OK, so I started writing a long dissertation on creating ebook covers, but it suddenly vanished into the æther when I was about halfway through. Rather than rewriting the essay from the beginning, I'll just post an abbreviated version and assume that you can figure out what I'm doing as I go along.

First, this is what I want the cover to look like: a set of photos lying on a woodgrain desktop, with the central graphic depicting two T-girls 'caught' in the act of cross-dressing:

As the cover template has already been designed, the first step is to do a free-hand sketch based on a number of different reference images:

Next, I scan the drawing into the computer and start coloring it up in photoshop (quasi flesh-tones for the figurework):

Then, I added some solid color to the lingerie (I normally chose virginal white, but decided something a little more colorful might work better in this context):

On reflection, I decided to adjust the colors a little and added some tones to the figures (I'm not quite sure at this point whether I want full briefs, thongs or bikinis. Fortunately, photoshop allows for multiple versions):

That's about as far as I've gotten, due to various prior commitments. Sorry I can't post the final version right now; hopefully, I'll get 'round to it sooner than later.

Tracy :)

In an illustrated story, would you prefer to see the protagonist dressed in:

A. Traditional frills.
B. Feminine but modern.
C. Sexy and exotic.
D. All of the above.

---

Well, here goes: a group of unemployed transgirls are facing eviction if they don't come up with the rent by the end of the month. Desperate times calling for desperate measures, one of them applies for a waitressing job at a sleazy downtown bar, but quickly discovers that she can earn $500 a night stripping down to her underwear. Realizing the potential fortune to be made, all five girls decide to pool their resources and go into the lingerie dancing business.

Let me know if I should write (and illustrate) this story.

...the proceeds of which will be given to Big Closet for the upkeep of the site?

Here's the pitch: a series of thematically-connected short stories, comprising a tribute to the classic TG fiction of the 40s, 50s and 60s. The content would be 'sexy' rather than pornographic, suggestive rather than crude, and risque rather than vulgar.

I've already started writing sections of the main narrative, which revolves around the (mis)adventures of a mischievous transgirl; anyone interested in contributing material to the general storyline should leave a message in this thread. Please note that this project would be undertaken on a voluntary basis, as all profits will go to BC's "Hatbox" account by mutual consent (contributing authors would, of course, be credited by name).

General Premise:

---

Courtland District, Oct, 1999:

A recent survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics indicates that the city of Ridgewick has the highest rate of intersexual children in the country. According to figures provided by the Bureau, one in every seven children born in the region suffers from the rare genetic disorder commonly known as hermaphrodism. Although symptoms vary from case to case, the majority are described by experts as being of indeterminate sex and gender.

Numerous studies have traced the cause to an industrial accident in the nearby township of Blaxland, where several thousand metric tonnes of unprocessed chemical concentrates were released into the local environment. Denounced as an ecological disaster in the early sixties, the massive spill is believed to have contaminated the county's central water supply before clean-up operations could begin.

Figures also suggest that the city is virtually free of violent crime and juvenile delinquency. While Bureau analysts claim causal links the Blaxland Disaster, local authorities attribute the low crime rate to traditional family values amongst other related factors.

Located on the east bank of the Courtland River, Ridgewick is the largest regional center in the north east of the state, boasting a population of over 20,000. Incorporating the five major suburbs of Lakehurst, Everdale, Fairmont, Eastgrove and Greenmeadows, it is home to prestigious Lainsbury Academy, one of the few institutions in the country to accept transgendered students...

---

For the first volume, we'd be aiming at 30,000 words (maybe ten chapters of approx. 3000 words each). In addition to writing various sections of the book, I'll also be supplying illustrations similar to the image posted here.

Over to you. All feedback and inquiries welcome.

When I first started writing TG fiction, I had in mind a collection of illustrated stories similar to the image posted above. Unfortunately, digital formats such as kindle don't handle wrap-around text very well (I've tried all of the kindle variants, including the Textbook Creator, the Comic Book Maker etc), so I've generally gone with PDF format when publishing my own material. Needless to say, PDF also has its drawbacks in terms of text flow and zoom functions; in the present day there seems to be no happy medium unless you're willing start your own website and to do some major tinkering with HTML.

Naturally, a piece of fiction should be able to stand on its own merits, but as pointed out elsewhere, TG literature has a long history of illustrated storylines, in which the images are intended to compliment the narrative. Speaking for myself, I was always intrigued by the idea of producing magazine-style digital publications; as far back as the early 90s, I was taking courses in Photoshop and Quark Xpress to explore the possibilities.

Certainly, in the Age of Amazon, we're all aware of how important an eye-catching cover is to a book's potential sales, but how about the interior? Do you consider illustrations to be an unnecessary distraction from the textual content, or could a few well-placed images actually enhance the overall reading experience?

A few weeks ago, I opened discussion on the relative advantages and disadvantages of publishing illustrated fiction in digital format. One response that struck me in particular was the observation that quite often, images don't match up with the story - a recurring problem that can effect any medium - this was particularly evident with old comic strips and pulp magazines, where covers shots frequently had nothing to do with the interiors. My solution was to draw the illustrations first then write the story around them, ensuring that there would always be at least some correlation between art and text.

Back in my self-publishing days, I drew a series of pictures simply titled Cynosure: Angel's story, a one-off project which evolved into a short piece called Fallen Angel. As a general rule, I only include one B&W image with each story, but in this case I put a lot more effort into the illustrations, aiming for a slick, clean look reminiscent of British TG journals of the 80s.

Which brings us back, of course, to the main question: in the present day and age, is there any need for illustrative material in a literary milieu? As a reader (and possibly author) of transgendered fiction, do you consider illustrations to be an unnecessary distraction from the textual content, or could a few well-placed images actually enhance the overall reading experience?

In a perfect world, there would have been department stores like this when we were growing up, and we wouldn't have had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the back-to-school sale.

Below, a short piece set in the above-mentioned department store; apologies to those who object to forced feminization fiction (don't worry, the main character eventually decides that modeling girls' underwear isn't as bad as he imagined).

Who knows; if the long running stigma against the transgendered eventually subsides, advertisements like the above might one day become a reality. Here's to the future...

If this information is available, I'd like to include it on Transfiction wiki.

Another question for consideration:

Which themes and genres have been particularly popular over the years?

All the best, Tracy :)

Imagine you have a case of terminal cancer, and your only hope for survival is an experimental new therapy which will rewrite your genetic code at the molecular level. On the upside, you will live in perfect health for at least another sixty years. On the downside, you will have the appearance of a beautiful teenaged girl for the rest of your life.

Would you be willing to undergo this radical and potentially dangerous new treatment? Are you prepared to sacrifice your masculinity for an irreversible cure? Could you adjust to your lush, sensuous new body if they threw in a few million dollars compensation?

Wow, what a stupid question.

---

If magazines like this had been available when you were younger, would you have been interested in reading them?

When I was a kid, books of this kind were only sold in "specialist" outlets, which were off-limts to anyone under 18. However, even if TG magazines had been available at the local news agent, I probably wouldn't have had the nerve to front up and buy one (even under the counter).

So, which style of panty do you prefer to see the protagonist wearing in a story; full briefs, bikinis, g-strings or thongs?

Alternatives include directoire knickers, bloomers, control briefs and panty-girdles.

In common with many people here, I first began self-publishing via a well-known online vendor which most of us are already quite familiar; I won't mention it by name as I've always had extremely good experiences with that particular dealer.

The problems began when I received 'solicitations' from rival distributor Draft2Digital. Evidently, it was common practice (at that time) for D2D to contact first-time rubes authors like myself and offer them alternative digital venues. This was most likely an automatic process involving bots and algorithms, I imagine it must've been quite successful in its heyday.

As I still had a number of unfinished stories lying around on the hard disk, I wove them all together as a kind of "fix-up" novella, adding interstitial passages to tie up all the loose ends and give the general narrative a common theme. While it couldn't be described as high art, it was no worse than anything else D2D had on its virtual news stand, which I'd made sure to research prior to submitting the content. As the stories dealt mainly with coming of age scenarios, I listed the book under the Young Readers GLBT, Transgender and GLBT Romance headings, none of which had raised any red flags with my original publishers.

And so things stood for a while. The book, which was titled "Bittersweet: Fragments and Memories" didn't set any sales records, though it apparently moved enough units to raise the ire of at least one self-proclaimed 'critic' who demanded not only its removal, but but the termination of my account with the online distributor.

Here's a copy of the email I received from D2D in April 2016:

We have been contacted by multiple vendor rep's letting us know that the content being uploaded on your account is considered objectionable. We've been asked to no longer submit titles from your account. As a result, your book has been delisted and your account terminated.

It further transpired that I had been blocked by D2D's affliliates Apple, Kobo and Scribd. The main reason given was that the book was considered unsuitable for minors. This came as something of a surprise for me, as there was literally nothing inappropriate in the stories themselves.

Yes, the content dealt with problems faced by transgendered youths adjusting to their status as outsiders, along with their rejection by the wider community. There was one scene in which an adolescent boy imagines wearing a girl's school uniform and another in which a preteen experiments with various items of clothing, but there was nothing lurid or exploitative about the descriptions, which were written to a level appropriate for the target audience.

I've read far worse scenarios in classic children's literature - Tom Brown's School Days being one of the prime examples - to say nothing of the more gruesome folk tales collected in Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmärchen. Even now, nearly six years later, I find it odd that publishers are (apparently) fine with extremes of violence, cruelty and mutilation in children's fiction, but the mere expression of gender dysphoria is considered "prohibited and objectionable."

Has the market improved in the meantime? Can't be sure in the present climate, but I believe it's a good thing that we have so many alternatives in the present day...

Tracy (Transfemme).

As a few of you might already be aware, I've written a handful of stories combining OTK (over the knee) spanking scenes with TG characters. Most of them were short pieces, posted both here and over on FM, focusing largely on transgendered youths undergoing punishment by an adult authority figure. Much to my surprise, they tended to provoke negative responses from various readers, some of whom found the whole idea quite disturbing.

At first, I thought it was because the protagonists were in their mid-teens, but later on, I realized that age didn't seem to be an issue: even when the main character was over 18, people still seemed to find the notion of non-consensual spanking highly objectionable.

I think I should say from the outset that I have never condoned spanking or any other form of physical discipline; I view it as an outdated and barbaric remnant of a less civilized era in which violence was so commonplace as to be considered the norm.

That said, however . . . spanking is something which I've fantasized about since I was a child, and for that reason I've sometimes incorporated corporal imagery into my TG fiction, though none of it was based on any real-life event.

My take on the subject goes something like this:

The characters and scenarios exist solely within my imagination (perhaps that of the reader if they're sufficiently drawn into the narrative). The situations themselves are often so outrageous as to be completely unbelievable (if not outright ludicrous). In short: no real person has been harmed. The stories are pure fantasy and are intended as nothing more. They certainly do not represent any world view or personal belief -- nor should they in any enlightened society, IMHO.

Anyway, having said my piece on this particular issue, I'll now leave the discussion in your capable hands. Pleased feel free to post your comments and insights below; I'd be very interested in reading your feedback. I suspect the underlying discourse might prove fascinating to say the least.

All the best, Tracy (Transfemme).

...to discover that my work is being pirated online.

Earlier this year, I noticed one of my pen names come up on a routine online search. The link led to the "erotic fiction" section of a (fairly) well known file-sharing site. Apparently, people have been trading PDFs of my short story collections since (at least) May 2020. These included most of my anthologies and related artwork.

I guess some people might have been furious to see their work being distributed without permission, but I was somewhat amused (and rather pleased) to know that somebody considered my humble efforts worth salvaging.

Which is why I've released all of my TG-themed media into the public domain. I've already started uploading material both here and over at Archive.org; I'll follow up with posts to Fictionmania and TGFA. Who knows, maybe I can leave behind some kind of legacy. It's nice to think that my stories might still be in circulation long after I've reached the Clearing at the End of the Trail (to quote one of my favorite authors).

This appears to be a touchy subject for many within the community, with the general consensus divided into two main camps. The first assumes that underaged characters are acceptable because the scenario is purely fictional; no real person is being harmed. The opposing camp maintains that underaged characters should never be employed in transgendered fiction, as it might encourage the abuse of real life children. Needless to say, the issue isn't strictly black and white, there are numerous viewpoints between the two positions.

Speaking for myself, I lean toward the former, particularly since forced feminization is a classic theme in TG literature. The reader understands that the situation is pure fantasy and that the author does not advocate coercion in the real world. The same rationale could be applied to Aesop's Fables, Grimm's Fairy Tales or Greek Mythology. All of them depict horrendous acts, such as cannibalism, mutilation and even child murder, but we don't ban them because they're just stories at the end of the day.

Here are some book covers I've designed over the years, a few of which actually saw publication through Amazon, Lulu and Smashwords amongst others. First up, the cover from volume 1 of Bittersweet (c- 2016 if I recall correctly):

Next, an unpublished cover for a femdom story I was working on a while back. I've always been a fan of the old spicy pulps of the 1930s, and composed this as a tribute to a 'girlie' magazine called "Film Fun":

Last (and possibly least), a color illustration for a collaborative story I never got round to actually finishing:

As mentioned above, it was meant to be an illustration, but I've always wondered if it could be incorporated into a cover design. Here are a few attempts I've made over the past few years:

Daisy Miller is an eighteen year old transsexual living with her parents in Chamberlain City. Like many children born in the region, she is afflicted with TISM (Toxically Induced Sexual Morphism), a rare glandular disorder which rewrites the Y-chromosome in young males.

Having a hyper-feminized appearance, Daisy has dreamed of being a runway model since early childhood. During a visit to Courtland Plaza, she is granted the opportunity to fulfill her dreams when she's offered one hundred dollars to model lingerie in the main concourse.

The fashion parade is an overwhelming success, and Daisy is spotted by a local talent scout who recruits her for Naughty And Funny, a 'hidden camera' show specializing in practical jokes, most of which involve pretty young women in their underwear.

While Daisy's parents disapprove of the series' risque content, they are impressed by the paychecks she brings home as she quickly becomes a fan favorite. With her popularity on the rise, Daisy is offered a contract by The Feathertouch Lingerie Corporation, finally achieving her life-long ambition of being a catwalk model.

---

If I ever get round to writing this story, I plan to illustrate it with pictures of Daisy in her sleek, satin undies (as suggested by the images posted here). Both the story and the illustrations would be 'spicy' rather than pornographic.

Question: in your opinion, would it be appropriate to include flashbacks to Daisy's childhood, describing how her interest in women's undergarments developed during her transition from male to female? Don't worry, I won't be illustrating those sections.

---

Synopsis:

Born a princess of the "Radiant Kingdom," Yomeno Shiko was spirited away to the planet Earth following a war with the Shadow Realm. Arriving on the mortal plane, she was secretly hidden in the body of a human boy, Toby Ohara, where Shiko's consciousness would sleep until the threat has passed. Raised by his grandparents, Toby lived the life of a simple Shibuya schoolboy, unaware of the immensely powerful being residing deep within his subconscious.

Toby's carefree lifestyle was shattered at the age of 16, when demons from the Shadow Realm finally tracked him down, doggedly tracing Shiko's scent for over two years. Several Oni attacked him one evening on the way home from Juku (cram school), leaving him for dead after a vicious struggle.

Despite his terrible wounds, Toby miraculously survived as Shiko's tamashī was jolted back to consciousness. Awakening at the very moment of death, Toby transformed into a Mahou-Hime (Magical Princess), and set off in pursuit of the shadow demons. Armed with supernatural strength and all "the powers of the Radiant Kingdom," she destroyed her opponents without mercy, cutting them down with blasts of "pure energy."

Following the battle, Shiko swore to protect her adopted world from "evil in all its forms." Toby, now sharing all of Shiko's thoughts and memories, agreed to become her human avatar for as long as she needs him.

---

Synopsis:

For over fifty years, Selina the Moon Maiden has fought supernatural menaces high over the streets of Chamberlain City, acclaimed as one of the greatest champions the world has ever seen. Unfortunately, her never-ending battle finally came to an end after a devastating attack by her most powerful enemies.

Mortally wounded during a series of co-ordinated strikes, Selina fell from the skies in a flaming heap, using the last of her strength to survive the fall. Sensing her thanatos drawing near, she realized she needed a new host for her essence and - with no other alternative at hand - reached out for the first person who passed her way.

This apparent 'good samaritan' was a teenaged boy named William Carter, a high school-drop out from the Westside ghetto. With her dying breath, Selina took William's wrist and transferred her divine essence into his body, telling him to call her name when the time comes. She then died, leaving behind a badly charred corpse only vaguely resembling a human being.

With the forces of darkness closing in from all sides, William ran for his life, but was swiftly overtaken by a pack of ravenous hell hounds. In the extremity of his fear, he screamed out The Name and was instantly transformed into a superhuman teenaged girl. Making short work of the canine demons, she flew off to safety, reveling in her newly acquired powers. Selina the Moon Maiden had arisen from the ashes, fully revived and - perhaps - even stronger than before.

Unfortunately, fifteen year old William Carter was no hero. Immature, petulant, and something of a coward, he was far more interested in settling old scores than defending the innocent. His first target was a neighborhood bully who humiliated him a few months before, followed by more or less anyone who'd ever looked at him sideways. Re-enrolling at high school, he picked fights with students and teachers alike, covertly transforming into Selina to avenge even the slightest insults.

Despite his spitefully narcissistic behavior, William had one redeeming quality - he actually tried to help Selina just before she died. It was this single spark of altruism that allowed her essence to pass into William's mortal form. He has the potential to become as great a champion as his predecessor - but will that be enough when Selina's murderous enemies come to his school, seeking to steal her power for themselves ... by destroying the human vessel it now inhabits?

---

Note: Both Selina the Moon Maiden and Shiko-Chan are open source characters, released into the public domain by the author. They may be used for any purpose; attribution is not required.

---

Would anyone here be interested in starting a wikipedia devoted to Transgender Fiction? I was thinking we could start off by documenting all of the different universes and continuities, then move onto major story-arcs, themes and characters. Authors could post post their bios along with links to their literature at BC and/or FM (and any other sites featuring TG material). Here's a mock-up of what the wiki might look like (scroll down to read the rest of the post):

If you think this might be an interesting project to work on (or even if you don't), feel free to post your thoughts below. This would, of course, be a strictly volunteer operation, and we'd need to find a fairly tolerant service provider. Some basic knowledge of coding and wiki-mark up would be an advantage, though not essential.

Looking forward to reading any feedback, positive or otherwise.

Yours, Tracy.

OK, the TG Fiction Wiki is now up and running (we had to call it "Transfiction," as the name "Transpedia" was already taken). There isn't much to see yet, but you can visit the main page by clicking here:

https://tgf.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page

So anyway, I'd like to send out a call for contributors: feel free to create an account and write an article describing your fiction and content (biblio, themes, tropes, major characters etc). Experience in editing wikipedia articles would be an advantage but is not absolutely necessary; everybody here is welcome to contribute their abilities in whatever way they can.

I'd also like to organize a working bee to write detailed articles about Big Closet and FictionMania, documenting the background, origins, personnel, development and evolution of both. Extensive historical knowledge of either site would be greatly appreciated in this instance, though again, this is not an absolute requirement. We can always start out with a general summary and add information as we go along.

If you have any inquiries, suggestions or feedback, please post your thoughts below, as new ideas and input are always welcome.

Thanks for your time.

Tracy (Transfemme).

New additions at Transfiction Wiki:

Galentine's Day by Monique S.

Men in Black Dresses by Valentina Michelle Smith.

Tales of Anmar by Penny Lane.

Many thanks to Bryony, Curiosity, Dorothy, Heather, LHarron, Patricia and our anonymous contributors.

Authors: feel free to submit a bio/summary via PM. Please include links to your author page on BC/FM along with artwork/illustrations if you have any available.

Bye for now, Tracy.

New additions at Transfiction Wiki:

Tales from the Eerie Saloon by Ellie Dauber and Christopher Leeson.

Many thanks to Harryhenry and our anonymous contributors.

Authors: feel free to submit a bio/summary via PM. Please include links to your author page on BC/FM along with artwork/illustrations if you have any available.

Bye for now, Tracy.

This week's article is One Dozen Roses by Patricia Marie Allen, Cheryl Bishop, Nuuan, Rosemary, Melanie E, Aylesea and Andrea Lena. Click this link to read the article:

https://tgf.miraheze.org/wiki/One_Dozen_Roses

Also, numerous edits by Bryony, Curiosity, Dorothy, Heather, Patricia and others. Many thanks for each and every contribution :)

Feel free to drop by anytime. New accounts and articles always welcome!

Bye for now, Tracy.

Hi guys, Tracy here again. I'm just making another request for contributions to Transfiction Wiki. As mentioned in the previous update, we were almost shut down due to inactivity a couple of months ago, so if you have a minute to post an article about your work (or anyone else's for that matter), it would go a long way to keeping the project running.

All contributions are welcome; you can post entire stories if you wish. The user interface isn't as difficult to use as you might think (in fact, it's quite similar to the one we use here). If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, you can leave a message below, contact me via PM or visit my talk page on the wiki. Any assistance you might offer will be greatly appreciated.

Best regards, Tracy.

OK, time for the truth: did anyone else here ever hold private strip-shows in the mirror when you had the house all to yourself?

Details, please. Leave nothing to the imagination.

Hi guys, Tracy here again. As mentioned above, we could really use some help out at Transfiction Wiki at the moment. We were almost shut down last month due to inactivity, so if you have a free minute to post an article (or an image, or even just a comment), that would go a long way to keeping the project running.

All contributions are welcome; you can post entire stories if you wish. The user interface isn't as difficult to use as you might think (in fact, it's quite similar to the one we use here). If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, you can leave a message below, contact me via PM or visit my talk page on the wiki. Any assistance you might offer will be greatly appreciated.

Best regards, Tracy.

I first started writing transgender fiction in the 1990s, shortly after I learned to use microsoft word. Prior to that, I used to draw comics featuring a "Mary-Sue" character named Cathy. She was a pretty, good-natured blonde who frequently found herself undressed in public, usually through some embarrassing misadventure. My inspiration came from The Benny Hill Show and other British comedies of the time. 'Cathy' was one of my alter egos, I often role-played vaguely risqué scenarios then committed them to paper.

Although I've been transgendered as far back as I can remember, I only started writing TG fiction during my university years. My very first story was the result of a gender studies course I was taking; I was attempting to combine my personal insights with the theoretical models I'd been researching at the time. The final draft was somewhat dry and academic, reading more like a seminar paper than a conventional piece of literature, so I decided to shelve it as a 'non-starter,' so to speak.

A few years after I completed my degree, I came across a number of sites including BC, Fictionmania and Nifty, where my curiosity was piqued once again. I read voraciously for weeks, fascinated by the sheer volume of material that had been posted online. The odd thing was that despite the generally high quality of the writing, I couldn't find the kind of story that I wanted to read - ie something that reflected my personal worldview and perspectives.

Eventually, I sat down at the keyboard and started revising the old 'non-starter' I'd put into cold storage years before. I streamlined the narrative as much as possible, removing all of the philosophical monologues and academic clap-trap. The revision wasn't perfect, but it was something I was pleased with - a simple, PG rated fantasy with a straightforward, three act structure - beginning, middle and end.

To this day, I still have problems with purple prose and character development, but like almost everyone here, I continue posting whenever I have a flash of inspiration or (hopefully) a tale worth telling. At the end of the day, maybe that's what writing is all about...

...for every time someone viewed my website, I'd be making around $3,000 dollars a week. Meanwhile, over at Amazon, I'm lucky if I shift nine units a month (and that would be a particularly busy season).

Talk about not being able to even give it away...

:)