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char27martin · 7 years

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Understanding Crowdfunding as a Self-Publishing Option, Part 2

Over the few years, the popularity of crowdfunding sites for funding a variety of projects has lent itself to becoming a legitimate option for writers. It provides them with the opportunity to fund their self-publish dreams without breaking the bank. The upside of crowdfunding is being your own publisher. You’re in control of everything. Of course, that’s also the downside.

[Want to learn how to define a crowdfunding strategy and pick a site? Check out part one of this post!]

This guest post is by Diane Shipley. Shipley is a freelance journalist who writes about books, pop culture, technology, and psychology—or any combination of the above. Her bylines include The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times, Writer’s Digest, and Mental Health Today.

She’s also a frequent contributor to Twitter (@dianeshipley).

Administrative tasks can be more stressful, time-consuming, and costly than authors anticipate. Kelly Thompson says that these tasks have eaten up a fair amount of her time, meaning that she is currently writing a book every two years rather than every year, as she had originally planned. She asked for $8,000 on Kickstarter in 2012 for her first novel, The Girl Who Would Be King, the story of two young women with extraordinary powers. Although she raised $26,478, she ended up paying $5,000 out of pocket and going into credit card debt in order to fulfill her orders, mostly because she underestimated shipping costs. She also had to make multiple trips to the post office and says that parcels took over her fourth-flight New York walk up. In 2014 she raised $57,918 for her second book, Story Killer, and temporarily moved to her parents’ house in Utah so she could ship books more easily. “We had 709 backers for the first one and almost double that for the second—there is no way I could have done that [from my apartment in] New York.” Because she was more organized and had better calculated her costs, Story Killer was profitable from the start.

However, it hasn’t generated as much buzz as The Girl Who Would Be King. In early 2013, a writer for influential science and culture site io9 gave the book a glowing review, which sparked renewed interest in the book. It’s since become an Amazon bestseller and been optioned twice, most recently for television. Thompson had originally tried to get the novel traditionally published, and even came close with one of the big five, but kept getting feedback that it was too dark, not YA enough, and didn’t fit neatly into a particular genre. She now thinks those are the elements that have made it a success. “I found it interesting that Story Killer didn’t find the same success when The Girl Who Would Be King seemed like a much riskier model. But I think it goes to show that people want something different, and when they see it, they respond to it.” She understands why publishers are cautious about acquiring this type of book, but she thinks they’re missing an opportunity by not looking to crowdfunding success stories for new talent with a built-in audience.

Crowdfunding Success Stories

To Be or Not To Be: That Is the Adventure: Ryan North’s choose-your-own-adventure version of Hamlet raked in a jaw-dropping $580,905 on Kickstarter.

Hello Ruby: This children’s book by Linda Liukas that uses storytelling to teach the principles of computer coding, raised $380,747 and was republished by the Macmillan imprint Feiwel & Friends.

The Serendipity Foundation: Sam Smit’s debut, a thriller about ‘terrorism with a social conscience,’ is the most-funded novel on Unbound, raising 132 percent of its goal.

Magpies: Sara Lando raised $30,566 on Indiegogo for this beautifully rendered graphic novel about love and loss.

Abomination: After Earth screenwriter Gary Whitta used Inkshares to sell 9,198 copies of his historical fantasy set in England during the reign of Alfred the Great.

Wollstonecraft: This adventure story by Jordan Stratford, about the adolescent versions of real-life feminist heroes Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley, raised $91,751 on Kickstarter.

Consider Hybrid Crowdfunding Options

You don’t necessarily have to choose between traditional publishing and going it alone. Hybrid publishers are filling a gap for authors who are happy to self-promote but don’t want to handle the production and distribution process. Filip Syta’s novel The Show is a dark satire about the seedy underbelly of a huge tech company. Instead of using a crowdfunding platform, he turned to Inkshares, a publisher that uses crowdfunding to pay for the books it publishes. Authors upload projects to the site for sixty days, during which time at least 750 people have to preorder a copy. For copies sold beyond this initial amount, authors receive 50 percent of paperback and 70 percent of e-book sales. Kingsnorth’s publisher, Unbound, works in a similar way but doesn’t disclose how many books an author needs to presell and only reveals what percentage of the goal has been reached.

Although you don’t earn any money up front, you also don’t have to go into your own pockets. And because Inkshares and Unbound function as publishers, they are able to get books into stores like Barnes & Noble and to be considered for review by major publications. Syta sold 1,001 preorders and says that knowing people were waiting to read his book spurred him to keep writing.

As well as posting about The Show on Facebook and Twitter, and writing guest posts for blogs, Syta connected with potential readers in real life, a tactic he recommends to other authors. “Go to events that have something to do with the subject of your book or where there’s a crowd you think would be interested. Define your audience and where they are, and then go to those places.” Once you’re there, emphasize what people will get from the book rather than why you want them to buy it. For The Show, that pitch would be something like: “It’s a book to help people realize it’s never too late to follow their dreams.” Syta thinks that hybrid crowdfunding will become increasingly common. “There’s a lot of talent out there, but to score a traditional publisher is time-consuming and extremely difficult. [Novels published through crowdfunding go] straight to the reader without asking an agent or someone at a publishing house for permission.”

Jane Friedman says that working with a hybrid crowdfunding publisher is ideal for authors who enjoy collaboration, but that they should be realistic about how much their book will benefit. “Just because you work with one of these companies doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to see more sales or a better marketing campaign; a lot of the responsibility is still on your shoulders.”

Whichever crowdfunding site you choose, making your publication dreams a reality will depend on your plan of attack, some loyal followers, and an indefatigable spirit. And your first crowdfunded novel doesn’t have to be a one-off. “We’ve seen a bunch of repeat creators,” says Maris Kreizman. “As long as you have fans who want to be a part of it, you can have unlimited success.”

Top Tips for Crowdfunding Success

Read the crowdfunding bible(s). The Kickstarter Creator Handbook (com/help/handbook) and the Indiegogo help section (support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us) will guide you through every step of a campaign.

Time your campaign wisely. Avoid the holidays—people are too preoccupied (and broke) to donate. You can usually choose how long your project runs, but Wharton researchers recommend thirty days for best results.

Be tax smart. Any profit you make above the cost of making and shipping your book is treated as income by the IRS, so keep detailed records and start and finish your campaign in the same tax year to avoid complications. (Consult an accountant to be on the safe side.)

Be available. Most crowdfunding sites allow potential backers to ask you questions. Answer as promptly as possible, so they’re confident in your ability to deliver.

Don’t stretch out. When a project funds quickly, some creators add “stretch goals,” extra rewards for additional funding targets. This can incentivize donors, but usually involves more work for creators, so remember they’re not compulsory.

Want more? Pick up Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market

Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market 2017 is the only resource you need to get your short stories, novellas, and novels published. It includes:

— Find listings for book publishers, literary agents, fiction publications, contests, and more — Get all the contact information, submission guidelines, and other essential tips you need — Gain insight from best-selling and award-winning authors — And more!

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If you’re an agent looking to update your information or an author interested in contributing to the GLA blog or the next edition of the book, contact Writer’s Digest Books Managing Editor Cris Freese at [email protected].

The post Understanding Crowdfunding as a Self-Publishing Option, Part 2 appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

from Writing Editor Blogs – WritersDigest.com http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/understanding-crowdfunding-self-publishing-option-part-2

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luninosity · 7 years

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Giveaway winners!

So, here’s our list of people who helped support the Inkshares campaign and have won Cool Stuff, courtesy of @viperbranium, @secretlytodream, @misspaperjoker, and myself!

1) If you are one of the winners of the giveaways below, please get in contact with the person, to arrange any details about art or vids or shipping for jewelry:

--ring/keychain from @viperbranium : @linzanitee

--art from @misspaperjoker : @murderonthemattress

--short video from @secretlytodream : @rozf

--ring/keychain from @viperbranium : @sarcasmfox (idk why tumblr isn’t letting me tag you)

--short video from @secretlytodream : @steebinky

--ring/keychain from @viperbranium : @loeily

--short video from @secretlytodream : @bisexualtaylorswift

--longer video from @secretlytodream : @kittyseb

2) here’s my list of people who specifically sent *me* requests for fic - I’ll start working on these now that I’ve finished that birthday fic for a friend (if you want something specific and you haven’t let me know what you would like as a prompt yet, please do!):

@mikanskey, @brb-theres-cookies, @whowaswillbe, @upsidedowntea, @concavepatterns, @katherinekittentaylor, @wi1dflowers, @kittyseb, @probablyunnecessary, @sarcasmfox, @withxfeathers, @steebinky, @freitzeit87, @linzanitee, @midnighter13, @candyforastronauts, @everyworldneedslove, @rozf

Love you!

#giveaways #inkshares fantasy contest #thank you!

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luninosity · 7 years

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Because I write with soundtracks,or at least music in mind, I figured I’d share my mental playlist for Prophecy, for fun:

David Bowie, "Heroes" (the working title, and the title of the fanfic story version before it became original fic, came from this song!)

Journey, "Only The Young" (Oliver would be a classic rock fan)

Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream" (because, let’s face it, in the modern-day alternate-universe version of this story, Tir would totally dance around singing this in his bedroom)

Pansy Division, "Who Treats You Right" (because Pansy Division had to be SOMEWHERE on this list, given the genre, and because both Tir and Oliver would be vastly amused by most of their less safe-for-work songs)

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Maps" (for when they set off on the Quest: "wait, they don’t love you like I love you...")

The Shins, "Simple Song" (Ollie and Tir both like indie rock, too; they hang out with Ollie’s art-student friends a lot)

ABBA, "Waterloo" (for probably obvious reasons having to do with love and the knowledge of a prophecy and also I think Tir would be an ABBA fan, don’t you?)

My Chemical Romance, "Summertime" (as a backdrop for a certain climactic scene)

Queen, "You’re My Best Friend" (also probably obvious, but I couldn’t resist: "ooh, you make me live...")

Tegan & Sara, "Love They Say" ("you don’t need to wonder / if love will make us stronger / there’s nothing love can’t do...")

(also, you can totally still pre-order the book over here! now that it’s in production, I actually earn royalties on it! gosh.)

#a prophecy for two #inkshares fantasy contest #original fic #soundtracks

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luninosity · 7 years

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Giveaway organization things! I think this is everyone; say so today, otherwise we can go ahead with things?

So, for @secretlytodream, @viperbranium, @misspaperjoker, and of course myself–

and for the people who were interested in fic and giveaways–

Can you guys make sure we’re got you included and listed correctly here, if you were interested, and then we can all proceed with various giveaways and creations?

1) here’s my current (1/31/17) list of everyone who said they were interested in the various giveaways (link to stuff you can have here):

@whowaswillbe, @painting–words, @brb-theres-cookies, @loeily, @concavepatterns, @katherinekittentaylor, @upsidedowntea, @mikanskey, @kittyseb, @iamadelicateflowergoddammit, @that-thing-you-roo, @sarcasmfox, @murderonthemattress, @freitzeit87, @feettootie, @shieldsharing, @withxfeathers, @warlockintraining, @steebinky, @linzanitee, @candyforastronauts, @midnighter13

2) here’s my list of people who specifically sent *me* fic requests - I’ll start working on these by the end of this week probably (if you want something and you haven’t let me know what you would like as a prompt yet, please do!):

#fandom #inkshares fantasy contest #a prophecy for two

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luninosity · 7 years

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Giveaway organization things!

So, for @secretlytodream, @viperbranium, @misspaperjoker, and of course myself--

and for the people who were interested in fic and giveaways--

Can you guys make sure we’re got you included and listed correctly here, if you were interested, and then we can all proceed with various giveaways and creations, like, tomorrow or Monday or whenever works for us? :D :D Let me know if I forgot anyone, please?

1) here’s my current list of everyone who said they were interested in the various giveaways (link to stuff you can have here):

@whowaswillbe, @painting--words, @brb-theres-cookies, @loeily, @concavepatterns, @katherinekittentaylor, @upsidedowntea, @mikanskey, @kittyseb, @iamadelicateflowergoddammit, @that-thing-you-roo, @sarcasmfox,

2) here’s my list of people who specifically sent *me* fic requests - I’ll start working on those next week probably (if you want something and you haven’t let me know what you would like as a prompt yet, please do!):

@mikanskey, @brb-theres-cookies, @whowaswillbe, @upsidedowntea, @concavepatterns, @katherinekittentaylor, @wi1dflowers, @kittyseb, @probablyunnecessary, @sarcasmfox,

#giveaways #inkshares fantasy contest #please to let me know if i've forgotten you #thanks!#love you!

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luninosity · 7 years

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And the epilogue - and therefore the actual writing - of Prophecy is complete! Time to send it in to the editors! (I told them about two weeks; this is really closer to one, so maybe we can indeed find ways to shorten some of that 10-month publication process...)

Here, have a piece of the epilogue! (If you read the Evanstan fic version, by the way, this bit is all new - actually the whole story is about twice as long, from 17,452 words to 35,859 words!) (also you can come and order a copy here, if you would like! it should be out roughly around October!) (also for the record there is - in the epilogue, along with some politics and kingdom-merging - one very PG-13 sex scene, nothing explicit, and actually the sex bit is offscreen - we pretty much stop with them naked and looking at each other and happy)

Oliver had just got Tir tucked into bed, propped up by pillows and concerned woolly blankets, when the knock came; they shrugged at each other, and Ollie called back, “Come in.” He didn’t want his fairy to move; Tir claimed to be no worse than normal but had been leaning on him more after the stairs, and had cold hands. He’d been planning to grab the latest novel and read aloud until Tirian fell asleep.

The knock turned into Lyle; their family butler and general font of palace-related knowledge cleared his throat. “We were wondering how Tirian was feeling; Ben said you had to leave the table, upstairs. You know I can always summon the doctor if you’d like.”

“He’s—”

“He’s fine,” Tir put in, peeking around Ollie’s shoulder. “Only tired. Thank you, though.”

“Oh,” Lyle said, radiating paternal worry and pride, “of course you’d be, those big feasts would tire out anybody, all those courses and polite conversation, not to mention you’re barely up and about most days, would you like anything else, then? A tray, extra blankets, the fire lit? We’d meant to have it going but you came down so soon, not that that’s a problem, indeed not.”

“I think,” Oliver started, meaning to say no, meaning to simply close out the world and shelter Tir alone, “we—” Those fingers in his were cold. Rain hit the cool translucent glass of Tir’s bedroom window, and poured silken ribbons over ancient castle mortar and new-grown climbing vines, and fell noisily to the ground far below. “A fire would be nice. We won’t need anything else for the night, but if you could light one, we’d be grateful.”

“No trouble at all.” Lyle vanished; Tir, Ollie discovered, was laughing silently.

“He thinks we’re still twelve, doesn’t he…”

“Permanently. Sorry. He was lecturing the castle into tidiness before I was born. Are you comfortable? Want anything?”

“Only you. Come kiss me?”

They were deliciously engaged in exactly that when Lyle and two log-bearing footmen appeared, accompanied by Meadowsweet the second housemaid and young Polly, who worked in the kitchen or wherever errands sent her around the palace. They came in laden down with trays of covered dishes; Ollie dove for the closest one and made hasty space on Tir’s bedside desk, and tried not to think about what his hair and lips and shirt-collar looked like. Tir’s mouth was willing and tempting and thoroughly kissed.

He sat back down on the bed, crossed his legs, and inquired, with regard to the army of trays, “What in the name of the Great North—”

“Well, and we thought you might be hungry,” Meadow said, “having missed the feast and all, and Tir needs strength, you know,” and added one more plate to the table: blonde, cheerful, stubborn as an older sister. “Nothing fancy or fiddly, but good ham and some cheddar biscuits and my mum’s lemongrass chicken soup. It’ll warm you up.”

“Tea?” He investigated the silver pot.

Polly beamed at him. She had mismatched eyes, some silver-streaked fairy legacy someplace in her orphan past; she’d pestered Tir, in calmer days, to examine her for any other signs of magic. “Chocolate. Nice and hot and dark and sweet. We know what he likes.”

Tir took a sip of hot chocolate, and beamed right back at her. His cheeks were pinker, flushed by kisses and steam; his hair was tucked behind one ear, because Ollie’s hand had run through it, stroking it into place. Under blankets, with pillows and soft happy eyes, he looked cuddly and cherished and very much loved. Ollie had done that.

His chest expanded with pride.

The fire leapt upwards, hearty and hot.

The collected palace staff looked at Tir, and then at Oliver, and then at each other, and hastily vacated the room in order to perform unspecified other tasks. Lyle put his head back in to order, “Oliver, don’t tire that boy out!” and then closed the door definitively behind him, keeping them secluded.

“Hmm,” Tir said. “Imagine the new additions to the ballads. Ravished by a human.”

“I’ve been told not to tire you out,” Ollie pointed out, and fed him pieces of ham and cheddar biscuits for a while. He tried not to think about ravishment. He couldn’t help it now. Especially when Tir kissed his fingers after a bite, and those eyes sparkled.

He might’ve thought, if he’d had room to give it any thought, that kissing his best friend, the boy with whom he’d grown up and learned to use a telescope and gone through sword-training in the practice-yard, could be awkward. It hadn’t been.

It’d been easy. It’d been another piece of who they were together, new and familiar. A homecoming after a long journey away. A rediscovery, with clearer sight.

He wanted Tirian rather desperately, he’d found out. He wanted to know it all. To kiss every inch of what he’d once taken for granted. To learn.

Tir looked up from chicken soup. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, anything you want, go ahead.” He took the soup bowl when his fairy appeared to be done, and set it out of the way. The fire gossiped to the rain, cozy; he’d kicked boots off and let one leg dangle to the floor, sitting on the side of Tir’s bed. “If it’s about the wedding, I’m drawing the line at the white samite floor-length robes suggestion, thanks. I’d spill something on it at the first fitting. You know I would.”

“I like the way you look in blue,” Tir said. “All sort of blue and gold and big and tawny. Like an oversized version of that historical sun-god from the old Southern kingdoms. With a pencil behind your ear. Sorry, what was I asking you?”

“You got as far as asking whether you could ask me a question, and I said yes. The sun-god who gets chopped into pieces and swallowed by an alligator?”

“And brought back to life, and it’s a metaphor for the flood season. No. Um. I remember. You don’t…it’s not because you don’t want me, right?”

“Because I don’t what,” Oliver said, or thought he said. His lips moved, at least.

“We keep stopping,” Tir explained, sitting up. The hair got in his eyes again. “You—you kiss me, because I ask you to, and then you stop and pull away and—and tell me you don’t want to tire me out, or you’re worried about me breathing unevenly, or—or whatever it is next time, and I know I’ve wanted you for years but this is new for you and if you don’t—”

Ollie dove across the bed. Ended that sentence right there. Tir’s arms slid around him, holding him close, pulling him down on top. Ravishment, he thought, fairy-stories, seduction, and love. He demanded, lips brushing lips, kisses between words, “You think I don’t want you?”

“I said I was trying not to think you didn’t want me—”

“I am worried.” They’d ended up sprawled across the bed, Tir on his back amid pillows, hair dark and long against creamy sheets, eyes wide and not yet convinced but wanting to be, hopeful grey rivers under clouds. Ollie took his own weight, balanced atop him. “I don’t want to—to—we might, I don’t know, set back your recovery or something—”

“I asked Fadi, you adorable rutabaga.” Tir managed to kick him in the calf, no force behind it; the rivers got exultantly relieved by life-giving downpours. “Which you could’ve done if you were worried. He said I should be fine as long as we don’t try anything more than usually strenuous, and also that it’s about time we got around to this, because he was tempted to lock us in a broom closet.”

“You and the root vegetable comparisons,” Oliver grumbled, nibbling at his lips, his throat, the enticing little spot just below his jaw. “Is that a thing? Do you have a thing about root vegetables? Should I bring a carrot to bed? And is this okay?”

“I do not have a thing about—oh yes that’s very much okay, thank you—remind me to make a joke about the size of your carrot—” They were mostly dressed; he’d gotten Tir out of the top layer of banquet clothes and into a quilted robe, earlier, but hadn’t bothered with himself. The robe was nice; he could slide hands under it. Apparently the hands could make his fairy stop talking and gasp in pleasure. He did that again. Tir made a delighted tiny sound, a sound that went straight to his heart and shivered down his spine and made his toes tingle, a sound he’d remember hearing for the first time forever.

Nimble fairy-fingers were unlacing his shirt; they ran over his chest, curious and enchanted. “I admit to having had dreams about this…every time we went swimming, or you ran around the training yard in the summer with your shirt off…”

“Okay, unfair, now you have to tell me about those dreams—” His fingers froze on Tir’s hip. “You. Um. You, um. That—it’s not just—you have, um. In. Sort of. Reality. Have you?”

“What?” Tir managed to give him a quizzical head-tilt while lying down. “Would you please get back to what you were doing? I liked what you were doing. I love your hands. Artistic hands.”

“Tir,” Ollie said, not moving the hands, “that’s—that’s not helping.” Tir liked what he’d been doing. This sounded a lot like someone who hadn’t tried that, or the other thing, or the soon to be next thing, before. “You, ah…you know our wedding…”

“Yes,” Tir said, with the expression of a man trying to be patient but on the verge of kicking Ollie in the calf again, “our wedding, what about it?”

“The, um…the wedding…night…”

“Are you inquiring about the mechanics? I’m quite certain you know what we’re doing. You said as much to me after nearly every experience you had, growing up.”

“No! I mean, no, I’m so sorry about—how did you ever put up with me, I was awful, I’m awful to you, why didn’t you throw a book at my head—not, um, not me…are you, you know…you haven’t, um…” Now would be a perfect time for magical underhearing. It refused to assist.

Tir’s mouth fell open. This was unfairly attractive, though that might be because he was lying in bed with legs parted for Oliver to lie between, robe puddled in quilted invitation beneath him. “Are you trying to ask whether I’m a virgin?”

#original fic #my fic #inkshares fantasy contest #a prophecy for two #fluff #happy endings #yep #fantasy #m/m romance

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luninosity · 7 years

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Giveaway organization things! I think this is everyone; or at least everyone who came out of the woodwork to send me stuff after last time, so let’s go ahead with things?

So, for @secretlytodream, @viperbranium, @misspaperjoker, and of course myself–

Friends, not sure how you want to organize your own giveaways (random picks for each thing?), but here’s my list:

1) here’s my current (2/8/17) list of everyone who said they were interested in the various giveaways (link to stuff you can have here):

#inkshares fantasy contest #giveaways

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luninosity · 7 years

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Hi, guys!

Exciting update - Prophecy has been picked by the Write Out Loud Syndicate as their book for January! (Link here for more about Inkshares syndicates and what they do - Write Out Loud especially focuses on “ books by LGBTQIA authors and allies featuring characters who break stereotypes.”)

This is wonderful for both more orders and for visibility and promotion, and I am so honored to be a choice - it means they thought this story was worth supporting, and that’s...well, that’s just really cool, is what that is. Thank you, on behalf of me and Oliver and Tir and everyone. :-)

Here’s the little note I got: "Here’s why the syndicate lead chose your book: a great read and a creative and interesting premise. I also love the author’s sense of humor. I’m happy to support Prophecy for Two in January and I’m looking forward to read it."

I’m so excited - thank you again to the Write Out Loud members and everyone who’s supported Prophecy this far!

#inkshares fantasy contest #a prophecy for two #wow!#yay!#original fic #lgbtqa

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luninosity · 7 years

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YOU GUYS YOU GUYS YOU GUYS

WE TOTALLY DID IT

Prophecy is now at 251 (yaaaay!) pre-orders!!!

*jumps up and down screaming a lot*

So, this is guaranteed ebook + print-on-demand publication, no matter what! (If it ever gets to 750 orders they do a full print run, and I get more in royalties and such, but I am not even going to worry about that yet!) (and here’s the link one more time!)

And this is because of YOU and ALL THE SUPPORT AND LOVE and I just love you guys so much and I am so so grateful

and if you want ANYTHING, fic or headcanons or whatever I can give, just name it! This is because of you. I love you. <33333

#inkshares fantasy contest #original fic #oh my god #i can't even #what are emotions #thank you!#screaming over here

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luninosity · 7 years

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Prophecy for Two update!

We’ve reached light publication (the Quill level) and joined the Quill collection here on Inkshares, so we’re moving into production! Yay! *throws confetti*

They’ve told me the timeline moving forward will be roughly ten months until readers get their copies in their hands; this has to do with time needed for a round of light copyediting, getting the cover and back cover (design, any text, etc) done, shipping of physical copies, and so on. (I admit I was hoping it’d be a bit faster, since Inkshares is a nontraditional publisher - but I’m not complaining!) We’ll see if we can’t speed that up a small amount, though, since the front cover art’s already done (thank you, @misspaperjoker !) and it should be a fairly clean manuscript (I correct student writing for a living, after all...), but in any case: we’re into production, and I’m so excited! I’ll keep you updated as things progress...

(and of course you can still order copies! now it is actually, y’know, a proper book that is coming out in 2017! and I start earning royalties now, on anything over 250 copies!)

(for people asking about giveaways: I think I have everyone’s names, at least everyone who contacted me; we will try to get that done this week or next week, perhaps? @viperbranium, @misspaperjoker, @secretlytodream, thoughts?)

#a prophecy for two #inkshares fantasy contest #original fic #yay!

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luninosity · 7 years

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Hello, I hope you have the best of day ! You rock and are an awesome person. I send you all the virtual hugs, luni. (Ps : your writing is A++++)

Hmm....want one of the new scenes from the Inkshares book? (I’m technically rewriting one of the Evanstan AUs into original fic, but there’re a lot of new scenes, and they’re obviously different main characters! Here...)

Thelandscape grew rockier. Drier. More grey. Hills sprouted stone boulders andcrags like bewildered stone faces. Temperatures fell precipitously; plants tookon iridescent hues, shimmering white and turquoise and primrose. Magic in theair.

Tirianshot him a look of sheer delight, the second day into the North, and nudgedheels into his mare and took off: a streak of fairy wildness, person and horse,enchanted as the wind. Ollie sighed internally—he couldn’t breathe magic like vitality, and this wasn’t home forhim—but Tir all lit up and glowing and daring him to follow, well. That madehim want to follow. Made him grin.

Thiswas home for Tir. More or less. The borderlands. The closest he’d got. Olliewondered, pounding after his fairy-companion down a crooked defile, leaping astream, catching up and playing tag on horseback among merry towering rocks andindecently iridescent hummingbirds, if he missed it.

Hewondered also for the first time why Tir had never ridden North. Never come soclose to home. With that joy in each breath, in those chilly excited eyes.

Hethought that this might be because of him. Because of himself: Tirian’d spentyears looking out for him, finding his missing boots and correcting hisarithmetic sets before the tutor checked. Ollie had never cared to ride North.

Hischest did that odd twist and ache again, the way it had over bacon and toastthe morning they’d left.

“Oliver,”Tir yelled over, laughing, pink-cheeked in brittle wind, “you’ll get stuck,that ravine’s a dead end—!”

“Carrotcan turn on a penny!” Ollie shouted back, tugging at reins, getting Bellemare’sAutumn Harvest Joy to rear and spin obligingly, “and you didn’t tell me wherewe were going!”

“North!”Tir came back and reined Sprite in and waited helpfully while Ollie figured outdirections. “You know. That way. Not down a dead-end ravine.”

“Bloodyfairies and your bloody country,” Oliver grumbled at him. “How do you know it’sa dead-end, anyway?”

“One,because I, unlike you, pay attention to my surroundings. Two…” Cool grey eyesgot a little more cloud-like, pensive. “I don’t exactly know. It’slike…knowing.”

“Oh,right, that’s completely clear, thanks.”

“No,I mean…” Sprite matched Carrot’s pace amiably, without active direction fromher rider. Ollie’d always half-suspected Tir had a mysterious magical bond withmost animals, though when asked his fairy’d only started laughing hard enoughto be useless for answers.

“Imean,” Tir said now, thinking aloud, “no. It doesn’t work if I think about it.It’s a little like remembering.”

“Like…you…”Came this way? When you were only twelve and alone in a brand-new human land?

Hethought: I couldn’t’ve done it. I don’t know how you did. And you don’t talkabout it. And I can’t ask. In case it’s a spell or a geas or a charm. In caseit hurts you.

Hesaid, “Like you spend a lot of time in ravines?”

AndTir laughed, weightless and untroubled. “Maybe if you count the Universityarchives. I swear some of those manuscript stacks haven’t been touched incenturies. It’s funny, though, if I try to push it, to really think about it,that headache…”

Olivergathered rein. Carrot stopped. This meant that Sprite stopped too; Crown Princeand companion regarded each other for a minute. Wind flirted with unnaturallyindigo-and-magenta rock-grass behind Tir’s head.

Tirianlooked away first. “I know. I know what you’re saying. Not saying. You know my answer. Just—just don’t. Please.”

“You’rehurting,” Ollie said, “because you’re riding North with me.”

“It’snot like—”

“Itisn’t?”

“It’s…hardto explain.”

“Try.”

“Iknow,” Tir said carefully, even gingerly, “what I’m supposed to do. And I…thisfeels like going home. Before I’ve done it. And that—”

“Oh,”Ollie said. “Oh. No. Stop. Nothing you’re not allowed to say,” and then theylooked at each other for another second, until one corner of Tir’s mouthquirked up. “I’m okay. It’s just…a reminder. From—from the magic. Land-sense.It won’t matter; we won’t be going into Fairy proper.”

“I’llbelieve you,” Ollie told him, “if you tell me that again. Right now. Honestly.”

“Iam being honest, you turnip.” Tir was smiling, crooked, but his eyes were serious.Graveness; gravestones, that grey. Ollie swatted that thought down. “I don’tlie to you, Oliver. It’ll hurt a little, and it won’t get much worse, and I canlive with it for now. It’ll go away after we’re done.”

“You’lllet me know,” Ollie said.

“Ofcourse.”

“Then…”He bit his lip, wavered: a pebble making a choice. Could be an avalanche. Mightnot. No way to know. And he had a traditional quest to complete, and Tirhad…also a quest. Of some sort. A mission. “If you’re sure.”

Tirgave him the most affronted look Oliver’d seen on anyone not a palace cat. Hehad to laugh. “Fine. But you’ll tell me how you’re feeling.”

“Ijust said—”

“Notonly when it gets worse. Check in with me. Talk to me. Did you call me aturnip?”

“I’vecalled you worse before. I’m all right, I promise.” Wind tugged a strand ofdark hair across grey eyes; Tir tucked it back, and made even that motionelegant: ruffled as silk, as water, a fairy framed by ravine walls and cinnamonrock-roses. “Still going to beat you to that stream, up ahead…”

“That’snot a fair start!” Oliver yelled athis vanishing back, and took off after.

Tir and Sprite won. This was not a surprise.

#loeily #replies #yay friends #original fic #a prophecy for two #inkshares fantasy contest

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luninosity · 7 years

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OKAY BOOK UPDATE WITH LOVELY NEW COVER by @misspaperjoker!!

Prophecy update time!

First, we are at 201 copies ordered, out of 250 needed, with two weeks to go - SO CLOSE OH MY GOSH THANK YOU <333

Second, it now has utterly BEAUTIFUL cover art that totally captures the fairytale and romance and mood, plus so many little story details woven in, stars and the sword and the dragon, and and and, it is so lovely, and @misspaperjoker is so talented, and we should all go support her in every way possible and shower love upon her ALWAYS. Yes. <3333

(link for pre-orders here - remember, if you would like, you can ask me or several others about fic and art giveaways as thank-you gifts for help supporting, and if you order and it somehow *doesn’t* reach the pre-order goal, you get a full refund, so no loss to you! plus ebooks are only $10! and they come in pdf also if you request that!)

#inkshares fantasy contest #a prophecy for two #my fic #original fic #fantasy #romance #come support me?#yay friends!#so excited!

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luninosity · 7 years

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Congrats on reaching the goal for your book! :D I feel kinda weird asking, but if we bought a copy, how do we ask for/claim/enter the draw/etc for all the lovely goodies you and your tumblr friends proposed in exchange for buying a copy? :)

YES YES YES YAY US and also that is a very very good question!

1) If you are interested in any or all of the giveaways on offer (list here: a couple of them are raffle-style, some of them are just simple ‘I will write you a thing’) please tell the person doing that particular thing (and/or you can also tell me, and I will let them know; I have been making a master list, and I *think* I’ve got everyone so far); the people who’ve offered Shiny Things (including fic, art, vids, and jewelry) are, well, me, of course; plus @viperbranium , @misspaperjoker, and @secretlytodream.

2) please also let us know if you have requests - like, for example, I offered to write short things in any of the fandoms I’ve previously written for, so let me know which fandom/pairing and any genre preferences; or if you have a request for a specific film or theme for a fanvid, and so on. Also let us know if you ordered more than one copy, because I believe we were willing to enter you more than one time in the raffle-type things? (And yes, I have a way to check that - I can see the list of usernames on Inkshares and how many copies they ordered - but nothing else, no emails or payment info, no worries!)...

3) ..and at some point within probably a couple days after the official book deadline (which is the end of the day on 1/15 - we met the goal to get the contract already, but in order to avoid changing deadlines for the lovely creative people who offered to make stuff, we’ll keep our internal date the same, yeah?) we will start giving stuff away, working on prompts, etc! So please do let us know before then, that would be before the dawn of 1/16/16, if you want shiny things. :D :D

4) oh, one more little note! We have guaranteed at least ebook + print-on-demand publishing now (I am still mentally processing this oh my GOSH), and well before the cut-off deadline, but of course you can still order it, if you didn’t get a chance, or if you want more copies! Now that we’ve met the minimum, I start earning 50% royalties (after expenses, e.g. distributors’ fees) on every copy sold, and I like money *laughs* and if we ever get to 750 orders they do a full print run, boxes of books, shipped to stores, etc, plus Inkshares throws a proper book release party/signing event. So, one more time: link here!

I LOVE YOU ALL AND YAY AND WOW WE DID THIS THING TOGETHER

#anon #replies #inkshares fantasy contest #i heart you #yay friends #wow!#Anonymous

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