We recently connected with Aleigha Israel and have shared our conversation below.

Aleigha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Books have always been a part of my life, whether reading them, writing them, or adding to our nearly 3,000-book (and growing!) library. They were my way of processing the world around me or escaping to a virtual one. So when I became severely ill with Lyme disease, POTS, and nearly a dozen other health conditions in 2018, I watched as my ability to read and write became more and more impossible and the light that once burned brightly inside of me began to dim. I didn’t know how much books impacted my world until that world came crumbling down around me.

It was during that tumultuous time that I searched for a way, any way, to anchor myself to the bookish world and keep it from sailing away forever.

That’s when the idea for Literary Treasures Co. struck.

I found a way to stay rooted in the world of literature, turn my passion for books into a profitable business, and support the author and book-lover community while I was at it. It was a win-win-win situation. =)

When I noticed several author friends struggling to find unique and affordable preorder goodies and gifts for their readers, my mini book keychains were born. When writers and publishers came to me looking for fun ways to market their books at conferences, I offered the idea of mini book chocolates and they ate them up. (Pun intended)

I later expanded Literary Treasures Co. to carry a wide variety of classic-themed bookish treasures. Everything from homemade bath bombs, to handcrafted teas, bookish chocolates, and keychains.

My mission is, and always will be, to work with the world of fiction and bring stories to life in magical ways. Whether it’s a beloved classic or your own book baby, we can pull a sense of whimsy and wonder from its pages and create a true literary treasure. One that can only be found when mixing the pages of a good book with a sprinkling of pixie dust. <3

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hi! My name is Aleigha Israel and I’m an author, small business owner, chronic illness warrior, and a child of God. I love salted caramel, chocolate, coffee, kdramas, and may or may not be obsessed with monkeys. I love to bake, and biking is definitely on my list of top five favorite things.

Another thing on that list is books, so getting to wake up every morning and work with the world of literature in the coolest ways possible has me convinced I have the best job in the world.

Supporting authors and reading and writing are things that have always been close to my heart. So during a time when two out of those three things weren’t possible anymore, Literary Treasures Co. was born. I grabbed hold of that spark of an idea, went running with it, and haven’t looked back!

I know from experience that marketing a book isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. Writing a story is a huge feat, but getting that story into the hands of readers is an entirely different mountain to climb!

My goal with LTC has always been to support authors by creating custom, unique, and affordable bookish treasures that get readers excited to hit that preorder button.

But it’s grown into so much more than that. Literary Treasures Co. has become its own little treasure trove of bookish wonder and has taken on a life of its own. Whether you’re a writer or publisher looking for marketing swag, or a reader or bookstore looking for magical gifts themed after beloved classics, we have something for every book lover.

I’ve worked with authors publishing their debuts, to NYT bestsellers. I’ve connected with publishing companies looking for fun ways to market their author’s books, and have met some of the coolest people ever.

I found a way to continue surrounding myself in the beautiful world of books at a time when it was fading away. But I ended up gaining so much more. A whole little world of people who love books just as much as I do.

And watching the eyes of my customers light up as they open their box of literary treasures is hands down the BEST. GIFT. EVER. <3

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

I do! When the idea of creating book boxes themed after the classics first came to mind, I knew I wanted to create a book box subscription unlike any other. One that was filled with such wonder and excitement; not just a product, but an entire experience. I knew I wanted to keep costs as low as possible because I wanted the boxes to be overflowing with bookish treasures. I quickly discovered that outsourcing products wouldn’t work with what I had in mind. Especially starting out on a smaller scale. And not only was I struggling to find the products I was envisioning, but costs would add up SO quickly. I then realized I already had a lot of the machines required to make the items I needed, so I quickly became my own manufacturer!

Every book box and every new product launch holds its own set of unique challenges because it’s usually the first time I’m making that product. I have a favorite saying that applies very well in these moments! For any DC fans out there: “There are only four rules you need to remember: 1-make the plan, 2-execute the plan, 3-expect the plan to go off the rails, 4-throw away the plan.”

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that 90% of the time a product will NOT turn out correctly the first time. And that’s okay! It takes version 1.0 and usually version 2.0 before a product is perfected and ready to launch. I LOVE this quote by Thomas Edison that says, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” I had it as my lock-screen wallpaper for the longest time so I could see it every day. I’m a total perfectionist. The standards I typically hold for myself aren’t even often attainable and it leads to so much burnout. For the longest time, it stifled me in so many areas concerning my business. It wasn’t until I learned to look at failure not as something negative, but as Edison says, “just another way that won’t work” that I was able to transform the way I ran my business and started seeing more success than ever. Keep Moving Forward became my motto and I’m so glad I didn’t give up. <3

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’ll be honest and tell you right away that social media and I have never really been on fabulous terms. Because of my health and the craziness of life, I’ve never had a consistent posting schedule. And because I’m entirely NOT photogenic and suddenly forget what my name is when I’m looking into a camera, live videos and reels don’t make up much of my content.

But as soon as I started Literary Treasures Co. I knew from the beginning what kind of space I wanted it to be. I knew exactly what presence I wanted to hold across my social media and how I wanted to build it.

I didn’t want to just market a product. I didn’t want to just grow my social media and see each new follower and any new engagement as just another number; another potential buyer.

If you follow Literary Treasures Co. you’re not just a follower. You immediately became part of our family the moment you hit that button. And at LTC we all have at least one thing in common; we LOVE books. Instagram is where most of the action happens and I’m constantly asking for feedback about upcoming products. I engage my audience as much as possible because after all, I’m here for YOU! I read and reply to every message, I see every comment, and I’m always here to chat about anything books!

Most of our followers and new LTC friends usually come from other bookish pages that are talking about us, or influencers helping to spread the word about our literary treasures.

Social media can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be!

– Find your favorite platform (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube)
– Pick which form of content you enjoy producing most (text, video, audio)
– Then post away! <3

Capture fun photos if you’re going with Instagram, ask questions that spark engagement with your followers, and find out as much as you can about your target audience. Everyone has one, so who is yours? What are their favorite things? What do they like to talk about? Where do they shop and what type of things are they buying? Once you nail down your demographic you can work on making your social media a safe and fun place to be! Your posts will spark interest, your products will excite your audience.

Be consistent and don’t be afraid to take a step back to reevaluate if you’re getting overwhelmed! A helpful tip someone once gave me was to create your piece of content and then slightly alter it to fit across multiple social platforms. A blog post can be edited and shortened for Instagram. The same post can then be posted to Facebook. Talk about that topic in a Youtube video, or create a fun reel for Instagram! It doesn’t have to be super complicated and can be so much fun once you get the hang of it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.literarytreasuresco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/literarytreasuresco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/literarytreasuresswag/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Literary_co
• Other: Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LiteraryTreasuresCo