2026 - let's go
Hello everyone,
Well I am definitely, 100% back at work and enjoying it. To be honest, since I last wrote, I have been chomping at the bit to keep working. I found the holiday slow period really annoying because I wanted to make books, sell books, set things up but, very fairly, everyone else was taking their well-earned break.
I think that this newsletter is one where I want to focus on 2026 as a bit of a pivotal year for me and Tall Poppy Press.
If you haven’t read the previous entry, I thought that 2025 was going to be a year where, by the end of the year, I’d either have a clearly functional and profitable business, or I’d be looking to go back to my day job. However, over 2025 it became clear that 2025 was a ‘good, almost good enough’ year and that, with two big books being delayed until 2026, I wouldn’t have the clarity I suspected I’d have.
What makes 2026 different?
Lots of books: SEVEN books. Compared to 2025’s THREE books this is a big jump up in products and this needs to translate to a big jump up in sales. At each book fair I want to see at least a 20% increase in sales volumes.
New merch. In 2025 I put out a tote and a cap - these have been modestly well selling, where book fairs have seen 5-10 units moving each time. Which is nice. This year we’re releasing more and expect to see that contribute to that increase of 20% volume.
Workshops are a lot more established. I am not introducing any new types of workshops and, instead, just focusing on offering what i offer and ensuring there’s good uptake and marketing. I already have one booking for a University workshop, and am exploring traveling interstate twice to teach workshops too. In August I’m in NZ teaching. These are big wins.
Fatherhood and consistency. Luckily I am becoming a father in February. Luckily I live in Australia and I believe I qualify for parental payments from the government. That stability of income for the first few months of the year will also be an important factor in ‘2026 is the year’.
Stores, fairs and customers - I have spent five years slowly building a network of stores, customers and fairs. In 2025 we saw this really work well - with Tall Poppy Press being present at the largest book fairs in the world. Now my job is to keep attending and increase sales volume. The relationships are there. We are present. Next step: increase sales.
My own art work is being published and exhibited. I have three exhibitions and a brand new book of my own. I am hoping to see some great engagement and sales through this.
Our publishing prize will run in February. This is often a period where we see a bump in sales and also a little money come through from submission fees.
When I put that all together - this is why 2026 is a critical year.
With the support of some government payments, some early big bookings, extra merch, a large range of books to publish, fees from publishing prize, established stores and fairs, and my own work being a big part of the year the cards could not be more stacked in my favour unless I won the lottery.
So, by the end of 2026, my litmus test is simple:
Have enough money to feel financially secure for a 36-37 year old. That means enough savings so that if there’s home maintenance I can pay for it. If my car dies, I can get a new one without it being some massive shit show, if my computer dies, I can replace it without having to find the cash. The cushion has to be appropriate, and I can’t oscillate between feast and famine to the same extent I did in 2025. The only ways to meet that goal are to have more money coming in, and to see more of that money locked away in savings.
If all I can do, even with such a great year ahead, is financially tread water - keep going without getting that far ahead - well, it’s not really a business, is it?
Very happy, very chirpy and very excited, that’s how I feel at the moment.
Some quick links: