About

I'm Joelle — an avid reader with a never-ending TBR and a sucker for a bookstore. But I actually didn’t become an avid reader until my 20s. Growing up, I struggled with reading. I was put in extra literary classes. It was hard for me to talk about books in school since I thought I was being judged. I also hated reading out loud because I struggled to sound out words.

I loved looking at the artwork in books. When I did find a story I enjoyed, I latched onto it. I still have childhood favorite books today.

As I started to make reading goals each year, I fell in love with so many different writing styles and authors.

I thought, how can I keep sharing my love of reading and stationery with others? So in 2025, I started brainstorming...

Thus, Marlit Mercantile was born.

Since then, I’ve been coming up with so many ideas for bookmarks, stickers, bags, and maybe even more in the future!

But it’s been a process of learning about logistics, design, paper samples, shipping materials, finances, branding, and so on. I know I still have a lot to learn and am willing to grow.

Thank you for joining me on this new journey!