As some of you know, I’ve got an urban fantasy called Black Dog Blues lingering in the back woods of my files. It features a bisexual male elf who pretty much is entering into a relationship of sort with another guy. Location is Earth following a tragic “smashing” of the human and elven worlds.
Agents hated it… one told me to make Kai a girl. Another said um… no on the gay. I was all… um… fuck you all. Okay maybe not that but mostly my brain said… no.
I’d gotten advice to just do it. Go into the mass market arena with Kai in a traditional male-female way but something… I dunno? Pride? Gall? Ego? Id? said no. I love Kai. I love his world. He’s not a pushover and honestly, he’s not looking for a relationship but he seems to be finding himself in more of them every day.
So, now comes the time when I decide what to do with him. He’s bi. Not that he acts on it but he’s not gonna go down with the M/M indies. He wouldn’t fit there. It’s also written in traditional urban fantasy style. Which was fun but dear God, a shit ton of work and damn it, I want it published.
So self-pub it is.
There’s a space between Dirty Laundry and Whiskey and Wry where I could self-pub him. That space is fast approaching. My editor is almost done with the book and I might toss in a sex scene because really, it would make sense to have one. Especially between Kai and the main love interest. But more importantly, it would put Kai out there and he wouldn’t be lingering on the back burner.
I will be announcing a blurb and launching a cover. I’ll probably lay the book down in June and see where it goes. It’ll be available on Paperback and ebook. I’ll have to figure out Nook placement and stuff but that should be easy. Other than Amazon and B&N, anywhere else you all need it? I’ve done Smashwords but oh, is the response there worth it? Opinions all? Don’t think he’ll suit for ARe. It’s not really a romance.
So, where would one buy Kai? *grins* Guess I better find out because off he’s about to go into the wild blue younder.
Sounds fun! Go for it and I will buy it!
Heh. Thank you. *HUGS*
I will buy it! I agree with Amazon smashwords and B&N
*hugs* Heh… I thought so.
I’ll most likely buy it if it was available in PDF. What about silver publishing? I think they might have a place for it.
You’ll be able to do a PDF on Smashwords. And um… definitely not Silver. *grins*
I know the editors and such in DSP and really, that’s my home stable. If I were going to do Indie and it was straight “gay”, I would stay with DSP should it be acceptable but really, I think Kai’s a stand by himself kind of guy. And it IS a series but it’ll be infrequent. TOO much else going on 😀
Silver publishing hasn’t been paying their authors for a while now, from all of the author blogs who publish there that I follow.
I was trying to be delicate 😀
I’m glad it’ll be available in paperback. 🙂 Can’t wait to hold it in my hands.
It will be! *hugs*
Sweet! Good luck with it. 😀
I’ve pubbed before. I run Three Crow Press but ah, I don’t even care if Kai actually SELLS more than one copy. I just want him out there 😀
Amazon or Smashwords. I prefer the latter. But no matter where, I’m going to buy it anywhere. I like Kai.
I’m gonna do it on Amazon, B&N and Smashwords. I think that’ll cover everyone 😀
I buy a lot of books through ARe, but buying Kai at Amazon will work for me.
Yeah I don’t think he’s ARe friendly 😀
I get my books from Amazon uk
Excellent! That’ll populate out 😀 WOOOT!
Sorry I;m late to the party, but doing a happy dance here at work. I’m so looking forward to Kai and his story. No matter that he prefers more than one flavor. And yes, I’d do my best to get him anywhere he is,but amazon works
He’ll be up on Amazon, B&N and Smashwords so you can get him in any format 😀 Heh 😀
I’d love to meet Kai! Can’t wait. Anything by you is an automatic buy for me, Rhys.
awww thank you. *HUGS*
I’m a lover of KoBo, but I have Nook and Kindle apps. I prefer print, but have two copies of several of yours. Putting a love scene in, or a good snogging would make me happy.
There will be a paperback. Dunno about the sex scene. It’s written too tightly I think. *grins* But there is a snog 😀
Amazon! Will buy Black Dog Blues.. Kai sounds interesting and unique. Don’t put in a sex scene unless it works. Don’t want to spoil a good thing. Darn, I have to go look up “snog.”
yeah smex might have to wait. heh. snog is kiss
sorry, but sex always works :p
actually in this instance, it doesn’t 😀
I will definitely buy Black Dog Blues since I have enjoyed your other novels. I will probably purchase through Amazon since I have a kindle. Have you thought about submitting the book to Riptide Publishing? They specifically state in the About Us portion of their web site that “Currently, Riptide’s catalog features primarily gay protagonists, but we’re actively expanding into the rest of the rainbow and look forward to becoming your home for quality lesbian, bisexual, and trans* stories too.”
I know they require agented submissions unless you submit for an open call and there are not any open calls at the moment. However you may want to consider keeping an eye on the open calls and submitting a short story for an open call that sounds interesting to you. If it is accepted you will be able to submit novels to them even if you do not have an agent.
IMHO they have the best editing out of all the m/m publishers.
Heh…. nothing against the guys at Riptide. Most of them are friends. But nah, I’m going to Three Crow it. Kai just… is kind of my special baby. *pets* He doesn’t need to be HUGE but just… out there. It is a series but it’ll be infrequent. But oh, he is SOOOO much fun.
As for editors… I’ve had three industry editors on it and oh god, I have so much on my plate right now it’s not even funny. *laughs*
After I finish Fish and Ghosts, I’ve got to write a short steampunk. Soooo much stuff to do.
I choose not to agent at this time. My primary stable is Dreamspinner, who I’m really happy with. If I went mass market then yeah, I’d try to find someone to launch me into that arena.
What rock have I been living under to have missed this. :-O
I will definitely grab this from Smashwords when it shows up there because the other two are…yeah, no.
I’ll be launching its cover in a bit and then cleaning up the last of the bits before formatting so… some time mid June. *grins* WOOOOOOT 😀
Sounds awesome! And huge props to you for not caving and making him a girl. Maybe I am too drunk on happy that MN just passed the freedom to marry thing that I HOPE editors and agents realize that gay fiction is a huge untapped market and I hope just someone will GO FOR IT. [I’ll buy the first round of tator tots! XDDDDDDD]
Reminds me of back in the 90’s [god that makes me sound like I’m a hundred years old] when banks finally realized that they “should look at this gay market situation.” [I worked at Wells Fargo back than and that was in an actual email.]
Have you looked into that new Wilde City press? They do gay fiction too? But I am totally for self publishing. You do awesome covers [don’t get me started on the State of the Horrible Book Covers that some presses put out] and your books are fantastic so I think you’ll do well self pubbing and by word of mouth alone.
<3
I’m happy about MN WOOOOOOT! It’ll be pubbed out because I want full control and it’ll be infrequently series. *grins* I’m so fricking tired it’s not even funny 😀 heh 😀 mmmm tater tots.
As long as it is in mobi and paperback I will buy it! But you could also look into selling it on Kobo or through Google Books (or whatever their bookstore is called) or through Apple’s iBookstore
Amazon actually will push the book out to iBookstore and others a week after… and I’ll have it on Smashwords so people can buy the format they need for whatever they read. I’ll post all the links when I get that all going. *HUGS*
If you sell this through Amazon, can you make the book not restricted to Asia and Pacific? I can’t buy many eBooks from Amazon because of this restriction. In the end, I usually buy through Rainbow eBooks, ARe, or Kobo.
Ah when I sell through Amazon I make it Global and Smashwords is also global. I have to see if ARe can qualify. But definitely you’ll be able to get it on Smashwords. And Amazon global SHOULD work. If it doesn’t let me know. I hate DRM 😀 Don’t you?