You don’t need a bigger platform to test a new idea. You need five samples and the nerve to ask a question you’re embarrassed you don’t already know the answer to.

Monster romance author Natalie Starkoss joins me to talk about building worlds out of gargoyles and genetically altered hybrids, and the business lesson that came out of nowhere. How sourcing her own candles, keyrings, and custom bookmarks changed what happened at her book table, and lifted her profit at a single event by 23 percent. We get into where to actually source this stuff when you’re starting from zero, the supplier mistake that almost put her off trying again, and why the thing sitting next to your book might matter more than the book itself.