Too Much of a Good Thing

I’m one of those rare breed of readers that loves both male/male and male/female romance novels. Because of that, I write for both audiences. When I started out, though, I was only writing m/f stories. I had quite a few of those under my belt when I decided to try my hand at m/m romance writing. In the beginning, I threw one m/m book in each of my m/f series.

Earlier this year, inspiration struck for an entire m/m series. And when I say it struck, it hammered me over the head. In a matter of days, I had the entire five books planned out with character outlines, titles and summaries. Once I’d finished that, the main characters of the first book started talking to me. Rather than ignore them, I gave in and started writing their story. Since I’d just finished the second book in my six book m/f series, I figured I might as well give in to the m/m pull of my creative muse.

I finished the first book in my m/m series, polished it up and released that bad boy on the world. I also paid a visit to the social media groups of some of the more prolific m/m writers and pedaled my book. Thanks to their support, my book took off. For the first time ever, I made the Amazon best seller list, reviews were coming in and readers were already asking for the next book. It was exciting and humbling.

It would have been easy to give in, toss aside my m/f series and just keep writing in the m/m genre. I couldn’t do it though. Not only have I promised readers a six book series that I was only halfway through releasing, but I still wanted to write those books. I just wanted to write the other four m/m books too.

My solution?

Write both series but alternate release dates. After my first m/m series release, I went back to my m/f series and wrote and released the third book. Then I wrote and released the second m/m book. I’m currently working on the fourth book in the m/f series. The plan is to write the third m/m book when that’s done, but you know what they say about best laid plans.

Work has been slow going on the fourth m/f book. Why? The characters in the third m/m book won’t stop talking to me. They keep telling me things. I write them down because I don’t want to lose them before I’m ready to write the story. I also seem to have more readers of my m/m novels than my m/f and those m/m readers are voracious. They’re ready for that next book. I want to give it to them, but I also want to stick to that commitment I made. Not just because I do have some readers waiting for the next m/f book but also because nothing ticks me off more as a reader than an unfinished series.

When I decided to alternate releases for each series, I thought it was a good idea. I thought it would be easier to switch mental gears than it has been. I’ve learned my lesson. Writing more than one series at a time may work for other writers, but it doesn’t work for me. While I will honor the commitment I’ve made to how each book in the respective series will be released, this will be the last time I have simultaneous series in the works. Working on two series at the same time is too much for this writer.

End of an Era; With Good Reason

A few months ago, I talked about the copyright infringement issues being faced by some popular photographers. Specifically, there were authors who were using unlicensed pictures for their book covers. When the photographers reached out to the authors to inform them of the issue, the authors were combative. One even took the stance that she’d done nothing wrong because she found the picture on the internet.

Naturally, fans of these photographers, many of whom are also readers, came out of the woodwork in support of the photographers, as they should have. The result was that these authors likely lost a lot of future fans. They’re just lucky the photographers were kind enough to give them the benefit of the doubt instead of seeking legal action first.

I’m sorry to say it’s happening again. Photographer Michael Stokes is once again the victim of piracy. This time, authors on Wattpad are using his pictures as covers for their books.

For those you not familiar with it, Wattpad is an online writing community where you can publish your stories with no publishing contract and retain the rights. The idea is that you are able to grow readership. When I participated several years ago, authors published stories one chapter at a time and fans could read and vote on their stories. It’s since changed and I believe some authors can now be paid through the site.

Though I no longer publish on Wattpad, and haven’t for years, I left my stories there for readers to enjoy. For years, I contemplated closing the account but always went back to not wanting to disappoint readers. Unfortunately, Wattpad has left me no choice. 

After discovering he’d been a victim of copyright infringement once again, Stokes reached out to the Wattpad authors who felt they hadn’t done anything wrong. If it’s on the internet, it’s free right. With no luck there, it’s my understanding he asked the Wattpad administrators to intervene and his pleas were ignored. It was thanks to public backlash that one author caved and changed her cover.

Stokes should not have had to go to this extent to be heard. He had substantial proof of the violation, but no one at Wattpad seemed to care. What’s more, it’s not the first time they’ve turned an apathetic ear to these issues. According to some readers, plagiarism runs rampant on the site with no regulation, and I can tell you for a fact one of my stories published there was plagiarized on another site.

In light of this, I've closed my account. To those of you who are strictly Wattpad readers, I am sorry I’ve had to take this step, but I have to do what I feel is right. I can no longer support a company that has demonstrated it doesn’t value the work of all artists. I hope you understand, and I thank you for your years of loyal support. You helped launch my mainstream career, and I will never forget that.

What Would You Do?

The other day I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across an intriguing post in one of my reader's groups. The user said that she'd just finished reading two books by a new to her author. While she loved the books, she was disappointed with the number of typos in the book. The reader wanted to know if she should reach out to the author.

Before self-publishing became the norm, authors didn't have to worry about this. They signed a contract with a publisher and handed off their novel. The publishers had in-house proofreaders and editors who would catch any errors before the book went to print. It was rare that they missed something. When an error went to print, avid readers were filled with glee at knowing that our favorite authors were mistake making humans.

These days, most authors are independent authors. That means we're responsible for our own writing, editing, proof reading, formatting, cover design and marketing. That doesn't mean we have to do these things ourselves. We can most certainly contract the services out, but that costs money. New authors, and authors with smaller followers, can't always afford all of these services.

I'm lucky. I have a husband who's handy with Photoshop. I don't pay the cost of labor associated with cover design and promotional materials, however, I do have to pay for the photos we use. That's another expense, as is hosting my website and buying and renewing the domain name of my website.I also pay someone to format my e-books, pay someone else to proofread them and I pay someone to do online promotion.

I have nearly twenty titles out and I've only recently been able to afford a proofreader. My last two books were professionally proofread. When I was new to the game, I could not afford all of these expenses. I had to do it all. I did, and still do, my best to make sure my work was polished. Unfortunately, things get missed. No matter how good you are, your eyes sometimes see what your brain thinks should be there.

Writing is not my day job. Thanks to my most recent m/m series, I'm making more now than I have in years past, but I don't support myself with my writing. Even with my growing success, I still probably spend more on my writing than I make. As much as I'd like to, I can't afford an editor yet. I can't relieve my poor husband of his cover art duties. I have to rely on stock photos for my covers since they're more affordable.

Do writers make mistakes? Yes, we do. Do I want you to reach out to me if you find them? Yes, I do. I want to know what you found so I can fix it. My name is attached to that book, and I want it to be the best it can be. Readers' sharp eyes see things diligent writers miss. One thing though.

When you reach out to me to let me know what you found, please be kind. Keep in mind I'm not a full time writer. That I have high overhead and low profits. That I am doing my best and mistakes aren't intentional. That I want them fixed as much as you do. Most importantly, I appreciate your care and concern for my book and respect the courage it takes to tell someone a hard truth. I will appreciate your help and hope you will deliver your message gently. 

You've Been Warned

If you're a reader, you probably have a specific genre you like to read and some that you absolutely detest. I do. I love contemporary romance, but I can't stand historical romance. There are also certain things that turn me off a book that have nothing to do with the genre. For instance, I don't like when one of the main characters cheats on the other, and I'm not the only one. In fact, it's such a big deal for some readers that books often have disclaimers at the beginning to assure readers there is no cheating and the characters will get their happy ending.

That sounds like a spoiler right? I guess it is, but since cheating is a hard limit for some readers, authors have started warning them whether or not it's going to happen. And that's not the only warning authors are giving readers.

Many books these days contain reader advisories for everything from depictions of sexual assault to domestic violence. I'll admit when I first started seeing these warnings, I was put off. Most characters are keeping big secrets later revealed to the reader. Knowing what they were before I even read the first line of the book seemed like it would ruin the story for me. Then I started to give it serious thought.

We live in a time where we're more conscious of our mental health, and that's a good thing. It's something we need to foster and respect. A person who was the victim of sexual assault or domestic violence may not want to read about these subjects. What's more, she might not be in a place where it's safe for her to do so. It could trigger a setback in her recovery to be reminded of it.

Beyond that, sure a subject matter warning might be a bit of a spoiler, but I'v found it doesn't have to detract from enjoying the story. I can still have the same emotional reaction as I watch the main character navigate her trauma and learn to live in a new normal. Sure, I'm missing out on the shock of the big secret being revealed but a good enough story makes that incidental.

I applaud those authors who care enough about readers to warn them certain subjects might be upsetting. I'm also going to take a page out of their books, in the proverbial sense, and will now be letting my readers know about sensitive subjects ahead of time.

You've been warned, and I think we're all better for it. 

Shame On You

A few days ago, I'm on Facebook, scrolling through my feed, when I see a book recommendation request from a m/m reader. After watching Game of Thrones, the reader was in the mood for some twin action, as in twin brothers getting it on.

I came pretty close to doing a little self-promotion. My book, Triple Play, has a set of twins who share some sexual experiences though they never actually go full anal. I ultimately decided not to throw my hat in the consideration ring. My story is actually about a woman who pursues a relationship with both men, and some m/m readers don't want any m/f intimacy in their books.

A day or so later, I'm scrolling through my Facebook feed once again, and I see a lengthy rant from a fellow m/m author. This author stood on her soap box and went on and on about how disgusting it is for readers to enjoy twincest (yep, it's popular enough to have its own trope name) and it's no wonder the m/m romance writing community can't be taken seriously. As if it wasn't enough for her to disparage other peoples' tastes, she took a screen shot of the original reader's query to further shame her.

My first reaction after reading her post was to feel shame. I didn't feel shame for her. I was ashamed of myself for having written a book with some twincest action. For a few moments, I gave serious though to rewriting the entire book and taking out all of those scenes to make it more palatable.

That feeling was short lived. Once I got over my shame, I was outraged. First of all, how dare she try to publicly shame anyone's reading pleasure? Second, how dare she try to make other authors feel lesser for writing tropes she doesn't approve of? Third, and worst of all, who does she think she is trying to make it seem as though all m/m authors share her feelings? That bitch is giving us a bad name.

Even if I hadn't written Triple Play, I would never condone shaming someone else's tastes because they don't align with mine. If I don't like something, and you do, I'm probably not going to read the book you're recommending. And I am definitely not going to make you feel like shit by publicly shaming you. That is not cool.

I made the choice to stop following the author and to remove her and her spouse from my friends list. I also decided I will no longer buy or promote her books, no matter how much I enjoyed them in the past. Satisfied with my decision, I was ready to move on, but then something amazing happened.

I learned I wasn't alone in my outrage. You know how social media is. Things spread like wildfire there, especially if they're controversial.  It started with the moderators of the m/m book reccomendations group posting an apology to the original twincest reader and reminding all group members it was never acceptable to publicly trash another member's preferences. Many group members chimed in to offer their support to the reader who'd made the original post. Even those who didn't enjoy twincest were encouraging, taking an attitude of to each his own and you do you.

And it didn't stop there. A number of m/m authors took to their social media pages to say it's not okay to publicly shame someone's reading taste. Many removed the offending author from their groups and have pledged to no longer support her.

I am thrilled to see so many people getting behind the original reader. I'm sure this author didn't realize the shit storm she was going to stir up, but it's unfortunate. With the amount of readers she's alienated, it's likely she'll see an impact to her sales. There were countless people vowing never to buy another of her books or never to buy them at all. That's going to hurt, but I have two things to say about that.

Always think before you speak, and shame on you for trying to make others feel ashamed. That's going to be an expensive lesson to learn. 

Don't Leave Me Hanging

Last week, I read a book by a new author. It was a shifter romance with an interesting take on the cultural hierarchy, and yes, before you say it, shifter culture is a thing in fiction novels. Not the point. The point is that I was happily reading this book and being drawn into the story when the unthinkable happened.

The author ended the book with a cliffhanger, leaving me to wait for the next book to wonder what’s going to happen.  And let me tell you, I was pissed.

Now, I knew going in that the book was the first in a series. That’s fine. When I’m emotionally invested in characters and the story, I’m excited by the prospect of more books. Sure, I get impatient waiting for the next book, especially when I’m quick to devour the one before, but I understand writing takes time.

As for the cliffhanger, I had no idea it was coming. Not only was I pissed off when I realized the book was over, and we were left wondering what would happen to our beloved alpha and the mate he was so desperately hoping for, but I was also left unfulfilled. I felt like I’d been cheated.

I know what the author was doing. Creating the suspense and hoping the cliffhanger would leave readers so excited to know what was going to happen that they would be sure to come back for more. The funny thing is I’ve done this before. It’s been a long time. I’ve done it before, but I don’t do it anymore.

I would never tell another author how to write her book, unless she asked for my advice. I will say that I’ve become spoiled. Very few of the authors I read these days are using cliffhangers as a means to entice readers. Most, myself included, are writing each book in their series so that it could be read as a standalone but is more enjoyable when all preceding books are read in order.

On the rare occasions that I read books that have cliffhangers, I usually do it knowingly. Most authors are kind enough to realize readers don’t like to be left in the lurch. They typically include a disclaimer at the beginning of the book that warns readers the story ends on a cliffhanger. Some even go as far as to include the release date for the next book so readers can decide if they want to take the risk.

Believe it or not, reading a book with a cliffhanger is a risk, especially when the book is written by a new author. I can’t tell you how often writers come and go. There are quite a few with staying power but just as many who stop writing. Some not only stop writing but also seem to fall off the face of the earth, never to be heard from again. It’s disappointing when an author I like stops writing, but it’s frustrating when an author I like stops writing after leaving their last book on a cliffhanger. Then I never know what happened, and that sucks.

It sounds petty, but as a reader, I’m begging all authors. Don’t leave me hanging if you can help it. If you’re going to do it, at least warn me before I open the book. Give me the ability to make an informed decision about whether or not I want to read the book yet.

A Thief Strikes Again

In a recent post, we talked about plagiarism, the act of one author stealing from another (or several others) and passing the work off as her own. I hate to say it, but a different author has committed the crime of theft, only this one is more interesting than the last.

Every author knows writing a book is only step one in the process of releasing your book. So much more goes into it, including having a cover. Anyone will tell you that a cover can make or break a book. You can have the best-written book, but a bad cover can kill your sales.

So, what do you do when your book is written and you need a cover? There are several options.

I’ll tell you what you don’t do though. You don’t search the internet for a photo, find one you like and then use it for your cover. If you do, chances are high you are committing a crime. Like books, most photographs are copyrighted. To use a photo that has a registered copyright without permission of the photographer is copyright infringement.

And guess what folks? You can’t hide behind the ‘I didn’t know’ argument. If you’ve found a photo you like during an internet search, it’s your responsibility to track down the photographer and find out if it is available for licensing. If you don’t do that, and you use the photo anyway, you are engaging in copyright infringement. What is that old saying? Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Now, let’s say you don’t heed this advice and you use a stolen photo. If the photographer finds out, and contacts you and asks you to stop using his work, you’d better comply. If not, you are not only a terrible person you are also in violation of copyright laws.

I’m equal parts disgusted and saddened that photographer Michael Stokes was the subject of one such thief last week. Even more appalling is that when Stokes reached out to two authors he found to be using his work without permission one took him for a ride on the crazy train. The author accused him of being a liar and a racist, among other things, and refused to stop illegally using his photograph on her book cover. The author in question defended her actions by saying she paid $1.50 for the picture and would continue to use it.

I don’t know about you, but the fact that the picture only cost her $1.50 raised a huge, red flag for me. Michael Stokes, Golden Czermak and Wander Aguiar are among the most prolific photographers in the industry. There is no way any of them would sell their work at such low cost, and they shouldn’t be expected to. Even if the author did pay someone for the picture, the photographer has informed her that he wasn’t paid for its use. That should be enough to get her to stop using his work, but she continues to refuse.

As if that isn’t bad enough, she’s also taking shots at anyone who defends Stokes. Not only has she made disparaging remarks about Stokes, his colleagues and his fans, but she’s failed to keep in mind some of us stepping up to stand at Stokes’ side are readers. Readers who are so outraged and disgusted by her actions that we do not intend to purchase her books. This woman has cost herself a loss of future income in addition to the financial loss she’ll face if Stokes pursues legal action.

I’m not just a reader. I’m an author. Would I love to be able to license photos from industry titans like Stokes, Czermak and Aguiar? Sure, I would, but I’m not in a position to do so now. Does that mean I’m going to use their work anyway and then have the audacity to justify my theft? Absolutely not.

The bottom line here folks is that using a photograph for any reason without the photographer’s permission is stealing. No self-respecting author, or person, would ever to such a thing. I, for one, hope Stokes takes her to the cleaners.