#indie publishing schedule

[rozmorris]

Not a fast writer? You can still build a successful publishing strategy - guest spot at @IndieAuthorAlli

The classic advice for authors, particularly indie authors, is to pump out a lot of books fast to build a big backlist and keep your readers interested. But that pace of writing and production doesn’t suit everybody. Exhibit A, the introduction to my newsletter. For a long time, slow-burn authors in the indie world weren’t getting seen or acknowledged. Most of the guidance was geared to fast…

[wildstarpress]

In this installment, @blu-art (Akira B.) talks about how to maximize your posting efficiency while minimizing your stress. Mental health should always be your first priority!

🔗 www.wildstarpress.com/curiosityscorner/method-to-scheduling-posts

[cain-e-brookman]

WIP Highlight: THE NAME, WITCH

Current word count: 31,575

Place in series: 1 of 3

MC: Uthyr Kri’Asphodel

Supporting characters: Crucius, Sister Alma, Bran Yot’Aster

Overview: Uthyr lives a simple life in the forests of Uslaria where his largest headache is his enigmatic and taciturn neighbor, Crucius. As a witch, Uthyr walks the world in the graces of his godly ancestor, using his magic to heal minor ailments and tend the garden that is his pride and joy. When one day, a wind not of the sky shakes the forest with terror, Uthyr journeys to find support in the high witches of Uslaria only to be met with derision and mockery. With stubbornness and indignation, Uthyr sets out to get proof of the dangers looming on the horizon. But more rides on the wind than he could imagine, and as the realms unseen begin to leak into his, he must use the magic of his goddess to stop an ancient devouring force from sinking its teeth into the realms’ seams. That is, if he can put together pieces of a prophecy held hostage by the Trickster God before the same prophecy can come for him.

[derinwrites]

How can I make money writing fiction?

I'm gonna be straight with you. There is no guarantee that you'll make enough as an independent writer to make it worth your time. You very well might -- I make a liveable wage as an independent writer -- but many don't. Most writers I know also have a job. And luck plays a big part in it.

If you're interested in going forward in spite of this, you have two main options for monetisation open to you, and you are going to have to pick one. I call them the sales model and the sponsorship model, and you are going to have to pick one.

The sales model involves writing stories and selling them to readers. You can put books up on Amazon or Smashwords, sell them direct from your own website, enlist the help of a traditional publisher to handle that for you and let them decide where to sell, whatever -- the point is that your money is made from the sale of books to readers. If you go with a traditional publisher, you're using this model (though they will give you some of the money ahead of time in the form of an advance). Most indie authors also use this model, publishing through draft2digital, Ingram Spark, direct through Amazon, whatever. I've never relied on the sales model and can't give you any advice on how to do this, but Tumblr is full of indie authors who probably can.

The sponsorship model involves soliciting small amounts of money from various readers over time. This is ideal for web serials, and it's what I use. I use Patreon, which is designed specifically for this purpose, but you can use other sites such as ko-fi. This model involves providing regular content for free, with bonuses for those who support you.

"Can't I do both? Sell books and have a Patreon?" You absolutely can! I know several indie authors with a Patreon. I sell my completed books as ebooks and will eventually sell them as paperbacks. But your time and attention is limited, and so is your audience's, and you're going to have to half-arse one of these in order to have enough arse to whole-arse the other. You're going to make a lo of decisions that benefit either the sponsorship model or the sales model, not both. So pick your primary income source early and commit.

I can only advise on writing web serials and using the sponsorship model, so I'll go ahead with that assumption. If you want to make a liveable wage doing this, not only will you need luck, you'll also need patience. This is not a fast way to build a career. at the end of my first year of doing this, I had one single patron, and they were a real-life friend of mine. When I reached an income of $100/month, I threw a little party for myself, I was so happy. It had taken such a long time and was so much work. I reached enough to cover rent/mortgage after I'd been doing this for more than four years. It's a long term sort of career.

Here are some general tips for succeeding in this industry, given by me, someone with no formal training in any of this who only vaguely knows what they're talking about:

Have a consistent update schedule and STICK TO IT

The #1 indicator for stable success in this industry (aside from luck, which we're discounting because you can't do much about that) is having a consistent update schedule. Your readers need to know when the next chapter is coming out, and it should be coming out regularly. Ideally, you should have no breaks or hiatuses -- if you're in a bus crash or something, that might be unavoidable, and your readers will understand if you tell them, but if you're stopping and starting a lot for trivial reasons, they WILL abandon you. You can't get away with that shit if you're not Andrew Hussie, and I'm pretty sure Andrew Hussie doesn't message me for career advice on Tumblr. If you find you need a lot of hiatuses to write fast enough then you're updating too often; change your schedule. A regular schedule is more important than a fast one (ideally it should be both, but if you have to pick between the two, pick regular).

2. Pay attention to your readership, listen to what they want from you

Your income is based on a pretty complicated support structure when you're using the sponsorship model. this model relies on people finding your story, liking your story, and continuing to find it valuable enough to keep paying you month after month. This means that your rewards for your sponsors should be things that they value and will continue to pay for ('knowing I'm supporting an artist whose work I enjoy' counts as a thing that they value, to my great surprise; there's a lot of people giving me money just for the sake of giving me money, so I can pay my mortgage and keep writing for them without needing a second job), but it also means supporting the entire network that attracts readers and keeps them having the best time they can with your story -- being part of a rewarding community. Because this is advice on making money, I'm going to roughly divide your readership into groups based on how they affect your bottom line:

sponsors. People giving you money directly. The importance of keeping this group happy should be obvious.

administration and community helpers -- discord moderators, IT people, guys who set up fan wikis, whoever's handling your mailing list if you have a mailing list. You can do this stuff yourself, or you can hire someone to do it, but if you're incredibly lucky and people enjoy being a part of your reader community, people will sometimes volunteer to do the work for free. If you are lucky enough to get such people, respect them. They are doing you a massive favour, and they're not doing it for you, but to maintain a place that they value, and you have to respect both of those things. My discord has just shy of 1,300 members and is moderated by volunteers. I'd peel my own face off if I had to moderate a community that large. If you've got people stepping up to do work for you, you need to respect them and you need to make sure that they continue to find that rewarding by doing what you can to make sure that the community they're maintaining is rewarding. Sometimes this means taking actions and sometimes this means staying the fuck out of the way. Depending on the circumstances.

fan artists. Once you have people drawing your characters, writing fanfic of your stories, whatever, treat these like fucking gold. Give them a space to do this, and more importantly, give them a space to do this without you in it. Fanworks are a symptom of engagement with your work, which is massively important. They are also a component of a healthy community, an avenue for readers to talk to each other and express themselves creatively to each other. Third, fanworks act as a bridge for new readers. When readers share their art on, say, Tumblr, it can intrigue new people and get them into the story. Your job in all of this is to give them the space to work, encourage them as required or invited (I reblog most TTOU fanart that I'm tagged in on Tumblr, for instance), and other than that, stay the fuck out of their way. These people are vital to the liveblood of your community, the continued engagement of your audience, and the interest of your sponsors. Some of the fan artists will be sponsors themselves; some won't be. Those who aren't sponsors are still massively valuable for their art.

speculators, conversers, theorists, livebloggers, and That Guy Who's Just Really Jazzed For The Next Chapter. Some people don't make art but just like to chat about your story. These people are a bedrock of the community that's supporting your sponsors and increasing your readership, and therefore are critical to your income stream. Give them a place to talk. Be nice to them when they talk to you. Sometimes, they'll ask you questions about the story, which you can choose to answer or not, however you feel is appropriate. They'll also want to chat about non-story-related stuff with each other, so make sure they have a place to do that, too.

that guy who never talks to you or comments on anything but linked your story to ten guys in his office who all read it now. Some of your supporters are completely invisible to you. You can't do anything for these people except continue to release the story and have a forum they can silently lurk on if they want to. But, y'know, they exist.

If you want to focus on income then these are, roughly, the groups of people that you will need to listen to and accommodate for. You can generally just make sure they have space to do their thing, and if they want anything else, they'll tell you (yes, guys, paperbacks will be coming eventually). Many people will fit into multiple groups -- I have some sponsors that are in every single one of these groups except the last. Some will only be in one group. A healthy income rests on a healthy community which rests on accommodating these needs.

3. If you can manage it, try to make your story good.

It's also helpful for your story to be good. Economically, this is far less important than you'd think -- there are some people out there writing utter garbage and making a living doing it. Garbage by what standards? By whatever your standards are. Just think of the absolute laziest, emptiest, hackiest waste-of-bandwidth story you can imagine -- some guy is half-arsing that exact story and making three times what you'll ever make on Patreon doing it. And honestly? Good for him. If he's making that much then his readers are enjoying it, and that's what matters. Still, one critical component of making money as a writer is writing something that people actually want to read. And you can't trick them with web serials, because they don't pay in advance -- if they're bored, they'll just stop. So you have to make it worth their time, money and attention, and the simplest way to do that is to write a good story.

This hardly seems mentioning, since you were presumably planning to do that anyway. It's basic respect for your audience to give them something worth their time. Besides, if we're not interested in improving our craft and striving for our best, what are we even writing for? I'm sure I don't need to tell you to try to write a good story. The reason I list this is in fact the opposite -- don't let "I'm not a good enough writer" paralyse you. The world is full of someday-writers who endlessly fuss over and revise a single story because it's not good enough, it's not perfect, they're not Terry Pratchett yet. Neither was Terry Pratchett when his first books were published. If you're waiting to be good enough, you won't start. I didn't think Curse Words was good enough when I started releasing it -- I still don't. I started putting it out because I knew it was the only way I'd get myself to actually finish something. I don't think it's all that great, but you know what? An awful lot of people read it and really enjoyed it. And if I hadn't released it, I'd have been doing those people a disservice.

Also, it taught me a lot, and based on what I learned, Time to Orbit: Unknown is much better. If I'd never released Curse Words, if I hadn't seen how people read it and reacted to it and seen what worked and what didn't, then Time to Orbit: Unknown wouldn't be very good. And it certainly wouldn't be making me a living wage, because it was the years writing Curse Words that started building the momentum I have today.

And Time to Orbit: Unknown as it is today has some serious problems. Problems that I'm learning from. And the next book will be a lot better.

So that's basically my advice for making money in this industry. Be patient, be lucky, be consistent. Value your community; it's your lifeline, even the parts of it that don't directly pay you. And try to make your story as good as you can, but make that an activity you do, not a barrier to prevent you from starting.

Good luck.

[duckprintspress]

Author Applications for “Scholarly Pursuits” are Now Open!

Duck Prints Press is overjoyed to announce that now, July 15 2024, through July 27th, author applications are now open for our 11th anthology, Scholarly Pursuits: A Queer Anthology of Cozy Academia Stories!

Are you a fanfiction author? Have you been wanting to break into publishing your original fiction?

If the answer to both these questions is “yes,” then this may be the perfect opportunity for you! Duck Prints Press (the spiffy indie press founded by fandom author unforth to publish the original work of fancreators) is looking for up to 20 authors – ten who’ve worked with us before, ten who never have – to write all-new, original stories, 4,000 to 6,000 words long, for a minimum pay of $60 per story! What will these stories be about? In short, cozy academia. In slightly-less-short, we want to read your pitches for stories about queer people pursuing knowledge and the places where they are pursuing that knowledge, all with a fluffy, cozy academia. Think “the opposite of dark academia.” What exactly that means, well, we’re open to your imaginative interpretations!

Every pitch must include:

Setting: Academia

People: Queer folks

Genre: Speculative fiction

Relationships: Any or none

Happy ending required!

Curious how to apply? If you are over the age of 18 and have posted at least 3 completed fanfiction works totaling a minimum of 10,000 words, then you are qualified to apply, and you should follow these links to learn all the deets – how to apply, what to submit, how long pitches should be, and more!

Rules and Guidelines

FAQ

Schedule

The application period ends when the last timezone in the world hits 11:59 p.m. on July 27th, so make sure to get your applications in before then.

READY TO APPLY? Authors who’ve never worked with us before, use this form!

Are you a returning author – one who has written with us before? Use this form!

Feel free to drop us an e-mail at info@duckprintspress.com, send an ask to our Tumblr inbox, or join our public Discord and drop a question in our mod shout chat.

[wutheringmights]

After I finished reading The Epic of Gilgamesh today, I entered a fugue state where I sat down and read the entirety of Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.

On the record, I have had a lifelong love and adoration for Pierce's Tortall books. I first read the Song of the Lioness quartet when I was 11, and they rewrote my brain. I love them so much. I reread them and the other Tortall books on a semi-frequent schedule.

It's been a while since I reread any of the Alanna books, if only because my sister took our shared copies when she moved out. I've been meaning to buy my own set for a long while now but haven't been able to justify the purchase. The other week, I just so happened to find the first two volumes at my local indie bookstore. I bought them immediately, as well as ordered the third and fourth book. (And discovered that the store owner knows me by name-- when I went to pick up my order, she saw me and said, Hi Frankie! I got your books over here.) (I may be spending too much money there.)

So I have been in a bit of an emotional rut these past few weeks. Work sucks. Life stinks. The temptation to run off to Tortall and curl up in the fantasy story that captivated me as a kid has never been stronger.

Ergo, I ran off to read the first book as soon as I could.

If you're looking for any critique of this book, series, or Tortall in general, I will never give it. Sure, it's problematic and dated, and in many ways imperfect, but someone else can list out all of its issues. They're all perfect to me.

Anyway, the book. I should say something about this book in particular.

One thing I appreciate about Pierce's writing is how she handles school settings in fantasy. Learning and training is so mundane. All of her heroines have to work hard and put in extra hours of study in order to improve, much less keep up with their peers. It's so normal that it circles around to being weirdly refreshing.

Also, there is still no other fantasy author who handles period talk and birth control the way Pierce does. We make fun of the trope of fantasy birth control nowadays, but I rarely see it presented as it is here: as a part of normal puberty lessons and given long before sex is in the girl's radar. And even today with the glut of YA fantasy stories out there, I still have yet to see menstruation be portrayed as frequently or as bluntly as Pierce writes it.

There was a period of time publishers really tried to push the Tortall books as straight YA, which doesn't work for that reason alone. You gotta market them to middle schoolers. They're the ones just starting puberty talks, and getting scenes like this is so good for their brains.

Moving on: I fucking love these characters. Alanna was an icon of brash, temperamental heroines that have shaped my taste to this day. I love how even in the first book, Jon is kinda shitty. I adore George Cooper. Talk about a taste maker the way this man sets a standard.

I just can't be coherent when it comes to any Tortall books. I have no thoughts. Head empty. I am going to binge the rest of this series as quickly as I can before my library book comes in. Then normal book content will resume.

Before I go, I need to talk about the book covers.

Growing up, my sister and I had these covers:

Which, god. I love them. The black is striking. The art is incredible. Alanna looks so good. They were the perfect pocket-size too. I was going to buy the same edition for my copies, but instead I got the 40th anniversary reprints:

Not bad at all! These books have had some seriously bad covers, and these look great! Very anime, which will appeal to the 11 year olds who need to have their socks rocked by this series.

But, man. I really miss those black covers. One day I will splurge and buy a second set of them just so that I can stare at the art.

[spiderforestcomics]

Make a webcomic? Want to join our lineup? SpiderForest is open for membership applications through June 30! Visit our Apply page when you're ready to send yours in, or read on for some highlights about what we offer, things to keep in mind, and how our application process works!

🌈 1. We're a community, not a publisher.

If you're looking for a fast road to fame and fortune, sorry, that's not us!

If you're looking for a community of like-minded creators who care about the same things - especially the craft of comics; doing our best to be positive, supportive peers and human beings; and making cool/fun stuff together - that's what you'll find here.

It's not just about the comics! We aim to nurture a community with good vibes. So think about how you'd be a community member in your application!

In your application, remember to tell us what you yourself would bring, and how you envision participation with our members, not just the features of your comic. More tips in our FAQ!

🔥 2. This isn't a one-shot game.

Don't despair if you don't get in on the first try. We've got members who didn't get in till application 2, 3 or even more.

Everyone's journey is different. The ability to take and apply constructive critique and to demonstrate improvement over time is also something we've all experienced - and admire.

Make sure you're ready! Returning applicants MUST visit our Hub's Critique Section to ask for critique before February 1.

✨ 3. We want to help you make the best kind of comic that you want to make.

Whether or not you get in, we're always here to provide actionable critique and feedback to help you improve. We have public spaces where we share and learn together!

Remember, we're a collective of your peers, not some kind of ultimate comics judge. If you don't agree with our feedback, if you don't get into our collective, it's not the end of the world. Sometimes it just means it's not a fit with what SpiderForest members are looking for. There's a whole world out there for all kinds of comics! The most important thing is that you keep doing what you care about.

Our Discord server and Hub forum are open to all webcomic creators, regardless of membership. Come in and show us what you're up to!

❤️ 4. We're not looking for perfection or comic-making machines.

We care about making good comics and delivering work, but we're all indie creators.

We have guidelines and recommendations around things like update schedules to try to make sure people don't just disappear, but we understand everyone has lives and unique circumstances and we take lots of things into consideration.

We're all in the same marathon! Take a look at our application requirements to see if you're a good fit for our group.

🥳 5. We're honestly pretty laid-back.

We're basically a bunch of comic-making pals hanging out and learning from each other.

Everyone's mileage varies, and you don't have to participate in every activity - but the more you do, the more you'll get out of SpiderForest!

Our project list is always rotating! Keep an eye on our News section or subscribe to our newsletter to see what we're up to this month!

Want to become a member? Head on over to our Application Page!

[vampiretendencies]

request; OMG HI! I saw that you followed me back so i wanted to drop in and share some love here💕💕 I think you already know but i really, really love your content!! I also saw that you have Valentines blurbs open, i find the combo of "listening to music together while they both take the day to clean around the house (maybe even getting a little distracted to dance instead)" and “come here, hold my hand.” “you’re washing the dishes.” “..i can do both…” extremely cute :) so if you feel inspired that could be an idea for mr. Maybank himself! :) but absolutely no pressure!! In the end i'm here to read anything you'll decide to publish, keep up the marvelous work!!

warnings; fluff, strongly suggest you listen to the song added for a better reading experience as it’s the one use in the blurb and i adore it, characters are older here

pairing; jj maybank x reader

authors note; happy valentine’s day ! ofc i followed you, you seem so sweet and i have noticed and i appreciate that <3 thank you for requesting, please feel free to still sent a combination for a blurb ! i’ll still be doing them even if sent after v day.

list of prompts in honor of valentine’s day

A bomb went off.

In your’s and JJ’s shared apartment, that is.

The bedroom and bathroom were seemingly tidy compared to the rest of the home, leaving the kitchen and living room.

JJ has this horrid habit of leaving every pair of shoes he wears kicked off by the entry door.

JJ has another distasteful habit of leaving crushed beer cans to rot after he’s finished with them.

But the two of you have created a habit together.

Sounds just ‘lovey-dovey’ doesn’t it ?

Not the way the monstrous sink is staring at JJ, and JJ is staring at it.

You’ve both been initiating a nasty, nasty habit of throwing a dish in the sink. Wether it be early in the morning when you’d both be in a rush to get to work— having a bowl of cereal, throw it in the sink, and go. Or right after dinner, the pair would be so sleep-ridden and obsessively touching eachother so much, that they couldn’t muster an attention span for dishes.

Only an attention span for eachother.

But now, it’s caused a clutter-fest that’s not attainable enough for you to live in. So, all day yesterday you’d sent JJ texts that today would be cleaning day, and that from now on there will always be one. Though JJ was secretly rolling his eyes toward his phone that day, he was certain he’d make the most out of his only off day, with you.

He thought he’d have grow ill any moment if the both of your schedules didn’t line up soon enough.

Nevertheless, he’s at the sink humming and covering his hands in soapy suds.

All while stealing glances at you.

You were sweeping about the hard wood floors of the living room— the beer cans have a pile of there own. A playlist of yours streaming with gleam from the smart tv.

JJ hummed because he knew every song word for word— not by choice, you’d played those same songs numerous times and he tagged along.

You’ve had his eardrums delighted by the new discoveries of indie and alternative that you introduced him to.

Now it’s all he can listen to.

“Babyyy …”

JJ cooed, hoping you’d give into his antics just this once.

Your nature was so pure, too pure to refuse.

Entirety of your frame swaying as you swept, and he noted every detail. The flyaways of your tresses sticking every which way— cleaning tended to take it out of you. Delicate skin untouched— but begging to be. Lips jutted out in concentration, with a jaw that’s sleek and admirable. Leggings that intimately delved in all the right places

You peered at him, wifebeater giving way for exposure of his chest. Locks perched on either side of his temple, red cap backwards with the smallest pout beginning to form

“What, J?”

“C’mere.”

He forwarded a come here motion, placing a plate on the drying mat— a pile high, thankfully he’d be nearing a finish soon. You tilt your head in disbelief, he’d promised to get the cleaning done; no fucking around.

But instead …

“Wash the dishes, JJ.”

“Haven’t touched you in like … 2 hours.”

JJ mumbled beneath his breath but loud enough for you to hear. His gesture wasn’t for only his own pleasure, he wanted to subside your thought that this ‘has to get done today’.

“45 minutes.”

You corrected, whilst a shit eating grin is plastered on JJ’s face.

“Come here, hold my hand.”

“You’re washing the dishes.”

“.. I can do both, you know I’m a multitasker, baby,” He proposed. “Like when I do that thing with my mouth that you like while caressing your sweet, sweet face-“

“Alright, alright!”

JJ would take things to great length, just to be within a fingertips touch.

You saunter over to him, with a ‘you got me’ expression. The steaming water running, with a coffee mug and a bowl left, He takes your much smaller hand inside of his, squeezing it with intricate and fragile like tendencies— thinking that with any wrong move he’d break you.

It was cool against the granite countertop, but with the overwhelming warmth of JJ’s hand it subsided.

Fondess with one hold.

“Shit, shit, shit …”

JJ struggled to keep the coffee mug afloat— hold a bit tighter on you hand. Soap suds making their way to the counter, a two minute task elongated due to his unwillingness to to leave you untouched.

“Thought you were a multitasker, baby?” You giggle into his muscular arm.

“Only when it comes to you.”

Even if my heart stops beating

You're the only thing I need, ooh, with me

The first words of that song, not just any song in particular begun to play. Silence struck between the two, the captivating lyrics to Pretty Boy by The Neighbourhood. The extra slip in your heart beat that it gave, the captivation, the love-struck sensation that the melody gave you and JJ.

“J, it’s our song!”

“Our song, pretty girl.”

Even if the Earth starts shaking

You're the only thing worth taking, ooh, with me

JJ agreed, both sets of eyes in awe of the others— seeming like it was the first time.

In instinct, he turned off the hot water. Lying firm hands directly to your waste, whilst you looped yours lazily around his neck, foreheads gravitating towards the others whilst you both swayed endlessly.

Even if the sky's on fire

Got you here, it's alright, ooh, with me

And if it's all over

I'm taking this moment, ooh, with me

Yeah

In the middle of the kitchen floor, shared tight-lipped smiles.

JJ mouthed the words to you, relying on every one of them to say what went unsaid in that Godforsaken moment.

It ached— his insides ached in the best way possible.

A connection.

So sacred, it couldn’t be touched.

Pretty boy, you did this with me, boy

Now it's all about to end

Baby girl, look where we made it, girl

Hmm, now we're falling

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 26

Hello, and we have got to the end of the massive arc that culminated the last four chapters.

I also wrote this part before 24 and 25 because I couldn't figure out how to write Eddie having a hard time on tour, but the aftermath flowed from my fingers.

Also as a reminder this story is finished, I'm just posting on a regular schedule. This story is the longest fanfic I've ever written. Topping out at 58165 it's definitely longer than 50K fic I wrote for NaNoWriMo last year (Sandman, never finished or published.)

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6 Pt 7 Pt 8 Pt 9 Pt 10 Pt 11 Pt 12 Pt 13 Pt 14 Pt 15 Pt 16 Pt 17 Pt 18 Pt 19 Pt 20 Pt 21 Meta Pt 22 Pt 23 Pt 24 Pt 25

****

“You’ve been sitting on that sofa for an entire week,” Wayne growled. “Steve has called three times, your bandmates at least a dozen times each. Hell, boy Miranda has been calling concerned. So want to tell me what’s fucking got you so twisted?”

“I was given a choice out there on the road,” Eddie said, twisting his rings around his fingers. “Stay in Indy and play small time gigs for the rest of my adult life or go to LA and get an album and the chance at super stardom.”

Wayne sat down next him. “Sounds like a big decision to make.”

Eddie leapt to his feet. “That’s the problem. That’s what makes me so angry how fucking easy the choice is.”

Wayne cocked his head to the side. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate again, boy. Start talking.”

Eddie started pacing back and forth. “As much as I loved playing for so many people, I didn’t like that I could only connect with a handful of them and not even the good kind.” He rubbed his chin angrily. “I didn’t like how tired we all were. It was set up, sound check, play, break down and move on to the next fucking town. And that wasn’t including all the parties, interviews, and all that other shit.”

“That does sound exhausting, Ed.”

“I didn’t like how easy it was for them to tell me to drop Gareth as drummer just because he had trouble adjusting to the increased volume. The price of fame they said. Like it was so simple to throw away almost two decades of friendship for the sake of adoring crowds and hearing our music on the radio.”

“Oh, darlin’,” Wayne said softly. “They didn’t...”

“Oh they absolutely did,” Eddie raged. “I didn’t like how they thought that because me and Steve’s relationship was new that I would be able to find someone better. Someone who liked metal, someone who would be down for the ride.”

Wayne furrowed his brow. “That doesn’t sound like good advice.”

Eddie grabbed his hair pulled at it frustration. “The last straw was when they offered to let their tattooist to finish my back tattoo, because while my artist was good, theirs was better.”

He stopped abruptly and turned to face Wayne. “I picked Steve to do my tattoo on my back because he was the only one I trusted to make it meaningful. To understand the symbolism of making something of yourself when everyone is rooting against you. I made the decision before I fell in love with him and now that we’re a couple– and for them to just dismiss him like that? It made me so angry.”

“So what’s the problem? What’s got you so twisted around the bend?”

Eddie took a deep breath and let it out slow. “I’m fucking furious because I always thought that when fame and fortune came knocking I would throw open that door and march right through it. But now? Given the choice? I’m slamming the door in its face and walking away.”

Hot tears ran down his face. “And I don’t know why.”

He dropped to his knees and began to sob.

Wayne stood up and put his arms around his nephew’s shoulders, gently pulling him to his chest.

“Did that band you were traveling with say that?” he whispered into Eddie’s curls. “Because if they did, I swear to god I will burn every record and CD you have of theirs. Don’t think I won’t. I’ll delete them off your phone too.”

Eddie chuckled weakly. “No, no. They were kind. It was everyone else we met. Agents, managers, roadies, groupies, the people around Metallica every day.”

Wayne nodded.

“I was just constantly bombarded with hateful messages and the constant running at one hundred percent...” he whimpered. “I don’t want to do it.”

“Have you told your band that?” Wayne asked.

Eddie shook his head. “I don’t dare to. I was the one that was gung ho about the touring and everything. How do I tell them I don’t want to leave the comfort of Indianapolis and home?”

“Kinda like that,” Jeff said from the doorway. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against the frame. Peaking around him was Miranda with a concerned look on her face.

Eddie scrambled to his feet and wrapped his arms around his waist. “I’m sorry I’ve been a brat.”

Jeff took three giant steps forward and hugged him fiercely. “You’re not being a brat. You’re scared and trying to figure it all out on your own, but you don’t have to, okay? We’ve all been worried sick about you. But Steve especially. I’ll call all the boys down for a chat and you call Steve, okay?”

Eddie nodded.

He dialed the number he knew by heart.

“Baby?” he asked, unsure of the reaction he was going to get. He deserved to be yelled at. Cursed at. Broken up with. He’d hurt Steve the most with this little temper tantrum he’d been having.

“Eds?” Steve breathed. “Sunshine, are you okay? Wayne said you hadn’t been eating well or sleeping much. Say the word and I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

Eddie’s lip began to quiver and tears spilled out of his eyes. “I need you. More than anything.”

“I’m on my way,” Steve said fiercely.

Eddie looked over at Jeff.

“Tell Steve Brian will swing by and pick him up.”

Eddie nodded and relayed the message back to Steve.

“I’ll be at my apartment,” Steve said. “I’ll have Robin arrange my schedule, don’t you worry about thing, baby.”

“Mm’k.”

“I love you, Eds.”

Eddie closed his eyes and breathed in the warmth of that simple phrase. “Love you, too, pretty boy. Come quick.”

“I promise.”

*

Steve piled into Brian’s car. It was the newest, having bought it right before they got picked up by Metallica. He had finally saved up enough money to replace his beater.

Gareth and Gethin in the backseat. Gethin had come up to Indy to watch his twin’s apartment while he was gone and just ended up staying. He was currently looking for a job so that he could move in with Gareth full time.

At least that what they said on the trip down. The twins and Brian were intent on filling the air with talk and Steve let them. He let them fill him in on the tour and everything that had been going on since they’d left.

Steve couldn’t be for certain, but it sounded like that touring hadn’t been fun for anyone. Even after a week of rest, he could still make out the circles under their eyes and how hunched over they were with just sheer exhaustion.

A feeling Steve felt all too well.

Gethin was pressed against his twin’s side and was rubbing his neck soothingly.

Steve looked at Brian.

His face was set, hard and unflinching. He was going to make the drive to Hawkins as fast as he could and still avoid the cops.

Steve was grateful Brian was driving because he didn’t think he would have made the distinction to avoid breaking the law. He would have gunned it and flipped off any cop that tried to catch him.

After awhile, Steve was getting the oddest feeling that Brian was used to speeding down this stretch of highway because there were points where he would slow down for a few miles and then speed right back up.

Soon enough they were pulling up to Wayne’s trailer and piling out the car.

*

Eddie sat on the sofa with Jeff and Miranda on either side of him, just hugging him.

Wayne was busying himself in the kitchen, getting ready to feed the hoard that was about to descend on his home.

The door opened up and Brian, Gareth, and Gethin all stumbled through the entryway. Eddie was on his feet in an instant, Jeff and Miranda not far behind.

And then the trio at the door parted and there stood Steve. Looking just as tired and worn as Eddie felt.

“Stevie?” Eddie asked, taking a step toward him uncertainly.

Steve threw open his arms and Eddie ran straight into them. They wrapped their arms around each other and just sobbed.

“I’m here, Eds,” Steve murmured into Eddie’s neck. “I’m here. I love you so much.”

Eddie lifted his head and kissed him hard. “I love you, too. I regret leaving you behind, sweetheart. It nearly killed me. Every song I wrote was about you. About missing you. I don’t even want to leave you ever again, I can’t.”

The silence that followed that statement was deafening.

Steve led Eddie back over to couch and sat them both down. “Tell us everything, babe.”

And so Eddie did. He told them everything. Everything he had told Wayne, everything that had been weighing on his mind since they started touring. It all just came out in a flood.

They all listened patiently.

“Why didn’t you tell us you felt like that while we were on the road?” Gareth asked. “I knew what they were saying about me, but I also knew you guys wouldn’t drop me. If you had me about that I would have been able to reassure you that I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

Eddie flushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t know how to bring it up, it was so vile, man.”

Jeff gave his hand a squeeze. “Well, I think that you did a bang up job telling us now and that’s what really matters.”

“Someone offered to ship me out to LA and record an album,” Eddie finally admitted. “Not the band, just me. I told him that I wouldn’t go without you guys and he laughed in my face. Told me to cut the dead weight and be a star.” He dragged his hands over his face.

“But there were other offers. Good ones. Ones that included the band, well most of it, anyway. Always under the proviso that Gareth be replaced either on tour or all together. They didn’t want to make any accommodations for him even though there is a drummer with one god damn arm!”

“So the options are,” Brian said, “stay in Indy doing what we’ve been doing, only better because of the money we got for doing this tour. Go to LA without Gareth. Go to LA with Gareth but only as a studio musician and take some person we don’t know on tour with us. Does that sound about right?”

Just then Gareth’s phone went off. He looked at it with a frown. It wasn’t a number recognized so he let it go to voicemail. He pulled it up after the notification popped up.

He listened to message with wide eyes. “Hey guys, I think we have another option.” And he played the message so everyone could hear.

“Hey, Mr Hughes,” the tinny voice said through the speaker. “This is Murray Bauman, I’m music producer, we spoke in Las Vegas. I think I have the perfect deal for you boys. You were telling me that touring was really hard on you and that if there was an option you wouldn’t do that. I know you weren’t speaking for all your band, but I could tell that they would do anything for you, all four of you being such good friends.

“So the reason for this call is that I own a small music company in Bloomington and boy do I have a deal for you all. You would make a record through us, we would sell and distribute the record, keeping a portion of the sales, of course. But you wouldn’t have to tour. You have a steady gig as I understand it. If your fans want to see you play, they’ll know where to find you.

“But give me a call, we’ll hash out the details. My phone number is 555-555-2080...” and then message beeped, signaling the end of the voicemail.

Eddie looked down at the phone and then back up at Gareth. “Oh.”

Gareth grinned. “We don’t even have to take his offer, but I vote we listen to it. Brian can bring Cecil.”

Brian nodded. “He’s only got a semester left of law school, but I’ll have him brush up on his contract law to be on the safe side.”

Jeff raised his hand. “All in favor of hearing Mr Bauman out raise your hand?”

Eddie, Brian, and Gareth’s hands shot up.

“Sounds good,” Jeff said. “You call him back and set it up and if it doesn’t work out we can vote again.”

Brian shook his head. “Nah. I think if it doesn’t work, we stick to Nightmare Holes. We took a swing at it and if it’s a miss then we tried. I thought I wanted the touring and everything that came with stardom, but like Eddie I learned I wanted the romanticized version of it. I’ll be happy playing in front of our friends for the rest of our lives.”

The rest of the band nodded.

Soon everyone getting up to go back to Indy, but Steve stayed behind, he would go back up with Eddie in the morning. They had things to discuss that went deeper then the band.

****

Part 27 Part 28 Epilogue

I told you I would fix it.

Also a little BTS, the reason in my head for why things went wrong on tour but immediately righted itself when Eddie and Steve met up again? Steve still has Eddie's lucky pick. ;)

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@bookworm0690 @chaosgremlinmunson @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @emly03 @aizawa-emma @yikes-a-bee @redfreckledwolf @thesuninyaface @bookbinderbitch @archermightbegay @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @hallucinatedjosten @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @bestwifehaver @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @oldwitcheshat @nightmareglitter @tinyplanet95 @novelnovella @jonesn4coffee @slowandsteddie @awkwardgravity1 @steaddie-on

[ettawritesnstudies]

Big Announcements in Today's Post!

If you want to support my writing and publishing process, or you appreciate my blog and the work I do to support indie authors, becoming a member is an easy and consistent way to contribute! Plus, there's cool rewards for all the tiers - more details in the blog itself or on my Kofi. If you can't become a member at this moment, the shop is still up!

I also have an affiliate bookshop.org link now! I chose to partner with them over Amazon because we all hate Amazon and their stranglehold monopoly over the publishing industry, but they also contribute their profits to local and independent bookstores. If you buy a book through my affiliate link, I also get a portion of the sales. If you see one of my reviews or interviews and the book looks interesting, consider buying it through this link!

If you’re still reading this far, thank you 💛 I know the self-promotion and shilling of wares is super annoying in this day and age of constant advertisement with so many people and brands vying for your attention. Even if you have nothing to contribute financially, I appreciate each and every person who visits this blog. No matter how insane my life is about to become in the next year, I intend to keep putting out consistent, quality, free posts that build up the indie author community and connect with fellow bibliophiles. These are just ways to let me keep doing what I love doing, hopefully with a little less stress about my publishing budget/schedule.

I also want to give a special thank you to my wonderful fiance, Eric, who encourages me to keep doing this. We're getting married in June and weddings are also very expensive, but he's the one who told me to go ahead with my publishing plans, even when I considered pushing it off another year. Because of him, Runaways will be coming to you all in October 2025, and so many exciting things beyond that. I have a ton of other projects in the works as well and I can’t wait to make them a reality.

[jselorekeeper]

Jacksepticeye Ego's Explained (1/2)

Welcome my dear viewers to this explanation of the egos and their stories, this is for all theorists new and old who want to relearn or learn more about the egos! To get lost in Jack's world of storytelling.

Let us start with the people behind the making of the ego lore!

Part Two's Link here!

First and most obvious is Jacksepticeye, he plays and makes up the egos through a series of videos, comic books, games, and podcasts to come! (Note the game and podcasts have not come out yet)

Secondly will be TurquoiseMagpie, they are a freelance artist whom Jack reached out to a while ago to help story plan the egos, they tend to tease little hints of lore when we approach new videos including all of the egos.

Third would be Jacksepticeye's editors, which includes Alice (BitofAlice) who has recently retired from working for Jack! Alice Robin started editing for Jack around 2016 and was the first person to help bring egos to life! She spent endless hours editing every single ego to the best of her ability which helped create this world that is not like any other.

Then Trey (Tr8ss) who is a new editor within the group, he has helped bring projects such as IRIS to life! Trey typically edits most of Jack’s stuff now from ego lore to everyday videos when he is given the chance!

We also have Diceroll who is a common editor for Jack who tends to appear at random, he has helped tease the egos a few times alongside just being part of the ride!

Hyper RPG is a company that helps creators create interactive livestreams, virtual production, etc. The company had a part in the production and creation of IRIS and the IRIS interactive live stream.

BadEgg Publishing is a company that helps bring the ideas of comic books to life, recently it has been revealed that BadEgg had a part in the production of the comic books “Void Silver” and “The Somewhat Incredible Jackieboy Man!” or better known as the “ALTRVERSE”

Kyle Horwood is an Indie game developer who has created games such as “Security Booth” which is a game that Jack decided to play one day and absolutely fell in love with. Jack since then has reached out to Kyle about developing an IRIS-themed video game! The game is still a work in progress and has no release date!

The Magic Circle is a UK-based company that surrounds itself based on the idea of magic and show business, The company has been mentioned within the description of Marvin’s lore within the comic books! 

Arin Hanson, or better known as “egoraptor” and one of the faces of Game Grumps! Arin plays as Dr. Hanson (Fanon name) in IRIS, he accepted Jack’s request to be part of the universe and quickly made a bit of time in his schedule to help out!

Now we have some of the artists and editors of the ALTRverse comics!

First is Suzi Blake who is one of the artists for ALTRverse, she has teased a few photos here and there about Marvin’s story and the scenes she is working on!

Secondly is Laurz Drawz who is a comic book artist and illustrator, they created the cover for Marvin’s comic “Void Silver #1” and has expressed their gratitude to work with the team and bring something beautiful to the community!

Thirdly is Skylar Patridge, she is a comic book artist, illustrator, and sometimes writer for the comics she works on! They helped create the cover for Jackieboy’s comic “The Somewhat Incredible Jackieboy Man #1” and had a bit of help from the next artist!

Next is Megan Huang, they are a comic book artist who had part in the cover for Jackieboy’s comic “The Somewhat Incredible Jackieboy Man #1” as they created the background for it! 

Lastly is Michele Abounader, she is the publishing associate of Badegg, editor, and writer for comic books! She helped bring light to some of the artist who has taken part in ALTRverse!

Now onto the Directors, Writers and Color Artist!

First is Robert Meyers who is the Director of Publishing within Badegg, he has met with Jack multiple times and helped decide which egos should get comic books! He has had a hand in both stories but mainly Void Silver!

Secondly is Alejandro Arbona who is a writer and editor for the series, he is the writer for Void Silver so he makes sure everything makes sense and flows well!

Third is Andrew Dalhouse who is another artist within the series who does the coloring, he is one of the many artist working on Void Silver, he helped with the little preview we saw of young Marvin and his cat!

Fourth is Robert Meyers who is the Director of Bad Egg Publishing! He has stated he helped work on both Void Silver and Jackie's comic books, but ultimately he has more of a hand in Void Silver.

Five is Philip Sevy who is one of the artist of Jackie's second book! They admitted they enjoyed creating the art and is more than willing to come back in the future to draw again.

[midnightlie]

I feel like I might’ve sent this ask before, but I’m not sure so I’m gonna send again cause I’m genuinely curious (if I did and this turns out to be spam, I’m really sorry). How’s your book writing going? I always enjoy how projects are going from creators I like. I remember you saying a long time ago that the book has been through some major revisions, which makes sense since you came up with the concept when you were younger, but I was wondering what stage your at, if your still at the idea stage or a few drafts in. Also, is this going to be indie published when/if it gets to a stage you like?

hi!!!! my book is going very slowly—i want to change everything about it, but it actually makes me excited!!! im working a lot lately so i havent had much time to write but id like to try to incorporate it back into my daily schedule!

ill probably self publish yea cuz trad publishing seems like a lot of work and so exhausting. ill be relying on yall to read and get the word out so i want to write a book thats really really good!!!!!! im gonna do my best!!!

[ramonag-if]

idk how to word this but your realease schedule is very…..fair? to people that have patreon and who don’t have it. I’ve seen some authors doing like, patreon 10/4 and public build 06/05 and doing the public build SO FAR, wich i PERSONALLY don’t think is ok but yea.

I know this differs from author to author and it is a marketing strategy to make money because authors HAVE to make money to live somehow but still my opinion!

thank you<3

I'm glad you think it's fair 😊 I tried my best to make sure that players were getting the game around the same time and a week isn't too long of a wait for the public release. I love my Patrons because they're supporting me monetarily but I know that not everyone can afford to support an author or game development so this is a happy middle-ground for everyone.

I also enjoy the feedback from the public because it's always so vastly different and vocal 😅 I'm lucky that I have a full-time job so Patreon isn't my main income but for some, I know that extra income really helps pay the bills so while it seems a little unfair, authors do need to make some dough in order to focus so much energy and time into a passion project that doesn't pay the bills on its own. As an indie game dev, you really don't have any funds to get proper game assets or to publish the game without support from players through Patreon etc unless you're going to pay for it out of your own pocket, which is unaffordable for most.

[indolamine]

hey y'all 🤍 here's a link for INFO on jiyeon, but i'll include some bullet points here with all you need to know. in case anything here sparks ideas for your muse and you'd like to work on a plot, hmu. i do prefer dscrd, so don't hesitate to ask. oh and i'd appreciate it if you could shoot me a dm first so my account doesn't get banned trying to touch base with the likes (say literally anything, hit me with a send it to me rachel if you'd be so kind). still, if you'd rather just hit like it's fine, i'll reach out once tumblr allows me!

jiyeon is what you'd call an Interesting Girl. someone you don't call or arrange schedules with, just happen upon. someone who never calls you but can be your best friend between 11pm and 3am. a fun girl, you just don't look too long.

both her parents are dead for all intents and purposes, which's proven to be a very character defining event in her life. one of her fathers passed away before she was even code, and the other chose to virtually die to work as a doctor for terrascape when she turned 18.

as single beneficiary to both her fathers, jiyeon found herself young, alone and newly rich. she's not particularly self destructive, but choices were made. luckily? for the most part, she was too stunned by grief and anger to blow away her fortune, which now affords her a cushy life she doesn't dwell too hard on.

she's emotionally stunted, still reliving the loss of her parents somewhere in her mind at every moment. she knows a lot of people, calls them friends but struggles to connect with them, blinking in and out of their lives. death is a constant thought, not quite a morbid fascination but more of a haunting. she knows, poor little rich girl.

she writes -- tries to, anyway. she's got some essays published, wrote for a column for a hot minute, it's her definitive trade of choice. but, and not to get too meta, the thing about writing is that you do have to write. that's the tricky part. merits were a good incentive, though once they're no longer an issue, she finds herself ignoring deadlines and putting off work on the novel she's been writing for the past 4 years. she instead "gathers experiences". she has many talents that she has no interest in seriously exploring, so she entertains herself while the high lasts.

between her writing and her party girl fame, at some point along the way she amassed a following on social media that she hesitates to cut loose. they make her more interesting than she, merely human, could ever hope to be, and she doesn't know how to kill the part of her that answers to their call. it's a lie when she says she doesn't look at what they say.

adult life for her breezes by in parties with half-friends and long bouts of reclusion. she wants to be a little of everything. she enjoys reading, skiing, playing silly little meta indie games about living in hyper realities. she doesn't commit to romantic relationships, yet enjoys the hunt anyway. she takes her time, and it never seems to align with anyone else's.

& here's a rolling list of canons that could also serve as potential connections for anyone interested, will add more as they come to me:

she once got involved with a couple for some brief months and it didn't end well

one of the few things she gets competitive about is skiing

she's fucked someone's significant other purely out of spite

she has a writing group whose meetings she misses often but she isn't the only one so she feels like it's a safe space

the person she plays a random weird rpg with incognito is maybe the most consistent relationship in her life, their chats can get very personal and strange and they can go weeks on no contact but go right back to where they left off

the events surrounding gyuok pique her interest because it's the first time terra residents could potentially be hearing from a virtually deceased and because he's essentially a virtual ghost which she thinks is neat

one of her published essays focuses on a celebrity she knows personally and doesn't portray them in the best light, which soured their relationship

[marvelousmop]

Out Now - Book of the Snowstorm!

I'm published again, it's a miracle!

Amazon Link (for ebook and physical copy -https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR1FYNQW?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520)

Payhip Link (alternative link for ebook - https://payhip.com/b/OIkPi)

Lots more about the book below:

The Book of the Snowstorm is just an amazing anthology with a lot of passion put into it from all the writers, so many of whom I've gladly written with in the past, and quite a few new voices who I'm sure will make lovely additions to this community that's been built up over the years. This book is like a portal to many, many areas of indie sci-fi/fantasy publishing, some of which from Arcbeatle Press, some of which leading elsewhere, and many of it somehow connecting to Doctor Who. Fortunately, despite this level of interconnectedness, this book works as an introduction to all these characters and concepts (and not all the stories feature pre-existing concepts).

Also, I wrote something! Jenny Over-There's Wonderful Life, featuring my favorite underdescribed grouch* - this story actually started off as a throwaway joke in a different holiday special that I'm still working on (it features at least three ghosts if you want a hint), but then the call for pitches came along and I sporadically decided to turn it into a full story. It almost definitely threw off my schedule, but it was worth it!

In short, please go buy this book! As an ebook, it's only $3 (which is very cheap considering there are at least 800 pages worth of writing in this thing), and again it's the debut of many new writers!