We're two! (Tantrum-free, mostly.)

Reflections from two years of Authors Equity.

Mar 10, 2026

Somehow it’s now been two years since we launched Authors Equity.

There are some good parallels with being a (tantrum-free) toddler. We continue to learn at a furious rate (often from our authors); we continue to make new friends (so many wonderful partners!). Sometimes we trip up, but we shrug it off and move on to the next adventure. And we eat a lot of cookies.

Since our last birthday, we’ve published thirteen new AE books, one boxed set, and three card decks. Our partners at 831 Stories have five new books that fans and indie stores are raving about. We’ve launched a partnership with LYX for new adult romances, and already have five books out to show for it.

Our team has grown too, with Erin Vandeveer, Danielle Finnegan, Becca Kadison, and Maddy McGovern joining and expanding our pins on the map to include Pittsburgh, Austin, and Portland, Maine.

So, yes, a lot has happened. But as I write this, I happen to be sitting in the same coffee shop where I wrote the very first notes to myself about what this company might be. I’m struck by how closely we’ve hewed to that original caffeine-fueled vision (as seen below!).

The original business plan, if you can decipher it!

It was all about people wanting to bet on themselves. Authors looking for a different kind of partnership. Editors, designers, and other talent looking for flexibility and focus. And us: so sure there was a better way to connect the puzzle pieces that we wanted to build it ourselves.

We haven’t had much time for self-celebration this birthday month, but we did host one party — and it was the most fun my publishing heart could hope for: a puzzle party with a few hundred independent booksellers at Winter Institute in Pittsburgh.

Winter Institute is the annual convening of ABA booksellers. It just happened this time to take place in my hometown — and to coincide with the blizzard that swamped the Northeast. Craig, who had championed us going, ended up stranded in NYC by canceled flights. Luckily Erin, our production guru, was able to jump in — and that meant both Erin and I got to experience what it’s like to be at a show with Deb. Deb’s been selling books since before some members of our team were born, and she knows everyone.

I had the honor of joining the editors’ buzz panel, where I got to present upcoming books by Eric Ries and June Cohen alongside some incredibly wise and entertaining fellow publishers. And I joined a conversation with indie publishers about new business models for the industry.

But the experience I’ll never forget was emceeing the puzzle party. The star of the show was Joel Fagliano, editor of New York Times Games and of Puzzle Mania! — except that blizzard had him stuck on the other end of the state. Zoom and the incredibly supportive ABA team came to the rescue: Joel led puzzle play from the mega screen in the ballroom.

Virtual Joel and I at the *Puzzle Mania!* event at Winter Institute.

We’ve witnessed some seriously impressive puzzle play since publishing the book, but even Joel was blown away by the wits on display in that room. And what I loved most was the number of booksellers who are now making their own plans to adopt puzzle parties in their own stores. (Let us know if you want to explore this yourself!)

Our actual official birthday last Thursday was packed: a morning-long planning session with an author and his team; moderating a virtual conversation between two other authors and their fans; a visit to Spotify with another author; and an evening at a dinner honoring yet another. For an introvert like me — I will confess it’s sometimes a lot.

But I still love every day of this adventure. I’m still grateful for the leap of faith from my fellow cofounders, who looked at those few lines in my notebook and saw something worth building together. And we founders are even more grateful for the even bigger leaps of faith from the colleagues and authors who chose to bet on themselves alongside us.

Here’s to another trip around the sun. One request before I go: is there a topic you’d like to see us tackle in year three? Share in the comments — we’d love to know.

Best,
Madeline