Names are important. They have power, they indicate things. And they’re also sometimes confusing.
A reader mentioned recently that this can be confusing (alas, yes, though more below about how I try to make that a little easier). Today, it’s time to talk about why those different names and forms of address matter.
Right now, a lot of people are (for various reasons) rethinking where they get their books. I’ve been seeing a lot of comments about it. Along with the comments, I’ve been realising how many pieces of the underlying landscape aren’t very visible to readers. This blog post is here to explain a couple of pieces of the landscape, for those who want more information to make their choices.
Here, I’m talking about indie authors (people who self-publish their own work), though some of this also applies to small presses. As I note where relevant, trad publishers (especially the huge ones) work under different rules.
We’re going to talk about the overall landscape, then different sources of ebooks, print, audio. I wrap up with what I do and what readers and authors might do about different aspects of this.
It’s my first trilogy! One romance – and substantial plot – playing out over three books. I’m so excited to share Thessaly and Vitus’s stories with you – along with everyone else in these novels.
This trilogy is about finding the difference between what you’re told to want and what you actually desire. It’s full of siblings making different choices about how to love and support their brother or sister (or in one case, not.) It’s about the patterns that families make and uphold – some much better for everyone than others. And it’s about falling in love, finding a way through the difficult times together, and coming out into the sun with hope for the future. And it’s about how the spirit of invention and experimentation brings both great delights – and new threats.
Oh, and it’s also full of Council politics, six deaths, and a wedding.
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