THE INSPIRATION. The inspiration for A Date With the Fairy Drag Queen began in 1990 when a series of events led me to Horizon House, a home for men dying of AIDS. The Jesuit motto is "men and women in service of others" and a key part of our college curriculum was active participation in community service. I was assigned to HH, specifically as a companion to Chris, who was struggling more than some of the others to accept his terminal illness.
THE TITLE. The novel's title was inspired by Bob Dylan's Soon After Midnight. "Charlotte's a harlot. Dresses in scarlet. Mary dresses in green. It's soon after midnight. And I've got a date with fairy queen." Where does the drag come in? As a 19-20 year old, I volunteered at Horizon House, a hospice for men dying of AIDS. I was assigned to a curmudgeonly older man who did not like me. Until we discovered a mutual love of Dylan. Chris liked to think there would be a fairy drag queen waiting for him on the other side. When he learned I wanted to be a novelist, he said something along the lines of "make sure I'm in it, and make sure Charlie (dog) is, too." They are. I know that he'd be proud in his crusty way...."it's probably not all bad." Here's to Chris and Charlie.
THE SEEDS. The novel itself began as three short pieces in Valley Haggard's Thursday night Life in 10 Minutes writing workshop.
THE WORK. The actual writing of the novel took place at the Starbucks at Broad and Bowe where Rene Genesee Smith created a community of oddballs and misfits-the perfect space to write about those who are "othered."
THE END. When I got fired from a law firm in the fall of 2019, my husband told me to take some time to finish my novel before I found another job. I wrote "the end" on the manuscript at the Broad & Bowe Starbucks in December 2019. That location was destroyed in the riots in May, 2020.
THE SYNOPSIS. https://shorturl.at/wiGq7
THE FLIRTATION. Three years in a row I won the Agent Dating Game at the James River Writer's Conference. Each time winning a one-on-one with an agent, all of whom asked to see the complete manuscript when I gave my elevator pitch. They had wonderful things to say about A Date With the Fairy Drag Queen. "devastating, heart breaking, compelling." They didn't take me on as a client, but they gave me invaluable advice and feedback.
THE FINETUNING. I hired an amazing editor - Cindy Cunningham, formerly with Life in 10 and now the founder of the Wellspring Writing Collective.
THE HUNT. Beginning on June 27, 2024, I sent queries/bios/synopses/sample pages/complete manuscript to seventy-five (75) potential agents and publishers. On July 11, 2024, I got my first interested publisher, on July 12th the second; the third on July 24th.
THE EMAIL. On July 29, 2024, I got an email from Miranda at Koehler Books; we talked on July 31, 2024.
THE OFFER. Koehler Books has offered me a hybrid/co-publishing contract for a June 2025 release of A Date With the Fairy Drag Queen
THE VETTING. The contract was reviewed by an attorney who found it to be "excellent," and "author-friendly." Kelly Justice, owner of Fountain Bookstore said they have a good working relationship with Koehler and have stocked their books on their shelves. Add to that my own "gut instinct" that this was the right fit.
THE DEADLINE: My soft deadline to sign the contract is August 10, 2024. The hard deadline is August 18, 2024.
THE ASK. As of August 7, 2024, I have received $2,691 in generous contributions. An additional $2,388 will help me realize my lifelong dream of being a published novelist. Please donate what you can. To donate click here.
THE ITEMIZATION. Your contributions will go toward: title preparation; front cover design; marketing program; line editing; text layout; copyedit and proofreading; soft cover and hardcover wrap; printing and distribution assistance for softcovers, hardcovers, a digital ARC (Advanced Readers Copy), and eBook prep and processing.
THE WISDOM: “It's hard enough to give fearlessly, and it's even harder to receive fearlessly. But within that exchange lies the hardest thing of all: To ask. Without shame. And to accept the help that people offer. Not to force them. Just to let them.” ― Amanda Palmer, quote from The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
THE WHERE. A Date With the Fairy Drag Queen will be available through Ingram to over 30,000 online and brick and mortar retailers for print and digital. You'll also be able to read it on your eReader.
THE WHEN. Expected release date for A Date With the Fairy Drag Queen is June 17, 2025.
THE STANDARDS. the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) has set the criteria for the standards for independent and hybrid publishers:
1. Define a mission and vision for its publishing program.
2. Vet submissions.
3. Commit to truth and transparency in business practices.
4. Provide a negotiable easy-to-understand contract for each book published.
5. Publish under its own imprint(s) and ISBNs.
6. Publish to industry standards.
7. Ensure editorial, design, and production quality.
8. Pursue and manage a range of publishing rights.
9. Provide distribution services.
10. Demonstrate respectable sales.
11. Pay authors a higher-than-standard royalty.
Koehler Books meets all eleven (11) industry standards.
THE MODELS: Traditional. Self/Independent. Co/Hybrid. What's the difference?
Traditional Publishing House:
• Publishers assume financial risk up front, and authors receive an advance on that risk
• Publishers retain all royalties until the book's sales have recouped the advance
• Publishers keep a higher percent of the royalties; often retain the rights to the book.
• Publishers have more control over the final product (design, content, marketing.
• Best for established authors with name recognition, breakthrough success through a traditional publishing house is rare
Self/Independent Publishing:
• Publishing without a traditional publishing house or company
• Authors pay all costs of the publishing process: editing, design, format, etc.
• Authors retain full creative control and ownership of the book rights.
• Authors have autonomy and higher royalty rates
• Little to no oversight of the quality of the finished project.
Hybrid/Co-Publishing:
• Authors share in the risk up front while receiving the same high-quality services
• Authors immediately earn royalties on publication
• Authors keep a higher percentage of royalties and often retain rights to the book
• Authors and publishers collaborate on editing, design, marketing, distribution
THE VANITY: Reputable hybrid publishers are NOT vanity presses. Vanity presses are a pay-to-publish scheme. They get no money from selling the books, so have no skin in the game about the finished product.
