Photo by MAP Graphic Designer Michelle Hodgdon

Maine Literary Awards - The Mermaid Stone, winner of the 2025 Speculative Fiction category

The Mermaid Stone (Maine Authors Publishing, 2024) by Charlene Vanderslice (1946-2021) won the 2025 Speculative Fiction category at the Maine Literary Awards.

Click here for more information about The Mermaid Stone

Amelia Jacobson Welcomed as

Full-Time Staff Member

Amelia Jacobson, publishing coordinator, was welcomed as a full-time staff member for Maine Authors Publishing. She was an intern for Maine Authors Publishing in the summer of 2024. Once her internship concluded, she worked part-time for Maine Authors Publishing while she completed her studies at Bowdoin College. In June 2025, she accepted the role as a full-time publishing coordinator for Maine Authors Publishing. She is grateful for the flexibility granted by Maine Authors Publishing and their authors as she finished her studies. She has been thrilled to work on many projects throughout 2025 and looks forward to those presented in 2026!

The Maine Book Festival

The 6th annual Maine Book Festival took place at the Thomaston Public Library on Saturday, August 23rd, 2025. With a theme of Maine Woods and Waters, food trucks, author presentations, a scavenger hunt and children’s area, over 100 authors and titles, and live music presented by Don Roy, the festival was a joyous event. 

SAVE THE DATE: The 7th annual Maine Book Festival will be held on Saturday, August 22nd, 2026, at the Thomaston Public Library.

If you would like to attend the event as an author, publisher, or other vendor, please complete the interest form below. We will send you the application form when it goes live!

MAP and IAB Members: There is a separate application link that will be emailed to you when it goes live. You do not need to complete the interest form.

Bangor Authors' Book Fair & Literary Festival Publishers Panel

Nikki Giglia, managing editor at Maine Authors Publishing, participated in a publishing panel discussion at the Bangor Authors' Book Fair & Literary Festival on Saturday, December 13th, 2025. She spoke about Maine Authors Publishing’s cooperative-style publishing model along with other experts in the field of publishing traditionally and independently.

Renys Jingle with MAP Authors and Staff

Kathy Eliscu, author of Not Even Dark Chocolate Can Fix This Mess (Maine Authors Publishing, 2015) and Brain Tumor: A Love Story (Maine Authors Publishing, 2024), coordinated with Renys to organize the filming of the Renys jingle at the MAP office. Filmed in December 2025 and airing early January 2026, it features Maine authors holding their books and singing the Renys jingle outside the Maine Authors Publishing office building in Thomaston, Maine. Keep your eyes peeled while watching local television networks!

Nadia Kasparek, events coordinator and book rep at Maine Authors Publishing, works hard every year to ensure our authors get access to amazing events. Through her expert coordination, we were able to have our authors and their books at the following events in 2025: 



June 28th and 29th – Arts in the Park in Belfast, ME

July 5th and 6th – Bath Heritage Days in Bath, ME

July 12th and 13th – Harbor Arts and Books Fair in Camden, ME

July 19th to 21st – Yarmouth Clam Festival in Yarmouth, ME

July 30th to August 3rd – Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland, ME

August 23rd – Maine Book Festival in Thomaston, ME

September 27th – Poland Spring Heritage Day in Poland Spring, ME

September 19th to 21st – Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, ME

September 27th to October 5th – Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, ME

October 4th and 5th – Camden Harbor Art and Books Fair in Camden, ME

October 3rd to 5th – Freeport Fall Festival in Freeport, ME

November 15th and 16th - USM Craft Show Portland, ME

November 22nd & 23rd – Maine Harvest Festival & Craft Show in Bangor, ME

November 30th – Maker’s Market at Thompson’s Point in Portland, ME

December 7th – Maker’s Market at Thompson’s Point in Portland, ME

December 13th – Bangor Authors' Books Fair & Literary Festival in Bangor, ME

December 21st - Maker’s Market at Thompson’s Point in Portland, ME

Every Saturday, Maine Authors Publishing has a booth at the United Farmer’s Market of Maine in Belfast, Maine. This will continue into 2026, so please come visit!

In early 2025, we were pleased to offer the following classes to aid our authors in their publishing and marketing journeys: 

• Becoming Active on Social Media
• Connecting with Your Library and Your Community
• Events Best Practices & Working Author Training
• Introduction to Social Media
• Ongoing Marketing: Tips for Marketing Your Book After the First Year
• Sales Tax Tips for Authors
• Welcome to Cooperative-Style Publishing with Maine Authors Publishing

MAP and IAB Members: We have sent out the schedule for our 2026 class offerings! Please be sure to sign up at the links provided in the email so we can ensure you receive the class Zoom link. We look forward to having you join us!

Twice a year, we release a catalog of our Cooperative publications. We were pleased to add extra pages over the course of 2025 due to the increase in Cooperative titles!

Our current trade catalog is live on our website. You can quickly access our 2025 trade catalogs by clicking the covers in this newsletter.

Fiction

Body in the Blueberry Barrens by Claire Ackroyd of Orono, Maine

By the Dark o’ the Moon by K. Stephens of Lincolnville, Maine

The Chayotes by Marti M. S. Reynolds of Owls Head, Maine

Conflicting Roots by Robert W. Spencer of South Waterford, Maine

Curio by Martha Dudman of Northeast Harbor, Maine

Don’t Drop Dad by Dena Polko of Scarborough, Maine

Emily on the Run by Rowland Creitz of Stow, Maine

Fair to the Wind by Jeanne Gribbin of Poland, Maine

The Man Who Walked Away by R. N. O'Donoghue of Tenants Harbor, Maine

On Harbor's Edge, Book Two: 1914-1930s by Kate Hotchkiss of North Haven, Maine

Presqu’ile by Barry S. Wright of Mapleton, Maine

Rookie Warden’s Second Year by Kim Camery Millick of Winthrop, Maine

The Serp by Matteo Maniscalco of Stockton Springs, Maine

Survivor Concentrate by Miriam I. Rimkunas of South Portland, Maine

Washed Out by Norman R. Kalloch, Jr., of St. George, Maine

Will-o'-the-Wisp by Rick and Mike Hobbs of Waterville, Maine

Nonfiction

Fighting for Freedom, Fighting for Survival by Lady Knox Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution

The Geezer Pond Outhouse Companion & Book of Verse by R. H. Greene of Bucksport, Maine

Women's Work and Family Life in the Twentieth Century by Kathleen A. Dunn of Sweden, Maine

Biography/Memoir

A Cabin in Maine by Terri Young of North Yarmouth, Maine

Ecology of Grief by Carol Woolman of Bar Harbor, Maine

Gus by David Bellows, PhD, and Barbara Held, PhD of Brunswick, Maine

The House at Schumannstrasse 7 by Edith Netter of Denmark, Maine

Letters of Laughter and Loss by Cheryl Stitham White of South Portland, Maine

The Perfectly Imperfect Potter by Nancy Creighton Collins of Brunswick, Maine

Children’s/Young Adult

Baby Just Be by Kelly Tracy of Portland, Maine

Cosmo’s Colors by Suzanne Posey of Auburn, Maine

Don’t Ever Give Up by Joshua Reed of Scarborough, Maine

Grandpa Doesn't Live There Anymore by J. Philip Miller of Georgetown, Maine

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by John William Babin of Portland, Maine

It’s Not That Funny by Audrey D. Stempel of Old Orchard Beach, Maine

It’s Okay to Be Scared by Bridgette L. Gilbert of Fairfield, Maine

The Lost Treasure by Judi Valentine of Brunswick, Maine

Peppermint by Cassie Sano of Augusta, Maine

Polly’s Sparkling Water Friend by Nancy Kaplan Corbett

Sally and the Sea Serpent by Bryce E. Waldrop of York, Maine

Strength Hidden by Sara McQuarrie of Hodgdon, Maine

Three Wise Girls by Patty Bonsant of Chelsea, Maine

Gifts/Inspiration

Neither Wife nor Widow by Dale Ruth Sherburne of West Gardiner, Maine

Interested in the above titles?

They can all be purchased from the Maine Authors Publishing website!

The Wolf: An Ageless Novel by Jon Lewis

A Memoir with Maisie by Steve Webster

Buck Hunting: Big Woods Territory by Bob Crary

Fly Fishing Northern New England's Seasons by Lou Zambello

Let the Fruits of God’s Spirit Become the Fruits of Our Lips by Grace Anne Truth

Hunting with Reverence by Rev. Ken Turley

Life’s Spiritual Walk by Mark Boudreau

Mushu’s Canoe by Melinda Thomas

Sounds of Earth by Louis Reycroft

Sutton Tales by Larry Dyhrberg

The Merman’s Hope by Marita Fairfield

Threads of Deception by Beverly D. Knowles

Troy Reborn: The Journey of Aeneas by Philip Seib

Interested in the above titles?

They can be purchased from the Indie Author Books website!

Interested in getting your book published? Join us for our Welcome to Cooperative-Style Publishing with Maine Authors Publishing class, held via Zoom on the first Friday of each month! During the class, attendees meet other emerging authors, get to know some of our staff, and learn about the publishing process.

Upcoming Class Dates

Friday, March 6th, at 10:30am until 12:15pm

Friday, April 3rd, at 10:30am until 12:15pm

Friday, May 1st, at 10:30am until 12:15pm

Please reach out to info@maineauthorspublishing.com to sign up for an upcoming class or for more information.

"I want to thank you and your team for bringing such excitement and joy to my dream of publishing a book. The Orientation class [on] Friday was fantastic! The whole staff was informative, patient and kind."

- J. L., 2025 class participant

Take the object closest to you and set a timer for ten minutes. Observe the object for two minutes, then describe this object without using its name. At the end of the ten minutes, have a friend read your work. Can they tell what the object is from your description?

Thank you for your support throughout 2025, and we are looking forward to a wonderful 2026!

Write on, Maine!

MAP authors: If you see your book in a local bookstore, snap a photo, send it to us, and we may include it in our monthly newsletter and on social media.