#hybrid publisher

[amandacanwrite]

there is one exception, which is hybrid publishing. But in Hybrid publishing you are still screened/acquired through a vetting/querying process, the money you pay goes to your team (editor, cover designer etc) and to printing costs, and you retain almost all of your royalties. They also have distribution networks (which is the primary perk of traditional publishing.) So certain hybrid pubs will have the means to get you into brick and mortar stores.

There is more information at the independent book publisher’s association here :

https://www.ibpa-online.org/page/hybridpublisher

Theres a whole list of requirements that let you know what you should expect from a reputable hybrid publisher.

Essentially, they would provide you with the team and distribution you would have to secure yourself if you self published.

This is a friendly reminder to never, ever publish your book with a publishing company that charges you to publish with them. That is a vanity press, which makes money by preying on authors. They charge you for editing, formatting, cover art, and more. With most of these companies, you will never seen a cent of any royalties made from sale of your book. A legitimate publishing company only makes money when you make money, they will never charge you to publish with them. If a company approaches you and says "Hey, we'll publish your book, just pay us X amount of money," tell them to go fuck themself and block them.

[cleverfoxpublishing-blog]

Advantages of Choosing a Publishing Company for Your Book

Publishing a book is a dream for many, but navigating the journey from manuscript to market can be daunting. While self-publishing is an option, working with a professional publishing company offers distinct advantages that can significantly enhance your book's success. Here’s a detailed look at the benefits of choosing a publishing company.

1. Professional Expertise

Publishing companies have experienced editors, designers, marketers, and distribution professionals. Their expertise ensures your book is polished, market-ready, and positioned for success.

Editing: Professional editors refine your manuscript, eliminating grammatical errors, enhancing readability, and improving overall quality.

Design: From cover design to page layout, publishing companies create visually appealing books that attract readers.

2. Quality Assurance

A publishing company upholds high standards for every book they produce. The company’s reputation depends on delivering well-crafted content, so they ensure your work meets industry benchmarks. This professional touch not only boosts your confidence as an author but also enhances the credibility of your book.

3. Marketing and Promotion

Publishing companies invest in marketing strategies to ensure your book reaches its target audience.

Social Media Campaigns: Leverage platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to promote your book.

Media Coverage: Established publishing companies often have connections with media outlets for reviews, interviews, and features.

Events and Launches: They organize book launches, signing events, and virtual meet-ups to engage readers.

4. Wider Distribution Network

One of the most significant advantages of working with a publishing company is access to their extensive distribution network.

Online Platforms: Your book will be listed on major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Flipkart.

Brick-and-Mortar Stores: Publishing companies ensure your book is available in bookstores across the globe.

Libraries and Institutions: Many publishers distribute books to libraries, schools, and universities, increasing your readership.

5. Credibility and Recognition

Books published by established companies carry a mark of credibility. Readers, bookstores, and literary critics often perceive these books as higher quality compared to self-published works. This recognition can boost your book’s reputation and improve sales.

6. Time-Saving

Publishing is a complex process that involves editing, design, marketing, and distribution. By partnering with a publishing company, you save time and can focus on your next project while professionals handle these tasks.

7. Financial Support

Traditional publishing companies cover the costs of production, marketing, and distribution. This is a significant advantage for authors who may not have the budget to invest in these areas. While hybrid and self-publishing may involve some costs, publishing companies often provide packages tailored to various needs.

8. Access to Industry Insights

Publishing companies have a deep understanding of market trends and reader preferences. They guide authors on genre trends, pricing strategies, and promotional techniques to maximize success.

9. Long-Term Support

Many publishing companies offer ongoing support for your book even after it’s published. They help with reprints, updated editions, and continued marketing efforts to keep your book relevant.

10. Focus on Creative Writing

As an author, your primary focus should be on writing. Collaborating with a publishing company allows you to concentrate on your creative process while they handle the business side of things.

11. Opportunities for Networking

Publishing companies often host author events, workshops, and book fairs, giving you opportunities to network with other writers, industry professionals, and readers.

12. Legal and Copyright Assistance

Navigating copyright laws and ensuring your intellectual property rights are protected can be complicated. Publishing companies handle these legal aspects, ensuring your work is safeguarded.

Conclusion

Partnering with a publishing company can be transformative for authors. From professional editing and design to marketing, distribution, and long-term support, these companies offer a comprehensive solution that enhances your book’s quality and reach.

While self-publishing offers flexibility, the advantages of a publishing company—credibility, expertise, and resources—make it an excellent choice for authors looking to leave a lasting impact. If you dream of seeing your book in readers’ hands worldwide, consider working with a publishing company to bring your vision to life.

[sewgeekmama]

Back to Work, Book Update, Hybrid Publishing and a Kickstarter

I took a bit of a break from blogging and constant social media posting over the summer. I kept things going at a minimum and popped online here and there when needed so things didn’t completely fizzle. But overall, it was really nice to get offline and spend time with family. My son starts preschool five days a week today and I plan to jump back into blogging and my book project, plus a pile of…

[pwrn51]

What type of Publishing did you use

  Cool Your Heels Host, Lillian Cauldwell, interviewed Abigail Wild, owner of Wild-Ink-Publishing. Wild-Ink-Publishing is a traditional publishing company that mainly publishes young adult manuscripts. The company is closed for submissions until January 2024. Abigail asks that the author get their manuscript edited before submitting and to make sure their manuscript meets all submission formats.…

[weeeeeekly]

the inheritance – hybrid!ot5 txt x human gn!reader

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

blurb !!! Your grandmother left behind her home to you in her will. As a recent college grad, you take on the responsibilities – you never expected to find 5 hybrids living in your new home

info !!! gender neutral pronouns for reader, no reader body shape mention, no use of y/n, non-idol au, hybrid au, strangers to lovers, ot5 txt x reader, kinda a/b/o, inspired by the monster’s bride webtoon, ppulbatu, & txt lore (please do not ask me about it bcuz I don’t know anyyyythingg)

WARNINGS !!! SFW but MDNI 18+ blog, swearing, not proofread just pure free flowing thought, wouldn’t recommend reading if you were close to your grandmother, she passed away, & are still grieving

wc 2k

author’s note !!! if you don’t like it – don’t read it!

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾 CHAPTER FOUR

Dinner had been going smoothly.

You all sat down at the kitchen table to eat; the table laid out, with help from Soobin and Kai, with food you prepped with a last-minute trip to the grocery store. The food all matched their dietary needs that you hastily listed in your phone’s notes after asking them earlier in the store.

Your guests dig in as you carefully watch their reactions, knowing that if they were not pleased you would be upset but if they were pleased you would still be upset because you still don’t know how you were going to make enough money to keep the house, get necessities, and help for the guys.

Yeonjun nudges you shoulder as look at him confused.

“I’ve been calling your name.”

“Oh, you have? What’s up?”

“Thank you for making us dinner.”

And he grins at you showing his smiles, canine teeth on display. You weren’t expecting that, you feel your face heat up.

“It’s no problem.” Throwing a smile back at him.

“Can you pass the salt?”

Beomgyu shrugs at Yeonjun. “I don’t know, can I?”

The fox hybrid rolls his eyes, “Can you please pass the salt?”

“I don’t like the way you said ‘please’.” Beomgyu moves the salt farther from Yeonjun.

“Pass the salt, mutt.”

Beomgyu’s eyes widen as his jaw slacks. “What did you call me?”

“Mutt – which is what you are!”

“Holy fuck.” You lean forward resting your elbows on the table, cradling your head in your hands in hopes to quell the throbbing headache you were currently nursing.

Your headache could have dissipated if not for the incessant noise in the form of arguing happening at the dinner table. Thanks to Beomgyu and Yeonjun’s fight, Soobin and Taehyun tried to calm them down, Kai in turn made a passing comment about how Soobin finally figured out how to read the room making Soobin argue with him. Taehyun could only do so much when Beomgyu then began insulting Soobin as well.

Shutting your eyes, you press your palms against your ears in attempt to drown out the noise, but to no avail. Your patience breaks when Yeonjun begins throwing salt at Beomgyu, and in turn, adding unnecessary levels of salt to the food on the table – the same food you just spent so much time preparing.

“Oh my god!” You stand up abruptly causing your chair to fall to the ground and slam your hands on the table. “Stop fighting and sit down NOW!”

As if you had magic, all 5 guys immediately sit down in their chairs and shut up. None of them dare to move.

“If you excuse me, but I’m going to shower and then sleep in my room – alone. Wash the dishes and toss it the food because it’s too far salty to be saved.” You turn on your heel and stomp upstairs, slamming the bathroom door behind you.

You spend the rest of your night in your room, stewing in anger under the covers of your bed. The quietness in the room is a stark contrast to the kitchen.

Sighing, you pull down on your sleep mask and drift into a very unrestful sleep of constant tossing and turning.

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

After finally falling asleep once you heard birds chirping, waking up to no surprises in your bed was off putting. Usually by now either Soobin or Beomgyu would be putting half of their body weight on you after sneaking in during the night, but your outburst must have got through to them. You do feel bad, having an outburst in front of them after knowing for less than a week.

Gathering all your strength to get up, you get out of bed and begin getting ready for the day. Nothing too exciting since you just showered and changed out of your pajamas into stay-at-home clothes. It was surprising that when you walked out of your room to the bathroom to hear no loud noises from downstairs where the guys were.

When you’re done, you go back to the kitchen to see that it was spotless, and the trash was taken out. You peek into the living room to see if any of them were on the couch, but it was empty. Calling out their names as you move about the house as your nerves are growing. You hope that they didn’t run away.

As you frantically run around the house, a figure in the widow makes you pause. In the background are your roommates.

“Uh, you guys scared me why are you–?”

Stopping mid sentence at the sight of Soobin in his dog form, looking lethargic.

“Holy shit, is he sick?!”

Taehyun tells you, “We think he ate some chocolate.”

“Shit. Is there anything I can get him? Some over the counter meds to throw it up? I’ll call my friend again.”

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

After a long phone call with your friend, you have the list of medications that will have Soobin feeling better in no time. You’re browsing through the aisles of the pharmacy with your headphones on playing your favorite playlist when a tap on your shoulder pulls your attention. Turning to your left as you pause the music playing to move the headphones to your neck.

The pretty redhead smiles at you with a dazzling smile as she says your name with the sweetest tone.

“Uh, do I know you…?”

“It’s me, Maddie!”

You feel the air get sucked out of the room as the sound around you turns into tv static. This can’t be the same Madeleine that you were best friends with for the first 2 years of middle school until the first day of 8th grade she decided to stop which broke your 13-year-old heart.

It’s true that when you’re 13 – it feels like the entire universe is against you, but you’ll never forget that feeling when you jogged up to her at 7 AM all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed dressed up in new clothes and ight makeup you begged your mom to let you wear only to watch Maddie’s face turn to disgust as you waved. The malice in her voice as she made fun of your outfit and acted like the last 2 years meant nothing to her. But you change your mind a lot in middle school when you’re desperately trying to fit in.

“Oh, Maddie. I didn’t recognize you.”

She surprises you by throwing her arms around your shoulders, “You haven’t changed!”

You’re not sure if that was a compliment or a jab at your style for not changing since middle school, too stressed out over Soobin’s health to mull over it too much. You pat her back and move backwards, turning your attention back to the shelf to grab the last bottle you need, dumping it into the basket.

“It really is nice to see you again after all this time.” She tells you.

“Did you enjoy going to Academy for high school?”

She snorts, “I barely made it a month before being homeschooled! Didn’t have any friends the rest of high school. It sucked, but kinda serves me right for being so nasty to you in middle school.”

Oh, so she did reflect on how her actions have consequences.

“I have to head home, but it was… nice seeing you again.” You say with a small smile.

Maddie gasps as she grabs your free hand. “We should get lunch and catch up!”

The comment makes you freeze in place as her hazel eyes stare into your soul, trying to telepathically make you say “yes”. You love seeing the goodness in other people and people do grow up and change, but part of you wants to protect your younger self and turn her offer down.

She notices your hesitation. “Here, I’ll write my number down if you want to have lunch. No pressure!”

And with that, she twirls around and walks out of the store, leaving you to wonder if she stopped you from outside the store window or if this was all by coincidence.

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

“Guys, I’m back!” You yell into the house as you put the car keys into the bowl by the door. You hear the footsteps of the guys rushing from downstairs as you slip your indoor shoes on.

Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai form a wall around you as they throw question after question at you. It’s when you take your coat off when their faces turn from glee to grimace.

“Something reeks.” Yeonjun snaps

“Um.” You say taking full offense of his comment. Quickly ducking your head to your armpit to see if your deodorant wore off only to still smell “fresh & clean”. “Excuse you.”

Taehyun shakes his head as he takes your coat from you, holding it as far away as his arm length would allow him. “No, we smell someone else.”

“But I didn’t –.”

You remember that Maddie hugged you. The guys are probably smelling her with their hybrid senses, in fear of causing another fight like last night’s dinner, you step backwards.

“Is there anything I can do? Take a medical grade shower? Lather tomato paste like a skunk attack?”

“Don’t see other people.”

Kai hits the back of Beomgyu’s head as he complains.

“Well?” You cross your arms in an attempt to lessen the smell of others.

“There’s one thing that would help.”

“Yeonjun.” Taehyun grits out.

“What? I promise I’ll try to be understanding.”

“Could we… scent you? Like rub your wrist against our neck, it’ll transfer our scent to you and you’ll smell like us. Like our pack.”

Oh.

If you think back to your freshman year of college, you remember reading something about scenting with hybrids for your intro to humanities class. How it calms one to have all members of their pack smelling like them.

“You think I’m part of the pack?”

Without missing a beat Kai answers, “Of course you are.”

The thought of being welcomed into their pack makes your heart flutter. This is all you wanted growing up – people that wanted you.

“Well, I won’t stop you from scenting. It’s okay, guys.”

All their jaws slack as their eyes flicker to each other, still unsure if you’re agreeing. You nod once more at their hesitation and with that final confirmation, Yeonjun and Beomgyu pull you into a hug. Your eyes widen at how close up you’re seeing these eternal beings; Yeonjun’s full lips that trace over your left wrist, Beomgyu’s long lashes brushing against your right wrist, Taehyun’s nose over your left shoulder, and Kai’s blonde hair tickling your right ear as he finds your pulse point below your jaw. You tighten your fists as you try your best to maintain your composure at the slightly intimate moment.

You duck under their arms and through their legs when you see Soobin standing at the edge of the staircase, holding his stomach.

“Soobin! I have your meds!” You rush out as grab your purse that was placed on the couch, hastily grabbing the various bottles. Offering your hands out to him as your chest moves up and down.

“Thanks.” He weakly smiles as one hand goes to grab a bottle.

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

Soobin begrudgingly takes the meds you bought him and, thankfully, he’s back to his regular self within the hour.

You turn to leave the guest room to let Soobin rest more when you pause at the doorway. The first two times you woke up, you had woken up with Soobin sleeping next to you (and on top of you), so you assume that he has a habit of doing this. And you still feel bad for how dinner went.

Oh, screw it.

“Can I sleep next to you?”

Soobin sits up as he gives you a confusing look.

“I’d like to have a little sleepover. I feel bad about how dinner went and then you got sick.”

“I would like that.”

You head back to your room to grab your pillows sending Yeonjun a smile as you pass him by in the hallway. Soobin scoots over as you lay down on one side, putting the pillows in between you two. He makes no mention of it as you close your eyes.

“Good night, Soobin.”

“Good night.”

masterlist | previous | next

author’s note it’s a christmas miracle! i finally updated ti!! so this is my present to you.

missing soobin every single day. i hope tubatu are enjoying their break <3

[upside-garden-of-dreams]

In A Late Afternoon [Hybrid!Jake x Reader]

Genre: fluff

Warnings: none, just some mentions of undressing, kissing, and maybe a suggestive ending? But that ending interpretation is up to you

General info: Reader is kept gender neautral, Jake is a golden retriever dog/puppy boy, English isn't my native language excuse the typos

[More puppy Jake]

Aaaah.... I honestly didn't think this idea would extend like this Anyways, hope you enjoy! 🐶💛

Ears perked at the sould of keys fumbling with the doorknob.

A tail wagged, a nose sniffed, a heart beat faster at the prospect of what will happen next.

As soon as you opened the door to your home, allowing your bag to sling off your shoulders and pop down on the small shelf by the door, your greeting was interrupted by an excited voice:

"Jakey, I'm ho-"

"Honey! Hi, hello! Did you have a good day? I missed you!"

You were instantly hugged by your over-energetic golder retriever of a boyfriend, face nuzzling deep into your neck as he familiarized himself with your fresh scent once more.

Sure, the house was surrounded by your scent, but nothing compares to the one on your actual skin, you know? Or so he says.

Tiredness startled out of your mind, it took a couple seconds to process what excatly happened just now. Instinctively, your arms went to wrap around him in a confused hug.

"Darling, remember what I said?" You pat him lightly on the back to call for his attention.

"Oh! Yeah! Ah-ahem...Sorry, babe." He let you go, a tinge of bashfullness and shame coloring his face. His excitement bubbled down slightly by what his ears and tail showed, flattening against his head and slowing down its wag, respectively.

Jake fumbled with his hands in nervousness, eyes downturned but still taking peeks at you.

He was way too adorable for his own good. A small smile settled itself on your face as you admired the cutie in front of you.

The brunet's entire demeanor changed back to his characteristic joyful self once your hand went on to pet between his floppy ears. Jake stared at you with bright brown eyes, while an equally as bright smile shaped his lips.

Pushing the door closed, you talked again, "While I adore your hugs as a greeting, do allow me to fully come inside next time, luv." Once done with the reminder, you opened your arms expectantly.

The hybrid chuckled and dove into your arms, "Understood!"

"Hello, Jake. I'm home." You completed your greeting from before, burrying your face into his shoulder. The comforting warmth of his embrace permiated your soul, finally relaxing your tense body for today.

Jake turned to place a sweet kiss on your temple, "Welcome back, my love."

You remained in place for a while, neither of you willing to separate.

Alas, it was the puppy boy who broke the hug. Still, he kept his hands on your waist to keep you close.

"Let's get you comfortable, yes?"

Taking one of his hands and walking to you room, you agreed, "I'd love that."

Golden ears perked up once more, an excited yet shy smile coloring his lips, "Do...I get to help you?"

Turning around to answer, you could see his tail wagging slowly and picking up in speed as you talked, "Of course, silly puppy! I have tea to spill! You won't belive what Yuna said to the manager, like O-M-G my girl gives ZERO shits!"

As you talked and completed your after-work routine, Jake listened attentively. Occasionally, he would let out small hums of agreement and sounds of disbelief as he listened to the tale about your friend Yuna and her fight with that nightmare manager your team was cursed with.

His gentle hands helped remove some clothing articles, taking the time to sooth the skin with leftover marks from where your clothes hugged you a bit too tight. Your lover brought you close to his chest, circling your waist from behind, head dropping down to your shoulder to trail tender kisses all the way to your neck and jawline.

Giggles erupted from you due to his affections, hand going up to play with his hair and rub at the base of his left ear.

"Baby~" Jake whined in delight at the petting.

"Jakey~" You mimiked his tone, a breathless laugh at the end. "C´mon, put a shirt on me so we can cuddle on the couch for a while. I need my puppy to truly relax."

You could see the lightbulb atop his head from where he got an idea, "Wait here! I won't take long!"

With a sloppy kiss to your cheek, the dogboy quickly ran to his room.

In a matter of seconds, he came back with a black t-shirt in his hands, "Arms up! I have your favorite~"

Doing as told, you allowed your boyfriend to dress you up in one of his oversized shirts. It smelled just like him.

Bown eyes scanned you up and down with myrth, he loved how you looked in his clothes.

"You're so beautiful," he said, with a lovestruck look in his eyes.

Pecking his lips quickly, you answered, "And you're the cutest ever." Tugging on his hand, you led the way back into the living room.

Finally, the moment you desired most arrived: a moment to wind down and cuddle, catch up on Jake's day, and enjoy some time together.

Plopping down on the couch, you turned on the TV and let the random channel from last night play on the background.

A look thrown Jake's way sent you both into motion: the golden retriever laid down sideways on the cushions as you unfolded the light blanket hanging on the armrest. Your sweetheart gently guided you down near his chest while you flicked the soft cover over both your bodies.

You sighed happily while nuzzling into his toned chest, humming in delight at the calming atmosphere surounding you two.

Jake carded his fingers through your hair to help you destress even more, tail tumping against the sofa with every volume spike in your hums of enjoyment.

"Missed you so much, Jakey," You mumbled into his chest.

"Missed you, too, my love," He answered back.

As you looked into each other's eyes, the same idea crossed your minds. In silent agreement, you leaned towards the other and gave in to your desire...

With loving passion and delicate sweetness, you locked your lips and indulged in one another to your heart's conentent

[ END ]

Thank you for reading ~!

Feel free to like, share, reblog, and leave comments in tags or under the post (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+🩷

[manysketchbook]

Firffels: the Wuzzles Competitor That Disappeared

Recently, I found this toy at my local thrift store. I thought it was an oddly cute nativity toy, but upon closer inspection the tush tag read "FIRFFELS. I'm glad to be a SHAMEL." I did a quick search online and the first result was this page on Ghost of the Doll, a toy collector's site that archives information about 80s/90s toys and includes a forum where anyone can seek help with identifying toys. This lead me down a rabbit hole of figuring out just what Firffels were: a failed line of toys promised to be the next hot phenomenon, with minimal documentation online and a handful of toys floating around in thrift stores.

Other than Ghost of the Doll, I found info about Firffels in this 2010 blog post by Trish Babbles (written in an edgy, mean-to-be-funny style that I think is too uncharitable, but it was a different time to be online lol) and this blog post by AF Blog. My other info comes from Othello Bach's website dedicated to the book itself (her personal site is no longer functional) and from a handful of youtube videos I found of a Firffels commercial. Many thanks to these sources, without them there'd be like, nothing online about these creatures.

Firffels are based on the children's book Who ever Heard of a Fird? by Othello Bach, first edition published in 1984 by Caedmon Childrens Books (upon Googling, it appears that Caedmon is owned by HarperCollins now and focuses on audiobooks). The story follows Fird, a fish-bird hybrid, as he travels the world to find other firds. Along the way he encounters a goofy, lovable cast of other hybrid animals who have all never heard of a fird. The story ends with fird learning to love his uniqueness and find peace with being who he is. As is apparent in the Amazon link above (not sponsored, just showing my work), a used copy is $86 dollars right now. An audiobook narrated by Joel Grey (an actor that I'm unfamiliar with who is apparently known for his role in Cabaret) was also released on cassette, listed on Ebay for $75+. Luckily, there is a youtube video of someone doing a complete read through of the book, but the camera angle is poor. This is the only visual record I could find online of the interior illustrations by Michelle Dorman, other than a brief look at a few in a low quality VHS promo rip I'll get to in a minute, and the image below from an Ebay listing. There may be a few more photos in some Etsy listings that I missed.

In Trish's blog post they complain that Shamel is an ugly monstrosity and there were a few comments on Ghost of the Doll's forum of the same nature about Shamel, but I think Shamel is the cutest one! It just looks like a new breed of camel, meanwhile Fird in the background here is...he's so cartoonishly goofy. Idk how else to describe him. He's so fuckin' goofy. He'd make squeaky Spongebob-esque sound effects when he walks, I imagine.

The book was allegedly a hit and Remco bought the merchandising rights. They went all in, as is detailed in the 5 minute promotional video below. Based on a cast of 6 characters, plush toys and posable action figures hit the market with a promise that Hanna Barbera would develop an animated tv show starring Firffels, housewares would be made, there'd be a clothing line, and Design-a-Firffel contests would be held. A few housewares seem to have been made and plush toy sewing patterns were released, but I was unable to find evidence that anything else moved forward.

Absolutely fucking insane fact: according to this video, Caedmon Publishing was owned by Raytheon at the time. Thanks Raytheon for these cuddly children's toys and also, uh, horrific weapons of war?

After I bought Shamel, I went back to the store to see if there were more. There were! I found Bertle and Elephonkey, who still had the original tags. I swear the day earlier I had seen a frog toy with butterfly wings but it wasn't there anymore. I remember passing over it and thinking "eh, butterfly wings on a frog aren't cute," and did not bothering even looking at the tags. My mistake. Turns out that toy was worth a decent amount of money and was part of this whole story.

Bertle's pink belly super bright in real life, like neon. There is a sunbleached spot on it's front.

Elephonkey is the only one with original tags. I also included an image of the tush tag. For each toy the tush tag is the same but displays the character's name.

Hybrid animals are not a unique concept. Wuzzles, a line of plush toys that were animal hybrids with wings and likely made to compete with Care Bears, are brought up in most posts and forums where Firffels are mentioned--usually to disparage Firffels as being knock off, less successful Wuzzles. Wuzzles weren't exactly successful either, though they definitely lasted longer and had more reach, likely due to the backing of a Disney/Hasbro budget. AF Blog in 2015 makes a good point that I agree with: it's unlikely that Wuzzles and Firffels were ripping each other off due to production timelines. Toy lines can be in development for years before any information is made public. It takes a long time to design toys, then get them to a manufacturer, then go through the revisions process. Not to mention the time it takes to ship things out, negotiate contracts at every step of the way, etc. And, as AF Blog notes, Whoever Heard of a Fird? was released in 1984, a year before the first Wuzzles tv episode aired, and Firffels hit the market a year later.

People draw hybrid animals all the time. For example, furry adoptable artists draw hybrids all the time (take a shot every time you find a closed species that is a feline with a fish tail or deer feet or some other animal's defining trait), the Lego movie had Unikitty, and I literally went to Walmart today and in the toy section there was a miniature rabbit-like rainbow animal with wings and a unicorn horn there. The thing that makes these toys potentially appealing, in my opinion, is that they choose safe and popular traits: sparkly horns and feathery wings, for the most part. Things that are easily marketable.

The thing with Firffels is that they combined animals with traits that are less immediately appealing. Image below from Ghost of the Doll.

Some of them are cute but the others miss the mark. Personally I like Shamel and Bertle (the plush version only tbh).

Worth pointing out is that the character illustrations do not match the toy designs. If you go back and watch the commercials included in the 5 minute promo video, you can see that the Bertle plush and action figure are brown and green rather than pink and blue, and that Shamel's hair is brown instead of purple. I saw varied photos of the Butterfrog plush: some were lighter green while others were darker. Could be an issue with differing cameras, but I don't know for certain. And then there's Elephonkey, who is the most inconsistent of the bunch:

The first image is the prototype toy as it appears in the commercial. It is grey and flesh colored, with odd looking plastic hair. The second image is from Ghost of the Doll, of how the Elephonkey action figure actually appeared in stores. Third is a photo of my Elephonkey plush. Compare it with the official character art...well, he's not my favorite design in any incarnation.

I think the toys in the commercials were prototypes that were changed to brighter colors so as to appeal more towards girls. In the 30 second plush commercial there are 4 girl actors and 1 boy actor, with the camera shots getting closer to and focusing more on the girls' faces, so it would make sense. In contrast, the action figure commercial features 1 girl and 2 boys, and most of the camera shots are of the kids' hands playing with the toys, giving off a more boyish, gender-neutral vibe. Classics of gendered marketing, am I right? lol. But I think the change was a good one. I wouldn't have picked up Shamel if I hadn't seen the purple hair, and I definitely would not like Bertle if he wasn't pink. It gives the toys more of a cohesive style, a unique identity, and they fit in more alongside the Wuzzles/Care Bears visuals with the vibrant, happy colors. There's more of a toy-like quality to them, which increases the cuddle-ability and inspires more of an urge to play.

Discovering and logging all this inconsistency has been pretty fun. But it makes me think that these toys were probably doomed by a chaotic, unorganized development process behind the scenes. And given that the book was published in '84 and toys hit the market in '85...the signs seem to point to production being rushed.

To be fair to Firffels, it was probably a little harder in the 80s to hit it big with kids. You had to be lucky, you had to have connections with the right distributors, you had to anticipate what is universally appealing to children--one of the most unpredictable audiences out there--and you had to pay to air your commercials during prime child viewing hours. These are all things that are still true, but we have the internet now and the advertising power of the internet is scary. Going viral on TikTok has the potential to skibidi someone's toilet career. iPad babies are growing up into grade school kids who throw birthday parties every year and get toys as gifts. We are living in an era where mass-producing cheap little polyester plushies and plastic figures is easier than ever and corporations have massive budgets to pump into kids' eyeballs through every advertising avenue they possibly can. They don't even need to come up with the designs anymore, they can just partner with whatever Roblox game is popular right now and capitalize on that. Maybe Othello Bach should get on Roblox.

Actually, it appears that Bach was given the short end of the stick by the time Firffels were pulled. Though her personal website is no longer up, her other website dedicated entirely to Whoever Heard of a Fird? has some info:

At the height of Fird's success, with over 100 licensees cramming the store shelves with children’s merchandise and an animation contract with Hanna-Barbera, the book and all the merchandise suddenly vanished from the shelves.  Although she lost the rights to several other published children’s books at the same time, Othello has never received a reasonable explanation for what happened.

So this passage actually clears something up for me. This whole time something that hasn't really lined up is that I had assumed that Othello Bach published the book first and then was approached for merchandising rights after the book sold well. I actually think now it's possible that from the get-go the book was written with the intention for it to become a worldwide sensation. Not so much Bach's intent, though. I have some professional familiarity with licensing and other such creative publishing contracts, particularly with books. Based on what I know, I believe it's more likely that Bach pitched her manuscript to Caedmon Publishing and Caedmon, seeking to create popular IP, was like, "this has potential and we are going to sign you on not only for the book, but for more." That might be why the character designs are so strange: they were trying too hard to get famous quick and had instructed the illustrator (it is regular practice for publishers to pair authors with an illustrator and given how much was on the line for this IP, Bach might not've had much input here) to design characters that could also become toys. It's unlikely that Michelle Dorman, a kids book illustrator, had product design skills needed to make standout, awesome toy designs. Not a knock on her, illustrators just have niches within their field that they're best at it. It's why you see so many illustrators complain about how often they get approached to design logos--that's not what we do, thank you.

What's sad is that clearly Bach had signed a bad contract that gave away most of her rights as the writer to the publisher. She openly says so above. My guess is that Caedmon told her they needed more rights than usual to be able to conduct so much merchandising (like signing contracts with Remco, much easier to do when you don't have a third party also involved), and because they were pouring so much effort into it on their end. Bach is just the writer, so while the original idea is hers, Caedmon would have matched her with an illustrator and taken charge of all the licensing and merchandising. For a publisher this is a huge commitment financially and personnel-wise, so it makes sense why they would have put forth a contract that gave them so many rights. If Firffels had become as popular as they'd hoped, they don't want to not own the IP. They would have poured all those resources into it and not be able to reap all the rewards because that pesky author would own it. It's almost like contracts like these are predatory and only serve the interests of the publisher. Almost like publishers are companies existing in a capitalistic system and therefore only serve profit, not people. Almost like companies will never truly have artist's best interests at heart, and if you are ever to sign a contract with a big publisher you need to have a good lawyer by your side.

It makes me so sad to read that they didn't even give her a reasonable explanation as to why everything was cancelled. She does not even appear to have any of the merchandise on hand, as all the photos on her website are from Ghost of the Doll. In hindsight we can guess, obviously, why the cancellation happened but I'm in the moment it was probably upsetting. It's still upsetting, given that she has included this in her website for the...revamped book!

However, like Fird, Othello refused to give up. For the next 20 years, she tried to regain the rights to her work. Entertainment attorneys assured her it would never happen.  They said, "It can't be done!" But... it could be done and Othello did it, regaining the rights back to all her work.

Yeah, so, I actually think this is the saddest part about the whole thing. She managed to get some of the rights back and republished the book with...new art...that looks so fucking BAD. Image from her website:

Sorry to this illustrator, but got damn. There is no sauce to this art whatsoever. It is unseasoned, not even salt and pepper. This looks like ass and would never fucking fly with any editor worth their chops. It took me ages to figure out that the long yellow curved line is Fird's tail. Like, this is so unbelievably sad to me. I don't even really like the original art a whole lot, but compared to this...

My informed guess as to what happened is that Bach lawyered up and fought. As we know, Caedmon is now owned by HarperCollins. I can't say for certain but there was probably some case to be made that Caedmon being sold breached the contract, or nullified parts of it, or perhaps the contract expired. It could even just be that HarperCollins didn't care about an old, unprofitable IP and granted Bach her rights back. There is also Remco to consider: they also hold some of the rights, but probably just for the merchandise? Given how prominently their logo is displayed on the toy tags, they might actually own a significant share. Perhaps they were happy not to have anything to do with the book so long as the merch rights weren't touched. I don't know! There's no info about it on the site and this stuff is usually under NDA.

So Bach got her rights back, but she's just the writer. She doesn't own any of the art, so in order to republish the book she had to hire a new illustrator. She likely did not have a huge budget for it, maybe even paying for it out of her pocket because the Choice Books logo she has in several spots on the Fird website appears to be for a distribute on demand service, in place of a traditional publisher.

As the writer, she also would not have gotten the rights to use the original audiobook, so she had one re-recorded. It also appears like she does not have the rights to the name "Firffels" either, as the only places it appears on the site are in photographs of merchandise and in titles specifically referring to the work that is still owned by Caedmon. She carefully refers to her own work as "Fird" for short or the book's full title, probably because she cannot legally imply that she owns or made anything else.

I dug into this thinking it would be a quick look at some strange, forgotten toys from a bygone era. Instead I found a story about how an artist can so easily be shafted by publishers. Everything always loops back around to workers' rights, it seems. Stories like this about shitty publishing contracts (see: Webtoon if you want to get into something current) still appear so often, man. It's depressing, and indicative that the publishing industry needs some reforming ASAP. Like, Illustrators, when are we getting a proper union?

But I'm glad Bach got her rights back and got her book republished within her lifetime. I'm sad she didn't have the budgets for a better illustrator. Sorry to bring that up again, I work as an illustrator irl and I have opinions about craft, lol. Also I just think that given how hard Bach had to fight, she deserved to have better art made. That being said, here's another link to her current website. There's not much there but what is there is a monument to a battle she fought and won, and is proud of.

The lack of detailed, clear, centralized documentation of these toys frustrates me. One of the most frustrating things about the internet for me is that there are few easily accessible, publicly available archives of toys--even for modern toys. I've had to use Amazon reviews and Ebay listings and broken online stores to decipher publication years. With this in mind I decided to do a write up and provide clearer pictures of the toys that I have (I'll take hi res pics in natural lighting too someday). Archives are important to me and the internet kinda sucks for it, I say as someone who started this blog for that purpose. If Tumblr goes down, so does everything I've posted here. As an artist who works primarily digitally, one of the scariest things is knowing that I'm laboring over an ephemeral body of work. It's just not going to exist for very long unless I print it out on archival materials. Data is not the same as a physical object. My Firffels have survived for 39 years but the digital art I draw every day is unlikely to last past 10 years because websites die and files get deleted.

I bought the Firffels from my thrift store thinking I'd resell them. I'm low income so I sell many of the things I thrift. I prefer to buy the older toys or the ones that need cleaning because it makes me feel better about being a reseller (I don't want to take away options from low income kids in my area, ya know?). But I'm putting in the labor to freshen them up and I'm putting in the effort to make unavailable toys available again, at least for one person. And I don't have a whole lot of shelf space to display the toys in my collection...but for now I think I'll keep them.

[regicidal-defenestration]

One thing about China Miéville is that he loves a city

[kaikikyoufu]

HORROR ANTHOLOGY COMIC SHIKAKU: CAGED BIRD

By Osada Not

[cookinguptales]

a few times I've had anonymous asks like "you should start a patreon!" and I am always like "what would I even make one for" and those anonymous people never tell me so idk if they're interested in my meta or my tarot readings or my fiction or my essays on religion/folklore/history or what

that said I did actually make a placeholder patreon a thousand years ago before they upped their fees (because they said that anyone who made a patreon in like the next day would get grandfathered in lmao) and I just never. used it. because I was like "well, patreon is for people with talent SO."

but I have to be honest like -- with this new story I'm writing, I really love it! and I fully intend to release it for free like I do all my stories, but I find myself wanting to write all these little extra scenes and essays on historical context and artistic influences and stuff as well as just wanting to be able to give like... basic writer's commentary...

and I keep thinking "maybe this is actually a good use for the patreon? you could release a base version for free and if people are interested in extras they could go to the place where you're posting them?" and then I think "no, no one would ever pay for early access to your work or to your ramblings about how the story of the minotaur is really likely just propaganda reflecting the historical attic frustration towards (and eventual triumph over) a semi-foreign naval power they'd been paying tribute to"

and then I think NO there are plenty of people with no talent who have thriving online presences you have plenty of talent!!!! and there has to be someone who wants to learn about ancient greek sacrificial customs as couched in h/c romance.

and if no one does want that, well like. it's not like you'll be out anything for trying. you're writing it either way because you've got fucking brain worms, so you might as well experiment with a new way of posting it.

and yet I do kind of have a weird mental block when it comes to charging money for much of my work, and I don't know if that's because I spent most of my life writing fanfic or it's because I have an aversion to the life of a professional writer or if it's just garden-variety imposter syndrome!

...so idk, that's what my brain's been doing lately lmao.

[hotwraithbones]

4D/5D portraits of the alien wraith self from x( )-id</3 by Ami J. Sanghvi (Trickhouse Press ‘22) 💚👽💙

[cleverfoxpublishing-blog]

"The Evolution of Publishing: Opportunities for Modern Authors in a Digital World"

IntroductionPublishing has come a long way since the days of hand-written manuscripts and traditional print presses. Today, authors are met with unprecedented opportunities to bring their stories to life through digital platforms, hybrid models, and global distribution channels. In this blog, we’ll explore the evolving landscape of publishing and how modern authors can navigate it to achieve success.

1. The Shift from Traditional to Modern PublishingIn the past, traditional publishing was the only route for aspiring authors. It involved rigorous gatekeeping, limited creative control, and lengthy timelines. Today, authors have access to diverse models like self-publishing and hybrid publishing, which empower them to retain control over their work while reaching readers worldwide.

Key Statistics:

30% of books sold in the US are self-published.

Over 1 million new self-published books are released annually.

2. Why Self-Publishing is ThrivingSelf-publishing allows authors to bypass traditional hurdles and connect directly with their audience. Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, and others make it easier than ever to publish and distribute books.

Benefits:

Retain higher royalties (up to 70% in many cases).

Complete creative freedom over your manuscript, cover, and marketing.

Access to real-time sales data and reader feedback.

3. Hybrid Publishing: The Best of Both WorldsHybrid publishing offers a collaborative approach, where authors invest in their work while receiving professional support for editing, design, and marketing. It combines the creative control of self-publishing with the expertise of traditional publishing.

Who is it for?

Authors looking for quality services without waiting for traditional acceptance.

Writers who want professional input but value their independence.

4. Leveraging Technology in PublishingWith tools like AI and data analytics, authors can now gain deeper insights into their potential reader base and marketing strategies.

Examples of Useful Tools:

Clever Lens AI: Identifies high-demand regions and platforms for your book.

Geographical Sales Trackers: Helps authors analyze where their books are performing best.

Social Media Marketing: Platforms like Instagram, Goodreads, and Twitter provide a space to connect with readers directly.

5. Marketing Your Book in a Crowded MarketIn a world where thousands of books are published daily, effective marketing is crucial. Tips for Success:

Build an author brand through social media.

Collaborate with influencers or bloggers in your genre.

Leverage email marketing to connect with loyal readers.

6. The Future of PublishingAs technology advances, we can expect even more innovations in publishing. From AI-assisted editing tools to virtual reality book experiences, the possibilities are endless. Authors who adapt to these changes will find themselves ahead in the competitive market.

ConclusionThe publishing industry is no longer limited by traditional norms. With self-publishing, hybrid models, and advanced technology, authors have the power to shape their own success stories. The key is to stay informed, embrace innovation, and leverage the tools available to make your book stand out.

Are you ready to embark on your publishing journey? At Clever Fox Publishing, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Whether you’re a debut author or a seasoned writer, the future of publishing is bright, and it starts with you!

[witchern]

wait omg sorry, i'm still thinking about the debut author fuckup and after looking at the goodreads page i went to the website for her publisher because i'd never heard of sparks press and i'm YELLING because it's a VANITY PUBLISHER

girlie paid almost $10k to publish this thing!!! lulu dot com is free, y'all!!!

[weeeeeekly]

the inheritance – hybrid!ot5 txt x human gn!reader

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾 ・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

blurb !!! Your grandmother left behind her home to you in her will. As a recent college grad, you take on the responsibilities – you never expected to find 5 hybrids living in your new home

info !!! gender neutral pronouns for reader, no reader body shape mention, no use of y/n, non-idol au, hybrid au, strangers to lovers, ot5 txt x reader, kinda a/b/o, inspired by the monster’s bride webtoon, ppulbatu, & txt lore (please do not ask me about it bcuz I don’t know anyyyythingg)

WARNINGS !!! SFW but MDNI 18+ blog, swearing, not proofread just pure free flowing thought, wouldn’t recommend reading if you were close to your grandmother, she passed away, & are still grieving, mentions of physical abuse

wc 1.1k

author’s note !!! if you don’t like it – don’t read it!

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾 ・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

CHAPTER THREE

(warning for mention of physical abuse)

Waking up is usually a pleasant thing for you, but being in a new environment doesn’t allow your body to calm down and sleep properly. It also doesn’t help that the second you gain consciousness and feel someone touching you startling you awake.

Your right eye twitches as you realize Soobin has, yet again, thrown his leg over your legs in his sleep when he decided last night, for some reason, to sleep in your bed. Yeonjun is nowhere to be found and Beomgyu is sleeping in an uncomfortable position with most of his body laying horizontally with his legs dangling off. You push Soobin off your body while also trying to not hit Beomgyu by accident. Despite the movement, they don’t stir in their sleep. You tiptoe across the wooden floor trying to not step on any creaky floorboards. The second you reach the doorframe; you close it and walk normally downstairs.

As you reach the kitchen, you’re face to face with the shocking sight of Yeonjun – shirtless – eating the rest of the leftover pizza you were saving for lunch tomorrow. It’s not shocking that you’re seeing him shirtless, it’s the fact that his skin is covered in various scars.

You can’t help but stare at it as your heart sinks to the floor. You know that Yeonjun knows you’re behind him now since he stopped eating. With his back still turned to you, he opens his mouth.

“Is it that bad?”

You can’t get a single word out as you walk closer to him to look over his back. There’s healed scars scattered alongside the bigger scars that you couldn’t see from across the kitchen.

“I always forget they’re there.” Yeonjun lets out a sad laugh as you stand next to him and open the mini cooler box.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Yeonjun shakes his head.

“Okay.” You say as you grab coffee in a can and start to drink it. “I have a trusted friend coming over to do health exams. It’s for everyone’s wellbeing.”

When he doesn’t say anything else, you turn back to head back upstairs.

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾 ・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

You greet your best friend that had recently became a nurse.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“It’s no issue. Thanks for being my practice patient so I have my kit with me.”

Giving your bestie a forced smile as she gives you a puzzled look back. You bring her into the kitchen where your new 5 roommates sit.

“Okay, so hear me out.” You begin, “I wasn’t sure if I should call a doctor or a vet, but you were my safest option. I don’t want them to be taken away or sent back to an abusive facility and I can’t be arrested.”

“Arrested?”

“Um… what is your knowledge on… hybrids.” You mumble the last part.

“Huh?”

“Hybrids.”

“Hybrids?”

The guys take beanies you gave them off to show their ears as your friend freezes up, pulling you off to the side.

“Hey! What the fuck?”

She’s known you for a decade now and knows that you have a big heart. A heart too big for body and overtakes your judgment sometimes.

And this was one of those times.

Your friend rests her hand on your shoulder. “I know that you can’t help but be sympathetic and that your grandma would do the same thing, but you know how bad this could get.”

Nodding at her as she continues, “You’ll get put in jail and I’ll get in trouble for not reporting this.”

The weight of her words sink into your skin. “Could you forget I ever asked?”

She shakes her head.

“I’m only going to do a wellness check on them this one time.”

You hug and thank her relentlessly as the guys in the next room look at each other nervously.

🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾・・・🐾

Your leg won’t stop bouncing as you sit on your bed in your room, waiting for your friend to report back. It’s been 2 hours since she began and every negative thought is swirling in your mind. When you’re about to stand up to walk downstairs to check again, your door opens.

You immediately stand up as she looks at you with a straight face.

“So?”

“There’s a lot to say and they’ve given me consent to tell you. They’ve all spent the last year mainly in their animal form but surprisingly no lasting effects that I could see. A vet or hybrid doctor would have a better answer if you were to ever find that option. Yeonjun and Taehyun have the most signs of abuse with apparent scars on their backs. They’re all healed so this must have happened at a hybrid facility. Other than that, they’re all relatively healthy.”

Nodding your head, you follow her downstairs to the kitchen where they’re all sitting at the dinner table and chairs you brought in. Your friend bids goodbye as she heads back to her apartment. As you shut the door behind her, you sigh as the 5 guys stare back at you.

“Okay, let’s go out.”

You ignore their confused looks as you head to the closet underneath the stairs to see if the winter clothes were still there, which they were, and start picking out beanies and jackets that would fit them. It’s starting to get cold outside again so strangers wouldn’t have a second thought about it. You decide to also grab a sweater for yourself to match them.

You need to go to the grocery store anyway. This could be the perfect opportunity for them to feel more comfortable with you and to then, hopefully, talk to you. Then, you could get a better idea of their situation and what to do. Should you just keep them as your roommate or was there anything you could do that would allow them to live normally?

The grocery store was one of your favorite places. Despite the mundaneness of it, it allowed you to mindlessly walk through aisles of stuff to look at and ignore your current problems (only if your problems don’t include money). The store was empty at this time, which was a blessing for everyone.

“Can you grab a cart for me?”

Taehyun nods as Beomgyu and Kai stick close to you. You ignore the feeling of their breathing on the back of your neck as you look at the options for canned tuna.

“Does Taehyun like fish? Or am I generalizing?”

Kai answers, “He loves tuna.”

“Great!” You say as you randomly pick up 6 cans of your favorite brand.

masterlist | previous | next

authors note sorry for the late update been dealing with writer’s block

[volucerrubidus]

this guy is the inspiration for my monster au and i just wanted to post pictures of him

[amanda-n-newman-author]

What books* and/or characters* of mine are you interested in learning behind the scenes info and facts about?

*This includes my upcoming Shrouded Curses series.

I’m considering doing a video series on YouTube and/or blog posts dedicated to behind the scenes lore, worldbuilding, behind the scenes character facts/info, and behind the scenes info/facts about my books in general.

That being said, is there anyone or anything you’d want to learn more about or are curious about?

Also, if you have any specific questions or specific characters you’d like me to cover, feel free to let me know either in the comments or in DMs.