What is Mishmashers.com?

 Mishmashers is an independent book publishing company, a social media platform for writers and their readership, and a hopeful tool in servitude toward ones' own independent story creation and publication. 

What is Mishmashers.com, but not explained like a robot?

 When I was fresh out of high school, I self-published my first novel - a crude, but earnest attempt at a horror, superhero hybrid. I've since rewritten it, changed some things, spruced it up, cut out the flack, and expanded on what I thought was good. Then though, I was a real novice to the world of independent publishing and how to do it. How do you create a proper book cover? Do you pay an artist for custom work or do you buy a pre-made book cover? Do you buy a subscription to Shutterstock (or someplace else) and try your hand at Photoshopping one yourself? In which case, what do you need to know? How do you create the back cover? How do you factor in the spine? I have paid thousands of dollars on artwork over the years for my stories, only to never actually use them. 

And, then, after that, what about the final draft? My Mom thinks I'm the next Stephen King, but, maybe I should rustle up some beta readers. Grammarly can help, but, is that enough? Scott (the co-founder of Mishmashers) once paid two grand for professional editing of one of his novels, and one of the first Amazon reviews he ever got for it was recommendation he hire an editor. Couple that with the fact he and I try to put out at least a book or two a year, betting on the wrong horse can cost you. After that, you're onto formatting. What software should you use? Do I buy a Mac and pay for Vellum? Or can I scrape by with a cheaper alternative? What font should I use? How large should my text be? Single-spaced or double-spaced? These are small things, but they can prove to be very important to your finished product and your return on investment. What even is a page bleed? I can't tell you the amount of trouble I had with margins and making certain I did them correctly. In fact, I can even remember purchasing more than a dozen copies of one of my new books, only to discover I had forgotten to include a page count. You live and you learn, I guess.

So, after some trial and error, you finally have your book all prim and proper and ready for the public. Then, what? How do you market your book?

... Book signings? Where at? How do you go about it? How should I set up my table? What is a good benchmark for success? What is my 'elevator pitch' for my story? It costs how much to have a booth at a Comic Con!? I have attended dozens of Comic Cons in Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and Missouri. I have been seated beside bushy-tailed newcomers and seasoned authors with New York Times Bestsellers under their belts, and I have watched most of them fail to break-even. It can be disheartening, but that doesn't mean it didn't feel incredibly cool to see someone in the wild carrying a copy of one of my books. Also, too, it's a fun experience, seeing likeminded, creative people and all the neat things they've come up with. 

Then, there is online marketing. Should I create a social media account everywhere? What should I talk about on them? How can I market myself without sounding like a garden variety spam bot? What if I create a blog, how do I make people actually read it. Search Engine Opti-what? 

That's what Mishmashers.com is hoping to help you with. A one-stop shop for everything you need to get your book in the best standing possible and into the hands of readers around the world. 

Market

On Mishmashers, you can find book covers in our Market, as well as editing services, curated by us and offered at a reasonable price. Not only that, but as more and more discover our website and what we're about, the variety, quality, and choices will only stand to increase. The Market is a place for editors, graphic-designers, illustrators, and other creative kind to offer their services in a way that is easy and convenient. 

Jobs

Through the Job section, authors, publishers, and anybody else in between can inquire about those who may be interested in working with them. For example, Mishmashers has an ongoing anthology series called Readers Digested, and, as of this writing (Aug 18th, 2025), we are looking for authors who may be interested in getting involved in the project. This section is meant to expand and evolve over time and, in theory, will one day help benefit the ecosystem of the indie author. 

Events

   Is your book coming out soon? Hosting an event in your city you think authors and readers might be interested in? The Events section is a great way to earmark a day in the minds of the members here on Mishmashers. Over time, we intend to regularly update Mishmashers' book release schedule, as well as create special events to engage our users (i.e. writing competitions, challenges, and more). 

Pages

   Create an Author page, a page for a book publisher, or a page for your fledgling series can help keep users up to date on the current ins and outs of what you're doing, as well as create a direct line between you and those you want to engage with. Mishmashers, by design, is a niche social media website, but the contacts you can make and the tools you can acquire onsite and be used offsite in unique ways. Contrary to belief, the grass isn't greener on the other side, the grass is greener on the side you give water and sunshine.  

Groups 

The Groups section of Mishmashers is the one I may be most excited about. Whether it be creating a braintrust of all the different authors that form our horror series Readers Digested, or creating a Private group where you can talk shop and share your first draft with Beta readers (where it won't be catalogued by search engines and will protect your publishings rights), the potential usefulness is immeasurable. 

More to Come ...