By Candace Simar and Krista Soukup
In 2009, Candace Simar finally reached her dream of publishing Abercrombie Trail, a historical novel about the U.S./Dakota War of 1862. To her dismay, the small press did little to nothing to promote her book. Worse yet, she was under contract to publish two more books in the series.
In 2009, Krista Soukup was a stay-at-home mom with a degree in marketing and the desire to start a home-based business—the perfect match for a young mom.
They met at a book club. The rest is history. Together they joined forces and set out to promote Candace’s books and create Blue Cottage Agency.
They blundered through the first years, making lots of mistakes, but steady progress. They discovered ways to find readers and promote Candace’s brand. Krista contacted library systems, historical societies, groups and bookstores. Simar kept busy with book events and vendor opportunities. They learned what worked and what didn’t.
It wasn’t rocket science or glamorous, but together they established Simar’s brand and social media presence. Nearly 500 events later, Candace has a strong reader base. Blue Cottage Agency helps authors from across the nation—even a few in Europe.
Come to our WWW program and learn how we did it.
“It was friendship from the start.”
Homespun Marketing: What Worked and What Didn’t
Candace Simar & Krista Soukup
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Friday Oct 16
2026 Annual Women Writing the West Conference registration portal
Minnesota writer, Candace Simar, has published eight historical novels, a poetry book with her sister, and numerous short stories. Her work has received awards from Women Writing the West, Western Writers of America, Western Fictioneers, Will Rogers Gold Medallion, Midwest Book Award, Northeast Minnesota Book Award, and Catholic Media Award.
…is a literary publicist and owner of Blue Cottage Agency. In 2009 after her book club’s discussion of Abercrombie Trail, she approached Candace Simar about marketing her book. Together they forged a friendship that launched Simar’s writing career and birthed the Blue Cottage Agency. With degrees in business and marketing, Krista continues to support authors across the country in promoting their work and growing their brand.
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