-for-adults/

[PD: A graphic with an indigo border, "Indigo Recommends" in the top left corner and "Fun, Games, & Activities" in the top right corner. In center is the linked article title, byline, pub date, and the Hootshack logo above. Beneath are four tiled images of example book crafts: wreaths, ornaments, etc.]

10/01/2026

Engineering marvels, the history of the Pacific Northwest, and unbelievable tragedies shape the life of Rolla Alan Jones in Indigo client Mitzi Zilka's historical novel "Water Fire Steam."

"The year is 1884. Rolla Alan Jones, an ambitious dreamer fresh out of an East Coast engineering school, is commissioned to design and build the first water system in Spokane Falls, Washington, a booming town of twenty-thousand. He is everyone's golden boy for five years until the city burns down on August 4, 1889. The once-celebrated engineer is scapegoated for..."

Learn more about "Water Fire Steam" via Bookshop here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/water-fire-steam-mitzi-zilka/e4072b24cb523771?

Learn more about Mitzi's work here: https://mitzizilkaauthor.com/

[PD: An indigo graphic with large white quills on either side. In the center is cover of the aforementioned title.]

09/30/2026

They've got a towering skyscraper of new books for over at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park, CA! Repost /

[PD: A gradient graphic with a photo post from Kepler's Books in the foreground. An extremely high stack of books sits atop a table next to many full bookshelves inside a bookshop.]

09/29/2026

🎊 Congratulations to author and Indigo client Kayla Banda on the recent release of "Experiencing the Creator Role: Creating Life with Intention!"

"Within each of us lives a Creator. Powerful, resilient, and full of potential.

"'Experiencing the Creator Role' introduces a creative philosophy that invites you to transform anxiety into agency, harness fear as fuel, and step into your innate identity as a creator. Through reflective essays, poetry, and actionable insights, Kayla Banda explores what it means to..."

Learn more and order "Experiencing the Creator Role" here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/experiencing-the-creator-role-creating-life-with-intention-kayla-banda/39a23b8ef389076b

[PD: An indigo and paper design with the cover of "Experiencing the Creator Role: Creating Life with Intention" in center.]