News & Events
Reading: Things I Have Changed by Sophia Hembeck in conversation with Marie Krutmann 24th September, 6.30 PM at Odradek Bookshop, Berlin / free event but ticketed, sign up: info@odradekbuch.de
PRESS RELEASE:
Self-published author Sophia Hembeck launches Kickstarter for final book of memoir trilogy
NEWS SEP. 3rd, 2024
Photo: Andrew Macdonald
After 2 days of the Kickstarter campaign Sophia Hembeck (Muse Letter Publishing) already reached over 35% of the crowdfunding goal of £5000 for her new non-fiction book Things I Have Changed – That Are Different Now, the final book of her poetic memoir trilogy.
Having successfully crowdfunded her first two books Things I Have Noticed and Things I Have Loved via Kickstarter, author and visual artist Sophia Hembeck is using Kickstarter for the third time to fund the printing of her book.
Her first book Things I Have Noticed was successfully crowdfunded and published in 2020. Around the same time the author launched her own publishing company, Muse Letter Publishing. Her second book Things I Have Loved, tripled the crowdfunding success in 2022 and was published in early 2023 with launch parties in Edinburgh & Berlin. Since then her books have sold thousands of copies and can be found in selected independent bookshops in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
The Things I Have Changed Kickstarter now marks the beginning of Hembeck’s long awaited final book to complete the trilogy.
With Things I Have Changed partly written, Hembeck announced the Kickstarter to her growing community in mid August asking them to again show their support. The Kickstarter helps to ensure that the author can self-publish and work on the multimedia aspect of the project, as it will be illustrated with her own visual artwork.
Sophia Hembeck’s work is in demand and only growing in both the U.K. and Europe. Her Substack "The Muse Letter", has thousands of subscribers, where she publishes short form essays on the meanderings of life.
The Kickstarter started on the 1st of September and will end on the 17th of October. Till then people can make pledges and raise the funding amount.
PRESS RELEASE:
Scottish micro press
sells over 400 copies
on publication day
NEWS FEB. 15, 2023
Following a successful crowdfunding campaign in November 2022 securing over £5000, Things I Have Loved – A collection (sort of) by Sophia Hembeck has sold over 400 copies on its release day (14th February, 2023 / Valentine’s Day). With over 300 pre-orders, it was already foreseeable that the poetic memoir would sell well upon release. „I am ecstatic. For a micro press, in the genre essay/memoir, it’s absolutely astounding.“ Hembeck says.
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Things I Have Loved is the second part of the Things-Trilogy, Hembeck started writing in 2020. The first book Things I Have Noticed – Essays on leaving/searching/finding follows Hembeck’s various moves across the globe and coming of age stories. "If Things I Have Noticed was about growing up and finding myself Things I Have Loved is about the things that were gained/missed/lost along the way." ​ Told through objects Hembeck has loved, she is weaving a narrative that examines the themes of love, longing and self-worth. By diving deep into memories of her own life, pop-culture and (lost) objects she is getting to the core of how we love and why.
Each title is printed in one colour throughout the book and illustrated with monochrome imagery giving the books a distinct artistic feel that goes beyond the standard paperback print of commercial publishers. The first was printed in blue ink with cyanotype prints. Things I Have Loved is red with red riso-printed photography. The third one, Hembeck still keeps under wraps.
Muse Letter Publishing was founded by Hembeck in 2020 as a lockdown project, using her substack newsletter and social media platform to crowdfund printing costs and expenses. „It’s a great way to gauge interest and a safe way to get pre-orders without the risk." Having sold over a thousand copies of her first book already Hembeck’s micro press is growing steadily. „I basically tripled pre-orders with my second book, so we’ll see where this one will go.“ She is also planing to eventually publish other authors in the genre memoir/essay and poetry in the future.
Sophia Hembeck is a writer and visual artist based in Edinburgh. Her newsletter, The Muse Letter, has thousands of subscribers who patiently await their weekly email. Newsletter topics range from personal essays, to interviews with other creatives and artists and it has been recommended by popular names including Pandora Sykes and Jo Elvin.
Muse Letter Publishing titles can be ordered from Waterstones and any local bookshop via Gardners. It is stocked in selected bookshops in Edinburgh, Berlin, Madrid and Zürich.