Around the Hearth: Our First Author Day

Yesterday was one of those days I’ll remember for a long time.

Hawk & Oak Publishing attended its first Author Day, and somewhere between the conversations, the laughter, the stories, and the books, something changed.

People stopped by simply to say hello.

Some stayed to talk about writing.

Others wanted to know why I started a publishing company.

A few shared frustrations with their own publishing experiences. We traded business cards, ideas, and hopes for what publishing could become when authors are treated as partners rather than products.

I had the privilege of signing copies of SynEthics. I watched readers become curious, ask difficult questions, and leave with stories they were excited to begin.

A local bookstore expressed interest in carrying the novel.

The local library took my card.

The cover artwork received more compliments than I could count.

None of those moments were planned. They happened because people were willing to stop for a conversation.

Perhaps my favorite realization wasn’t about sales at all.

It was seeing Hawk & Oak become something more than a logo or a website.

For the first time, it became a place where people gathered.

That has always been the dream.

Not to build the biggest publisher.

Not to chase trends, but to build a hearth.

 A place where stories matter, where authors are respected, and where readers can feel welcome.

There is still an incredible amount of work ahead. More books to publish. Better systems to build. More authors to meet. More readers to serve.

But every journey begins somewhere.

Yesterday was ours.

To everyone who stopped by, shared a story, purchased a book, encouraged the vision, or simply wished us well…

Thank you.

The fire has been lit.

— Robert Magarity
Founder, Hawk & Oak Publishing