Cloaked Press

Indie Publisher of SF, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, and Other Spec Fi. Subs usually open for something year round. Check our links for details.

[cloakedpress]

<3 Welcome to Cloaked Press <3

Whimsical. Dark. Reader-obsessed.

We’re a small, independent publishing house conjured into existence in 2017 by writers who wanted something different—something better—for authors and readers alike.

We specialize in: Fantasy that cuts deep Horror that lingers in your bones Sci-fi that stares back when you blink at the stars

And yes—we actually market for our authors. Because we’re author-owned. Because we believe in paying it forward. Because writers should be seen and sold.

We release about 5 spellbinding titles per year, carefully chosen and beautifully crafted, with a focus on original voices, queer stories, and genre blends that don’t color inside the lines.

Our books live in indie bookstores, haunt the halls of Amazon, rest quietly on Barnes & Noble Online, and sometimes whisper through the pages of your favorite newsletter.

Want to know more? Check out our latest titles, preorder something strange and wonderful, or follow us here for behind-the-scenes, cover reveals, author spotlights, and bookish chaos.

linktr.ee/cpllc

[akidoodles]

Ghost Punch Grim Reflection character cards

[readingthroughthestarjar]

I received this ARC from @cloakedpress

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 rounded up to 5!

I enjoyed the characters and story quite a bit! However do keep in mind there are some heavy, dark themes. There are trigger warnings and they should definitely be minded.

This isn't my normal style but I thought it was done very well and the prose is very good. I am interested in reading the sequel for sure!

Once again mind the trigger warnings!

Up next is Voyage of the Damned by Frances White!

[readingthroughthestarjar]

January Wrap Up

I wanted to do monthly wrap ups this year! We're still catching up to the end of the month with reviews, but thought I'd post the wrap up before it was. Yknow. The 16th.

ARC List

The Deep Dark Place by Sam Hval. Releases on February 12th!

Books read - 7

Favorite Read

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell. I really enjoyed the Simon Snow trilogy and I'm very glad I read it!

Least Favorite Read

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. Ugh. Lol.

DNF List

A House Like an Accordian

Phantom and Rook

Royal Rescue

It felt like I had a lot more but probably because I tried to read all three of these for so long before I threw in the towel. (If you want specifics feel free to DM me!)

Aaaand that's a wrap in January! February should have more ARCs!

[abalonetea]

Happy fifth of December!

Reblog this post with a link to one of your published works!

[akiwitch]

Amazon.com: Grim Reflection (Ghost Punch Book 1) eBook : Lawrence, A., Press, Cloaked : Kindle Store

[cloakedpress]

Omniscient POV vs. Limited POV: Choosing the Right Lens for Your Story

Point of view is one of those craft choices that quietly shapes everything—tone, pacing, intimacy, tension—often before a reader consciously notices it. Two of the most commonly confused options are omniscient POV and limited POV. They can look similar on the surface, but they create very different reading experiences.

Let’s break them down.

What Is Limited POV?

Limited point of view sticks closely to a single character’s perspective at a time. Most often, this is third-person limited, though first-person works similarly in terms of scope.

In limited POV:

We experience the story through one character’s perceptions

We only know what that character knows, notices, or interprets

Other characters’ thoughts and motivations are inferred through dialogue and action

Think of limited POV as sitting inside a character’s head with the door closed. We might hear what’s happening outside, but everything is filtered through that one consciousness.

Why writers choose it:

Strong emotional intimacy

Clear character voice

Natural tension created by missing information

Popular in modern fiction, especially genre work

Common pitfalls:

Head-hopping (slipping into another character’s thoughts mid-scene)

Over-explaining the POV character’s emotions instead of letting actions speak

Forgetting the character’s biases and limitations

What Is Omniscient POV?

Omniscient point of view is told by an all-knowing narrator who is not limited to any single character’s perspective.

In omniscient POV:

The narrator can access multiple characters’ thoughts

The narrator may comment on events, themes, or motivations

The voice of the narrator matters as much as the characters themselves

Omniscient POV isn’t just “head-hopping done on purpose.” It’s a distinct narrative stance with its own rules.

Think of omniscient POV as hovering above the story, zooming in and out at will—sometimes intimate, sometimes distant, always intentional.

Why writers choose it:

Big-picture storytelling

Thematic depth and commentary

Dramatic irony (the reader knows things the characters don’t)

A more classic or mythic tone

Common pitfalls:

Lack of a consistent narrative voice

Random or unmotivated POV shifts

Flattened emotional impact if the narrator stays too distant

The Key Difference (And Why It Matters)

The real difference isn’t how many heads you’re in—it’s who is telling the story.

Limited POV: The story is filtered through a character.

Omniscient POV: The story is filtered through a narrator.

In limited POV, emotional impact comes from closeness. In omniscient POV, impact often comes from contrast, irony, or scope.

Neither is “better.” They just serve different kinds of stories.

How to Write Limited POV Well

Stay grounded in sensory details your POV character would notice

Let misunderstandings and blind spots create tension

Keep scene breaks clean when switching POVs

Trust the reader to read between the lines

If you’re ever unsure whose thoughts you’re in, your reader definitely is too.

How to Write Omniscient POV Well

Develop a clear, consistent narrative voice

Make POV shifts purposeful, not convenient

Use distance and closeness intentionally

Remember: the narrator has opinions, even if subtle ones

Good omniscient POV feels controlled, not chaotic.

Choosing the Right One

Ask yourself:

Do I want the reader to feel inside one character’s experience?

Or do I want them to understand the story from a wider, more knowing perspective?

If your story thrives on secrecy, uncertainty, and emotional immediacy, limited POV may serve you best. If it thrives on theme, fate, and interconnected lives, omniscient POV might be the better fit.

Point of view isn’t just a technical choice—it’s a promise to the reader about how they’ll experience your story. Choose the one you can commit to, and then commit fully.

Happy writing ✨

[satan-offical]

Don't use Gemini or ChatGPT just use me, I can give you misinformation and I'll do a little dance

[cloakedpress]

💔 EMOTIONS: THE SECRET INGREDIENT YOUR STORY IS STARVING FOR

Filed under: Writing Tips, Writer Feels, Prose That Bleeds

Let’s be clear: if your story doesn’t make anyone feel something… It’s not a story. It’s a mildly interesting grocery list with plot.

We don’t stay up past midnight flipping pages for worldbuilding. We stay because our hearts are tangled in someone else’s grief, joy, rage, or reckless longing.

🌒 1. EMOTION IS THE REAL MAGIC. Swords are cool. Starships are cooler. But if your protagonist can’t feel anything while their kingdom burns or their lover leaves, we’re not going to care.

Emotion is what turns “plot” into “experience.”

🕯️ 2. DON’T TELL US HOW TO FEEL. BLEED IT ONTO THE PAGE. Don’t write:

“She was sad.”

Write:

“She sat on the floor and peeled the label off her bottle, again and again, until her thumbs stung.”

Let your character’s actions, reactions, and silences carry the emotional weight. Readers aren’t dumb—they’ll feel it if you let them.

🌊 3. BIG MOMENTS NEED SOFT SPACES. The battle is epic. The twist is brutal. But did you give us the quiet after? The shaking hands. The broken voice. The moment of laughter that comes too soon and too loud.

Emotion lives in the in-between.

🔥 4. EVEN MONSTERS FEEL. Your villain? They cry in the dark. Your hero? They panic, spiral, grieve, hope.

Emotions don’t make characters weak—they make them real. And real characters make unforgettable stories.

🖋️ 5. WRITE WHAT HURTS. That thing you don’t want to write? That scene that hits a little too close? That’s probably the one readers will remember years from now.

Emotions make your writing honest. And honest writing haunts.

✨ Final Spell: If plot is the skeleton, emotion is the blood. Let your story feel. Let it ache, laugh, scream, love. Because when your reader’s chest tightens and their throat burns—they’re not just reading. They’re living it.

Write brave. Write raw. —Cloaked Press 🖤

[cloakedpress]

WRITING DIVERSITY WITHOUT SCREWING IT UP

Filed under: Writing Tips, Hot Takes, Don't Be That Author

Let’s talk about writing diverse characters. Not the kind where someone slaps “ethnically ambiguous” on a background character and calls it representation. We mean actual diversity. Of race. Gender. Culture. Ability. Queerness. Faith. Class. Neurodivergence. The whole spectral banquet of humanity.

So here’s how to not write a disaster:

🌈 1. DIVERSITY ISN’T A TREND. It's not a flavor of the month. It’s not a box to tick so your story looks “woke.” If you're adding a marginalized character just to prove you're a Good Writer™—don't.

Diverse people are not seasoning. They’re the meal.

🧠 2. AVOID THE TRAP OF “DIVERSITY” = TRAUMA. Marginalized characters deserve joy, magic, adventure, romance, rage, and bad decisions—not just stories about pain.

If your only disabled character exists to “inspire” the abled hero, congrats: you wrote a Hallmark villain origin story.

💀 3. STEREOTYPES ARE LAZY. No, not all Black characters need to be sassy. Not all queer characters need tragic pasts. Not all Asian characters are geniuses. We contain multitudes. Write people, not tropes.

When in doubt: if it feels like something a 90s sitcom would do, delete it.

📖 4. DO YOUR DAMN RESEARCH. Writing outside your own lived experience? Cool. But don’t wing it.

Read books by people in that community.

Follow creators, not just critics.

Listen before you write.

Get sensitivity readers if you’re stepping into unfamiliar territory.

Google is free. So are most library cards.

🩶 5. LET DIVERSITY TOUCH THE WHOLE STORY. Don’t silo it. A queer character’s identity affects how they move through the world. A character with chronic illness may interact with magic, tech, or battle differently. Let identity shape the narrative. That’s the good stuff.

✨ Final Spell: Representation isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being thoughtful. Intentional. Honest.

Don’t write to impress. Write to reflect the world—and maybe make it a little bigger in the process.

Stay strange, stay true. —Cloaked Press 🖤

[cranberry-queen]

Tips from a Beta Reading Writer

This one's for the scenes with multiple characters, and you're not sure how to keep everyone involved.

Writing group scenes is chaos. Someone’s talking, someone’s interrupting, someone’s zoning out thinking about breadsticks. And if you’re not careful, half your cast fades into the background like NPCs in a video game. I used to struggle with this so much—my characters would just exist in the scene without actually affecting it. But here’s what I've learned and have started implementing:

✨ Give everyone a job in the scene ✨

Not their literal job—like, not everyone needs to be solving a crime or casting spells. I mean: Why are they in this moment? What’s their role in the conversation?

My favourite examples are:

The Driver: Moves the convo forward. They have an agenda, they’re pushing the action.

The Instigator: Pokes the bear. Asks the messy questions. Stirring the pot like a chef on a mission.

The Voice of Reason: "Guys, maybe we don’t commit arson today?"

The Distracted One: Completely in their own world. Tuning out, doodling on a napkin, thinking about their ex.

The Observer: Not saying much, but noticing everything. (Quiet characters still have presence!)

The Wild Card: Who knows what they’ll do? Certainly not them. Probably about to make things worse.

If a character has no function, they’ll disappear. Give them something—even if it’s just a side comment, a reaction, or stealing fries off someone’s plate. Keep them interesting, and your readers will stay interested too.

[cloakedpress]

🖋️ WRITING DIALOGUE THAT DOESN’T SUCK (EVEN A LITTLE BIT)

Filed under: Writing Tips, Writer Problems, Mysteriously Good Prose

So. You’re writing a scene. It’s tense. Maybe someone just confessed to murder—or worse, love. You lean back, crack your knuckles, and then…

Your characters start talking like they're auditioning for a soap opera in purgatory.

Don’t panic. Cloaked Press is here to help you un-suckify your dialogue.

🌕 1. IF IT SOUNDS LIKE A SCREENPLAY FROM THE VOID, DELETE IT. Bad dialogue often tries too hard to sound dramatic. You know the kind:

“I can’t believe you, Veronica. After everything.” “Don’t you see? I had to steal the emerald dagger. For us.”

No one talks like this. Not even cursed pirate lovers from the 18th century.

Try this instead:

“You always think I owe you.” “I didn’t do it for you. I did it so we’d both live.”

Still dramatic. Still juicy. But believable.

🌘 2. EVERY LINE SHOULD DO SOMETHING. Dialogue isn’t filler. It’s not there to kill time until the next werewolf attack or necromancer duel. It should:

Reveal character

Build tension

Advance the plot

Or be so charming we want to tattoo it on our forearm

If it doesn’t do any of those, cut it like it just betrayed the protagonist.

🌒 3. GIVE YOUR CHARACTERS DIFFERENT VOICES (NO, REALLY) All your characters shouldn’t sound like you with a thesaurus. One mumbles. One over-explains. One says “fuck” like it’s a comma.

Think of dialogue like fingerprints. No two should match.

🌑 4. SUBTEXT IS YOUR DARK AND GLORIOUS FRIEND. What characters don’t say is often more powerful than what they do.

“You’re late.” “Traffic.” “Right.” She doesn’t ask why he smells like blood.

That’s tension. That’s mystery. That’s 👏 how 👏 we 👏 do 👏 it.

🌗 5. READ IT OUT LOUD. CRINGE TEST ENGAGED. If it makes you wince when you read it, congrats. You found the bad line. Fix it or bury it under the floorboards.

Bonus: hearing it aloud helps you catch rhythm, pacing, and any unintentional comedy.

✨ Final Spell: Great dialogue feels natural, but it’s actually sneaky and intentional. Like a fae bargain. Or your favorite villain.

So revise. Listen. And don’t be afraid to make it weird.

Darkly yours, —The Cloaked Press Team 🖤

[cloakedpress]

how to avoid burnout as a writer (from someone who has been on fire too many times)

✨ burnout is real and it sucks. ✨ it sneaks up on you. one day you're vibing, writing 3k words like you're possessed by a victorian ghost, and the next you can't even open your google doc without feeling like you're made of sand.

so, here’s a soft little reminder list for avoiding that very specific hell:

1. set baby goals, not monster goals.

yes, it’s sexy to aim for 5k words a day. no, it’s not sustainable unless you are a literal cryptid who feeds on caffeine and deadlines. try "write 100 words" or "open the document and stare at it lovingly." smaller wins keep the spark alive.

2. romanticize resting.

if you treat naps, nature walks, and binge-watching shows like sacred rituals, your brain will actually thank you by NOT catching fire. resting isn't "losing time" — it's fueling your magic.

3. stop treating first drafts like final drafts.

your first draft is supposed to be messy. it’s a goblin draft. let it have typos and weird pacing and characters who change eye color halfway through a scene. perfectionism is burnout’s evil twin.

4. write for yourself first.

not your future readers. not your critical cousin. not even your annoying inner editor who sounds suspiciously like your 8th grade english teacher. write what makes you feel something.

5. say yes to real life.

touch grass. call your friends. eat a popsicle. people-watching at the grocery store counts as research, actually. if you make your whole life about writing, it will eat you alive. you are a human, not a word factory.

6. accept the seasons of writing.

sometimes you’ll be in full-on creative beast mode. sometimes you’ll feel like a wrung-out dishcloth. both are normal. trust the cycle.

🌿 writing is a long game. protect your spark. protect your heart. the world needs your stories, but it needs you more. 🌿

[cloakedpress]

I have this character named Jade. She's the sister of one of the MC's, Meia. She's kind of the antagonist in this story, having stolen the Emerald Crown. I know for what purpose she did this: So people like her and Meia could live somewhere (they lost their parents and couldn't find a place in Emeraude anymore). Meia is going on the quest to sabotage it. I want Jade to change her mind at the end of the story, but... How do I do that?

Jade’s change of heart could come from her growing inner conflict over the consequences of her actions. Initially, she steals the Emerald Crown to secure a future for herself and Meia, but as the story progresses, she starts to see how her plan brings unintended harm to others. The guilt begins to weigh on her, and by the end of the story, she’s torn between her sense of survival and the realization that her actions are causing more suffering than she anticipated.

[cloakedpress]

Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing: Let’s Talk Pros & Cons

Hey writer friends (and curious readers)!  

If you’re knee-deep in drafting your novel or have a shiny manuscript ready to go, you’ve probably asked yourself:  

Should I self-publish, or go the traditional route?

The answer? It depends. (Annoying, I know—but stick with me.)

Let’s break it down.

SELF-PUBLISHING: Total Control, Total Chaos

Pros:

- Creative Freedom: Want a purple cover with a sword-wielding raccoon on it? Do it. Your book, your rules.

- Speed: You can publish as soon as you're ready—no year-long submission slogs.

- Royalties: You keep a bigger piece of the pie. Amazon, for example, gives you up to 70%.

- You Own Everything: Rights? Yours. Choices? Yours. Empire? Potentially yours.

Cons:

- You're the Boss (and the Intern): Editing, cover design, marketing? All on you, unless you outsource.

- Money Upfront: Professional editing and cover art cost money. Good books need investment.

- Distribution Struggles: Getting into bookstores is harder, and industry recognition isn’t guaranteed.

- Marketing is Mandatory: If you don’t shout about your book, no one else will. Harsh but true.

---

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING: Prestige & Patience (Big 5 and Bigger Publishers)

Pros:

- Professional Team: Editors, designers, marketers—oh my! You get a whole squad.

- Industry Cred: Awards, reviews, and shelf space in bookstores become a real possibility.

- Advance Money: Sometimes you get paid *before* the book even drops.

- Wider Distribution: Libraries, indie stores, and big box stores are way more accessible.

Cons:

- Gatekeeping is Real: Getting an agent and a deal can take years—and lots of rejections.

- You Lose Some Control: Your title, cover, even content might change based on the publisher’s vision.

- Royalties Are Lower: Expect 8-15% on print books, and smaller eBook percentages.

- Slower Process: From acceptance to release can take 1–2 years. Yep. Years.

So…Which One’s Better?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.  

Want to maintain creative control and move fast? Self-pub might be your jam.  

Crave bookstore presence and a team behind you? Traditional could be the dream.

TL;DR: - Self-pub = indie punk rock band. Loud, scrappy, fully yours.   - Traditional = record label deal. Glossier, wider reach, but more compromise.

Whichever path you choose—just keep writing.

[cloakedpress]

how to write characters that feel like real people and not NPCs in your brain

You ever read a book and think “this character would survive maybe five minutes in a real conversation”? Yeah. Let’s avoid that. Here’s how to make your fictional friends feel real:

everyone wants something

Even if it’s small. Even if it’s stupid. Every character—from your MC to the one-line barista—should want something. A promotion. Revenge. A nap. World domination. That want shapes how they act.

give them contradictions

Humans are messy. Let your characters be brave and terrified, kind but petty, loyal but deeply in denial. That tension? That’s where the magic lives.

let them make bad choices

If your character is right all the time, they’re either boring or a liar. People mess up. Let your character mess up in ways that feel true to them, not just to move the plot.

interior life > cool dialogue

Quippy one-liners are fun, but what’s going on underneath? What are they afraid to say out loud? What thoughts would they take to the grave? That’s what makes a character feel alive.

how do they show emotion?

Not everyone cries when sad. Some get mean. Some go quiet. Some rearrange their bookshelves obsessively. Find their emotional language.

backstory = spice, not soup

You don’t need a 12-page trauma dump to make a character real. Drip in bits of their past when it matters. Let it shape them quietly.

voice matters

Everyone shouldn’t sound like you. Think about how your character talks. What words do they overuse? Do they ramble? Are they blunt? What don’t they say?

tl;dr: believable characters aren’t perfect—they’re specific. They’ve got fears, flaws, favorite snacks, weird opinions, and conflicting goals. Make them messy. Make them human.

[cloakedpress]

how to fight writer’s block like it personally insulted your best friend

Writer’s block isn’t a myth. It’s real. It’s rude. And it shows up exactly when you don’t want it to—like an ex at your book launch. Here’s how to yeet it into the void:

1. stop trying to write “good”

Seriously. Lower the bar. Bury the bar. Let the bar rot in the forest. Write badly on purpose. Be cringe. Be free. You can’t fix a blank page, but you can edit a disaster.

2. change the medium

Tired: typing in the same doc for hours. Wired: scribbling in a notebook like a Victorian ghost. Inspired: recording a voice memo like a sleep-deprived cryptid explaining your plot to future you.

3. skip the part that’s blocking you

Stuck on Chapter 5? Write Chapter 9. Write the ending. Write that one scene with the knife and the rain and the betrayal. You can stitch it all together later like Frankenstein’s monster.

4. give your brain new input

Go outside. Touch grass. Watch a movie. Read a book not in your genre. Eavesdrop at a coffee shop. Ideas in = ideas out.

5. bribe yourself

“Write 100 words and you get a cookie.” “Finish this scene and you can scroll Pinterest for aesthetics.” Become your own treat-dispensing machine.

6. embrace ✨trash drafts✨

Your first draft is not the final product. It’s the mess you make before the magic. Let it be wild. Let it be ugly. Let it live.

7. stop declaring war on your creativity

Sometimes writer’s block is just burnout in a trench coat. Maybe what you need isn’t to write harder—it’s to rest, to dream, to let the well refill.

tl;dr: writer’s block can’t survive if you trick it into thinking you're just vibing. So vibe. Write weird stuff. Take breaks. Make art like no one’s watching (because no one is yet).

You’ve got this.

[cloakedpress]

how to weave subplots into your story without getting tangled in the mess

Subplots: the spicy side quests of your main narrative. They deepen your world, flesh out your characters, and keep things interesting. But if you’ve ever added one and ended up with a story that feels like it’s running in six directions at once… yeah. Let’s fix that.

1. your subplot should serve the main plot

Don’t just throw in a romance arc or a secret sibling reveal because it’s fun (though it is fun). Ask:  

- Does this subplot challenge the main character’s goals?  

- Does it echo or contrast the main theme?  

- Does it change something by the end?

If it’s just a cute side quest with no real impact, it’s fanfic material for your own story. Cool, but maybe not plot-essential.

2. intertwine, don’t parallel

Bad: your subplot exists in a bubble, running beside the plot but never touching it.  

Better: your subplot interacts with the main plot. Maybe it complicates things. Maybe it supports the MC in a moment of crisis. Maybe it explodes everything.

Example: your MC is hunting a killer, and the subplot is their failing marriage. Good subplotting means the stress of the hunt affects the marriage, and the marriage affects the hunt.

3. stagger your arcs

Your main plot might hit its midpoint twist at chapter 10. Have a subplot hit a *smaller* emotional beat around chapter 7 or 13. It keeps pacing dynamic and gives your readers something to chew on between big moments.

4. use subplots to develop side characters

Side characters are more than background noise. Give them wants. Give them stakes. Let their stories *collide* with your MC’s. That’s when the magic happens.

5. know when to shut it down 

Not every subplot needs a 3-act structure and a dramatic finale. Some are small. Some fade out naturally. Some just shift the perspective enough to reframe the main plot. If you’re tying up subplot #6 with a bow in the epilogue, maybe ask yourself if it really needed to be there.

6. outline the spiderweb 

It helps to map out how every subplot connects to the main story. Literally. Draw lines. Make a chaos diagram. It doesn’t have to be neat—just make sure those threads touch.

TL;DR:

Subplots are great. Subplots are juicy. But they’re not decoration—they’re infrastructure. Weave them into the story’s bones or risk writing 3 novels in one.