Here is a call for help.
I am not a reader of TG fiction on Amazon, but I am a writer, and I have been in touch with Amazon regarding the curious categorizations employed in the LGBTQ area.
So, we have the various categories for Kindle E-books including "Romance", "Teen and Young Adult" and "LGBTQ+". Romance and TYA have a subcategory of LGBTQ+. LGBTQ has subcategories including Romance, Literature & Fiction, Erotica, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Detective, Biographies & Memoirs, Comics, Manga & Graphic Novels etc.
After a few protests at my tendency towards heterosexuality the comments on my story "Identity Specialist" suggested that more could be made of this, and perhaps I should open it to Big Closet writers for say the month of September?
Cheryl said - "I see potential for a new universe here. With Courtney telling more client stories and adventures".
Erin seems keen too, but I am not sure whether a prize will be offered.
Is there any interest?
Maryanne
As mentioned in my prior blog about my third Amazon collection “Misfortune and Other Romances of the Old West” the opening story "All her Misfortune” was a joint effort between me and the artist known as Joyce Melton. As I already said it she told me little about a plot she had in mind for a story other than it started with a street kid in Chicago in the mid 19th century escaping from a crime scene and heading west, and she sent me the cover she had drawn up. I have to say that (as it sometimes does with me) I saw the image, and something clicked. I started writing.
Some time ago I sat down and decided to write a novella – a western novella - because aren’t they just the best novellas that there are?
I wrote one chapter. You know the one. The stranger rides into town - “Man and horse looked tired – dog tired. Both their heads hung, and the hooves moved slowly along the dusty path …”. Chapter 2 might yet get written. I am more of a short story writer.
I have posted my story "Lumberjackie" about the victim of a logging accident who discovers that he is of "two spirits" and gender fluid, perhaps as a result (?). Many have begged for a sequel and the extended story now opens my new book on Amazon "Risky Endeavors".
There are some of my other stories on this theme in there plus also some new stories.
Thanks to Erin and Sammy C and others for getting this book published.
I think that I may have taken on too much!
I have already driven two helpful volunteers to distraction.
I am setting about putting my hundreds of short stories into meaningful anthologies which will be published on Amazon.
I know people are waiting for Book 3 which themed "The Old West" and contains over 80% new material, but we have not even got Book 2 edited yet! It looks like it will be out this month, but we desperately need help with Book 3 to get it out next month.
It's a big day, because Doppler Press have just posted the first of what I hope will be a series of collections of my stories on Amazon Kindle
The link is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093B7Y6BK
Thanks to Erin and the team at Doppler Press and to Sigh for some edits and the foreword, at to Bronwen for all of her tireless editing work.
I am not really sure how Patreon works.
I have had a Patreon site for almost two years and I post all of my new material on it every week, sometimes in a raw state, before it goes anywhere else. I thought that is was all about sharing my art and my creative process, but I am just not getting any engagement. I get some likes but very few usable comments and no real interaction.
I think that Erin is suggesting that it is because I am not known but I really have no idea how to promote it.
I would be interested in hearing from others who have a patreon platform.
My latest story "Deniability" was just a bit of whimsy, but it did throw up the consideration of a real issue affecting the two most populous countries in the world, and that is sex or gender Imbalance.
In my recent comment I referred to a couple of articles in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/world/too-many-...(link is external)
Today marks one year since I posted my first story on BCTS.
A week or so ago Jill warned against analyzing responses to stories, but I have to say that I could not help myself.
I love the kudos feature. I have looked at popularity by these and I see that the lowest is "Big" with 44 and the highest "New Plumbing" with 240.
I confess that I am a little surprised. These are both "voluntary" stories which I don't write too many of, but maybe the more popular one is more romantic?
I am not sure how long blogs remain in front of people - I suppose I should note the number of reads to work that out, but I suspect that if it is more than a few clicks on the scroll bar it is lost to most.
I like to blog about writing and I was intrigued by Gwen's blog "Which is the easiest to write about": "Out of curiosity, Is it easiest to write about a deeply flawed, even perhaps handicapped protagonist, or one who is nearly perfect, and very high IQ?"
I was away for a few days but returned to read reviews on my two parting stories "Spinal Tap" and "For Daddy"
These are both objectionable scenarios I admit, which is why I posted them, and posted them when I did.
As a general rule I dislike torture of any kind. I prefer my gender-crossers to be driven by circumstance or persuasion. You will find only three other forced change stories in the 218 stories I have posted here (I think - standing to be corrected).
The thing about "Spinal Tap" is that the mother did it for love, but then there was another...
I know, I know, I know. I write too much. Cacoethes scribendi. And sometimes my stuff looks as if I am so keen to get on the table it is half baked. “It reads more like a synopsis” at least makes it sound like I have a recipe!
So where is my novel. Well, I am not ruling anything out, but here are my excuses:
I really love comments. I suppose that makes me needy and insecure, but what (wannabe) girl doesn’t crave attention? I recently posted a story called “Bordello Boys” which is only the second story I have posted on BCTS that got no comments. Of course, I am mortified.
To assuage my hurt I need only refer to my first story “Pretty” which still has the most comments – largely messages of welcome for the same people who revisit my writings again and again – THANK YOU TO ALL.
After that, I have received the most comments from an interesting variety of tales …
I was just curious as to how this function works?
In my latest story "Becoming Holly" the "more like this" included the twist endings "Instrument", "Making a Scene" and "Rehabilitation" and a couple of others "Closer Friends" and "Sought After".
It possibly should have included "Uncle", "Bait", "The Surgeon" or the multiple personality one - forgot the name!
Is it an algorithm?
Maryanne
... something strange has happened. I wrote a story called "Christian Feminization" based on an institution of that name described in a TG site I found called virtuousmodestlady.tumblr.com. When posting it I mentioned: “This is a story that could certainly be extended”.
It must have struck a chord. As I later explained, that story received around 11,000 reads in just two days, which is almost unheard of. Reviews of the story included one describing it as: “this titillating new genre and another said: “I would like to see more, and longer, stories set in this universe”
On May 24 I posted my 100th story on BCTS, now here I am six months later posting 200.
I suppose that I owe all the other writers an apology for barfing at your party, but it just has to come out!
People may know that I am even more prolific on Fictionmania, but there it is more ideas than fully formed pieces. Here on BCTS I like to write real short stories, that paint a picture and invite the reader to see my image, and sometimes color it in a little themselves.
People are going to think me very anal to do this, but after 170 stories, and being the analytical type, I have had a closer look at how mys stories have been received, with some puzzling results.
I know that Fictionmania has a less sophisticated reader than Big Closet, but this is the kind of thing that pisses me off:
Toni (a reviewer of a recent very short piece) says:
"Short stories (under 30kb) are such teasers. No substance."
Grrr.
My reply:
"Hello Toni
When I first started writing TG fiction I thought that there were maybe six stories in me, total.
I posted my first story “Zoran” on Fictionmania in 2017 - November 11 to be exact. It was a story about a teenager blackmailed into femininity and running with it, ultimately turning the tables on his abuser, and finding happiness as a woman. It was deeply satisfying just to relate it. I got three reviews: “Really cute and sweet, I liked it”; “Nice short story, Good job”; and “Well that was a surprise! Great job!...”. That added some additional satisfaction. It started there.
I am reposting this from Fictionmania: A message by Sir Lee with my comment to it:
"Subject: Re: Plagiarism on Patreon
A new user recently began posting stories on BigCloset -- or actually, the first chapters of stories with a link to Patreon at the end. A reader noticed that one story was actually an old one by TG author Samantha Michelle and asked about it. The poster then claimed (in a somewhat broken English) to be Samantha and changed their BigCloset display name to "Samantha Michelle." Yet their other two stories on BC did not seem to be by Samantha Michelle.
Hi to everybody, and in particular senior topshelfers in this closet.
I have a story which I would like to post, but it has a series of images which have captions to them. I could post it as a pdf which I have done in the past with stories that have several images, but Erin tells me that I may be losing readers by doing that. I have tried going on line and using some code to place images right and left to try and wrap text, but it just does not come out right. Can anybody help me with formatting?
Maryanne
I use Fictionmania to throw out sketches and I have recently been told that as a result I am the largest contributor to that site (by number) knocking our dear Dorothy Colleen off that spot (sorry Dot). But here was the message posted on the board over there:
Posted by vini87874® on 07/03/2020 at 19:17:58
Subject: Mariane Pepers
Message Body:
Ultimamente temos a Mariane tomando conta do fictionmania.
I was introduced to a new term today: TERF - an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
It brought to mind a prior blog of mine called "Feminine Stereotypes" where I mentioned Janice Raymond who would certainly be one.
But it seems that TERFs are still about.
What gave rise to it was a debate on the message board at FM based on a condemnation of the author J.K.Rowling.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
