First Post of 2025

Hello! 

Can you believe 2024 is over and we are now in 2025?! 

I wish I could say it's an exciting year, but with all the political drama and the uncertainty of what the next 4 years may bring us, the only thing I can do is hope. 

With that said, I just wanted to give a quick overview of what 2024 was like for me and what to expect from myself and the Reading with Friends Podcast in 2025. 

2024 - Overview: 

In 2024 I decided to actually dive into the deep end and really commit to the bookish community on Instagram and Tiktok. 

If you have been with this blog since the beginning (2023) you'd know that I was kind of floundering...(heck what am I saying, I'm still floundering) not sure what I was doing.
I didn't even know what an ARC was. 

Then everything changed in the summer and I started to get an idea of what this whole Bookstagram thing was.

I started connecting with other bookish accounts. Literally drooling over how pretty their pictures were. I was even envying these incredible creators and their creativity. 
Low-key still do (cries in the ugliest insta feed)

Once I figured out what an ARC was, I created a NetGalley account. Got my first approval from a large trad pub. Heck, i didn't even realize how big of a deal that was! Then I started applying for indie authors ARC's and in that process I got to read some incredible books (click here to see my top 10 favs of 2024) 

Then I took another leap and applied to be a Beta reader for Ophelia Reign. I didn't even know what Beta Reading was or the expectations were. Yet, Ophelia took a chance on me, allowing me to Beta book 2 of The Dark Witch Chronicles called The Promise of Destruction and Chaos. (if you like romantasy, please go read this series, I beg you!). 
With her support, it opened up a whole new level of confidence I didn't think I'd ever have. 

In the fall I opened up my sticker shop (https://stickerworldbykat.bigcartel.com/) and in the chaos of my personal life along with my day job, I took the biggest leap ever and published the Reading with Friends podcast.

Finally I hit my goal of 1,000 followers on Instagram! I never had a follower goal set. I just new that I wanted to share the books I read with others. Hitting 1,000 followers was nutty to me, but it opened up one of the most incredible opportunities ever. I became one of the first brand reps for Novel Crate Box!  (use code KATTY10 at check out pls). Having the opportunity to work with a subscription based book box was something I never thought I would be able to do, but having the opportunity to work with a company that is not only a small business, but also works with other small businesses for the box goodies, and also highlights the work of individuals in marginalized communities (LGBTQIA+, POC, Disabilities etc.)? Wow! I'm truly honoured and can't wait to see what the future holds for this incredible company! 

2025 - What to Expect from Katty:

This year I have so many different goals that I'm already overwhelmed but I'm also super excited about! 

First off, I'm slowing down on the amount of ARC's that I sign up for.
While I love reading and being able to support a vast amount of different authors and being introduced to new stories, the timeline for reading and reviewing is just way too short. My day job has a lot of wiggle room, but ultimately, it's my priority and having 2 weeks to finish a book is just not ideal. That doesn't mean I'm stopping all together, it just means that I'm going to be way more selective about what I read so that I can put my all into the promotion of each book I sign up for. 

Next, I'm going to be a lot more disciplined in editing and putting out episodes of Reading with Friends Podcast. I'm currently behind on several episodes, including the 2024 wrap up episode I did with the incredible CeeLovesBooks. 
Editing a podcast episode takes anywhere between 8-10 hours and honestly, it's a very daunting task that I wish I could pass on to someone else. The podcast just doesn't have the funds to be able to hire a producer and/or editor. Please forgive me if there are a few weeks in between episodes, I promise I am doing my very best. The whole point of the pod was to give a voice to authors who are seen as "too small" to provide a platform to. I've always loved the idea of helping talented individuals get the spotlight they deserve.

Kat's Sticker World is still a giant passion of mine. I know there are a ton of other big companies for authors to go through to get their die-cut stickers, but my hope is to continue offering competitive pricing while also crafting with my heart. In the last several months (2 months) I have collaborated with authors T. Priceton, B.K. Cavaleri, London Snow, and Victoria Liiv to create either custom stickers or simply take their character art and provide them with handcrafted die-cuts. I've also started offering custom bookplates so that readers of those authors can have their own signed copy without the expansive shipping cost of a physical book. It's a great alternative and I've been having so much fun collaborating with different authors including E.K Darnell 

Something new that has been in the works...I'll be making candles! I love candles so much and have always been interested in making my own. Well I finally got everything that I need to start making handcrafted candles that will be hitting the sticker shop soon! Keep your eyes peeled on the website or my Instagram page to learn when these will officially drop! 

Last, but certainly not least, I'll be working closely with Ophelia Reign and will be curating her PR Boxes and hopefully I'll be able to start working with other authors to do the same. 

Some of my goals for the year: 

• Continue to grow, not only on Instagram but on other social media platforms 
• Attend my first book convention 
• Be a featured influencer at a convention 
• Have my shop and podcast grow! 

As much as I love my day job, I would love the opportunity to be able to work for myself and be independently stable, while having the chance to work with other talented individuals.  

Thank you so much for reading this nonsensical post and here's to 2025! 

Comment what your goals are for the year!