AletheaKontis.com

I’ve been asked about self-publishing a lot recently, so I decided it was high time to write up a big, long answer with lots of fabulous and helpful links!

If you are asking yourself “Should I self-publish my book?” — the answer is NO. Self-publishing is a ridiculously hard amount of work (on top of writing your novel in the first place, which was already a ton of work, am I right?). And right now there is a glut of indie-published books out there, which means that once you DO get through the hard work of writing and the harder work of editing and publishing, there’s the virtually-impossible job of actually getting your book actually SEEN and READ by people.

But if self-publishing is so terrible, why are you doing it? Because I’m the stubborn brat who did terribly in English class, but never stopped writing. I got a Chemistry degree and immediately went to work at a bookstore. I moved across state lines and made really bad life choices (I once started a publishing company to impress a boy) and went into debt several times, all for the sake of writing because it is my soul. I was orphaned by two major publishers and still refused to stop writing.

If you are a crazy person like me–and I know you are out there (MY PEOPLE!)–keep reading.

Everyone else: submit your manuscript to an agent or shove it back under the couch, and then go see a movie and be glad I saved you from the really bad decision you were about to make.

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Princess Alethea’s Self Publishing Basics

The Manuscript

When you have finished writing your novel (we’re going to talk about novels here, because picture books are ENTIRELY different horses), you need three different kinds of editors to look at it: a content editor, a copyeditor, and at least one proofreader.

The content editor’s job is to be sure your manuscript makes sense. Is the pacing right? Does it flow? Did you forget to describe a character? Did you leave a plot hole dangling? Did you write an adventure story when you meant to write a romance? (I’ve done this at least twice.) Did you realize you have an underlying theme of loss that you should really explore and carry out through the resolution?

The content editor will give you revision notes. Take a day to scream and cry about these notes, and then sit down and do the work to make your story better. (The content editor’s job is not to find typos, but she might mark a few.) When your revisions are completed satisfactorily, your manuscript goes to the copyeditor.

The copyeditor’s job is to go through the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb and catch all your typos and grammatical mistakes. They will sort out your hyphens and pry the commas from your cold, dead hands. They will catch inconsistencies or anachronisms. They will point out awkward sentences that should really be rephrased. They will catch that you used the word “small” five times in one paragraph. Once you have fixed all these silly mistakes, it’s time to send your manuscript to the proofreaders.

A proofreader’s job is to catch whatever tiny things the copyeditor didn’t see. In traditional publishing, this is the equivalent of the Advance Readers Copy. My ARCs go to my VIP Review Team and my Brute Squad. There are a couple of readers who I KNOW will catch things my eagle-eyed copyeditor missed, and I pay special attention to those comments.

In the course of my two-decades-plus in the publishing industry, I have professionally held all three of the above positions for major publishers. I am here to tell you that YOU NEED ALL THREE OF THEM. If you are the writer, do not do these jobs yourself. And if you are a writer who CAN do any of these jobs yourself, I bow to you because you are a God.

As in traditional publishing, you should always start with the cleanest version of the manuscript you can. If you are distracting any of these editors with a messy manuscript, it’s possible that they will be concentrating so hard on easily fixable mistakes that they miss something they SHOULD be paying attention to. (And that is often how typos end up in final manuscripts)

My editorial team is made up of my best friend (who happens to be an English professor at a big university), a dear author friend, my fan club, and my mom. It took me a long time to put these folks together, and we are AMAZING. You will find your team. But don’t get discouraged if it takes you a while. And be open to looking in un-obvious places.

Casey has papers to grade, Kat has books to write, and Mom’s not currently offering her proofing services on a professional basis, so I’ve compiled this short list of friends & acquaintances for you to research. Please, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Some of these folks only do one kind of editing, or for specific genres. Each will charge different amounts. Feel free to tell them I sent you, and BE KIND–these are friends of mine!

Renee Murphy
Shannon Page
Chris Kridler
Laura Anne Gilman
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Spencer German Ellsworth
Literally Addicted to Detail (Chelle Olson)
Melissa Gilbert
Lyn Worthen
John Jarrold
Ashley Davis
Jenny Rae Rappaport
Eschler Editing (Sabine Berlin)
KH Koehler
Michael Kabongo
Laura Helseth
Venessa Glunta

The Cover

Even after all these years and thousands of idioms, readers still judge a book by its cover. Your cover is INCREDIBLY important. I spend a LOT of money on the cover art for my novels, and it it 100% worth it.

My cover artist is another amazing author (Rachel Marks) who is no longer taking new clients (because she also has books to write!). Luckily for you, there are a TON of new, great resources out there for covers–even places that provide pre-made covers!

(I do not have a list of resources for these yet.)

The Layout

I am a Mac user, so I have been blessed with the fabulous software that is Vellum. I have been known to tell PC indie authors that it is worth it to buy a Mac, just for the e-book software. And that was BEFORE it could do print layout!

Vellum is magic for e-books. And I suspect I will be doing quite a few print layouts there too, in the future. But outside of that, my go-to for print layout will always be Polgarus Studio. They have made all of my fairy tale books look amazing, and even helped me when I was having massive amount of trouble with Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome. Their rates are reasonable, communication is excellent, and they provide layout within a week. LOVE THEM.

Retailers

There are websites where you can upload your e-book and they will get it out to all the various retailers…but really, it’s best if you do the Big Five on your own: Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, and Google Play. (Google Play is a bit problematic…do some research…but I’ve still got a few books there for now.)

You will need to set up accounts, link bank numbers, and fill out tax forms for each of these sites. It is not a short process. And every time you upload the book, you will need to input the metadata. Another not-short process–while all sites require a lot of the same information, every one is different.

Do you need ISBNs from Bowker? That’s up to you. I bought a bunch way back when they were on sale, and I use them mostly for my print books through Ingram…but if you’re only using e-books and Createspace, you don’t need them.

I use both CreateSpace and Ingram for my print books. I did a lot of research before I made this decision. Did I need Ingram? Probably not–they are expensive, and a hassle–but I did want hardcover books. I hear that Nook is now doing hardcovers. I haven’t looked into that yet. But CreateSpace can get you into most of the sales channels you need.

Affiliate Programs

Make sure you are set up on all the Affiliate programs: Amazon, Kobo, and iTunes. I admit, the only one I’ve really seen money back from is Amazon…but you never know. All those nickles and dimes add up eventually. And remember to use these links! I know it’s a pain in the butt, but it’s a good habit to train yourself to get into. DO NOT EVER BUY ANYTHING OFF AMAZON without clicking on a link from a fellow author’s site first. Even if you don’t buy their book, they still get a kickback. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. You have no idea how much!

Advertising

The book advertising climate changes every five minutes. It’s true that you have to spend money to make money, but FB ads and newsletter ads and free sites are so prevalent now, it’s tough to make a list of reliable ones. I will say that BookBub ads are still great if you can get them (don’t stop applying!) and Hidden Gems is fabulously reliable for getting ARC reviews!

Also: Be sure to “claim” your books on BookBub and add them to your Amazon Author Profile (make sure you are set up on Author Central) as soon as the buy or pre-order links go live!

Author Central will be indispensable to you as an indie author. Their customer service is bar-none.

Audiobooks

If you’re just starting out with self-publishing, you shouldn’t worry about audiobooks just yet. That said, make sure you also “claim” all your books and short stories on ACX. ACX has a ton of great video tutorials…I highly recommend them. And be prepared to spend a lot of money on your narrator–you get what you pay for. My audiobook narrators have blown me away…and brought me some of the greatest joy. Their exceptional performances remind me why I do what I do!

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WHEW! Okay, I know that’s a LOT of material, but it really only scratches the surface. I just want to make sure I properly convey the scope of the GIANT HEADACHE you are about to have for the next two-five years.

And if you made it this far…I wish you all the best of luck in the world. Vaya con dios!

xox

Princess Alethea

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Follow Alethea Kontis on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/princessalethea

It seems Patreon was on everyone’s brain the other night. While I was at Orlando Book Festival, a few budding authors asked me how to launch a Patreon campaign–I recommended they first Follow a few established authors already there. It’s good to see what variety of content is being created for Patrons right now…because there are some really talented authors out there doing a plethora of really amazing things.

So yesterday I asked my author friends on Facebook to link to their Patreon pages — which was AMAZING, because it seems I have friends on Patreon that I didn’t even know were out there! Like most of y’all, I don’t have the money right now to support every single one, but you can bet I’m going to Follow them and keep on top of what they’re doing. BECAUSE FOLLOWING IS FREE. I highly recommend it!

And then–in a completely unrelated conversation–Mikki Kendall Tweeted this Extremely Important Thing about artists (edited for blog):

Folks get mad about creators “selling out” but don’t seem to understand that most are poor or just barely above the poverty line. There comes a point where you can’t have a day job & make the transition successfully to being a full time creative without sacrifice.

Patreon & Paypal took a lot of pressure off for me. I don’t have to chase checks because I can just write now. I could use more money. We could all use more money I’m sure, but man…that’s so many hours back from pitching & nagging outlets to pay me. I’m way more productive. And I am writing more fiction (better fiction tbh) as well as longform nonfiction.

Because money stress kills creativity. Just so you know. 

I feel bad that more people aren’t getting their work supported so I retweet people’s book posts & Patreons etc. Because I know poverty. I want people to be able to eat & see a doctor & have decent housing.

If you can’t afford to contribute? That’s fine. RT & post it on FB. Do that for whatever stuff moves you. Seriously that does a lot. Matter of fact, reply to this tweet with your Patreons & Paypals & GoFundMe’s etc & I’ll retweet you. Go on.

…and she did. If you want to see an AMAZING collection of artists creating EVERYTHING and making the world a more magnificent place with every breath they take, click here and just skim down Mikki’s Twitter feed. The links are still coming!

But here, for posterity, I will list a bunch of my own friends, and friends-of-friends, and heroes-of-friends who are authors on Patreon. Most of these are science fiction, fantasy, romance, or horror. Some will just plain-old write for money, but many offer additional perks, like writing tips and advice. There are also authors who do art and cosplay, record podcasts, give sneak peeks, and release original videos!

CHECK US OUT, YO. Follow us, support us…invite a little magic into your life!

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Alethea Kontis is creating a Wonderful World of Writing and Costuming

Lisa Mantchev is creating An Overabundance of Nonsense

K Tempest Bradford is creating Steampunk Novels Set In Ancient Egypt

On Saturday, I woke up sad. I’d had a lovely time at the beach with old friends the day before, but for some reason (which I now blame on ragweed) Saturday morning brought with it a weepy sort of melancholy.

By Saturday night, my heart was full again. I was reminded what an amazing life I lead. And I didn’t even have to leave my house.

Sometime on Saturday afternoon, Jonah Knight emailed me to remind me of something I’d promised him a while back: that for two weeks I’d be sponsoring his new Twitch site, where he is now streaming live performances.

For those who might not remember, Jonah and I met at a Mysticon (Roanoke, VA) back around 2013. We had a mutual friend whose work we admired: James Maxey. In particular, James’s fabulous superhero classic Nobody Gets the Girl. I loved it so much, my blurb is still on the cover. Jonah loved it so much, he wrote a soundtrack for it.

So yeah…we were pretty much destined to be friends. He invited me to be a guest on his podcast. I saw him perform at a bunch of cons. And then he moved to California. BOO.

Of course, with all I’ve had going on this year, I’d totally forgotten about the promise I made him. (Surprise!) I immediately dropped everything, put my ducks in a row, got Jonah’s link, signed up on Twitch, and followed Jonah’s profile.

I also shared his most recent Facebook post, where he announced that he’d be performing a livestream event THAT VERY NIGHT. How fortuitous! I still had so much on my to-do list, but I could stand to do it all while watching/listening to one of my favorite people perform live, right? Why not?

So I tidied up a bit and lurked silently in the chatroom while Jonah warmed up. He already had visitors from Spain and New Zealand online. And he’s in California. And I’m in Florida. Instant global party!

I also worked on my art homework — Bianca has taken to giving me assignments, which I’m totally cool with. She told me to stop working on butterflies for a while and do something different like…chalkboard art! White pencil on black construction paper. Write some quotes in fancy handwriting. Doodle some things. But what was I going to draw?

Well…Jonah was right there, so I let him be my inspiration. I started writing down my favorite lines from his songs. I doodled rocket ships and robots and steampunk gears and stars. And it was wonderful.

I didn’t jump in on the chat until he mentioned my name…and then we interacted in that 21st century way kids do — I spoke via chat, and he answered on the video. He even played “King of Nebraska” as the finale, which totally made my night. I danced around my kitchen and sang along with gusto.

Sometime in the middle of all that, it occurred to me to be present…to look at my life from an outside perspective and appreciate it for what it was. I started off having a crummy day, and ended it with a private home concert, during which the performer talked DIRECTLY TO ME and played me a song.

Even better? The video from that night is up on Twitch, so any of us can pull it up and watch it again. Be sure to follow Jonah — hang out with us for the next couple of weeks and win some things!

The world we live in right now is AMAZING. It’s a world in which Willie Wonka would have had a ball. We can have just about whatever life we choose, with a little bit of effort.

The magic is there. We just have to find it.

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Follow Jonah Knight on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jonahknight
Follow Alethea Kontis on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/princessalethea

In June, the Alliance of Young Adult Authors is sponsoring a massive young adult scavenger hunt. This is a chance to meet some new authors, grab a bunch of free books, and sign up to win a whole bunch of epic prizes!

RULES

Each author will be given a special keyword, which will be bolded and all caps like this: BUTTERFLIES.

All you have to do is visit all the author’s sites in this order, write down the special keywords to discover the short story, then enter the giveaway with the completed secret legend HERE.

There will be one main giveaway for the main prize, but most of the participating authors will also have smaller giveaways for free books, amazon credit and author swag, so make sure you read their post carefully to see what else they’re offering while you’re on their site for the keyword.

THE MAP (PARTICIPATING AUTHORS)

Starts June 1st!

Just go through the “treasure map” above to find the keywords and reconstruct the secret legend. Once you’ve got it, enter for the grand prize HERE. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for other giveaways or free books as you search for the keywords, most authors will be offering their own prizes as well.

In honor of the completion of my makeshift in-home audio recording booth–and the fact that we all need a little light in the darkness today–I have recorded a fairy tale for you all to enjoy.

This one is dedicated to my dearest fairykin Shveta Thakrar, who suggested “Tatterhood,” a Norwegian fairy tale I was unfamiliar with until now. Shveta, like me, understands the power of strong women and optimism. She knew immediately that I would love this tale. And she was absolutely right! I adored reading this story aloud.

Pour a hot cup of tea, snuggle up with a favorite pet or person, and enjoy this tale of “Tatterhood.”

Long live the Blanket Fort!

xox
Alethea

Click to hear Alethea read “Tatterhood”: https://www.patreon.com/posts/princess-alethea-7214335

Hello, my lovelies! As you know, I’ve been spending a lot more time over on Patreon lately. To that end, I’ve decided to move the blogging over there for the forseaable future. This website may eventually be updated with a new landing page (perhaps we’ll add that to the Patreon goals!) but this post will have to do for now. You can also subscribe to my newsletter for updates (see the form on the right) and follow my author page on Amazon to be notified of all new fiction releases — but the most happening spot will be Patreon. So what are you waiting for?

Here it is, folks — the first milestone goal, as promised!

I sequestered myself in my parents’ closet and turned the AC off (true love, because it is GROSS HOT in FL right now) to record a new Grimms’ fairy tale for you!

This was a LOT of fun…and reminded me just how rusty my voice narration skills are. (Yikes!)  Would you be interested in me performing more fairy tales? I only had one of these listed in the milestone goals, but I can always add more…let me know what you think!

Also, OMG THIS FAIRY TALE. If I ever read it before this performance, I certainly don’t remember it. If this Patreon does manage to hit $1000, I am SO ranting about this one. Because SRSLY YOU GUYS.

Now that everything’s still set up, I’m off to record the Acknowledgements for the audiobook of Trix and the Faerie Queen! Wish me luck! Love you guys!

xox Alethea

Click to hear Alethea read “The Three Little Birds”: https://www.patreon.com/posts/alethea-reads-by-6604568

Here it is, folks! Technically, it’s still tentative, so be sure to double check these on the app and in the program booklet.

Convention Dates are Fri(9/2/16), Sat(9/3/16), Sun(9/4/16), and Mon(9/5/16).

I will be arriving on Wednesday with Bianca Roman-Stumpff so that I can help her set up in Pop Art Alley on Thursday. Bianca has kindly offered to squirrel some of my books away behind her table–so if I’m not on a panel and Pop Art Alley is open, that’s where I’ll be! Come find us!

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Title: The Online YA Community
Description: From Twitter, to YouTube (booktube!), Reddit, podcasting, Goodreads, PATREON – the online YA community is vibrant.
Time: Fri 10:00 am Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Lindsay Cummings, S. Usher Evans, Alethea Kontis)

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Title: Princess Alethea’s Traveling Sideshow
Description: Join this motley band of talented (and costumed) authors for an entertaining hour of rants, rap battles, zombie haiku, musical numbers, and more. Swag for the first 40 audience members!
Time: Fri 07:00 pm Location: A707 – Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)
Moderator / MC for panel
(Tentative Panelists: Alethea Kontis, Leanna Renee Hieber, E.C. Myers, Gray Rinehart, Mari Mancusi, special musical guest S.J. Tucker)

Stay after the show for an autographing and meet & greet!

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SATURDAY 10:00AM — PARADE
Alethea and costumed members of her Brute Squad will be walking in the YA section this year — look for Alethea’s patchwork skirt and her trademark Blue Alphabet Umbrella!

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Title: Short Fiction for Fun (and Profit?)
Description: Short stories: equal parts art, science, and kung-fu. How does writing a short story differ from writing a novel? Should every author write short fiction?
Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: Embassy EF – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Jody Lynn Nye, Delilah S. Dawson, Mercedes Lackey, Patricia Briggs, Alethea Kontis)

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Title: Reading: Alethea Kontis
Time: Sat 02:30 pm Location: Edgewood – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Alethea Kontis)

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Title: Origins: Gods and Monsters in Myth & Folklore
Description: Many of the supernatural beings and magical creatures appearing in Urban Fantasy have their roots in myth and folklore. Our panelists discuss those they feel most influenced by and others they have discovered in their research.
Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: Chastain DE – Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Alethea Kontis, Kevin Hearne, James R. Tuck, Samantha Sommersby, Valerie Hampton, Kathryn Hinds)

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Title: Novelizing the Media
Description: Media tie-ins are very popular. Our panelists discuss how this works and their participation in a new superhero anthology.
Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: Embassy AB – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Delilah S. Dawson, Clay and Susan Griffith, Alethea Kontis, Steve Saffel)

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Title: Autograph Session:
Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: International Hall South – Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Alethea Kontis)

NOTE: This autograph session will be held at the same time as The Dragon Awards, for which Trix and the Faerie Queen has been nominated for Best MG/YA Novel. (haven’t voted yet? Go to http://awards.dragoncon.org/ and register right now! No membership needed)

This is the only event on my schedule that MAY change, so keep an eye on my Twitter Feed for any last-minute changes. If you miss me, come see me at Bianca’s table in Pop Art Alley!

Warning: This post is not for the faint of heart. If you would like to continue to believe that my life is a magical fairyland where darkness never falls, read no further. 

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Yesterday, I relaunched my Patreon Page in a big way. I made it shiny and welcoming and full of enthusiasm, with all the magic of a thousand spoonfuls of sugar. Just like they told me to: Sarah and Casey and Actual People from Patreon (in-person meetings, conference calls, the works).

Which was good, since a lot of that magic was forcibly kindled from a very dark place.

I haven’t been blogging much (probably another good thing), but those of you in touch with me on social media (especially FB) know this has been a pretty tough year for me. Yes, it seems that my body is falling apart, and no one’s sure why. I’ve subjected myself to six straight months of doctors and medicines and physical therapy trying to reverse the damage…or at least, slow it down.

Turns out, being in pain and brain-fuddled from various drugs doesn’t exactly put your mind in the best of places. On top of which, you know, some serious LIFE happened. Pretty rough and important stuff. It doesn’t stop just because you need to take a moment. Annoying, right?

At the conventions I went to anyway–on one leg and boatloads of medicine–friends asked me how I was doing. How I was really doing. I told them I was really okay. Because, in my mind I was, of course. Why wouldn’t I be? I had to be okay, or I wouldn’t have been able to Do All The Things That Must Be Done. I am a Magical Princess, and Magical Princesses are always okay!

It never occurred to me to tell them that I wasn’t okay. Even if, deep inside, my body was screaming from tip to toe.

Yeah.

The first draft of my “Why is Alethea on Patreon” statement was too long and so incredibly sad that a rewrite was “strongly suggested.”

I won’t repost all of that here (you’re welcome), but I will tell you about three very important bits.

1.) I’m in a decent amount of debt. Not impossibly so, and nothing I haven’t gotten out of before, which is why I took the risk. One does not leave an abusive relationship and move halfway across the country without risk. I decided that my quality of life was worth it, and I wasn’t wrong. But that was 2014, and things haven’t exactly bounced back yet because:

2.) My books are not performing as well as they should be. There are several reasons for this. One, is that I haven’t sold a new picture book yet (but I have three manuscripts I am actively working on RIGHT NOW, fingers crossed!). The second is that I haven’t been physically (or mentally) able to produce the massive quantities of fiction I want to produce. The third is that I feel obligated to finish the Woodcutter Sister series.

You’d think this last one wouldn’t put a wrench in the works, but it does. Harcourt still holds the rights to the first three books in this series, and will for some time. In order for me to make a real go of it at this self-publishing game, I need to have a WHOLE series in which ALL the books belong to me. Yes, I have an idea for what this series would be. I have LOTS of ideas. The problem is, I need to find a way to pay the bills with what I’m working on NOW so I can clear the decks and make that happen.

3.) I needed to find happiness again. Almost a decade ago I shattered into a million little pieces, and Princess Alethea rose from those ashes. I know how to find my happiness. Friends ask me for advice about this all the time. But even princesses, when left in the darkness for so long, can forget the reasons they get up in the mornings and why on earth they would ever smile. Social media became little more than a painful daily reminder of all the things I didn’t–and might never–have. Down and down the spiral went. I could sense the madness around the corner, and I had to nip it in the bud.

I moved to Florida FOR A REASON: to rebuild the Kingdom in my head. MY Kingdom. Consciously or not, I’ve been putting all the pieces into place this whole time.

Giving up the Fairy Tale Rants last year was harder than I ever thought it would be. Even though it didn’t pay the bills, every time I heard about a young person who sat down and mainlined all 55 episodes, it made my heart sing. For all that I do, I have always been a performer. My books, my videos, ME…all of these things are meant to bring joy to other people. My picture books readers, my romance, SF and horror friends, my fellow convention artists and cosplayers, my listeners and viewers. MY FAMILY.

Like Bilbo, I was starting to feel like butter scraped over too much bread. Relaunching the Patreon seemed the best way to gather all of ME in one place.

“And so I put a call here out into the world: if you have ever loved my writing, if you have ever met me at a convention, if you have ever admired my costumes, if you have ever read my essays, if you have ever watched a Fairy Tale Rant video, if you have ever liked something I’ve said or shared on social media, I invite you to my Kingdom where rainbows are seasonal and the flowers bloom all year round and exotic birds are as prevalent as exotic Pokémon…and there is glitter in the floorboards.”

If you love ME, and the magic I bring to the world, please click over to Patreon and help support this endeavor.

(At the very least, watch the video, because it’s 100% ME. And my friends. And my family. And Snake Plissken.  And Groot. It was incredibly fun to make, and I made it for you!)

Thank you, my friends. I really do love every single one of you. You are my world. My magical, wonderful world.

xox

~Alethea