I'm the only gay in the village?

[Jason L.]

Firstly, happy Pride to them as what're doing for it. My version of Pride is that I look at random things they put rainbows on now and mock them openly. This is my latest one:

I mean...why? Why? I mean, it's not as good as the radial tires from last year but...why?

I know that I'm not like Tigger - you know: I mean, I'm not the only one. I mean, I can't be the only LGBT person here writing "rainbow fiction". So if you are, and you want to make yourself known, please slide into my DMs, if you don't want to do it here. I would like to know where you are in your writing journey.

Okay that's it.

 

[AnnieSummerlee]

I saw that earlier on Twitter. I'm vegan so I guess I'll never know what an LGBT sandwich tastes like...
Most (all?) of my MC's are lesbians, and I've just started to dabble into sapphic romance. So you're not the only gay in the village!

 

[Jason L.]

HURRAY!!!! Oh do DM me, @AnnieSummerlee, as I want to finish the sunflower seed story. A lot of my heroes are gay men and then if I am feeling like "Oh crap this won't sell" I will be do something else. Right now only cozy mystery and gay romances seem to really move, and everything else just isn't.

 

[James Charles]

Firstly, happy Pride to them as what're doing for it. My version of Pride is that I look at random things they put rainbows on now and mock them openly. This is my latest one:

I mean...why? Why? I mean, it's not as good as the radial tires from last year but...why?

I know that I'm not like Tigger - you know: I mean, I'm not the only one. I mean, I can't be the only LGBT person here writing "rainbow fiction". So if you are, and you want to make yourself known, please slide into my DMs, if you don't want to do it here. I would like to know where you are in your writing journey.

Okay that's it.

I have a Gay characters in both my books, My War with Hemingway (2015) and Spirit of the Amaroq (2018). They are both serious, positive characters.

 

[Jason L.]

I have a Gay characters in both my books, My War with Hemingway (2015) and Spirit of the Amaroq (2018). They are both serious, positive characters.

That's because you're in general, an awesome human being. As a werewolf, you suck though.

 

[CageSage]

HURRAY!!!! Oh do DM me, @AnnieSummerlee, as I want to finish the sunflower seed story. A lot of my heroes are gay men and then if I am feeling like "Oh crap this won't sell" I will be do something else. Right now only cozy mystery and gay romances seem to really move, and everything else just isn't.

Let me lighten your day. Attached is the May 2023 page of a K-Lytics report indicating the value to you of your stories:


If it's too hard to read, let me elucidate: LGBTQ+ eBooks estimated sales per day of no. 1 bestseller: 2,625. I think there may be a few people looking for those books, don't you? And No, they're not all romances.

 

[Brooke]

@Jason L.
hi! i'm pansexual, and i kind of exclusively write LGBTQ+ stuff-- in pretty much everything i write, the MCs (and lots of other characters) are LGBTQ+. in the book i'm currently writing, the MC is bisexual, a friend of his is trans, another character is nonbinary and asexual, another is pansexual, and another is gay. not all of these are necessarily big plot points in the story, since i think the normalization of LGBTQ characters is great, especially in media for kids/teens.
writing all of that out makes me think i might have too much LGBTQ+ stuff in my books... but hey, they say "write what you know!"

edit: and if you're worried these types of books don't/won't sell, barnes and noble has an entire huge pride section of books (and last time i went, i beelined right for it, along with a crowd of teens and adults alike!)

 

[Jason L.]

Let me lighten your day. Attached is the May 2023 page of a K-Lytics report indicating the value to you of your stories:

View attachment 15761
If it's too hard to read, let me elucidate: LGBTQ+ eBooks estimated sales per day of no. 1 bestseller: 2,625. I think there may be a few people looking for those books, don't you? And No, they're not all romances.

That's amazing! I was rather under the impression that outside of a few rather feminized things nobody was buying. See? There's me acting like it's still 2003, because I am now at the age where I don't understand that it was actually 20 years ago and not last Thursday. You'll all get to that age. I promise you.

 

[CageSage]

That's amazing! I was rather under the impression that outside of a few rather feminized things nobody was buying. See? There's me acting like it's still 2003, because I am now at the age where I don't understand that it was actually 20 years ago and not last Thursday. You'll all get to that age. I promise you.

And all too rapidly, past it ...

 

[Peyton Stafford]

That's amazing! I was rather under the impression that outside of a few rather feminized things nobody was buying. See? There's me acting like it's still 2003, because I am now at the age where I don't understand that it was actually 20 years ago and not last Thursday. You'll all get to that age. I promise you.

OMG, Jason is becoming professorial.

 

[Jason L.]

OMG, Jason is becoming professorial.

Peyton, the more I know you, the more I enjoy your wit, because it's fantastic.

 

[Pamela Jo]

I dunno. I didnt deliberately write a non binary character. I needed a character who was a hunt saboteur and this voice in my head said, I'm here now love, shove over I've got this." In a perfect cut-crystal accent. What can I say, the collective Jungian consciousness is a deep ocean.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Firstly, happy Pride to them as what're doing for it. My version of Pride is that I look at random things they put rainbows on now and mock them openly. This is my latest one:

I mean...why? Why? I mean, it's not as good as the radial tires from last year but...why?

I know that I'm not like Tigger - you know: I mean, I'm not the only one. I mean, I can't be the only LGBT person here writing "rainbow fiction". So if you are, and you want to make yourself known, please slide into my DMs, if you don't want to do it here. I would like to know where you are in your writing journey.

Okay that's it.

I'm sorry now I cant unsee you as Tigger. Let's see.... Annie is definitely Roo. We already know who Matt is... Bev ID'd him already. Christopher Robin would have to be Pete.

 

[Jason L.]

 

[izi 出久]

I’m GaYyYyYyYy and always write gay romance because I can’t write het romance that ain’t awkward af.

 

[izi 出久]

Peyton, the more I know you, the more I enjoy your wit, because it's fantastic.

@Peyton Stafford is the OG at this point

 

[Mel L]

Happy Pride! I love to write gay characters, especially leading men. No idea why. Perhaps because I like reading gay fiction? Devoured Wodehouse and the 'dandy' of PSmith, Maupin's Tales of the City, all the Stephen McCauleys... Also enamoured of recent TV comedies with Josh Thomas and (fellow Canadian) Mae Martin. *Sigh* to be young again!

 

[LJ Beck]

I'm writing a book now, set in the future, where gender is no longer culturally important, and the categorizations of which gender you are attracted to are no longer needed. It's been interesting and the more I write, the more I hope, the more I write...

Happy Pride to all.

 

[AgentPete]

Had an incident barely a decade ago when a (major) publisher wanted a manuscript I was offering, but on the condition that the mc’s orientation was changed (i.e. no longer gay). I’m still proud to say that the author refused. We got a great publishing deal, anyway.

Most of this, I believe, is about fear. Sad to think this is still with us in the C21st.

 

[Jason L.]

Well done for your author but I'm not surprised in the least.

 

[Peyton Stafford]

Had an incident barely a decade ago when a (major) publisher wanted a manuscript I was offering, but on the condition that the mc’s orientation was changed (i.e. no longer gay). I’m still proud to say that the author refused. We got a great publishing deal, anyway.

Most of this, I believe, is about fear. Sad to think this is still with us in the C21st.

I was exhibiting books at a children's librarians conference. The guest speaker was a gay author. The main point of his talk was that the only way publishers allowed gay people as characters was if they suffered terrible consequences such as

Mark and Jimmy kissed. Squealing tires interrupted their passion. Jimmy ran to the window. An SUV sped away. Jimmy's dog howled in pain. A golden retriever a moment before. A disemboweled disaster now.​

You get the idea. Of course, this was before the pandemic. I'm sure the publishers have given up their fear of offending anyone, even Virginia Woolf fans, and are onboard with LGBT as long as it is spelled $LGBT.

 

[CarolMS]

That's amazing! I was rather under the impression that outside of a few rather feminized things nobody was buying. See? There's me acting like it's still 2003, because I am now at the age where I don't understand that it was actually 20 years ago and not last Thursday. You'll all get to that age. I promise you.

Jason, you are not in America 2023. HaHa. You're in Florida. (Forgive my biased West Coast perspective. ) I remember that book What's the Matter with Kansas? Now I think we need one called What's the Matter with Florida? I know, my political and social stripes are showing.

 

[CarolMS]

I was exhibiting books at a children's librarians conference. The guest speaker was a gay author. The main point of his talk was that the only way publishers allowed gay people as characters was if they suffered terrible consequences such as

Mark and Jimmy kissed. Squealing tires interrupted their passion. Jimmy ran to the window. An SUV sped away. Jimmy's dog howled in pain. A golden retriever a moment before. A disemboweled disaster now.​

You get the idea. Of course, this was before the pandemic. I'm sure the publishers have given up their fear of offending anyone, even Virginia Woolf fans, and are onboard with LGBT as long as it is spelled $LGBT.

@Peyton Stafford and @Jason L., @Brooke and others of you -- I receive regular emails from Penguine Random House and a few other sources for recommended books. Over the past year, especially, I've been struck by how many of them feature LGBTQ main characters, stories and themes (including lots of, but not only, coming-of-age novels and romances). I mean a lot. It's been so good to see. At first most featured gay and lesbian characters, but lately I've noticed many books have trans characters. And the target readers are mainstream, as well as LGBTQ. I love the way novels can expand people's awareness and understanding of others. I just wish there weren't so many idiots trying to ban such books from libraries, bookstores and schools!

 

[Jan L]

Firstly, happy Pride to them as what're doing for it. My version of Pride is that I look at random things they put rainbows on now and mock them openly. This is my latest one:

I mean...why? Why? I mean, it's not as good as the radial tires from last year but...why?

I know that I'm not like Tigger - you know: I mean, I'm not the only one. I mean, I can't be the only LGBT person here writing "rainbow fiction". So if you are, and you want to make yourself known, please slide into my DMs, if you don't want to do it here. I would like to know where you are in your writing journey.

Okay that's it.

Just seeing this because... yeah, PRIDE MONTH kept me BUSY. And I'm another Gay in the village - aka celebrated tea sipping Lez. I'm writing an LGBTQ+ historical crime thriller. Go team rainbow! xo

 

[Jason L.]

Just seeing this because... yeah, PRIDE MONTH kept me BUSY. And I'm another Gay in the village - aka celebrated tea sipping Lez. I'm writing an LGBTQ+ historical crime thriller. Go team rainbow! xo

Oooh, DO tell.

 

[izi 出久]

Just seeing this because... yeah, PRIDE MONTH kept me BUSY. And I'm another Gay in the village - aka celebrated tea sipping Lez. I'm writing an LGBTQ+ historical crime thriller. Go team rainbow! xo

Oooooooh welcome to all the GAYS (and others, we love you, too!). But GAYS.

 

[KateESal]

Sorry, bit late to the party, but LGBTQ+ romance is HUGE among pre-teen and teenage readers (speaking with my school librarian hat on). They can't get enough of it! It's partly the TikTok effect (lots of BookTokkers have been bigging up books with LGBTQ+ themes), partly the acceleration effect caused by the massive popularity of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper (books and Netflix) and also because that's the Zeitgeist's direction of travel, especially among younger readers.

Girls in particular love gay romance, and I think at least part of that is because the male characters are shown to have more vulnerable aspects to their characters, which makes them appealing. Also, there are some great authors writing in this genre!

Anyway, @Jason L. a belatedly happy Pride month to you, and the rest of the congregation of our fabulous queer Litopians!

Speaking as an official "fag-hag" (thanks for bestowing that moniker, gay boyfriends — I wear it with pride, of course!!) not to mention DJ of choice at Sapphic weddings, I'm a signed-up, rainbow-flag-waving ally and love the gay character I wrote into my most recent novel.