I found out (thanks to one of my authors there) that the covers are not appearing on the sites for the indie bookstores in Canada. So I am working to get that fixed.
I have several books in the manuscript stage. This is where I am dealing with Formatting, editing and making sure that all the details are right before I publish them. Which is tiring all on it’s own.
I got distracted by a new story. I was doing well writing the Sea Wytch…but I got invited to submit to an anthology Fractured Mind Publishing is Doing…and it is out of my normal genre. And I am scared to death of messing it up…but I am enjoying the writing. It is flowing, and I am trying to make it work.
If I get accepted it will be a February release. I will be sure to post more on here as it is known to me. (of course this is a Serena thing.)
I wrote another Bedtime tales book for release next year. (That is a Patricia thing..)
And the poetry has been happening.
With all of that plus the normal publishing stuff…and the housekeeping that I have to try to keep up with…I am exhausted.
Hey, your glass is empty It’s a hell of a long way home Why don’t you let me take you? It’s no good to go alone I never would have opened up But you seemed so real to me And after all the bullshit I’ve heard Refreshing not to see That I don’t have to pretend She doesn’t expect it from me So, don’t tell me I Haven’t been good to you Don’t tell me I Have never been there for you Just tell me why Nothing is good enough Hey little girl, would you like some candy? Your Momma said it’s okay The door is open, come on outside No, I can’t come out today It’s not the wind that cracked your shoulder And threw you to the ground Who’s there that makes you so afraid? You’re shaken to the bone And no, I don’t understand You deserve so much more than this So, don’t tell me why He’s never been good to you Don’t tell me why He’s never been there for you Don’t you know that why It’s simply not good enough Oh, so just let me try I will be good to you Just let me try And I will be there for you I’ll show you why You’re so much more than Good enough So, don’t tell me why He’s never been good to you Don’t tell me why He’s never been there for you Don’t you know that why It’s simply not good enough Oh, so just let me try I will be good to you Just let me try And I will be there for you I’ll show you why You’re so much more than Good enough
My 2 cents –
This was the first song that I ever heard that had defined Queer undertones. I had always had the abusive relationship, so this song hit so hard the first time I heard it. The idea that music could talk openly about all of it. (I had been sheltered music wise before I heard this one…A Lot of Country and Hard Rock. Neither really tackle queer topics or rather did back then.) Nowadays queer representation in music is everywhere…but back when I first heard this song it was such a new thing.
The purpose of this one is simple. Most likely everyone here knows I run Fae Corps Publishing and I have been doing this in the background for a while now. I plan on talking clearly about the tools I use for publishing, and the way that each one works. Demystifying what I do. Is that to say that I will be making my own self unnecessary? No, because my experience is valuable. I just feel like so much of the process is made out to be harder than it needs to be.
This week is less about my tools or what I do but a clarification of terms.
I have seen several people unsure in the new way of publishing what these terms mean. So I plan to clarify.
There is Four types of Publishers. Traditional, Hybrid, Vanity, and Self.
Traditional publishers are ones that have been around forever. They can often offer an advance and you have very little say in your book. They choose the cover and such.There is no room for Author input beyond the writing of the story.
Hybrid publishers (Like Fae Corps Publishing) are often smaller presses. They do not usually do advances on the book. There is more author input on cover design and marketing schemes. These are more Author centric. They are choosy as to whom they publish. They rarely ask for any funding upfront from the author. If they do it is to cover services such as is needed to get the book to look it’s best. Paying the editor, cover designer, illustrator and such. (Though I personally do not. I allow those services to negotiate directly with the author when they are not in house.)
Vanity publishing is the ones that expect the author to pay to have the book published. There is all upfront costs. They do nothing to help you get your book out there. I personally feel like these are a scam. Vanity presses accept everyone regardless of quality.
Self Publishing is exactly what it sounds like. You are doing everything. There is no support. This is in my honest opinion the hardest one, but you have the most control over the final product.
I will leave on the bottom of the post the upcoming calendar. I feel like that will help. As You can see this changes slightly each week. Things get adjusted because Authors are not ready or I get a book that I had promised space.
June –
14th – Hope Splashes by Patricia Harris
21st – Chasing Ghosts by Serena Mossgraves
July –
1st – The Life Collection by Ashira Datya
5th – The Lightning War: Grounding Unit by Parker LaVitte
19th – Falling Flames by Ashira Datya
August –
16th – Darkness lies heavy in the heart by Joshua Pavelsky
23rd – Beneath the Deep Wave by Andrew McDowell
September –
6th – The Fall by Mariah Lynde
20th – The Magick Saga Collection by Ashira Datya
October –
18th – My Gothic Angel by Laj & Khoury Hawkins
25th – Anthology – Nightmare Whiskers
November-
8th – Thoughtfish by Ruan Bradford Wright (2nd Edition)
15th- Would You Like Fries with That By Mariah Lynde
December –
1st – unknown by Raz T Slasher (middle grade) (*though I don’t normally have an unknown in my list of release dates… from a couple of authors I will take the chance for “kids week” and save the spot. If I don’t get the book from them I will just have an empty spot for the day. But I think that they are worth it.)
2nd – where’s my Sugar by Patricia Harris
3rd – Pip 4: Pip that is not Yours! By Patricia Harris
4th – Anthology Fae Recipes
5th – Unknown by CM Snow
6th – kids week open
7th – kids week open
8th – Hood of Sedna by Mina Skye
13th – Anthology Honesty in Verse
2025
I will get those listed closer. I feel like if I were to put them on the blog it would put too much pressure. I have “penciled” in dates for several authors for 2025 already.
Why do we grow out Of saying the most fun Things that can come to mind?
Hurry up and save the toothbrush, Avoid the trip to the planet Made of stench and stinky feet… Be made of turtles if you need to. Why did you stop talking to The monsters in the closet anyway?
Kids understand the world, The wonders that keep it alive… So though they say some of The strangest things, I think the kids see more than Anyone else does in a lifetime.
*Poet’s note. This is absolutely inspired by my friend Jenny’s Dante. She messaged me three things that he said and it reminded me of the moments when my kids were little…and I realized that kids have a magic that we tend to forget by the time adulthood comes.
Okay this is not going to be an assigned thing. I may decide to do it instead of a normal weekday post, as I am this week…or I might drop it in randomly as I feel the desire. The Fae Corps Blog Does a Saturday TBR and they are not always books that we have read, but ones that look good amongst the recommendations we get. These are all going to be ones I have read, and This will be my clear thoughts on them. Now as I sometimes sign up to be an ARC reader, I will not always have the link for you to buy the book…but I will try to post when any I do miss the link on are live.
I have always been a voracious reader. I go through a trade paperback in about 4 hours. Since I have started publishing, finding time to read seems like a bit of a luxury. Not because I don’t read now…on the contrary. I am always reading things that people send me to publish, to edit, just to get opinions on. So reading for fun just seems like something I really don’t get to do as often as I would like. I have thousands of books on my kindle. And enough paperback and hardback books that it often causes fights. (My boyfriend’s of the opinion that if I am not reading them I should donate them). I keep the ones that I am willing to re-read. That means that eventually I will pick them back up. But the last few books I have indulged in…Ones I sought out for personal pleasure that had nothing to do with publishing…I found myself taking a couple of days to read. Simply because I was enjoying them, so I would put them down and stop for a couple of hours to do other things before coming back to them. So I realized that maybe beyond the Goodreads/amazon/and the like reviews…maybe I should take the time to tell you guys about these books.
There is Sapphic romance, adventure, Talking cats and dragons. What more could you possibly want from a book. Oh yeah it has snarky humor too. Right now it is only open for pre0rder. It’s definitely worth it. This is one I will be buying and arguing with my boyfriend over. (I want a physical copy.)
I have two more books that have been devoured in the last couple of weeks, but I think it better if I leave it one book to a post. Though, as I have enjoyed all three of Finn’s books…maybe that makes this a 3 book post. I don’t know. I do know if you were to pick any of them you would not be disappointed.
34 felony counts and still allowed to be the republican nominee for president. He cannot even vote but he could be elected president?
40+ Anti trans bills – just in Missouri.
And that was just what filtered through social media.
There was more but I am trying to not bring others down to the level I am finding myself. I don’t like what humanity is becoming.
The urge to become the witch in the woods grows greater with each passing day.
So I have buried myself in books. Reading because I have been unable to write all week. Instead of Artsy fartsy thursday I think I will tell you about the three lovely books I have gotten to read recently.
[Verse 1] My entire childhood I thought I had to hide who I was I never let anybody see I finally accept now That some things never change How your image will always matter more than me I never really seem to measure up I gave my all, but it’s just never good enough[Chorus] But I’m your daughter, ain’t that enough To be someone you’re proud of? I tried my best And yet you wish that I was different And the reason why I always shut you out Was because I felt like I let you down If I continue this way I’m gonna break I’m not the one who needs to change
[Verse 2] I always used to hold back Afraid that I’d be too much ‘Cause my whole life you taught me that I was Afraid I was too wild When in fact I was just a child Who desperately wanted to be loved So I chased the love from others You never understood But did it ever cross your mind that maybe they gave me what you never could? [Chorus] ‘Cause being your daughter is not enough To be someone you’re proud of I tried my best And yet you wish that I was different And the reason why I always shut you out Was because I felt like I let you down If I continue this way I’m gonna break I’m not the one who needs to change
[Bridge] And I know my sexuality Doesn’t go well with what you believe And when I started in recovery You became my worst enemy It’s like I’m always almost good enough It’s like I always almost measure up But if I could then I would be the one that you want me to be I just don’t see why
[Chorus] Being your daughter is not enough To be someone you’re proud of I try my best And yet you wish that I was different And the reason why I always shut you out Is because I know that I’ve let you down If I continue this way I’m gonna break I’m not the one who needs to change
My 2 cents –
This is Pride month. And though my own mother barely reacted when I came out of the closet, there was so many other reasons why I felt like I had disappointed her. And this song felt so much like someone understood. This month I plan on mostly hitting on the songs that fit the queer tags, but Like usual I try to also pop the ones in that feel like they give me something to say.
The purpose of this one is simple. Most likely everyone here knows I run Fae Corps Publishing and I have been doing this in the background for a while now. I plan on talking clearly about the tools I use for publishing, and the way that each one works. Demystifying what I do. Is that to say that I will be making my own self unnecessary? No, because my experience is valuable. I just feel like so much of the process is made out to be harder than it needs to be.
Okay. Finally we are going to talk about the covers.
I do the original designs on Canva. I sometimes will adjust with art programs on my computer to get the exact look the author (or I) am aiming for. I do have the pro version of Canva. This allows me access to all of the images, and only costs me $12.95 a month. I feel like it is worth the cost as much as I use it.
Then I have the template downloaded for the 6×9 from Amazon. I make the front and back and use the templates for the front and back covers in pdf to set it up. Since I have Master Pdf Editor…I add the image, make sure it sits right…then I use the arrow tool to Select all…It will say I have 61 objects. I click on the image holding the control button until it says I have 59. Then I hit delete. that will delete everything behind the image.
I do that for both front and back covers. Then I use Barnes and Nobles to create the spine. I can download the full cover (and often do) from there and make minor adjustments as needed.
All of Fae Corps books have the logo in the Left corner of the back cover. The spine text if there is any always is in Libre Baskerville. This small continuity keeps a easy to recognize brand across our books.
If you need to find the template to download for the book you are working with…Amazon has all of them with a calculator to get the right one here…
I will leave on the bottom of the post the upcoming calendar. I feel like that will help.
June –
4th – Anthology The Owl Light Menagerie (a special venture with the owl light network)
14th – Hope Splashes by Patricia Harris
21st – Chasing Ghosts by Serena Mossgraves
July –
1st – The Life Collection by Ashira Datya
5th – The Lightning War: Grounding Unit by Parker LaVitte
19th – Falling in Flames by Ashira Datya
August –
16th – Darkness lies heavy in the heart by Joshua Pavelsky
23rd – Beneath the Deep Wave by Andrew McDowell
September –
6th – The Fall by Mariah Lynde
20th – The Magick Saga Collection by Ashira Datya
October –
18th – My Gothic Angel by Laj & Khoury Hawkins
25th – Anthology Nightmare Whiskers
November-
15th- Would You Like Fries with That By Mariah Lynde
December –
1st – unknown by Raz T Slasher (middle grade) (*though I don’t normally have an unknown in my list of release dates… from a couple of authors I will take the chance for “kids week” and save the spot. If I don’t get the book from them I will just have an empty spot for the day. But I think that they are worth it.)
2nd – where’s my Sugar by Patricia Harris
3rd – Pip 4: Pip that is not Yours! By Patricia Harris
4th – Anthology Fae Recipes
5th – Unknown by CM Snow
6th – kids week open
7th – kids week open
8th – Hood of Sedna by Mina Skye
13th – Anthology Honesty in Verse
2025
I will get those listed closer. I feel like if I were to put them on the blog it would put too much pressure. I have “penciled” in dates for several authors for 2025 already.
Pattimouse 