About Next Chapter

I saved an Instagram post and told myself I would definitely come back to it later. I did not come back to it later.

I was keeping a spreadsheet for books that hadn't been released yet, which should probably have been my first warning sign.

It had titles, authors, release dates, and probably more columns than were necessary for books that barely had a blurb. But I read a lot, and over time I collected a ridiculous number of favourite authors. So naturally, I needed to know when all their next books are coming.

The spreadsheet stopped working

A spreadsheet seemed like the obvious solution, and it worked for a while, until life happened. I got busy with the kids, with work, with life in general, saving posts on Instagram to come back to later.

Then one day I found out that the book I had been waiting for had already been released. Not yesterday - a week ago. And I found out from a spoiler. That was the moment I realised my system might not be working.

Finding books was never the problem

The funny thing is, I don't have a problem finding books. I am forcing myself to keep my TBR under 150 books, and I love discovering new ones. I love finding an author I've never heard of and then reading absolutely the whole collection.

Sometimes I discover a book because I see it coming out next week. Sometimes I discover a new indie author because their release is on my radar. Sometimes I already know the book. So my issue was never in finding them. The problem was in remembering them.

Indie books rarely get a marketing push, and some of today's biggest authors were yesterday's indie authors. That is why indie releases get their own page.

Why we built Next Chapter

So I started thinking (blame it on postpartum brain) about why I had a spreadsheet, and why I had folders over folders of saved posts I always forget to check. After complaining to my husband, we started building together what I needed.

A place to see what books are coming. A place to discover something new. A place to follow authors I already love. A place to remember the books I am waiting for. And most importantly, a place to know when it is finally time to stop waiting.

The waiting is part of it

Because honestly, the waiting is one of my favourite parts. The announcement. The cover reveal. The theories. That feeling of knowing that in a few days, or a few weeks, you get to go back to a world that you missed.

So this is what Next Chapter became. A release calendar for readers. For the books you already know you want. For the books you have not discovered yet. For the indie authors we love to support. For the sequels that we are excited for. And hopefully, for the books I never have to discover through a spoiler on Instagram again.

Discover what's coming. Remember what you are waiting for.

From a reader to a reader.

Love, Mada