Author @ Work

It’s been nearly three months since my novella debut. Working as a new, self-published author has been eye-opening and difficult. It is also promising in many ways. One of the greatest challenges, which I knew would be an obstacle, is reaching readers. The many algorithms of the corporate-owned online cyberscape hampers any newcomer to the authorial space, nevermind someone like myself who wishes to share mature tales that include playful smut within the plot.

I am positively thrilled to have reached some readers, though–and doubly thrilled to hear back that they’ve really enjoyed The Wanton Witch & the Werewolf. I’m also pleased to say that my novella is also now listed amongst friends on the Monster Romance Reads website! It’s a lovely place to find book recommendations and promotions for fantasy romance lovers of monstrously good taste~

I’ve been working in earnest drafting the next Aetherial Afterglow tale. I hope to have it finished, edited, and polished in order to publish sometime late this spring. Of course, it’s proving more difficult than anticipated since it’s on track to be double the size of the first novella. This is by no means a bad thing–just a wee bit unexpected. More text means more edits, and more edits means more time. Regardless, it’s shaping up to be an adventurous good time with our witch Orrla among fabled fae royalty! Expect a magical mystery; ethereally beautiful fae; lactation kink; devoted spouses finding a third; a dash of courtly intrigue; and more~

When I write for this series, I always have three things in mind: one, craft a compelling, (relatively) concise story arc set into a rich, complex fantasy backdrop; two, explore sex, intimacy, and (sometimes) kink between queer characters in an honest yet fun way; and three, produce prose that is artful, affecting, and approachable. I could potentially be far more prolific if I didn’t have personally strict quality control when it comes to the creative work I produce. (Which isn’t to say it’s by any means flawless, just that everything I do will come with a guaranteed amount of earnest effort from me!) Alas, my writing pace and personal expectations mean I take time to do various things.

Even so, I’m fairly adamant about releasing a novella entry into the Aetherial Afterglow series for each season. My debut was released in winter; this one–whose working title I will reveal now (!) as Bough, Pearl, & Horn–is destined for spring. Plans for subsequent entries for summer and autumn are already in motion as well! (Plus a couple outlines for next year…) This time around, with one published work under my belt, I will do my best to have a marketing period to offer ARCs (advance-reader-copies) to interested readers for honest reviews. It’s unclear how well a “pre-order” system will work for a newly established independent author, but we shall see!

I want to thank every reader for giving my stories your attention. It means the world to me. Your support, emotional and financial, helps me to continue on creating in this wacky world of ours. I want to thank every reader who was kind enough to leave a review–they truly help a lot, especially in the Amazon retail ecosystem. To every other person who has shared a social media post, boosted a promotion, or just given me a modicum of encouragement–thank you, too!

Sincerely,
Your friendly queer erotica author,
Quinn [they/them]

Hello Debut

A series of firsts–first blog post, first official author website, first erotica novella. Boxing Day 2023 comes with a slew of celebration when it comes to debuts! I’m Quinn Cray Chonk and I’m thrilled to be having a bunch of firsts to share with ya’ll readers and cyberspace dwellers.

I’m a young 30-something non-binary writer, and this is my initial foray into the professional erotica world. As an unabashed monster fucker/lover, fantasy was easily the romance niche I was most excited to dive into. I bring to my work what I’m most excited to see in the fiction I play, read, or hear: deep worldbuilding, cozy vibes, diverse bodies, spikes of action, developed queer characters, indulgent intimacy, and enthusiastic consent. Essentially a fanciful mature smorgasbord for any adult romantasy fan who enjoys added spice to their stories!

Working on The Wanton Witch & the Werewolf was a very enjoyable experience. My previous smut-crafting experience was entirely within fanfiction; getting to design original characters and stories with intimacy in mind was a fascinating new challenge to tackle. After completing the novella draft and then editing it, the real difficult work for me began–marketing.

I have an undergrad and graduate degree in writing fiction–but no official training in matters of business, economy, or the aforementioned marketing. Writing and editing are skills I’m comfortable with; seeking out the means of sharing that writing with the world relies on wholly less developed skills of mine. So I set out on my own to try and research what the present fantasy erotica scene is like; what present authors do to share their work; and how folks go about the extremely tricky dance of advertising 18+ fiction without stepping on the toes of various companies’ rules.

With a lot of concerted effort, I was at least able to put together this website, some bits of social media presence (despite my overall anxiety using them), and craft a decent looking e-book cover for the Amazon marketplace. As of yesterday–Christmas Day 2023–the first episodic novella in the Aetherial Afterglow series is live and available for purchase!

I hope to reach out to various erotica book review blogs to see if folks would mind giving my story a gander and leaving a review. Amazon’s Terms of Service for self-published authors can often be strict about things like reviews–but at the same time, such reviews are critical and essential for authors to be able to reach audiences who would enjoy their work. I’m hoping to do the best for my work while remaining faithful to the rulesets applied to me.

Outside of this erotica authorship journey, I’ve been enjoying the holiday season with family and friends. I live with my spouse and two cats in the northeast US. Sadly, no white X-mas this year. Instead, a very foggy one! I’ll be balancing holiday relaxing and supporting The Wanton Witch & the Werewolf in the run-up to New Year’s Eve where I’ll be hosting friends for a fun evening of catching-up and group commiseration/venting about the previous year.

With that, my first blog post is concluded. Thank you for reading and your support. Any reviews, shared links, or word-of-mouth recommendations are all appreciated.

Sincerely,
Your friendly queer erotica author,
Quinn (they/them)