Talk “How To Make Books” at Confffaaa

Standing on stage, I was nervous. I’ve only been on stage twice before, and this time wasn’t any different. I stuttered, drank too much water, and had a fleeting (slightly dark) thought while cutting up my book:

“What if I accidentally cut my hand right now? Ambulance, chaos—now that would be some memorable marketing.”

Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. Instead, the highlight of the evening came when a girl approached me and said she wanted the very book I’d cut up during the talk.

It all happened on September 6th in Warsaw at Confffaaa, organized by the amazing team at 69Pixels Studio. The event felt more like a festival than a traditional conference—a laid-back, cozy atmosphere with a party vibe. It was the perfect setting to connect with new people and leave the corporate stiffness behind.

There were two stages: one larger and more formal, and the other smaller and more relaxed. Lesha Bavdey, art director at 69Pixels, invited me to the smaller stage, where I shared my journey:

“How to Make Books”—from my first steps into self-publishing to where I am today, running offset print runs on Kickstarter and creating personalized Print on Demand books.

To keep things engaging, I cut up books on stage, shared free downloads of my layouts (no sign-ups required!), and talked openly about how much money I’ve made from publishing. I wanted to strip away the mystery and show how it’s possible to turn an idea into something tangible.

Judging by the audience’s reactions, a few people seemed genuinely inspired—ready to go out there and “just do it.”

A huge thanks to the 69Pixels team for the incredible event and to everyone who came, listened, and clapped! You made this nervous speaker’s day.