“There is no expiration date on creativity, purpose, curiosity, or the desire to contribute something meaningful. Becoming an author at this stage of my life has required courage, persistence, humor, and a willingness to ask for help—but it has also opened an entirely new world.” ~ Jan Wisher Reinhart
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August is filled with author activities starting day one! I will be at the Boston Hill Center’s Back-to-School Bash for story time with other children’s book authors: Laura Petrucce, author of Pickles and His Romp: A Story About Family, Mischief, and Love, and Ryan Mendenhall, author of The Homework Eating Backpack, and my daughter Terra Chism, author of Fellow Fireflies. I will also have Leland Gamson’s children’s books there. We are keeping Leland in our prayers for a quick recovery from heart surgery.
Be sure to tune in for my August LIVE update on Substack, Monday, August 3, 2026, at 12 PM (EDT) for more upcoming events and indie author info. Paid subscribers will receive the video recording.
I am excited to introduce Jan Wisher Reinhart. She walked into the Bookworm Orchard Bookstore like a breath of fresh air, complete with purple hair! Jan introduced herself as she gave me her book and one-sheet. She explained that she has been a psychotherapist for 40 years and decided to write a book to share some of her stories and experiences to help others. Jan said she wrote her book in six weeks! She also said she’s 79 years old, and had been visiting bookstores throughout several states.
To say I was blown away is an understatement. How did a first time author know to create a website, social media, and email for her book—all on brand? What made her decide to visit bookstores? How does she have the energy to do all these things? Talk about inspiring!
I couldn’t wait to hear more of her story and share it with you. I invited Jan to my favorite Professional Writers Conference. She not only showed up, she brought her books and wore a name tag featuring her book. Every time I saw her she was talking with someone. She was listening intently to them and connecting with them on a personal level.
I went to say hello to Jan a few times, but she was so engaged in her conversations, I didn’t want to interrupt. Once, I was standing right in front of her talking to Marcia Woodard while she listened to Marcia’s new song! I loved how she was able to zone in and focus intently on her conversations. That takes skill in today’s easily distracted world. The ability to connect with others and network is crucial for the business side of writing, which as an introvert, I totally understand how challenging it can be.
Every time I went to the bookstore area, someone asked if I had seen Jan, because she was looking for me. “Yes,” I said. “I have seen her everywhere!” We finally connected toward the end of the conference long enough for her to consign her books with Bookworm Orchard, which made my day!
I also invited Jan to complete the author interview questions for an author feature and she didn’t hesitate. This is a service I provide to authors at no charge. I am surprised how few authors do it. If you have an opportunity to introduce yourself and your book to a new audience, go for it!
Jan innately knows what takes some of us writers years to understand – buyers do business with those they know, like, and trust. To get others to know, like, and trust you takes bold action, follow through, connection, and engagement. Repeatedly!
I’m happy to feature Jan in this newsletter and welcome her to our Bookworm Orchard and Indie Authors Association family! I highly recommend her book, “What’s In It For Me?” I have studied What’s In It For Me (WIIFM) from a marketing and customer service perspective since the 1980s, but I never thought about it from a psychological perspective. Because of Jan’s insights, I better understand WIIFM holistically.
If you are fascinated by how the mind works, What’s In It For Me is for you!
Without further ado, let’s meet Jan Wisher Reinhart…
My name is Jan Wisher Reinhart, and I live in Fishers, Indiana. I am a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, speaker, and now a first-time author. During nearly forty years of clinical practice, I have had the privilege of listening to people’s stories and helping them recognize the emotional needs, fears, expectations, and beliefs beneath their behavior.
I share my life with several much-loved cats, including Soames and Irenee. I enjoy reading, discovering independent bookstores, traveling, spending time with friends, meeting interesting people, and occasionally hunting for unusual antiques and treasures.
What’s In It for Me? The Question Beneath the Question is my first published book. It was published in June 2026 and is available in paperback and Kindle formats. The book explores the hidden emotional calculations that influence our choices, relationships, reactions, and conflicts.
I hope readers become more curious about themselves and less judgmental of both themselves and others.
“What’s in it for me?” can sound like a selfish question, but every human being has needs, fears, hopes, and expectations. When we learn to identify what lies beneath our behavior, we gain greater self-awareness, improve our communication, establish healthier boundaries, and develop more compassion for the people around us.
My hope is that readers will begin asking not only, “What is this person doing?” but also, “What need, fear, or belief might be underneath it?”
The most challenging part of publishing my book was learning an entirely new industry. Writing the book was only the beginning. I also had to learn about ISBNs, interior formatting, cover dimensions, page counts, online distribution, Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, wholesale discounts, returns, marketing materials, and bookstore purchasing practices.
I overcame those challenges by asking questions, finding knowledgeable people, attending a professional writers conference, and refusing to give up when something became confusing. I learned that persistence is one of the most important publishing skills an author can possess.
The idea for What’s In It For Me? grew out of decades of listening to people in therapy sessions and clinical supervision meetings. Again and again, I noticed that the question being spoken aloud was rarely the complete question. Underneath an argument, decision, avoidance, demand, or emotional reaction was often another question: “Will I be safe?” “Do I matter?” “Will I be rejected?” “Am I enough?” or “What will this cost me emotionally?”
Over time, I began referring to this hidden calculation as the WIIFM question: “What’s in it for me?” The book brings together therapeutic insights, personal stories, practical observations, and metaphors that help readers recognize the question beneath the question.
My favorite books are thoughtful works of psychology, personal development, and narrative nonfiction—especially books that help us understand why people behave as they do. I enjoy books that combine insight with stories and real-life examples. Information is important, but stories and metaphors often allow an idea to reach us at a much deeper emotional level.
My writing process is often idea-driven. I pay attention to conversations, patterns, metaphors, familiar sayings, and ordinary moments that reveal something larger about human behavior.
When an idea arrives, I write it down before it disappears. I may begin with a phrase, a question, a clinical observation, or what I like to call a “Scathingly Brilliant Idea.” Once I recognize the question beneath the question, the writing begins to take shape.
Talking through an idea with a trusted friend also helps me clarify what I am really trying to say.
When I feel stuck, I return to the human story behind the subject. I ask myself what emotional need, fear, hope, expectation, or conflict is operating beneath the material.
I also look for a metaphor. A good metaphor can take a complicated psychological concept and make it understandable, memorable, and emotionally accessible.
Sometimes the most productive thing I can do is step away temporarily, have a conversation, or allow the idea to develop rather than trying to force it.
I am exploring a small Christmas gift book based on the WIIFM concept.
Christmas has a way of magnifying our emotional expectations and calculations. Familiar songs and traditions can reveal deeper questions. For example, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” raises the question of what “home” means emotionally, while “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” invites us to consider who decided we must feel merry.
The book would explore celebration, family expectations, grief, belonging, comparison, financial pressure, joy, and the desire to create a perfect holiday.
My ideal signing would be in a warm, welcoming independent bookstore filled with readers who want to have meaningful conversations. The exact location matters less to me than the opportunity to connect personally with people who are curious about themselves and one another.
One of my most memorable promotional experiences was taking an extended road trip through several states and visiting independent bookstores along the way.
I walked into bookstores in Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, introduced myself as a first-time author, and presented my book directly to owners and booksellers. I brought copies of the book, sell sheets, shelf talkers, and business cards.
It was exciting because I was learning the publishing business in real time. Each stop brought a new conversation, a new lesson, and occasionally an unexpected opportunity. One of those bookstore visits led me to Kathy Gerstorff, the Indie Authors Association, and the Professional Writers Conference at Taylor University.
Do not wait until you feel completely ready. You may never feel completely ready.
Write the book that keeps asking to be written, and then be willing to learn everything that comes after the writing. Ask questions. Accept help. Attend conferences. Talk with booksellers. Listen to other authors. Expect mistakes, and treat them as part of the education rather than evidence that you do not belong. Most importantly, do not die with your music still in you.
I love discovering that an idea which began in my own mind and grew out of my professional experience can now help someone I may never meet.
It is especially rewarding when readers tell me that a story or metaphor helped them understand themselves, a relationship, or a long-standing pattern differently. A book allows a conversation to continue far beyond the room in which it began.
I dislike how much of being an author has very little to do with writing! Publishing requires an enormous amount of technical, administrative, promotional, and business work. There are files to upload, platforms to navigate, specifications to understand, forms to complete, and decisions that no one tells you will be necessary until you encounter them. However, every frustrating step has also taught me something useful.
Thus far, personal connection and word of mouth have been the most valuable.
When I speak directly with someone about the question beneath the question, people often immediately recognize how the concept applies to their own relationships and experiences. My professional community, friends, readers, website, social media, and conversations with independent bookstores have all helped introduce the book to new audiences.
I wish I had understood sooner that writing, publishing, distributing, and marketing a book are four separate jobs.
Finishing the manuscript does not mean the work is finished. Authors also need to understand how bookstores order books, why wholesale distribution matters, what files and specifications different platforms require, and how important it is to begin building relationships before the publication date.
I also learned that I did many things right without knowing they were right. That was an encouraging realization.
“Don’t die with your music still in you.” ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
That idea helped motivate me to finish and publish this book. I had accumulated decades of stories, insights, observations, and metaphors, and I realized I did not want them to disappear without being shared.
Website: wiifmbook.com
Email: wiifmbook@gmail.com
Readers can also find What’s In It for Me? The Question Beneath the Question on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.
I maintain a What’s In It for Me? Facebook page (WIIFM with Jan Reinhart) as well as my personal Facebook page (Jan Zimmerman Wisher Reinhart). I am also available for talks, workshops, book-club discussions, interviews, and book signings.
I published my first book at the age of seventy-nine. I hope that fact encourages anyone who believes they have waited too long to begin.
There is no expiration date on creativity, purpose, curiosity, or the desire to contribute something meaningful. Becoming an author at this stage of my life has required courage, persistence, humor, and a willingness to ask for help—but it has also opened an entirely new world.
I have met generous authors, booksellers, readers, and publishing professionals. I attended my first professional writers conference and discovered what I described as “my people.” I am still learning, still writing, and still having scathingly brilliant ideas.
Check out these books by Bookworm Orchard August Featured Authors. And custom merchandise by Robin Samons!
D.L. Reavis - Revenge at Charlotte Lake, Resilience of Charlotte Lake, Reconciliation of Charlotte Lake
Jan Wisher Reinhart - What’s in It for Me? The Question Beneath the Question
Shae Smith - Sour, Trials, 17 Lifetimes: Book One of “The Seventeen Cycles of the Sun” Anthology, Que the Trumpets (The Seventeen Cycles of the Sun Anthology), Must Have Been a Ghost
Teresa McRae - Mamie Garrison: A tale of slavery, abolition, history & romance, Colin Garrison, Emily Garrison: The Garrisons Book # 3, Rhythms of the Solstice
Special thanks to Indie Author Insights patrons for supporting this newsletter and indie authors. We appreciate you! Ashley Gary Johnson of Vita Continuat, Bess Sturgis Chris McWhirt, Christopher Stolle, Fleur Hull, Jan Wisher Reinhart, Jennifer Huston Schaeffer, Jill Ebstein, Joye Konig (J.J. Devine), Karen Smiley, Leland P. Gamson, Lloyd Mullins, Morgana Shea, Mike Nelson (Michael Deeze), Nancy Nau Sullivan, Paul Cobbin, Sarah Styf, Teresa Keefer, Tina Susedik, and Wendy Mayhew.
Book Marketing, Networking & Selling Opportunities
Do you want to connect with authors, meet book lovers, and sell more books? Check out these opportunities:
Poetry & Prose Open Mic, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 6-8 PM, at Los Amores Cantina located in the lower level of the Boston Hill Center, 428 S Washington St, Marion, IN. This is a perfect opportunity to take bold action, get out of your comfort zone, and meet fellow book lovers!
Poetry & Prose Open Mic, Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 6-8 PM, at Ble French Bistro, 16771 Clover Rd, Noblesville, IN. Hosted by Courtenay Nold of the Poetry Society of Indiana.
Indie Author Group Meeting, Saturday, August 29, 2026, 10-11 AM, at The Mini Bar located next to Bookworm Orchard in the lower level of the Boston Hill Center, 428 S Washington St, Marion, IN. Join us at the sweet treat place (they make the best lemon shakeups) to connect with fellow independent authors, network, and share book marketing opportunities!
Bookworm Orchard Halloween Book Signing Event & Paranormal Investigator’s Panel. Join Teresa Keefer, OccultDetective Bob Freeman, Erin Hayden, Jessica Miller, Amanda Kindley, Johnson Brewer, Ava Cuvay, Chris McWhirt, Sheri Ann Richerson, and Amethyst Layne. Saturday, October 31, 2026, 1-5 PM. If you are an author or vendor interested in setting up at this event, please complete the Author Interest Form. Only three spots remain!
Check out these resources for other book fairs, author events, festivals, and book marketing opportunities:
Do you have an upcoming book signing or event to share? Post in the comments or email kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com.
BMMoore, Joshua Oyediran, Anna Sutton, Ivan F. Ingraham, Rippling Ace Jas, Fenwick McKie, Barbara Geffen, Jan Wisher Reinhart, Abasiakara Ekwere, N0ts0y0ungn0w, Phil Marshall, NOT BROKEN:Diane LaFaso Skullr, Proudly Human, Cody Chance Writes, Lee Mitchell,sr, SalmonLawal, Running the Numbers Playbook, Phyllis Cutler, Dr.uvcmath, Raven Silk Author, Siobhan Hartsell, Albert Pink, and Sandy Day.
Welcome. We are looking forward to getting to know you and learning more about your writing adventures!
Thank you for reading the August issue of Indie Author Insights (#76). I hope you found it helpful. You can share information about your books, events, and what you want to see in future editions by emailing kathy@indieauthorsassociation.com.
Thanks also to the Substack Publications recommending Indie Author Insights! Here are the top three:
Thank you for supporting independent authors. Write on!
Kathy Gerstorff
WriterKat
Indie Authors Association
Bookworm Orchard
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