Duck Prints Press

A collaboratively written post by multiple members of Duck Prints Press. The input of every individual author has been used and lightly edited with permission and credited in the way they’ve requested.

Two days ago, a member of Duck Prints Press posed the following questions to our blogging team:

Whether you publish under a pen name or your given name, what factored into your decision to use one or the other?

Was personal safety the primary reason behind deciding to use a pen name, or were there other reasons? 

If you use your given name, do you feel safe? 

What's your advice for [creators] who are thinking about publishing original [work]? 

A number of us replied, and we all felt that the compiled responses would make a good post to share, as “whether or not to use a pen name” is a recurring question we often get in-server, and is likely one many of y’all out there thinking of publishing your original work have pondered as well. 

Do you publish under a pen name or use your given name, and what factors influenced your decision to use one or the other?

@arialerendeair: I publish under a pseudonym and always will! I decided to go with names that riff off my fanfic name (Aria Lerendeair) - Aria L. Deair (for non-erotica) and Aria D. Leren (for erotica) because I’ve built a community and wanted it to be a bit of an in-joke when they find/buy my content. If someone were to find the story organically - they might get the name reference, they might not. It’s a fun way to create not-separation between the names and have one for the different genres! 

B. T. Fish: I (try to) stay anonymous aside from necessary contracts because of personal safety as regards certain family members. I honestly don't worry about strangers knowing who I am, but if I am aiming for anonymity I have to commit.

Annabeth Lynch: I use a pen name, but I plan on taking at least the first name as my legal name when possible. I won't share that or my pen name with my family because 1) they don't know I write, and I'm not content to share that with them at all, and 2) I don't want them to know I'm queer. They likely wouldn't be hellish about it but I would certainly be mocked. Also, now I live in the south and while I live in a liberal section because of the nearby colleges, the place I want to move after my husband's schooling is ~liberal~ in a vague way but definitely not as good as where I am now. It's one reason why I'm hesitant to try and get my books in bookstores that might want in-person events.

Dei Walker: I went with a pen name for the erotica I wrote for DPP (and I'll keep with that), but the first name holds a link with my real name in some ways. My husband's a teacher at a fairly prestigious private school, and there's a degree of "yeah my wife writes smut" that's okay with colleagues but isn't okay if the parents find out about it if they use search engines to learn more about me.

Willa Blythe: I chose to use a pen name. One, my real name is kind of weirdly spelled and I don't actually even use my first name because it is a very popular name from the 80s that my parents left a letter out of... I go by my middle name but I spell it differently than what's on my birth certificate, and I've gone by this name since I was 18. Everyone in my life knows me as (NAME) save my family, and they know I go by that. It's not a nickname, it's my name, and that's fine. 

Anonymous: I decided to use a pen name for two reasons: 1) my name is incomprehensible to English speakers - not only is it hard to pronounce, but it also uses special characters; 2) I'm a primary teacher in a small town where gossip goes wild (for example, when I decided to go part-time so I have more time for writing it was going around that I was pregnant ) so I don't want anyone to find out that I'm queer and write queer romance. There are idiots out there who wouldn't want me to teach their kids because of that. I eventually came up with a pen name that is a word play on my legal name so it still feels like me, and the people I want to know would recognize it as me but strangers are unlikely to make the connection.

Nina Waters ( @unforth ): I publish under a pen name because people always mispronounce my last name and my understanding is that it's better to make a pen name people can pronounce. Back when I was still considering trad pub, I was planning to use multiple pen names so I could write across genres. Nina Waters was gonna be spec fic and romance, but I love historical drama type stuff too and like. Those sell better with a male name on them? So I was gonna use either C. P. Houck (so, my actual initials and last name) or Charles (or maybe Chuck) P. Houck, since Charles is a family name (my uncle, my grandfather, and my great grandfather on my dad's side are all Charles's). That all said, when I decided to go the small Press creation route instead, there was basically no way to keep my real name out of things since as the owner I have to put it on all official paperwork, which means it's filed with the government and a matter of public record. Since anyone could access it, there didn't seem to be much point in keeping it a secret/separate. 

Was personal safety the primary reason behind deciding to use a pen name? What other reasons influenced your decisions?

(some authors included their answers to this in their replies above)

Nina Waters: Not really, though I did originally concoct the Nina Waters name for a really silly version of personal safety? I was writing a thing based on my unrequited feelings for someone and I obviously couldn't put that under my real name without risking them figuring it out, so I needed a pen name. I never did finish that project lmao and now I would never bother but the pen name stuck. 

arialerendeair: Part of [why I use a pen name] is because I was doxxed (and received threats) from a non-writing community almost a decade ago. I’m not afraid of attaching my real name to my works - I’m proud of them! But with the very real possibility of that happening again at some point in the future, I didn’t want to risk it!

Willa Blythe: There was an additional reason that using a pen name was important to me, though. When I wrote fan fiction, I was the victim of a targeted hate campaign aimed at people who wrote fanfiction about a certain character. I wrote fic that I loved and I stayed in my corner, but I got aggressive and hateful messages constantly about not only myself but also my young son, for the crime of choosing to write about a young man of color instead of the overwhelmingly popular white m/m ship in that fandom. It was alarming, especially when people I didn't know sent me messages about my workplace and my movements there. Prior to that, I'd been pretty open online. I'm not now. I take doxxing very seriously. My son's safety, but also my own and my roommate's, are of huge importance. I write about things people don't love: complicated queer relationships, critiques of capitalism and white supremacy, critiques of religion and spiritual practices, etc. I have to do what is necessary to create distance between my real life, my fandom life, and my writing life. That said... I've done more to separate my fandom and writing identities than my real and writing identities, for a variety of reasons. It's complicated, but as much as I love fandom, it does breed a certain kind of entitlement that my personal friends and family just don't have.

If you use your given name, do you feel safe?

@owlishintergalactic: My wife and I had a huge conversation about the implications of me writing under my wallet name. I am quite politically involved in the Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education sectors in my county and state. This is a sector where being openly LGBTQ can cause problems with a particular subset of parents and voters. Yet, we don't believe we should have to hide who we are and that we are LGBTQ - like many other parents in our state. We decided, in the end, that since I don't write anything more racy than "mature," it makes sense to build my platform using my real name. My writing is a part of me. It is a part of my advocacy. It's my profession. But it is a risk, and it's mitigated some because I live in one of the most open and inclusive communities in the US. For the most part, though, I do almost all of my online work under a variation of Owlish because it creates a layer of protection between me and the internet masses who don't always have the best intentions.

Nina Waters: I. uh. Mostly? I definitely worry about it. I've been thinking about getting a P. O. Box for the business so I at least don't have to use my real address all the time too. I worry that if someone took offense to the kind of work I do, they could go after my children, and that scares the crap out of me. In retrospect I wish I’d worked a little harder to keep my identities separate, but they were already mostly merged by the time I had kids and I’d have had to completely restart with new screen names and everything, so it felt like it was already too late by the time the business became public.

What’s your advice for [creators] who are thinking about publishing original [work]?

Nina Waters: The advice I give to people in the Press is if they're even a LITTLE unsure, they should use a pen name. At any time when they decide they're comfortable they can always switch to using their real name, but once the genie's out of the bottle there's no putting it back.

arialerendeair: There are a great many reasons to choose to use a pseud! For your own personal reasons, for reasons involving your spouse, your family, your activism work, because the internet is a scary place sometimes and many grew up in the web safety diligence era. If you are picking up a pseud for any reason at all - great! They can be fun, they can be punny, (is it a coincidence that D is the middle initial for my pseud that I write erotica under? Nope!) and they can be a chance to reinvent yourself for an audience that doesn’t know you yet. There’s a power in being able to shape a persona - and sometimes it’s fun to grab that and see where it leads!

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Do you - yes, you, the person reading this! - use a pen name for publishing your art, fiction, or other types of creations? Have you kept your fandom, creation, and meatspace selves separate? We’d love to hear your answers to the above questions, so feel free to reblog and weigh in!

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Have a question? Feel free to drop us an ask any time!

a guest post by CarCrash.

Each year, as the weather starts warming up, I get hit with nostalgia for childhood summers and those long, hot, lazy days spent doing almost nothing besides reading as much as I wanted. Some of the books I read were for school assignments or chosen randomly from the bookcase at home, but most were picked up at my local library, which was close enough to walk to if I had nothing else to do (which I usually didn’t).

The library ran a summer challenge every year for any kid whowanted to participate: for each book read, you got another stamp on your game card, collecting small prizes along the way and a larger one at the end. It was fun and motivating and it was a nice way to keep track of what I was reading.

A lot of libraries still offer summer reading challenges, for kids and adults, and I thought it would be fun to make one of our own in the form of a bingo card! The squares are meant to be as accommodating as possible of different reading preferences while still encouraging you to get out of your comfort zone and read something new.

Have fun and happy reading!

you can also join this bingo as a challenge on Storygraph!

list in text behind the read more

if anyone happens to want one my username is Windikir. its still being approved but hope wont take too long

progress shots below

This is the first in a series of posts about the Three-Act structure, written by guest blogger Annabeth Lynch. The second post in the series, about mystery novels, is here.

Writing a book can be daunting. Ernest Hemingway gave my favorite description of being an author: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” It’s a big project that takes a lot of determination, especially if your goal is to write to meet a fast-paced challenge like NaNoWriMo. It’s beneficial to have a game plan to help you move along, even if you're a pantser like me. 

An understanding of the three-act novel structure can really help with basic planning. This structure breaks a story up into three primary sections: the beginning, middle, and end. Usually, the first act is called the Setup, the second act is the Confrontation, and the third and final act is the Resolution. The Setup is the first 25% of the story, the Confrontation is the middle 25%-75%, and the Resolution is the last quarter, 75%-100%. Across all genres, most stories follow this structure, which makes it a great plan to follow, but there are a lot of details that just knowing the names and approximate lengths of the acts doesn’t cover. Especially, the common landmarks that mark the transitions between the acts are often different between genres. In this article - the first in a series discussing how to apply the three-act novel structure to different genres - we’ll go over the more in-depth structure of a romance novel (which are usually approximately 90,000 words long). For simplicity's sake, this will be written as if the romance only involves two parties (e.g., isn’t poly and/or harem and/or reverse harem) and that the development and advancement of the relationship is the main plot.

Act 1: The Setup

This act lays the groundwork for the novel. It should, of course, start with your story hook - the situation or goal that will draw your readers into the story. Then, proceed with your world and character building. We should see your character(s) in their normal life, get a baseline of how the world works if the story includes fantasy or science fiction elements, and see their routine.

By the 12% mark (approximately 10,800 words into a 90,000-word novel), the main couple should have had their meet-cute (or meet-ugly) and reacted accordingly. This can result in them deciding to pursue the relationship or rejecting it, whichever your story calls for. This should directly cause them to accept or reject the call, e.g. wanting or not wanting the relationship.

20% into the book (approximately 18,000 words in) is typically the latest a main character should be introduced. Any character who is important to the plot should be actively involved in the story by this point. They need time to work their magic too!

The 25% mark - the end of the Setup act (approximately 22,500 words in) - is when the first plot point is introduced. This is where the couple is essentially “stuck” together. One or more major events that change their lives will, by this point, also cause them (often force them, if they’re antagonistic initially) to need to spend more time together, furthering both the “main” arc of the plot and their romance/relationship. The reason they are spending time together will serve as an important element for the second act, so it will need to be a consistent reason to meet up.

Act 2: The Confrontation

This is the meat of the story. Over the following 45,000 words (roughly half of the entire story by length) is when the romantic tension builds. The couple spends increasing amounts of time together, growing closer and building mutual trust. Doubts about each other and/or the relationship and/or the problem introduced at the end of the Setup and will lead to the final conflict should also grow in proportion.

Around 37% of the way through (approximately 33,300 words in) is the first “pinch point” of the story. This is where there should be a scene that builds intimacy. It could be something physical and discrete, such as a first kiss, or something more interpersonal, such as a demonstration of the increasing trust between the characters. Whatever occurs, it changes the way the prospective romantic partners see each other and takes them deeper into the relationship. This is an important plot point and shouldn’t be overlooked.

50% (approximately 45,000 words in) is the story’s midpoint. Congratulate yourself on making it this far! Now is the time to up the stakes. This is usually accomplished by bringing the characters to a false high or false low. A false high makes it look like the couple are on their way to a “happily ever after,” whereas a false low threatens that the characters may never end up together. Regardless, the result is that your characters do some introspection or get advice that causes them to decide what they really want in terms of the relationship, and how that does and will influence the daily life we got a glimpse of during the Setup.

At 62% (approximately 55,800 words in) the second pinch point comes into play. Events at the second pinch point more often are driven by internal forces/feelings/reflection - a look into the mind of the main characters as they struggle with the circumstances around their relationship. They have to overcome their own preconceptions to earn their love story. If you choose a false high, the other shoe should drop and separate them. Whenever things give them pause, though, the characters’ issues should resolve by them finding their way back to each other.

The end of act two, the Confrontation, comes at the 75% mark (approximately 67,500 words in) with the second major plot development. This will be a point when the stakes reach an all-time high. All the simmering conflict should boil over, and the worst possible thing(s) happens. This is often a breakup, where it looks like the couple will never end up together. Trust is broken and their differences appear unfixable due to one or both of them rejecting their true feelings.

Act 3: The Resolution

During this act is when all the questions that have been raised throughout the book are answered, and the couple comes together again. I like to call this act the “triple C’s”, the Crisis, the Climax, and the Conclusion.

The crisis comes at about the 87% mark (approximately 78,300 words in). Your characters work through their feelings and decide if the relationship is worth the effort (this is a romance novel: they’ll decide that it is). They’ll face their own flaws and learn a life lesson, which will usually also give them the answer to their current non-relationship problems.

There’s a quick turnaround between the crisis and the climax, which should come at about 90% into the book (approximately 81,000 words in). Often, this involves a grand gesture by one member of the pairing toward the other, but that isn’t required. Either way, this is the point in the story when one of them admits their love for the other. Readers will be on the edge of their seats, waiting to see if they get back together.

By the ending, the characters have decided to be together and the readers want the “happily ever after” or “happy for now” ending. Conclusions often include a snapshot of their future, a hint of how they’re doing together, and how they’ve put in the work to achieve their dreams (both in terms of the relationship and any external goals introduced earlier in the book). This can sometimes be an epilogue as well.

And you’re done! That’s the whole book!

Books for Sale!!

Scattered Showers: Hardcover, signed, like new, color illustrations $5

Ander & Santi Were Here: Hardcover, signed, like new $3

Cemetery Boys: Hardcover, signed, like new $3

Self-Made Boys: Hardcover, signed, like new $3

Beating Heart Baby: Hardcover, signed, like new $3

Icebreaker: Hardcover, signed, like new $3

A Marvellous Light: Hardcover, signed, like new $5

Ocean's Echo: Hardcover, like new $5

Covenant Vol 1: Paperback, like new $3

Nostalgia corner-

Tea Dragon Series by K. O'Neill (NZ author)

The Adventure Zone Series by Clint, Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

Lumberjanes series

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Science Fiction enthusiast-

Space Battle Lunchtime Series by Natalie Riess

Nimona by ND Stevenson

Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer

M Is for Monster by Talia Dutton

Walking the Path by G. Willow Wilson

Historic setting-

Delilah Dirk by Tony Cliff

The Princess and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Brownstone by Samuel Teer

Flung Out of Space by Grace Ellis

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha

Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter By Cecile Brun

Dan in Green Gables by Rex Ogle

Spell book-

Mamo by Sas Milledge

Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

Beetle & the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

Witchboy series by Lee Knox Ostertag

Left in the Fridge-

Norroway by Cat Seaton

Sparrowhawk by Delilah S Dawson

Strong Female Protagonist by Brennan Lee Mulligan

Himawari House by Harmony Becker

"Tutorial" on how to "draw" a blind OC.

My kofi

Boring tired disclaimer: Keep in mind that this is an introductory "drawing" "tutorial" and has some generalizations in it, so not every “X is Z” statement will be true for Actual People. Which happens to be true for everything in general. Links below so that you can research and do a nuance. Ones that were directly mentioned are bolded.

Today's Canfurence bound beast is this little white duck. I think we can all do with a reminder of clear days and calm water.

In case you haven't heard, July is Disability Pride Month. Here is a collection of queer books with disabled characters and/or authors.

Parts: (1930s–1940s) · (1950s) · (1960s) · (1970s)

As a result of an effervescent period of rapid social change that had occurred shortly before, the 1970s witnessed the process of consolidating gay identity reach its full maturity. At the heart of this broad social phenomenon was the pursuit of rights by a minority group, as well as the growing sense of community among people who shared not only a corresponding sexuality but also similar cultural experiences. It was a time when members of the gay community sought to build and solidify their connection with one another on an unprecedented scale, and literature played a fundamental role in this process.

The growing demand and public interest in literary content on the subject have resulted not only in the rise of gay literature as a recognized genre but also in the proliferation of gay characters to such an extent that it sometimes becomes difficult to determine whether or not a book can be classified as a "gay novel." And, unlike the popular tragic archetype of past decades, many of these contemporary characters are also portrayed as sexually active beings. This new freedom has also obviously led to a variety of dated and/or straight-up negative characterizations of homosexuals, as homophobic writers have also felt more comfortable addressing the subject openly.

For better or for worse, in this post-Stonewall scenario, homosexuality became a matter that everyone could talk about, and the homosexual person became a somewhat defined, visible, and permanent figure in the social fabric of American society.

The New York Times best seller list was also affected by changes: in September 1977, it was expanded to a ranking of 15 positions, a configuration that remains unchanged to this day. 1977 was also the year in which the paperback best seller list, which emerged in 1965 in a rather rudimentary form, finally consolidated into a stable ranking, reflecting the growing importance of this segment of the literary market.

This is the final installment in a series that has attempted to trace the rise and trends of gay literature. It also serves as a way to demystify some misconceptions: it is often reported, for example, that Patricia Nell Warren's The Front Runner (1974) was the first contemporary gay novel to make the best seller list — not only are there much older titles that can claim this feat, but also this particular novel never appeared on the list (not even in the paperback one)!

ace books: sex-neutral/indifferent & sex-favourable aces

I usually only note this down if it's explicitly stated in the book or marketing, so this is generally in that context - there are quite a few books around that are vaguer about it because of fantasy contexts or unsure-yet-to-explore-in-safe-relationship contexts. This is also mostly excluding explicitly demi/grey characters unless it's actually discussed rather than assumed favourable by default. Also - I have only started taking more detailed notes in recent years so there's definitely some I've forgotten! I also know there can be quite a difference between neutral/indifferent and favourable but - aforementioned vagueness, it's not always clear.

sex-repulsed/averse post here

The Meister of Decimen City - sex neutral ace woman MC

Cage of Starlight - sex-neutral ace man MC (1/2)

A Milky Way Home - 1 sex-neutral ace MC, 1 sex-favourable (uses the term 'sex-positive') demi-aroace MC

Thaw - sex neutral bi ace woman MC (1/2)

The Murder Next Door - sex neutral ace woman MC (1/2)

Lays of the Hearth-Fire - high fantasy series, grey-aroace coded MC who's probably sex neutral/indifferent

Kaikeyi - historical fantasy, aroace likely sex-neutral MC

Her Own Happiness - probably sex neutral (though jokes about leaning repulsed at one point) ace man MC (1/2)

Dom & Mor - slice of life romance webtoon, grey-ace sex neutral MC

The End Crowns All - YA historical fantasy, sex-favourable ace lesbian MC (1/2)

Two Dark Moons - YA fantasy, one of the 3 MCs (in later books) is likely sex-neutral

The Romantic Agenda - contemporary romance, sex-favourable ace woman MC

Hallowed Be Her Flesh - historical horror/romance novella, sex-favourable woman MC & cosmic being MC (both repulsed in other contexts)

Kiss Me, Maybe - contemporary romance, greysexual lesbian MC (explicitly discusses figuring out if she's sex-favourable)

Looking For Love In All The Haunted Places - probably sex neutral ace woman MC

Shake Out The Ghosts - ace or greyace man MC, probably neutral

(these last 2 don't state an exact position - but I'm noting them here because they're adult romances with ace/acespec MCs who aren't necessarily repulsed but don't have sex within the story - since most grey/demi adult romances do)

#aspec books / aspec database / tumblr masterpost

(because queerness goes beyond M/M and F/F)

Dark Night Golden Dawn by Allison Carr Waetcher (bisexual, m/f) - an urban fantasy about fake dating your ex-boyfriend because the powers that be want you to be real-dating your ex-boyfriend, and also Evil is afoot

The Mercy Makers by Tessa Gratton (bisexual/pansexual, mostly m/f) - a fantasy novel about a magic criminal who infiltrates a palace to try to save her father and then falls in love with the emperor she is working against (while also having a bit of a thing for his sister)

The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino (bisexual/pansexual, m/f) - a romantic fantasy novel about childhood best friends turned codependent soldier mage and the source of his magic in a world where magic is dying

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall (trans woman, m/f) - a historical romance about a trans woman and her childhood best friend who thinks she is dead (and a man)

Lunar New Love by Ophelia Silk (agender and genderfluid, m/nb / f/nb / nb/nb) - a contemporary romance novella about fake dating that person in your friend group who you've never quite managed to get along with

Unbury Your Bones / Boneless by Coyote J.M. Edwards (nonbinary, aromantic, asexual, m&nb) - urban fantasy novellas about a vampire who can see people's bones (sometimes) and his werewolf best friend who he solves mysteries with

A guest post by Adrian Harley.

A new year brings with it new resolutions—and for many of us, that includes reading resolutions. It’s a truism that resolutions tend to fail. A local radio announcer here said that 67% of Americans have never completed a resolution in their life, and if you can’t trust a random local radio announcer in the mountains of North Carolina, who can you trust? 

I think part of the reason resolutions fail is they feel like work. And that’s especially a shame when it comes to reading resolutions. Reading is wonderful! Sitting down with a good book makes my heart sing, even when (especially when) the book makes me cry or rage at the injustice of the world or stare out the window wondering how I’ll ever be the same after reading it.

Thus, I’m afraid that resolutions to read more diversely don’t do justice to the wonder of diverse books. There are whole worlds out there that racism, homophobia, ableism, transphobia, anti-semitism, and other forms of bigotry keep from us. It’s amazing that we live in a time where we can peel back that dusty film between us and the wonders of reality.

That’s all well and good to say, of course, but how do you put that principle into practice? How do you resolve to read diversely without turning all that wonder into just another box to be ticked?

I think we can start by acknowledging that, as Danika Ellis puts it, “books” and “reading” are two different hobbies. 

Thinking about books, listening to reviews of books, browsing bookstores, talking about books…these are all, in some ways, the hobby of books. These funnel into the hobby of reading, but it’s not a one-to-one connection, as my piles of unread books can testify. (Both hobbies run into a third hobby of buying books, which is a topic for a different post.)

In the hobby of reading, you’ll run into limits, whether they be money, time, or the physical number of books you can carry from the library in one visit. The beauty of the hobby of books is its lack of limitations. You can dream big. This is the two-story library I would have in my home, were I rich as sin. This is the cozy window seat in which I would read this million-word fantasy series.

So, how do you diversifying your reading hobby in 2023? First, seek out diverse books in the infinite playground of books as a hobby. Search phrases like “Best fantasy by black authors,” “Best BIPOC-authored books of 2022,” “Most-anticipated queer fiction of 2023”… you get the idea. Browse them to find what sounds good to you. I keep a TBR list—have for almost 10 years—but you don’t need to keep a literal list (though you might find one helpful if you don’t already have it!). Make a wishlist on your preferred book-purchasing website. Remember the books that sing to you. You don’t need to have a responsible goal in mind, like a resolution or a book bingo, unless you want to give yourself that extra challenge. Pick books based on their covers, or because they have a cat in them, or whatever gets you interested.

When you incorporate diverse books into your book hobby, it transforms the reading hobby too. When you’re back in the real world with all its limits and you can only grab two books, you won’t think, “Oh, I really want the two books Brandon Sanderson has magicked into published existence this month, but I have to tick a checkbox.”  That way lies stacks of unread books chosen nearly at random solely because of the representation they contain or appear to contain. Instead, you will face the much better and much worse problem of thinking, “Oh, I really want the two books Brandon Sanderson has magicked up, but also Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland, but also Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, but also Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi…” 

(You think you know what it means to have too many books? You have not yet begun to comprehend too many books!)

Aside from the emotional turmoil of choosing between even more books when transitioning from your book hobby to your reading hobby, though, diversifying your book hobby has no downsides. It becomes part of your life. It lets you explore the world in full color.

And yes, it makes it easy and fun to read more diverse books. 

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Want some additional support in figuring out ways to diversify your reading? Here’s some other blog posts we’ve done that relate, at least tangentially, to this topic!

Celebrate Pride by Learning about Ten Queer Independent Publishers (also by Adrian Harley!)

How to Read Manhua on Bilibili

Our Favorite Queer Books for Children

Our Ten Favorite Sci-Fi Reads of 2022

Who We Are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Love what we do? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more.