Are you a local author? A comic book creator? A game designer? A poet with a penchant for portal magic? We’re so glad you found us!

First — congratulations. You made something. That’s no small thing.

Whether you’ve written a novel, illustrated a graphic story, designed a tabletop RPG, created a zine, or built your own indie game — we see you. Thank you for thinking of The Secret Lantern as a potential home for your work.

We are a small, independent bookstore and game shop with carefully curated shelves and limited physical space. We receive a high volume of stocking and event requests, and while we wish we could say yes to everyone, we simply can’t accommodate every submission.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

Before You Submit

Please know that we have a strict no AI policy. We’re here to celebrate human creativity, so we do not accept AI-generated writing in submissions, pitches, or event materials. We want every story, idea, and voice we feature to come from a real person.

Please search for your book or game title on our website first (by name, title, or ISBN).

• If you cannot find your book, there may be a distribution issue.

• If you can find it but the cover image or details are missing, so sorry! We can try and fix it as long as you let us know.

Please read all of this information before you submit you work:

These guidelines apply to physical shelf placement:

For Books & Graphic Works

• Your title must be available through Ingram with standard wholesale terms and returnability enabled.

• Books available for free online will not be considered for in-store shelving.

• We do not accept unsolicited books dropped off or mailed to the store. Unsolicited copies will be considered donations and become store property.

For Tabletop Games, RPGs & Indie Hobby Products

• Your game must be available through a recognized distributor OR offered with clear wholesale terms. We LOVE Indie Games!

• Submissions should include:

  • Wholesale pricing

  • MSRP

  • Target audience

  • Shelf footprint (box size matters!)

We prioritize games that align with our community focus: tabletop RPGs, indie storytelling systems, hobby-friendly games, and accessible entry points for new players.

Local & Texas Creators

We are especially excited to connect with:

• Authors, comic creators, and designers local to Cedar Park, Austin, and Central Texas

• Texas-based indie publishers

• Creators working in fantasy, sci-fi, romance, horror, manga, graphic novels, tabletop storytelling, and inclusive narratives

• Indie RPG designers and small tabletop studios

• If you are local and self-published or independently produced, please indicate that clearly in your submission.

What We Can’t Do

• We cannot take stocking requests via phone calls or in-person drop-ins.

• We cannot review incomplete submission forms.

• Due to volume, we are unable to respond to every submission.

• We are not able to read or playtest every book or game submitted — though we deeply respect the work that went into creating it.

  • If you'd like to schedule a playtest of your game, we'd be more than open for that check out this form.

If we decide to stock your work, you will typically hear from us within 1–3 months.

We recommend submitting 2–3 months before your release date.

If you'd like to submit your book please fill out this form: