# The What If Journal Reflections, happenings, and possibilities from Cynthia Swanson, author of The Bookseller, The Glass Forest, and Anyone But Her; editor of Denver Noir. Page: Feed: --- ## [Leopard Gestation](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/leopard-gestation) _2026-08-18_ Or, What's the Lead Time for Indie/Self Publishing a Book? ## [Hey, you! Heads Up!](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/hey-you-heads-up) _2026-08-11_ A Quick Note About Two Upcoming Events ## [The Sky is Falling\*](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/the-sky-is-falling) _2026-08-04_ \*Not really. It just feels that way. ## [The One That Got Away](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/the-one-that-got-away) _2026-07-21_ Finding Redemption in Setback ## [Library Love](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/library-love) _2026-07-07 · Cynthia Swanson_ Yes, you CAN be an author and still use (and love) libraries ## [But, I mean...what IS it?](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/but-i-meanwhat-is-it) _2026-06-16 · Cynthia Swanson_ Some thoughts on genre ## [Is AI Crushing Your Creative Spirit?](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/is-ai-crushing-your-creative-spirit) _2026-06-02 · Cynthia Swanson_ Do not despair...all is not lost\* ## [It's Pub Week!](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/its-pub-week) _2026-05-19_ This Isn't New launches on Thurs 5/21, and I'm celebrating with a giveaway! ## [Not Like the Others](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/not-like-the-others) _2026-05-05 · Cynthia Swanson_ A story about body image, and why it's uncomfortable writing about it ## [Web Coding With AI, Live (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/dDJGcrVOWl3Q) _2026-05-05 · **Sponsored**_ Collaborative screen sharing with simultaneous remote control, open source. ## [In Praise of Short Fiction](https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/p/in-praise-of-short-fiction) _2026-04-21_ To Complement Our Short Attention Spans