Hello my friends, and welcome to Trans Joy Thursday! My sincerest apologies in the radio silence last week. Last week was a bit of a mess for me. BUT, I feel rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready.

Why do I feel that way? Because this past weekend, I got to lead, or be part of, 6 total panels/workshops for Green Bay's UntitledTown's Book And Author Festival return. (They stopped hosting this when the pandemic hit, so this was the first year it was brought back.) I spent the weekend listening to new to me authors share their work, from literally all over the U.S., meet new readers, be in community with likeminded individuals who just get it. I met Danez Smith, the keynote speaker, and their first poem was from their book Homie - a poem dedicated to their late grandmother, who, come to find out, was also named Barbara (my grandmother's name.) I wept. Hard. And they were so gracious and kind. I have been following Danez since they wrote Black Movie for Button Poetry. It was so wonderful to be in the same room as their brilliance. I got to roam around the book fair for two days prior to my own panels/workshops. I got to hear personal stories of others and received so many hugs from audience members. It was a much needed time, no matter how busy I felt leading up to it. Thoughts and ideas can change the world, be it in books, in community, in advocacy.. What a beautiful, beautiful weekend. Here is a collage of some of the very few photos I took over the course of the 3 day event:

I hit the ground running Monday with chores, and grocery shopping, and work, but what remained was the word of the year for 2026, "Intentional." I kept coming back to that word over the weekend. What am I creating? What kind of content am I putting out? Is it to feed the algorithm? Is what I'm creating intentional for me as the creator, or you, friend, as the reader? My desire for this community is to be authentic, to be safe around one another, but also, on a much deeper level, to walk away nourished - whether that's from our books we read as a book club (I'll speak to that in a minute) or our Beyond The Rainbow chats, or how we communicate with one another here or on Discord. My dream, of course, by being here is to become an imprint that is able to bring our LGBTQIA+ stories to the forefront, yes, but also to celebrate our wins along the way and grow together as a community.

Speaking of book club, it is October 1st! Which not only means that it is the start of a new quarter (Hello Quarter 4) but it also means a new Quarterly Book Club Pick - To Our Untamed Core by Sonido Reyes (Released September 22) is our Q4 pick! We will also be speaking with Sonido in November! I'm so stoked to reread this book with you all for Q4. I love it so much!

I also want to take a minute to tell you that if you're not already on Discord, I would highly encourage you join in. I will be more active on there, and will share a lot more there than through social media. You can join Not A Phase Books Discord on either tier - paid or free.

I hope you all have such an amazing week, and I look forward to seeing you all on Discord. Take care of yourselves.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Happy 13th Anniversary & Birthday Month! We are so grateful for your VIP support in The First Editions tier, and to celebrate, we are unlocking +50 AUTOMATIC BONUS ENTRIES for you in this month’s International Giveaway! 🎉📚

🏆 PRIZE TIERS: 6 Winners Total!
🥇 1st Place: 1 Winner: 3 Wishlist Books + $20 Gift Card ☕📖
🥈 2nd Place: 2 Winners: 2 Wishlist Books + $10 Gift Card 🕯️✨
🥉 3rd Place: 3 Winners: 1 Wishlist Book 📚💗

👇 HOW TO CLAIM YOUR 50 AUTOMATIC ENTRIES:
1️⃣ Drop a LIKE on this post!
2️⃣ COMMENT below telling us your favorite bookish memory with us OR what you're currently reading!

That’s it! Your 50 extra entries will automatically be logged. Don't forget to complete the main Instagram and/or Tiktok entries on @ThePageLadies too!

📅 Deadline: October 20th at 11:59 PM EST. Open worldwide! 💗

Welcome to October & our 13th Anniversary Month & Birthday celebration! As part of The Prequels tier on Bindery, you get a special boost in our massive International Birthday & Anniversary Giveaway! 🎁

🏆 PRIZE TIERS: 6 Winners Total!
🥇 1st Place: 1 Winner: 3 Wishlist Books + $20 Gift Card ☕📖
🥈 2nd Place: 2 Winners: 2 Wishlist Books + $10 Gift Card 🕯️✨
🥉 3rd Place: 3 Winners: 1 Wishlist Book 📚💗

👇 HOW TO LOCK IN YOUR +10 EXTRA ENTRIES:
1️⃣ Drop a LIKE on this post!
2️⃣ COMMENT below with your current read OR your top favorite book trope!

Make sure you've also completed the main giveaway steps over on Instagram and/or Tiktok(@ThePageLadies)!

📅 Deadline: October 20th at 11:59 PM EST. Open worldwide! 🎃