Local. Pub Co.

24/07/2025

🎉 IT’S HERE

The very first children’s book from Local. Pub. Co. has officially arrived — and we couldn’t be more honored to share it with you.

Written by the incredible Emilie, this book is a heartfelt celebration for every mother who waited, prayed, and hoped for the blessing of a baby. 💛

📖 A timeless classic in the making, this story gently reminds little ones just how cherished, chosen, and perfect they are — even after the longest wait.

Whether you’re a mom who’s walked that journey or know someone who has, this book is a beautiful gift filled with love, comfort, and grace.

✨ Available now at Local. and online! Let’s celebrate Emilie’s powerful words and the arrival of our first children's title!

23/07/2025

You’ve got a book inside you — now it’s time to finish it.

Do School: Publish is a 6-week writing class designed to help you build the discipline to write, master the structure of storytelling, and finally bring your idea to life.

This isn’t just a writing workshop. It’s a path to publication. One standout writer from the class will have the opportunity to be published with Local. Pub. Co. 📚

Whether you’re starting fresh or halfway through a manuscript, this class is for dreamers ready to do.

🗓️ Six weeks. One goal. A finished book.
🔖 Ready to publish? Let’s go.

https://www.localshopspace.com/event-details/do-school-write-the-book-2

Do School: Publish is a 6-week writing class designed to help you build the discipline to write, master the structure of storytelling, and finally bring your idea to life. This isn’t just a writing workshop. It’s a path to publication. One standout writer from the class will have the opportunity...

22/07/2025

We’ve taken nine Iowa authors and illustrators and turned their words and art into real, published books — stories that are now out in the world, proudly stamped with Iowa talent.

Through Local. Pub. Co., we’ve connected dreamers, creators, and storytellers across the state. And while the road hasn’t always been smooth (what good story ever is?), we’ve stayed committed to the mission.

By the end of 2025, we’re on track to publish:
📘 4–5 Iowa-authored & illustrated children’s books
📗 4 fiction + nonfiction titles by Iowa writers

That momentum puts us on pace to be 100% Iowa Made by 2027 — meaning every book we publish will be fully created, illustrated, and printed by people who call Iowa home.

This isn’t just publishing.
This is building a legacy of Iowa stories — and we’re just getting started.

22/07/2025

So you want to publish your book?
Amazing. Brave. Let’s talk about it.

🛠️ Self-publishing means you do everything yourself, from editing to design to distribution. And listen, we love a DIY dream. But let’s be real, t’s a LOT.

📈 That’s where Local. Pub. Co. comes in.

We’re not a vanity press. We’re not gatekeepers.

We’re your publishing partner—here to raise your book to a professional standard without taking over your vision.

✔️ Real editing
✔️ Custom design & strategy
✔️ ISBNs, printing, and distribution
✔️ Marketing strategies built for your goals

You keep the ownership. You keep the heart.
We help make sure it doesn’t get lost in amateur formatting and typos.

You can do it alone. But you don’t have to.

21/07/2025

You wrote the book. That was the hard part.

But now you’re staring down cover design, formatting, barcodes, printing options, ISBNs, Amazon listings, and a black hole of Google searches... 😵‍💫

Don’t just publish. Elevate.
Local. Pub. Co. partners with writers to turn good manuscripts into great books.

We’re talking:
✨ Covers that pop.
✨ Edits that sharpen.
✨ Distribution that actually gets your book into people’s hands.
✨ A strategy that helps you sell beyond friends and family.

We're not here to take control. We're here to come alongside you—to guide, build, and believe in your words as much as you do.

Because we don’t just want books in print.
We want your book to belong on the shelf.

17/07/2025

📚✨ BOOK GIVEAWAY! ✨📚

Have you ever found yourself waiting—for a child, or simply for life to start making sense again?

That’s the journey at the heart of Waiting For You by Emilie Kafer, a tender, poetic children’s book that speaks deeply to anyone navigating the quiet space between hope and heartache.

🌼 Whether you're a parent, or someone who’s had to sit in the waiting—this story was written for you.

💛 We’re giving away 2 free copies of this brand-new release from Iowa author Emilie Kafer!

Here’s how to enter:

LIKE this post
FOLLOW our page (. Pub Co.)
COMMENT below with what “waiting” has looked like in your life
👉 Bonus: SHARE this post and tag a friend for an extra entry!

📦 Winner will be announced Friday, 7/18 at 10:00 AM!

Because stories like these deserve to be held, shared, and read over and over again. Let’s help spread the word and celebrate the power of local voices. 💬

14/07/2025

What started as a whisper of an idea—to help local voices tell real stories—has grown into something bigger than we ever imagined.

Local. Pub. Co. books are officially making their way onto local bookstore shelves, into public libraries, and into the hands of readers who believe in the power of place.

This isn’t just about books.
It’s about Iowa stories, written by Iowa dreamers, published by a community-first press that believes rural voices deserve to be heard.

We’re not just telling stories…
We’re building bridges between authors and readers, between communities and creators.

So the next time you walk into your favorite small-town bookstore or library, don’t be surprised if you spot a Local. Pub. Co. title waiting for you on the shelf. 📖💛

Because local stories matter—and we’re just getting started.

13/07/2025

Local Pub. Co. exists to amplify the voices of everyday Iowans with extraordinary stories. We help authors publish their work, their way—right from the towns they call home.

Because rural voices matter.
And we’re here to make sure they’re heard.

🖊️ Write local. Read local. Publish local.

12/07/2025

📚 Meet Local. Pub. Co.
Where real stories from real places finally get the spotlight they deserve.

We started Local. Pub. Co. because we believe the heartland is full of powerful voices—and it’s about time the world hears them.

Here, we don’t wait for permission.
We publish anyway.
We print the poetry scribbled in old notebooks.
The memoirs born on Main Street.
The fiction that’s been patiently waiting in your Google Docs.

Whether you’re a seasoned storyteller or a “someday I’ll write a book” dreamer—Local. Pub. Co. is your people.
We offer tools, support, and a whole community of rural writers turning ideas into actual, hold-it-in-your-hand books.

Because your story matters.
Not someday.
Not somewhere else.
Right now. Right here.

✍️ Interested in writing with us?
Let’s tell your story—loud and local.

10/07/2025

📚✨ At Local. Pub Co., our stories start with where we’re from.

We believe that every powerful story is rooted in place—in gravel roads, front porches, quiet fields, and loud Friday night football games. In the rhythms of small towns and the voices of the people who live there.

Our cultural belief is simple but bold:
👉 Place shapes story—and story shapes identity.

That’s why we publish work that reflects the heart of Iowa and the people who call it home. We elevate voices that often go unheard. We champion perspectives grounded in local soil. And we believe that rural stories matter—not just here, but everywhere.

When you read a book from Local. Pub Co., you're not just reading a story.
You're preserving a piece of a place that matters.

📖 Follow along as we continue to bring these stories to life.
Because publishing local isn’t just what we do—it’s who we are.

19/06/2025

We’ve got a reason to pop some metaphorical (or actual) confetti 🎊

In an amazing first-ever accomplishment—we’re celebrating our very first AUTHOR to complete a full manuscript through the Do School writing class! 👏👏👏

Please help us shout it from the Main Street rooftops:
Ashley Lang just wrapped her 80,000+ word manuscript and officially joins the Local. Pub. Co. family! 📚💛

From big dream to big draft—Ashley showed up, did the dang work, and proved what’s possible when small-town stories get space to shine.

🎉 Drop a 🎈, 💬, or “YOU DID IT, ASHLEY!” in the comments to help us celebrate her incredible achievement! Let’s flood her feed with Local. Love for this huge step in her author journey.

We can’t wait for the next phase of publishing with her.
Stay tuned—this story’s just getting started…

11/06/2025

🚨📚 LOCAL AUTHOR EVENT 📚🚨
We’re pumped to have one of our very own Iowa authors hitting the road and heading to La Porte City Public Library for a live reading + presentation!

This isn’t just a book event—it’s a full-on Iowa movement.
We’re talking: Iowans writing books. Iowans publishing books. Iowans reading books.
All right here. All with each other. All for Iowa.

So tell a friend, bring your grandma, and help us keep this whole “doing cool stuff in Iowa with Iowans” thing going strong.
📍June 11th | La Porte City, IA | 6:00 PM

Local stories. Local authors. Local magic.

Let’s fill those seats and prove once again that Iowa does it best. 💥