acandrewswriter

[acandrewswriter]

not to be like "millennials vs Gen z" ageism but I don't think it's possible for a human child to develop normally without having even played leaf stick and rocks? Never made a mud pie or carved sticks into walking staves? Never played with a June bug in a mystery stream all afternoon, or pulled out the hose to make the mud clay softer to build with?

Something has to be weird about the first generation of kids to have almost 100% tactile outdoors play replaced by almost exclusively 15 second meme videos. And that's not even to say anything about the total disappearance of the middle grade chapter book genre.

[acandrewswriter]

This is another variant of my long post explaining why I still [have to] sell my books through Amazon to folks that want to hunt Jeff Bezos for sport... 

It's been a whole god damn week and I'm going to need the people being absolute fucktrumpets in my inbox over my "fuck Audible post" to simmer the fuck down and stop telling me "I have other options" when I'm already utilizing every option available to me and that it's my own fault for using Amazon.

I have gone wide with global distribution for my titles since day one. I have every global retailer available to me as an indie author listed here and on my website. People still choose Amazon because it is cheap and convenient. Removing Amazon listings won't drive people to the other retailers, it'll just mean I won't get 80% of my sales which I rely on to pay bills and help put food on the table.

Also to the people absolutely jacking off in my inbox over how I should just use Scribd because it's superior to Amazon for authors, I'm going to need you to show your sources, because here's mine:

ID: A screenshot of my royalty report from Scribd for the month of June 2022. It reports the "sale" of 2 units for a total profit of $1.18. /End ID.

This is a great example of why when authors tell you they can't afford to not sell on Amazon, this is why. If I'd sold 2 copies of that title on Amazon, I'd have made roughly $2.10+ (depends on currency).

Don't get me wrong, I'm still absolutely thrilled people are using paid services like Scribd to access my work. I'd rather you did that than pirate it. And by all means, keep using Scribd if that's what works for you. I'm not here to shame anyone for enjoying things however they can afford to. But don't come onto my post or into my inbox and spout bullshit about how it's "morally superior to Amazon."

Newsflash, there is no ethical consumption under mainstream capitalism. Scribd is not Amazon, and that is to its credit, but that doesn't mean it's "better for authors." It just means it's not Amazon.

Anyway, support indie authors direct where you can, order through a local indie store, ya-da-ya-da.

Fuck I'm tired.

[acandrewswriter]

Resources:

abortionfinder.org

abortionfunds.org

lifebeat.org

plannedparenthoodaction.org

[acandrewswriter]

A document about Roe v Wade, and the things you can do.

[acandrewswriter]

To be honest, my experience with editors is mixed.  I would never suggest not having one- on the contrary, I might suggest the opposite:  having more than one, or at least having a beta reader who is getting paid extra to be a demi-editor too, in addition to a full-throated developmental editor (and having a separate copy editor).  I’m indie- and so my editors work for me.  They are the single biggest publishing expense aside from promotion. 

But I absolutely want the ability to ignore them, and to be able to put their feedback into dialogue with feedback from others- because frankly, sometimes their suggestions are just... not right for me or for my book.  But I’ve found that interrogating their feedback, and thinking seriously about where their feedback is coming from, helps me produce a better book.  

I had a situation where my editor was giving me feedback that directly contradicted what my sensitivity reader was saying about a scene- and of course I’m not going to just ignore the sensitivity reader.  

At first I just thought my editor is a cis-het woman, and well-intentioned as she is, she “just doesn’t get it”  But after working on the scene a bit, I came to see where she was coming from, and what was prompting the comments, and that there was a way to address them without compromising what the sensitivity reader was saying.  

The result is a better scene. . . . 

btw where does the narrative come from of egotistical writers rebuffing the editors that know what's REALLY best for their stories, because I'm personally witnessing a lot of original ideas with potential and unique, stylistically strong writing getting horribly mangled by the requirement to adhere to The Formula

[acandrewswriter]

[acandrewswriter]

Krkonose National Park / Czech Republic (by Karol Nienartowicz).

[acandrewswriter]

Book Recommendations

I read fantasy almost exclusively, and in the last few years I’ve decided to mostly read fantasy with queer characters (I still read a few mainstream fantasy things, but at this point very few).  I’m gay, so yes, a lot of the books I like to read feature gay male protagonists, but like my own books, some on this list strive to represent a much bigger audience.  Many of these authors are themselves LGBTQ+, including trans and non-binary authors. 

These are all books I’ve read and liked, and of course, there are many more books I’ve read that I’m not including here.  The books and authors on this list are all also, in their own ways, influences shaping my own writing. 

Classics:

Mercedes Lackey’s Last Herald Mage Series (gay fantasy):  gay MC, tragic love story, ultimately beautiful storytelling that eventually lets its MC have a happily every after, if in an unexpected way.  This is one of the first fantasy books ever written with a gay MC.  It’s old, and as such, there are few things readers might find “problematic” from a contemporary perspective- but for those of us who lived in the “before” times, when there was literally almost *no* LGBTQ media, this book series changed everything. I cried my eyes out the first time I read it.  It is still deeply meaningful to me. The follow-up series, Mage Winds, has the MC from Last Herald Mage, and his husband, show up (again in unexpected ways), and also has secondary gay characters who play a main role in the plot. 

Lynn Flewelling’s Nighrunner Series (gay fantasy):  gay MCs, beautiful (and decidedly not tragic) MM relationship at the heart of it, lots of spying, intrigue, and magic.  It’s awesome. 

Sarah Monette:  Melusine.  This series is very good- magic system, high fantasy, gay MC, but does also have some potentially triggering scenes (the MC is raped at one point).  

Best Gay Fantasy (Fantasy writing first and foremost, but with romance thrown in sometimes): 

KD Edwards: The Tarot Sequence series, starting with The Last Sun. Urban fantasy centered around a magical society organized around great houses, each of which one of the major arcana of the Tarot.  The MC is gay, the last scion of a fallen house (House Sun), fighting to restore his house and understand what happened the night it fell- the night his father, Lord Sun, was murdered.  It’s awesome.  The whole series is lit. 

Gideon the Ninth by Tasmyn Muir.  Lesbian necromancers in space.  It’s fucking awesome.  How could you not want to read that?  The sequel, Harrow the Ninth, is very much a mindfuck.  It’s mostly all about Harrow dealing with some deep trauma from book 1, and Gideon doesn’t show up until nearly 2/3 through the book (but Gideon does show up- and when she does, it is so, so worth it).  

Ginn Hale’s Cadeleonian Series, starting with Lord of the White Hell.  I can’t say enough about this series.  Hale is one of the best LGBTQ writers in the game.  The second series is called Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, followed by Master of Restless Shadows. The first two series retain romance as a key element of the storytelling, but in Master of Restless Shadows (which still follows many of the same group of characters) the plot seems much less about relationships and more about unraveling the huge conspiracy threatening to set loose the destruction of the entire world. . . 

Ginn Hale has another series I want to mention- because it is an astounding feat that is not read nearly enough.  The Rifter Series.  It was written as a serial (so shorter installments, but more books), featuring a gay man transported to a parallel world where he turns out to be the incarnation of their god- a literal messiah.  They call this messiah “the Rifter”- and he wields the destructive powers of their god.  There is a love story at the heart here- but it unfolds slowly, agonizingly at time, and when it finally comes to fruition it is so achingly tender and beautiful that you will cry for ages.  The story itself is so complex, weaving across timelines, that at first you will be confused- then the pieces will start to slot together in your head, and then all of the sudden, the whole image of what has happened and how will come together in your head and it will shatter your entire freaking mind.  And you will bow down in awe at the feet of the great Ginn Hale.  

Nazri Noor:  Nazri has quite a few series out- the first one, Darkling Mage, has a gay MC, although romance/relationship isn’t a big part of the story.  It’s got gods, supernaturals, magic, and cosmic threats- as well as massive snark from the MC, Dustin.  I love it.  The follow-up series, set in the same world, are all very good.  My favorite is the Arcane Hearts series, which features a gay couple as the main protagonists of the story (and which Nazri bills as being more romance- but truthfully, all of his books are very magic/action oriented, whether they have romance in them or not). 

Michael Taggart:  Misfit Mage series.  Is this series “good?”  Frankly, I think some younger gay readers will think it is cringe (the author is an older gay man, and there are moments where I can really see reflection of an earlier version of gay culture that in many ways, no longer exists).  But I really, really enjoy reading it, and will keep reading it as he puts out more books.  The MC is a gay guy who nearly dies, and awakens as a supernatural being able to do magic.  Lots of the story involves problem-solving with magic, thinking through complex ways to condense energy, and other kinds of procedural magic type things.  There is an element of progression fantasy here too, as the character gets increasingly more powerful as he figures things out.  There’s a gay incubus who becomes his lover- but it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds.  It’s actually sort of sweet, and I end up liking his boyfriend quite a lot.  And it’s not a huge part of the book- it’s just there, while lots of magic stuff, and fighting against a bad group mages trying to kill them all, takes center stage.  Award winning fiction?  No.  But a fun way to kill some time. 

Meraki P. Lyhne:  The Vargr Series.  This is an odd one- it’s werewolf shifter fantasy, but set in Denmark (and written by a Danish author).  The MC is gay, a young American who finds out his Danish father who he thought was dead, is actually not dead- and is a werewolf in a huge family-like pack of Vargr, or Norse werewolves.  The storytelling is distinct in that it is slower- while there is an overarching plot that unfolds through the series, the focus of most chapters is on the MC and his development as a person, as an Alpha werewolf, and as a member of this strange community of werewolves.  It’s fun reading, but the “flavor” of this series is very different than most American-written fantasy. 

MM/Gay Fantasy/Paranormal Romance (as in, fantasy and romance are balanced evenly in the plot)

Jordan L. Hawk:  The Whyborne and Griffin is a historical and paranormal fantasy series is set in the 1800′s, and is a twist on Lovecraftian mythos (done in a way Lovecraft would have hated, but which you will love).  It’s got magic, love, horrors from the outside, elder gods, you know, all the good stuff. The SPECTR series is also very good (more urban fantasy). 

Sheena Jolie (formerly SJ Himes):  The Beacon Hill Sorcerer series, starting with the Necromancer’s Dance.  Fantastic series.  Urban fantasy, magical battles, and falling in love with a vampire.  What’s not to like?  Really great series. 

Hailey Turner’s Soulbound Series, starting with A Ferry of Bones and Gold.  A special forces combat mage with a dark history gets thrown into world-ending plots, gets harassed by gods, and manages to fall in love.  Vampires, werewolves, gods, just about everything you could ask for. One of the best Urban Fantasy/Romance series- well, written, and best of all, the series is finished.  Block of a couple weeks, and have at it!

Megan Derr:  Black Magic.  This is another “necromancer falls in love with a knight” story- but it’s a really, really good one.  Megan Derr writes LGBTQ romance and fantasy in worlds that are inclusive- including at times protagonists that are non-binary, trans, etc.  

M.A. Grant:  Prince of Air and Darkness, the Darkest Court series. 

Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes:  Anything they’ve written together is pure gold.  Try Fire and Valor, Book 1: The King’s Dragon.

Kai Butler: San Amaro Investigations (Book One: Wormwood Summer).  Urban fantasy involving the Fae, and lots of Fae shenanigans.  But also a fun, interesting world, and a developed Fae mythology and history.  

MM/Gay Romance (as in, the romance is the driving plot of the book)

CS Pacat:  The Captive Prince.  This series is. . . well, it’s complicated, and potentially triggering.  A prince gets overthrown, and secretly sold into slavery to the neighboring country (who are his enemies), and ends up serving the prince of that country.  Of course, it’s not an accident.  It’s revenge.  And it gets brutal at times- the MC is whipped nearly to death in one scene (by the other MC).  And yet, as their relationship unfolds, they become literally the most dramatic and well-done example of enemies to lovers I’ve ever read.  This series is beloved by gay romance readers, but we also all get how problematic it is.  And yes, we read it anyway. 

A.H. Lee: The Knight and the Necromancer.  This series is incredible- the plot is actually very deep and well developed, and the story really sustains three books.  Plus, the love story that unfolds is pretty great.  This is my favorite gay romance fantasy of all time.  

Lee Welch:  Salt Magic, Skin Magic.  Victorian era MM romance with paranormal elements.  MC is being held captive by his father by means he can’t explain and doesn’t understand-- all he knows is, he is trapped on their remote estate. 

Michelle Notaro:  The Ellewood Chronicles, starting with the Enchanter’s Flame.  Is this series “good”?  This is pretty much the prime example of sometimes cringe is exactly what you want.  It’s sappy.  The plots are there, but the found family trope, the relationships, and the romance are absolutely the formula for this series.  And yet, I read every single one of them.  They made me feel good.  They made me happy.  They let me live in the fantasy of being in a LGBTQ family full of magic, safety, and love-- while the monsters of the world are held at bay by the wards surrounding the Ellewood lands.  Sometimes you don’t want heavy, you just want to read and be happy.  This series is that.  

AJ Sherwood and Jocelyn Drake:  Their Scales and Spells series is wonderfully fun to read (dragonshifters falling in love with mages, lots of gay and non-binary characters).  Both authors have a lot of gay romance titles out- all with fun elements in them.  I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read from both of them.  Jocelyn Drake has a series coming out now that is her take on Final Fantasy XV-type story telling called the Godstone Saga- it’s an original story, but if you read it, you’ll see the FFXV influence on it.  It’s nice. 

Kiki Clark:  The Kincaid Pack series is fun. 

Mainstream Fantasy with big LGBTQ representation or storylines: 

Andrew Rowe:  The main character of his Arcane Ascension series is gay, although the text seems to imply that he is a homo-romantic ace, or at least demi.  

John Bierce:  The Mage Errant series has excellent LGBTQ representation, including both gay and lesbian side characters.  The MC is not gay, but the world and the series as a whole feels very welcoming and inclusive. 

Shami Stovall:  The Frith Chronicles.  The MC is straight, but lots of major side characters are LGBTQ+.  Fantastic series, following an underdog MC who bonds with a supernatural being to get fantastic powers- the way all “arcanists” or magic-wielders are created in this world.  He joins the Frith Guild, a group of famous adventurers he’s looked up to his whole life, to learn and advance, and eventually find his way to being a master arcanist- but somebody is trying to remake the world, and not in a good way.  Begin with Knightmare Arcanist.

Melissa McPhail:  The Pattern of Shadow and Light series, starting with Cephrael’s Hand, is one of the most complex, amazing, well-crafted fantasy series I’ve ever read.  In the beginning, first book or two, it will feel like the only LGBTQ rep you see is in the form of a villain (Darshan), who is pretty literally trying to destroy the world and all living things (so, not great, yeah?).  But as the story unfolds, McPhail introduces a gay love story that she takes the time to develop, and it’s fucking beautiful and heartbreaking.  And then even Darshan seems to find a chance at redemption.  It’s a long series... and the LGBTQ rep gets better and better as it goes on.  Melissa McPhail died unexpectedly from late-stage cancer that was found too late.  She still had the final two books in the series unpublished, but they were *mostly* done.  Her family intends to publish what she finished.  And this series is so good, so mindblowingly amazing, that it’s worth reading.  

Not LGBTQ at all, but still really fucking good books: 

Will Wight’s Travelers Gate series, starting with House of Blades. 

Will Wight’s Cradle series.  Each book gets better and better (progression fantasy).  Probably the best progression fantasy ever written. 

Michael Manning:  Mageborn series, most of the stuff he’s written.  Art of the Adept is also a good series.  He has one series, Embers of Illeniel, which I do *not* recommend- it’s full of triggering stuff (rape, genocide, casual murder and mayhem... the MC is not a good guy), and is generally really dark (which the author admits to).  But I enjoyed everything else he’s written.  

Edward W. Robertson:  most everything he’s written.  I love his books.  Start with The White Tree (Cycle of Arawn Book 1). 

Patrick Rothfuss:  The Name of the Wind.  What I really want to recommend here is The Slow Regard of Silent Things, which is a transformative book to read- the MC is a person who lives in an underground labyrinth beneath a school, who is neuro-atypical, and who interacts with and sees the world in a wholely unique way.  Reading the book is like a meditation, deeply moving and profound.  But to make sense of it, you sort of need to understand the bigger world it is set in, which is from the Name of the Wind. 

Michael Miller:  The Songs of Chaos series.  Dragonrider fantasy, sort of like Dragonriders of Pern.  A slow start- the first few chapters were very much lowly pot boy in the presence of arrogant dragon riders and nobles who barely notice him.  Once you get past that initial stage, however, the story picks up and the storytelling gets much better.  The lowly pot-boy steals a dragon egg... and you can guess where it goes from there. 

Brandon Sanderson.  If you read fantasy, surely you have already read him.  

[acandrewswriter]

An LGBTQ+ Epic Fantasy

An epic fantasy tale with gods, vampires, ghosts, magic, and more:

Gay, transmasc, and non-binary protagonists

MM romance

Dark fantasy

Vibrant worldbuilding and intense action!

Available in Kindle Unlimited!

Books I and II available now!

Descent of Ravens (Book I of Bel’s War)

The old covenant of the gods is broken. Will the world break, too? When an army of vampires invades the island of Trosika, Rio and Turi must fight for their future. Rio is a healer and a priest of Astara who suffers severe self-doubt and a growing crisis of faith; even his goddess cannot stop the forces arrayed against them. Turi has long buried a secret about himself that he fears could upend everything. 

When Rio unseals a centuries-old tomb, releasing the night-cursed prince Philip, he discovers that he has a bond with Philip that stretches across lifetimes. As Turi grapples with his secrets, he is recruited by the terrifying goddess Mormo and gifted with necromancy for reasons he does not understand. 

Rio and Turi must contend with bloodthirsty mages, battle an endless army of vampires, and confront the truth of who Turi truly is; most of all, they must rely on their unshakable friendship to survive. As they struggle to protect each other, their religion, and their island home, the fate of an empire hangs in the balance. 

 To get Descent of Ravens:

US: https://amzn.to/3BI0j8Y

UK: https://amzn.to/3zJtkR0

AU: https://amzn.to/3tpBcVt

CA: https://amzn.to/3tktZ8Z

Will of Dragons (Book II of Bel’s War)

About Book II:  

Evil hides beneath armor of gleaming white.  

The new civil war has cracked the empire apart as Turi and Rio race to gather allies against Clan Ishima’s brutality. The enemy is ten steps ahead, and Turi is pushed to his limit to stop the evil a corrupted paladin order has unleashed. 

Demari, finally fulfilling a lifelong dream at sea with his brother, finds himself recruited into the designs of a goddess and soul-bound to a man he barely knows. In the fight for supremacy in the empire’s waters, Demari’s newfound power and connection will alter the course of the war and change his life forever. 

 Meanwhile, back on Trosika the new empress, Sarina Marias, faces betrayal, ancient magic, and intrigue as Ishima agents make their next move to control the island. When fate brings her face to face with the God of War, can she match her will to his?

What readers are saying about Book I, Descent of Ravens:

"A veritable buffet of the paranormal, and I haven't even started on the MCs yet. Suffice as to say that I've given the story five hearts - I loved them too." - Reviewed by Taylin Clavelli for Love Bytes

"Descent of Ravens is a sweeping epic fantasy that is a roller coaster of emotion. ...The sweeping tale embraces high fantasy and runs with it, creating a richly detailed world in which a reader can immerse themselves." - Reviewed by Kris for Joyfully Jay LGBTQ Romance Reviews

"An exhilarating tale . . . set in a richly imagined world."—Independent Book Review

"Andrews crafts a sleek series opener bolstered by consistent action, a straightforward magic system, and strong LGBTQ+ representation. . . .A crafty, well-paced LGBTQ+ fantasy series opener."—Kirkus Reviews

"AC Andrews' DESCENT OF RAVENS is skillful, splendid storytelling. ...a near-perfect fantasy featuring superb world-building and excellent storytelling that will be compelling for any audience that enjoys epic fantasy. "—Ellen Graham for IndieReader

"An original and identity-affirming tale, Descent of Ravens is a dark and masterful YA novel. The combination of classic fantasy elements and contemporary cultural themes results in a thought-provoking and norm-challenging story that is both deeply intimate and broadly appealing." —Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½

"The holy grail of fantasy for the m/m /lgbtq sub-genre. ... this one is in my top 5 books for the year." - Boyslove, Goodreads Reviewer

"One of the best fantasy reads I have encountered in ages." - Charneen, Goodreads Reviewer

"Exciting, fast flowing and extremely well written. A.C. Andrews has created a world and mythology infused with a rich history." - Mark Lucas-Taylor, Goodreads Reviewer

Cover Art: Sleepy Fox Studio

[acandrewswriter]

okay i’ll say it.

sometimes queer joy is queer cringe—to you. just like virtually all concepts, “cringe” is in the eye of the beholder. sometimes the way other queer people express themselves escapes you bc of a variety of differences between you and them. age, experience, ethnicity, region, religion, ability, etc. but ultimately, they are queer and so are you. do not put them down.

i don’t care how stupid you think their little tv show or mannerisms or pride merch or lingo or pronouns or whatever is/are. we are all queer in our own ways. i’ll admit, even i’ve criticized other queer people for, idk, projecting onto spn men or smthn. but whatever! let them! let them experience their own queer joy in their own joyful queer bubble! i do things as a result of my queerness that others might find ridiculous and “cringe” too!

we need a kinder experience. everyone else is already so mean, so we should be able to exist peacefully in a community. if they are not hurting anybody, leave them alone. celebrate all queerness, even if it isn’t your idea of it!! :)

[acandrewswriter]

This is a really serious issue- I know some ppl on this beautiful hellsite are eager to screw Amazon over wherever they can, but I assure you, Amazon gets its money no matter what.  

Don’t read books from Amazon and then return them for a refund. 

 Amazon’s lax return policy only screws over one person:  the author.  That’s why they do it.  It’s certainly not to help *you* out. I know of authors who literally ended up owing Amazon money, rather than making any money, off of their book because of people pulling this stunt during the height of the Tik-Tok wave of videos promoting people to return books they already read to “save” money or somehow read books for “free.”

That leads to only one thing:  those authors can’t afford to produce more work for you to read. 

Kindle Unlimited is different- you are paying a subscription and the author gets paid a fraction of a cent for every page you read (which adds up to a much smaller royalty, but it is still a couple bucks per reader).  When you “return” the book, the author is getting paid. 

One thing to know, however, is that for KU books you have leave the book at 100% read in order for the author to get paid the full amount.  If you go back to the first page of the book, for some weird reason Amazon’s system treats it like you never read the book (and thus doesn’t pay the author for it).  Amazon has no desire to fix this issue since it benefits them (and again, screws over only the author). 

My first book showed up on a pirate site the same day it was published. My second book also showed up on a pirate site the same day it was published, just a couple of weeks ago. Such sites pretend to offer “free” ebooks in ePub format- but they make their money peddling stolen content, shoving ads in your face, and infecting your computer with malware.  They often have unreachable “owners” so sending takedown notices is often fruitless. 

So don’t read stolen books either.  If a website is offering “free” ebooks, especially of novels, I guarantee they are stolen books, and you are again ensuring that the authors are losing money. 

I know some successful LGBTQ authors, creating LGBTQ content, and earning enough to scrape by.  That’s the definition of “successful” for most of us- the desire to be able to work full time as a writer, instead of trying to write “on the side” while working a dredge job.  None of them are making so much money that this kind of shenanigans can’t bring them to the brink of being evicted from their homes or having to chose whether to eat today or not.  

If you want to read queer content, don’t screw over queer authors.  End of story. 

PSA! You're not "screwing over the man" by shitting on independent authors. You're just taking their livelihood. And we're not talking about KU books.

[Image ID: A screenshot of a tweet by username @KBrombergDriven. The text reads:

"1/2 Every time you return an ebook at Amazon, the author is charged back more than what they were paid for the sale. Yes, that means we could owe Amazon at the end of the month. Since TikToks went viral saying 'it's okay to return ebooks'

2/2 most authors returns have skyrocketed. Reading and returning a book is stealing. If you want free books, try the library app, Libby (among others) #AmazonisNotALibrary"

/.End ID]

[acandrewswriter]

is the title "will of dragons" figurative/metaphorical, or are there literal dragons in the book?

It's figurative, more or less. The god of War takes the form of a three-headed dragon in the book (not literally, though). No actual dragons were harmed in the writing of this book. =)

[acandrewswriter]

[acandrewswriter]

It just kills me when writers create franchises where like 95% of the speaking roles are male, then get morally offended that all of the popular ships are gay. It’s like, what did they expect?

[acandrewswriter]

Foggy woods, Germany, Frankonia [OC][2000x1599]

📷: Quaxli

[acandrewswriter]

“““You’re not a monster,” I said. But I lied. What I really wanted to say was that a monster is not such a terrible thing to be. From the Latin root monstrum, a divine messenger of catastrophe, then adapted by the Old French to mean an animal of myriad origins: centaur, griffin, satyr. To be a monster is to be a hybrid signal, a lighthouse: both shelter and warning at once.””

—

— Ocean Vuong, from “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”

[acandrewswriter]

Why would you affiliate yourself with Amazon? Is there another place people can buy your books?

Hi disasterhimbo: Because a huge majority of indie LGBTQ authors have little choice but to use Amazon to publish. When you are an indie author, your choices are to go "wide release" through a company like Ingraham Spark (which can theoretically land your book at Barnes and Noble, etc), or to go Amazon exclusive with enrollment in Kindle Unlimited.

Here's the thing: Every author I’m friends with, including quite a few who are making a full-time living writing MM romance and MM fantasy, who has tried wide release has regretted it and gone back to Amazon.

Most books sales these days are ebook sales, and 90% of that market is Amazon. So if you go "wide release," what happens is that you only gain a tiny sliver of marketshare and available audience for your books, but you end up losing out on what turns out to be massively important boosts that Amazon adds to its KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) authors.

Those benefits are:

Higher royalties: Amazon exclusive books earn 70% royalties, as opposed to 35% on Amazon for wide-release books, and much, much lower on other platforms- traditional publishers tend to max out at paying 15% royalties at most. Coupled with Amazon's dominance of the ebook market, that makes wide-release a losing proposition, financially, for any indie author who isn't going to sell millions of books (which is most of us).

Kindle Unlimited: Amazon exclusive content is made available through Kindle Unlimited. Of the thousand or so readers my first book got, 60% of them were on Kindle Unlimited. Without that boost, I would have made even less money on a book I lost money producing. So I would have had 60% fewer readers, and been earning only half the royalty rate.

The effing algorithm: Amazon boosts your sales during the first 90 days of publication by putting your new release higher on search results and category lists. The more sales you make within a short period of time, the more the algorithm boosts the visibility of your book.

It's far more expensive to do wide-release (because, for example, you have to pay out hundreds of dollars to buy ISBN numbers- while Amazon gives them to you for free), and it is never made back in sales (Wide release results in massively lower royalties- a financial loss that is not made up for by the wider release- because Amazon dominates the market). Worse, it is a lot more work to manage- and those of us working full time while trying to write only have so many spoons to go around (especially when we are our own promotion team, our own ARC team, - we are basically doing all the work of a publishing company ourselves).

Even with the support Amazon gives to KDP authors, I'm still not breaking even doing this- I pay out money to produce my books, hire editors so my books aren't awful (dev and copy editing typically costs around $2k dollars), hire out professional artwork for decent covers (around $800), pay sensitivity readers among my beta reading team (again, hundreds of dollars), etc.  And none of that covers the costs of promotion, which is the single most expensive thing in the whole process- more than all of the above combined. In short, to have any prayer of breaking even you need higher sales and higher royalties, and Amazon is the single best chance of either.  

I am lucky that I have a full time job that pays enough that I can afford to do that (a privilege that too many LGBTQ writers can't afford at all). Until I got a higher-paying position at my workplace just before the pandemic, I couldn't afford to do any of that then either. It was a dream out of reach.

If it weren't for Amazon, these books-and a lot of other excellent indie LGBTQ content- literally wouldn't exist. The cost of publishing would be too high, and the returns too low to offset it (let alone make enough actual profit to make a meager living as a starving writer).  

Sure, Amazon is the evil empire- and frankly, it treats its KDP authors in shitty ways a lot of the time (the Amazon marketing platform is a joke, designed to mostly get you to throw your ad money at Amazon while getting almost nothing in return for it- and Amazon frequently jerks authors around without much transparency- we basically can exist as authors only at Amazon's mercy, and that does suck).

That's also why traditional publishers are kind of a joke now- because only the most wildly successful authors stand to gain anything from having a trad publisher (of course, they still have enough clout to “create” wildly successful authors). Small presses force you to do your own promotion (literally, two of my best friends wrote a novel with a trans protagonist published by a Simon and Schuster imprint, and the company did *no promotion at all*, no ARC services, nothing... like, if you are a trad publisher, what's the point of you then? To give an author a lousy 7-15% royalty in exchange for literally nothing except having a publisher's name on spine? wtf?).

Amazon has, smartly and evilly, made itself the only financially viable game in town for niche indie authors.

There are a lot of indie LGBTQ authors on Amazon. A lot of trans authors, queer authors, gay authors, non-binary authors, getting their books published because Amazon/KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) makes it affordable for them to do...

Like most things in the world, Amazon's evil is a mixed bag, and sometimes it's hard to pry apart the good from the bad.  Long story short: If you like or want to read more indie LGBTQ books, Amazon is still evil but it’s also your best bet.