#author stuff

[thebibliosphere]

I've had a couple of messages over the last few days from folks saying things like, "Sorry, I can only afford to get your book through the library," and I need you to know I am gripping you by the shoulders, I am shaking you gently, and I am begging you stop apologizing for using library services.

After Amazon and Payhip, the quarterly checks I get from Overdrive/Libby are my biggest and most reliable source of income.

My readers have been nothing but feral in their quest to get Hunger Pangs into as many libraries as possible, and while library lending pays an exceptionally modest amount, if enough people do it (which many of you evidently are), those pennies add up.

I am guaranteed at least $20 a month in library lending royalties. That might not sound like much to some folks, but to me, that's my b12 supplements covered for the month. That's the thing I need to keep me alive paid for.

I will never resent anyone who uses libraries instead of buying books.

I'm a disabled author who lives month to month at the mercy of my medical expenses. Even though I have incredibly generous patrons and supporters, I know what it's like to not be able to afford things.

Use the library. Please.

Use it guilt-free. You're helping the library and the authors, probably more than you realize.

And if you're in the US and haven't signed up for a @queerliblib free library card yet, you should! it doesn't matter what state you're in, the Queer Liberation Library offers free access to their catalogue of queer media across the US.

And if you've got the means, maybe help them out with a little donation. They're only able to expand their collection via the support of their patrons, and the work they're doing is hugely important.

#author stuff #support your local library

[youryanderedaddy]

Yeah some obssesive men can be misogynistic bc they think a girl is theirs and they shouldn'r reject them bc they are nice to them?

However i think some obsessive men would act possesive,regardless of gender and non-patriarchal ideas..

Anyways. It's hard to find smut or just one shots with yandere boys without misogynistic traits :( or if they plant the idea of one,ppl would still labeled as misogynistic.

But with female yanderes (bc sexism thinks girls can't do no wrong and aesthetic,romanticizing mental illness) they make sadistic girls look more appealing and cutesy gaze.

Like I just want enjoy my sadistic boys in peace and them to have some cutesy :(

Oh you just made me drop an essay. I have a lot of thoughts about this actually.

Tw for discussion of misogyny, rape, stalking, lots of incoherent talking too lmao

Most yandere characters in mass media are female. I have this theory that (mostly) men like yandere women in fiction because it's a reversal of the socially accepted gender dynamics where women are seen as weak, fragile or submissive. We need to take in account that the trope started in Japan where those gender roles are still very prevalent to this day, and to a male Japanese audience seeing a dangerous, powerful, dominant woman is a power fantasy. It's unusual, you know? For the "prey" to be the predator. In retro horror movies the victims are usually women while the killers are men. So it's absolutely shocking (revolutionary even) to see the roles reversed. Female stalkers, villains, obsessive women, in a way they're all reclaiming themselves in cinema and media, and allowing themselves to be possessive and jealous the way men have been for centuries IN REAL LIFE. I have nothing but respect for media that chooses to engage with that, be it horror or even romance. I think it's easier to have a nuanced discussion on female yanderes than on male because of the physical difference and the way society views criminals based on gender and appearance.

Society keeps telling us that women are to be desired, they're always the center of the desire (and objectification/sexualisation). With female yanderes this is reversed too - men get to be desired (obsessively so), they become the center of someone's sexuality, which is rarely the case in real life where male sexuality revolves about being the dominant figure in the relationship. It's a way for men to be submissive without having to face a society that emasculates and mocks them for this submissiveness. Or at least that's the way I see it. It's a very interesting topic.

With male yanderes, the conversation is entirely different. It's hard to write about them without engaging in some way with misogyny. You can't write possessive men without thinking about the very real life implications of those behaviors. 200 years ago women were still considered property, they belonged to the highest bidder. Even today hundreds of women are murdered because they reject men who can't handle rejection, or who view them as property. Of course there are cases where women kill their male partners out of jealousy or paranoia, but the reverse are much, much more common. It's very important in those topics to be able to distinguish between fiction an reality.

There is the other side of it all. Fiction is fiction. It can be anything. Fiction of course doesn't exist in a bubble, but it doesn't need to be realistic or even engage with the real world. You can have possessive men who aren't misogynistic or rapey. But I choose to look at all perspectives. I enjoy working with some realistic traits from time to time, and that often means dealing with unpleasant, sensitive real world topics like misogyny, rape, inceldom, assault, rape culture etc. I look at the yandere genre as a horror trope first, and as erotica second. I don't consider it romance - although some slight yandere traits can be used to create perfectly healthy male yandere characters, my writing isn't an example of that at all.

Those are my two cents, sorry for the rambling, but as a writer (and a feminist) I really find this topic intriguing. There are so, so many aspects to it, social, cultural, etc

#author stuff #yandere #ramblings

[insomniac-arrest]

Preview from my newsletter!

(from last week) My new newsletter is up and running! You can sign-up for it here if you're interested. Also, you receive a free copy of my sci-fi Sapphic story, Little Lights!

#author stuff #boost!

[wordnerdsworld]

writing a second draft

a one sentence horror story for all the authors out there

#tbh I just revise the first draft a LOT #it’s way easier #fanfiction writer #writing #writers of tumblr #writing memes #writer community #women writers #fiction writing #writing stuff #writing humor #writers #writing problems #author humor #author things #author stuff #author struggles #second draft #first draft #writing community #creative writing #writers on tumblr #writer things #horror #horror story #one sentence horror

[wildflowergirlie]

On today’s list of things older than America- we have fanfiction! It dates back as early to the 16th and 17th centuries, although existing in a different way than we know it now. Shakespeare’s plays Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Othella, and others were based on “relatively recent” fiction of others, and in 1614 we have a record of one author (Alonso Fernandez de Avellaneda) publishing a sequel to a book he hadn’t written before the actual sequel came out.

Fanfiction’s modern day roots & popularity can be traced back to the ‘60s, popularized by Star Trek and things called “Fanzines” (first one in 1967), which were sold for small prices at conventions or mailed. Women dominated this industry btw, with 83% of authors being female in 1970 and 90% in 1973.

We also see a similar trend in Japan around the same time period, where independently published manga & novels were shared by things called dōjin circles, and many were based on pre existing manga.

Source- Wikipedia (which is actually very reliable thank you very much).

#fanfic writing #authors #fanfiction #fanfiction author #fanfic #fun facts #history #niche history #shakespeare #author stuff #Star Trek #star trek fanfiction #manga #America #american history

[dominimoonbeam]

Excuse me, but when will we reach the part of this sci fi world where I can download information directly into my brain? I no longer have the time to watch a thirty-minute tutorial about setting up mailing lists and landing pages. I have reached the point where I will allow tech industries access to my brain tissue.

#sci fi my life please #wallflower trying #author stuff

[writerkatprasad]

On showing up for yourself as a writer

I've learned, since starting my writing journey a month or so ago (or at least picking writing back up again) that if you want to truly be a writer, you gotta show up for yourself. For your story. For your characters. For your dreams/goals. For your future, published self. You gotta give your story and characters a chance to live.

And no magic spell or writing advice from your favorite author will write that draft for you. EVERY AUTHOR SAYS THE SAME THING.

READ

WRITE

RINSE AND REPEAT

Now.......................

Write. That. Damn. Book

😊

#authors of tumblr #first draft #authors supporting authors #writerscommunity #writers on tumblr #aspiring author #aspiring writer #author #female writers #fantasy writer #fantasy novel #fantasy series #creative writing #stop comparing #motivation #on writing #writer stuff #author stuff

[selkierr]

I can’t wait until the day I write a good fanfic that someone will read, forget about it for 3 years, then have that sudden realization of “Oh my gosh, that was real” and avidly hunt for it.

#Lord knows how many times this has happened to me #I swear I have good intentions #Scout’s honour! 🤞 #text post #fanfic #fan fiction #writing #writing inspiration #author stuff #It’ll probably be about Tf2 smh #soldier x engineer #medic x heavy #helmet party #heavymedic #team fortress 2 #league of legends #marvel #spideypool #I don’t know how to tag this

[kindcannibalism]

Raphael reincarnated continues to carry the curse.

These are characters from my book that I wanted to draw together.

#my art #manga #anime #artists on tumblr #digital art #my ocs #demon #angel devil #angelcore #angel demon #angel aesthetic #fallen angel #biblically accurate angel #angel oc #monster original character #book cover #book wip #book stuff #indie author #author stuff

[thebibliosphere]

That last ask made me check my Ingram Spark rates because I couldn't remember some stuff, and in case you're wondering what book distribution in Australia is like right now:

Country: Australia Recommended price: $ 29.99 Retailer Discount: 40% Compensation to author: $ 0.15

A thirty dollar book, and the author is earning 15 cents.

So, yeah. If you're ever upset that you're favorite author isn't available down under, we're so sorry. This is why.

We're being gouged left, right and center by the industry, and it's honestly not much better for the rest of the world either.

I'm earning just under $4 per book on US sales ($2.80 on Amazon because, lol, I was so stressed with Ingram I forgot to update the Zon. Price changes are pending.) for a book, I was forced to mark up to $24.99 because Ingram Spark made the 40% discount to retailers mandatory* as well as increasing the fee they take, and if I'd kept my books at $17.99, they would have taken it off the market because I would have been earning negative dollars.

In the span of a single year, my book went from $14.99 to $17.99 to $24.99 because of "inflation." And I'm earning, uh, well, in some cases, 15 cents.

Capitalism 🌈✨🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

----

*They are still pushing us to give retailers a 55% discount, or we won't be stocked in stores. Because, aha, fuck our lives, I guess. I also suspect Ingram are not actually giving that discount to retailers, but I can't prove it beyond a couple of book retailers reaching out to me and Ingram never acknowledged my emails, so doubly fuck my life I guess.

#book stuff #author stuff #indie author

[plottwistedstory]

-plottwistedstory

currently working on a new chapter

#eigenes #plottwistedstory #poesie #poetry #zitate #author #chapter #writer of tumblr #writerscommunity #author stuff #pages

[sylverstorms]

Happy naming day! May your knees stay strong, and I hope God hears that one prayer ;)

Thank you so much :D! And-

Amen.

#Thank youuuuuuuu :) #asks #author stuff

[literaticat]

This is a question about school visits / bookstore appearances. I know that when authors and illustrators are sent on tour, the Publisher is paying for that (it's publicity) and it's unpaid. But when arrangements for these kinds of visits are are made outside of that: How do authors and illustrators get paid? Do they invoice the school/school district? Do they get paid prior to or after the event? What's the deal with Author Village? Not much info online about how this actually works, and was curious about the inner workings of author visits. Thanks!

I've never been involved on the author side of school visits (though as a bookseller, I have sold books at them!), so I asked my client Kate Messner, who does a lot of them. She says:

"When authors do school visits that aren't part of a publisher-sponsored book tour, they typically charge an honorarium plus travel expenses and invoice either the school or the PTA (which often fundraises for author visits, among other things.) Most schools pay on the day of the event, though some make arrangements to mail a check afterwards.

Author Village is a booking agency that represents a number of authors & illustrators who do school visits. They book appearances for authors when schools and conferences approach them to ask about an author and take a percentage of the honorarium, just like literary agents do."

I could leave it at that, but idk, I can't help embroidering. You didn't ask about this, so Kate didn't answer it, but, it'd be smart to have a list of the different kinds of talks/presentations you are able and willing to give on your website -- these will range from short virtual presentations (that maybe you do for free or for a very low honorarium, for book clubs or classrooms who buy the book), vs in-person, different programs for different age groups, etc. Here are the different offerings Kate has on her site, for example. Author Brad Herzog has a lot of info on his site, too. Look up some of your favorite authors who you know do a lot of school visits, and see what kind of programs they do!

Also, it's best practices to have a contract / memorandum of understanding with the school. That will specify what YOU are supposed to be doing -- how many talks, how big a group, how long, etc. What happens if you (or they) have to cancel. And what THEY are supposed to be doing: Paying x amount, when they are paying, if they are covering travel expenses, providing lunch, making sure that any tech you need such as a projector and screen, or microphones, are set up, asking them to prepare the kids in advance, or making sure that they have made arrangements with a bookstore or have some way to provide books. (they may send an order form home with kids ahead of time and have a bookstore drop them off day of, or order in advance and have somebody there to sell them, etc-- but whatever they do, they should have it in the agreement so you are all on the same page.)

This is important because you'll find that different schools have different levels of experience with these kind of visits, and a poorly coordinated visit can be a real shit-show, so it's best to really make it CRYSTAL CLEAR what you are each doing, and what they need to do to prepare. That's not to say you can't be flexible, obviously different schools have different needs, but whatever you have agreed upon in advance should be memorialized in a contract signed by both you and them. Here's an example of Brad's contract. Here's an example of a generic one.

Re Booking Agencies: You don't NEED to have a booking agency, and most authors probably don't until/unless they are doing a LOT of school visits. I have clients who use the following (but I personally have no direct experience with any of these, I'm not vouching for them or anything, there may be other ones, no idea, but these are just ones that I have heard of!):

Author Village 

Booking Biz   

Booked Authors 

How Now Booking 

Also it would probably be smart to either make friends with a bunch of other authors who do school visits, or at the very least join a Facebook group or SCBWI group or something, so you have people to ask questions of who actually have experience doing this professionally, rather than me, a random agent who has never booked a school visit a day in her life!

(ETA: I'm adding this in the FAQ because it might be useful!)

#school visits #author stuff #faq #booking agencies

[kendsleyauthor]

And if they don't have a tragic backstory, you can bet they'll have a tragic future 🤪

@marydublinauthor and I have tiktok! Be there or be square!

#das me #indie author #indie authors #gt community #g/t community #character #characters #my face #author stuff

[darksidechick823]

Snippet Sunday!

Hans' eyes had traveled down her form, lingering a little too long on her chest before clearing his throat and loosening his cravat. “I see you got ready for bed already.” 

She nodded. “I did. I wanted to be comfy.” Her cheeks turned another shade of pink when she saw his eyes travel over her again. A small part of her was wondering if wearing this was a good idea, after all. “Thank you for the new dresses. I love them. Especially this!” 

His fingers ran along a looser part of the excess fabric. “I’m not ashamed to admit that I may have chosen it for very selfish reasons.” 

Anna was sure she looked as red as a tomato, now. “I can tell by the way you’ve been admiring it.” She paused and bit her lip, “Why don’t you get ready for bed, too? We can be all cozy together.” 

The corner of his mouth instantly curved upwards. “I can’t think of a better way to spend the evening.” His finger briefly stroked her chin before he stood back up and moved more into the middle of the room. “After all, it’s been a long day, and planning epic surprises takes a lot of energy.” 

She giggled and set her closed book at her bedside table. “Well worth it.” She said and slid under the blanket and turned around slightly to fluff her pillow. It felt soft yet solid enough to be supportive. Not a stray lump or bulge to be found. Oh yes… she would definitely sleep well tonight.

#frozen #prince hans #princess anna #author stuff #hansanna #fluffiness #snippets without context #it's a writing day! #well... I'm trying to anyway

[catsconflictscopicsandchamomile]

ok yknow what? I really dont like when Apollo's Dodgeball of Prophecy predicts irl bad shit happening.

I feel deeply weird about it all. both like I'm not taking actual GENOCIDE seriously by involving it in my fandom bs, and just... really, REALLY WEIRD (I dont have a better word for it) abt the fact that my convoluted Supernatural Postcanon S16-18 Infinite Crossover Mythfuckery somehow made this genuinely sickening, disheartening irl development make SENSE

....and even worse that I'm kinda vaguely maybe sorta totally using the emotions im getting from it (NOT the thing itself) as fic/novel fuel. like thats fucked up, right? I know authors use fanfic and original writing to process their actual emotions, and that's kinda what creative expression is FOR but... eeeeesh.

(Also no, I have no idea how to briefly give the fic/mythfuckery context for any of this, its so complicated and weird, it cites Homeric Hymns and Ovid and Shakespeare and W.B. Yeats all at once)

#supernatural #misha collins #palestine #free palestine #gaza strip #gaza #from the river to the sea #author stuff #irl #vent... #writer #writeblr #apollo's dodgeball #castiel