The Tumblr of Kody Boye @kodyboye - Tumblr Blog

Hello everyone! My name is Kody Boye, and I'm a horror, fantasy, and science-fiction writer who currently lives in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. When not writing, I enjoy playing video games, browsing Facebook endlessly, and admiring cats on Instagram and TikTok (it's an unhealthy obsession.)

My writing primarily centers around young people who work to save their worlds from all manner of things, be it aliens, vampires, zombies, or dystopian governments. If you've stumbled upon my work, it may have been through my Red Wolf Saga, my When They Came trilogy, or my Beautiful Ones series. I have several free series starters for you to get a taste of my work, and you can find a blog post with information about them by clicking or tapping here.

The inserted link directs you to all my important pages(mainly being: my website, my Facebook Fangroup, and my Patreon page.) I also have a Ko-Fi site and an integrated store if you're interested in offering a one-time donation or purchasing something that way.

My most recent project is a serial horror novel set in 1845 Texas, and follows a young woman who must face a monster set on terrorizing her community. It's available on Kindle Vella and my Patreon.

As always: reblogs are appreciated, as they help me reach a greater audience.

Thanks again!

—Kody Boye

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #young adult books

avaantares

Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP

(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)

An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:

(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)

I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:

IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.

You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:

HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:

First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.

Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.

Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.

In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.

In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:

I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.

In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.

Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.

Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!

NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!

#signal boost #writeblr

neil-gaiman

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to get into writing fantasy? I get stuck in my head that I'll never put out anything great like Stardust or Earthsea and that it's just not possible to ever write anything like that in the modern world, because the stories have already been told and no one cares what the next generation has to say. And while I know most writers think they're garbage and you'll always be your worst critic, I can't help but think it's impossible to create great fantasy, and even if you do, no one will ever read it because the new generation isn't Le Guin or Tolkien or you. I guess what I'm REALLY trying to ask is how do we continue fantasy as a genre with the new generations when it's so intrinsically tied to old and, in most cases, dead authors? Thanks Mr. Gaiman, and my fantasy lit professor loves you.

You take the torch, touch the magic and pass it on.

You don't try and write something big and important. You try to write something good.

Take the gift that Ursula Le Guin gave you in the Earthsea books. Write your book. Pass it on.

When I wrote Stardust I wanted to pay my own homage to writers I loved, like Hope Mirrlees, like Jack Vance, like Sylvia Townsend Warner, like James Branch Cabell, like Lord Dunsany. And I filled my fountain pen, because, I decided, the book I wanted to write tasted like a pen sort of a book, so I bought and filled the first fountain pen I'd had since my school days, and started to write. I wasn't trying to write an important book. I was trying to write a book that would keep people reading and give Charles Vess, who would be illustrating it, lots of wonderful things to draw.

One of my favourite things about Stardust and Sandman is that Susanna Clarke read them and decided that she wanted to do that, and felt the books had given her permission to write what needed to be written.

All literature, fantasy or otherwise, is a conversation with the dead and those who told their stories before we were here. They speak to us, we listen, and then we tell our own stories in response.

#writing #writeblr #writing community

Hi everyone!

Do you need your work formatted for paperback, hardcover, or eBook? If so: I'm available for formatting jobs! I provide samples of my work before you sign on to commission me, and can work with you on pricing!

Hit me up at www.kodyboye.com/formatting-services if you are interested in working with me.

#writeblr #formatting

kodyboye

Who is author Kody Boye?

Hi peeps! I thought I'd take a moment to revamp my author intro and (re)introduce myself to y'all! So, without further ado:

Who am I?

My name is Kody Boye. I'm (primarily) a young-adult horror, fantasy, and science-fiction writer. As of this updated posting, I am: 29 years old, live in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, and am studying to obtain my Bachelor's in Creative Writing and English from an online university. I love cats (every kind of cat,) am an avid gamer, and love to read young adult fiction.

Why am I on Tumblr?

That's a question I've been asking myself for a while. Originally, it was to look at GIFS, memes, and artwork. Nowadays, I blog on Tumblr (when I do) about my life and experiences as a gay man with chronic and mental illness (though on a separate blog.)

What are your books about?

My latest fiction follows young people who face indescribable odds, horrors, and obstacles. Mostly, my books are about aliens, vampires, zombies, and other fantastical horrors, and focus on the young people who must fight to save their friends, family, and worlds. However, my fiction also delves into issues such as mental illness, sexuality, and the way society operates (or how it fails when things go south.)

Do you have free fiction?

I have free short fiction (if that's your jam!) As I mentioned above: my stories run the gambit--from ghosts, to dystopian worlds, to various shades of the apocalypse. You can find out more about my ongoing Other Worlds collection (which is free or pay-what-you-want) by clicking or tapping here. It even has Bookfunnel integration to make reading the collection a breeze.

Where can we keep up with you?

There's a few places you can keep up with me. If you use Facebook, you can join my fan group, Other Worlds, where I am most active. If you want email updates, I have a mailing list on Substack. You can also find me on Patreon if you want to help support me financially (or you can tip me on Ko-Fi as well.)

Thank you for taking the time to look at my Tumblr, and consider my work! It is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

- Kody Boye

www.kodyboye.com

kodyboye

I've recently revamped this! If you haven't considered reading something of mine, feel free to consult the above post for information about my various writings (including a link to my free ongoign short story collection.)

#writers of tumblr #writeblr

On Halloween -- Or, "The Saddest Day of the Year"

Hello everyone,

I hope you're doing as well as can be on this day. Though normally I would offer a friendly greeting or a spooky story, today is a day of melancholy and quiet reflection for me. One year ago today, I received the news that my father had unexpectedly passed away. To say that today is hard would be an understatement. As I sit here, writing this open letter to you, I find myself thinking back to the days when I was growing up — when, as a child, I would eagerly await nightfall to go trick-or-treating, a pumpkin-shaped basket seated by the door, just waiting for the sun to fall and be filled with candy. For me, there was such joy in childhood — a complete and utter abandon that can only come from not knowing what the world could inflict upon you, and what pains and sorrows a person could experience. It is incredibly difficult to know that time is a speeding train, and we are simply within the shape of its vessel. It's even harder when things start to change on you. Exactly one year ago today, I was driving back from running an errand at the store during the early afternoon when I called my father. I spoke to him over speakerphone about the day, about me and my roommate's plans for it, and of life in general. He asked how my writing was going, and though I spoke to him for only a few minutes, he ended the conversation with four words that will forever be ingrained within my memory: I'm proud of you. That was the last time I ever spoke to him. It would be hours later, and well into the night, before I would receive the news of his unexpected death. A year later, I am still reeling from the aftermath of it all. A lot changed in me, physically and emotionally, after receiving that news. The guilt of not being able to attend his funeral due to the fear of contracting disease during the COVID-19 pandemic still eats at me to this day; and while I know I made the right decision in remaining home here in Texas, a part of me still wonders how I would have dealt with flying back to southeastern Idaho to pay my final respects.

I guess what I'm trying to say, in the end, is to be thankful for everything you have. Try and cherish every moment that you can. Tell the people you love that you love them, and hold them close in the meantime. Death is such an abrupt thing. It comes when you least expect it, and holds tight to your mind long after it has occurred. It is, without a doubt, the hardest thing someone can ever go through. It is also the most haunting thing one can ever experience. So, on this day of quiet mourning, and of careful reflection, I want to thank you for sticking with me — and to remind you, above all, that life is precious. Hug your friends. Love your family. Pet your animals. Seek joy in what brings you happiness. You never know when your own time, or the time of someone you love, will come. With love and gratitude, - Kody Boye

#writeblr #Death of a parent

Covers for my next two books!

Hey peeps!

I thought I'd take a moment to share the covers for my next two books. The first is DAGANA: The Breeding Season.

The second is for A Wicked Wind (The Plague Bloom, #2)

I will be sure to let everyone know when they go on sale! They're currently being uploaded now!

#writeblr #book covers #self publishing

When something (that most people would consider) scandalous pops into your head.

And you're like

Yes. Yes. I could write that.

And it would be scandalous.

#writeblr

I’ve been thinking a lot about regret lately—about what it means, both personally and professionally. The truth is that, over the past several years, I have had many wondrous successes, and a handful of failures (which I’ll simply refer to as ‘shortcomings.’)

The one I think about most is when I had an agent.

Now, you might be wondering: didn't you decided to stay self-published a while ago?

Yes. For the most part. However, there has always been the allure of what a bigger publisher could do, what more reach and larger sums of money could mean.

Let me explain:

When I was in my late teens/early twenties, I wrote a novel with my friend Rhiannon Frater called The Midnight Spell. At the time, we were writing it primarily for fun, with the intent to self-publish it. But as things progressed with Rhiannon’s career, her agent started working to sell The Midnight Spell to a publisher. As a result, this agent took me under their wing.

Now… this is where the story becomes a bit tricky.

At the time I was picked up by this agent, I was deep in the throes of mental illness. While I was being treated, the medication combination was wrong—and as a result, I was prone to rapid cycling (a symptom of Bipolar Disorder.) This caused me to have unpredictable symptoms and moods, which left me at the mercy of my illness, both personally and creatively.

Shortly after I acquired this agent, I spoke with them about a few projects that I wanted to write. One of them was a novel called UTOPIA, which would become Utopia Falls ten years later. They told me, at the time I pitched several ideas (which included the first Plague Bloom novel,) to write UTOPIA.

Unfortunately, that never happened for a variety of reasons, one of which included my inability to properly grasp the story.

Fast forward a few months later:

The agent leaves the agency they’re at to work in another field. I’m in the throes of medication adjustment, self-doubt, and worry. I move to Fort Worth, and though things are rough, I continue writing.

Fast forward from 2018 to 2021 and I still sometimes feel guilt over not taking that opportunity to write UTOPIA as I originally envisioned it.

However—I’m not sure if doubt, or regret, should even be considered at this point.

I am at a position in my life where I realize that my writing career is supplementary to my future aspirations to teach. It’s helping me pay my bills, and it’s going to eventually get me through school, but right now, I realize that my ability to keep writing consistently wholly depends on my ability to produce content, which means that I might not ever feel comfortable ‘letting go’ of a project to not only find an agent, but to pitch it to publishers.

Do I feel mad at myself sometimes? Yes. I do.

Do I understand that I was not in a position to put myself through the rigorous submission, revision, and editing process? Yes. I do.

And that, I feel, is what regret is: the knowledge that a shortcoming, as minor or severe as it happens to have been, likely changed your life.

Is there any guarantee that UTOPIA would have sold at its state at the time? No. Is there any guarantee that it would have brought me enough money to make me comfortable? No. Most writers don’t get large advances, especially not without pre-established fanbases.

So, as I write this—and as I consider everything I’ve gone through, professionally and not—I realize that the so-called shortcoming actually led me to where I am now.

And, quite honestly? I’m pretty happy with it. Not one hundred percent, but yes. I’m happy.

#writeblr #writing community

The (rebranded) new cover for my novel DAGANA: THE LAST MERMAID

Hey everyone!

Fancy mermaids? Young adult books? HORROR novels with aquatic creatures? If so, then my novel Dagana: The Last Mermaid might be for you. It follows a young woman whose parents are killed by a mysterious creature off shore, and chronicles her journey to seek vengeance against the monster.

Tonight, I received the updated cover from my artist, KDS Cover Concepts, and man, is it beautiful.

If you're interested in finding out more about the novel (and downloading it for FREE,) you can do so at my website at www.kodyboye.com/dagana. It may take a day for the new cover to go live, but until then, you can bask in its beauty below:

#writeblr #mermay #Free book

Reading book reviews isn't good for your mental health: An Author's Perspective

Hi,

My name's Kody, and, you guessed it: I'm an author. Generally speaking, I write young and new-adult fiction where young(er) people have to face tremendous odds (be they aliens, vampires, zombies, world-rending scenarios or even personal trials they face from within. It's a fun hobby I've been able to make into a somewhat-career (wherein I get paid for my work.) However, with all products, there comes the...

Customer reviews.

Now... I've heard it stated that reading book reviews is actually good for your development as an author. The thinking in some circles is that, if you can pick out common threads of complaints from readers, you might be able to improve upon your work.

But... here's the thing:

While there are well-intentioned reviews that point out various faults in books, there are also reviews that either:

Don't get your book

or

Are just straight-out mean.

For this post, I want to speak generally, and want to reduce including my own experiences on the matter. If they happen to bleed into the post, I'm intending for them to be used as examples of could bes rather than confirmations of what happens on a general basis.

From my experience of reading book reviews, I've come to find that there are a few types of readers. They usually fall into three categories:

Those that are easily pleased.

Those that are hard to please.

Those who are impossible to please.

Reviewers who are easily pleased tend to forgive certain things in works (spelling mistakes, grammar issues, etc.) Reviewers that are hard (or hard[er]) to please expect certain standards that they've come to anticipate (proper editing, storytelling, formatting.) Then there are reviewers that are impossible to please because they are just that: impossible to please.

Now, you might be wondering, Why include the last one? Isn't that a personal judgment?

Yes and no.

There is a common occurrence I've seen with some reviewers that leads me to believe that they just simply cannot be pleased. When I come across a review I feel falls into this bracket, I tend to look at their list of written reviews and see what they are reading, or if they like anything at all. And let me tell you: I have found readers who simply do. not. like. anything. they. read. Be it a perceived problem with a character, a scenario, or even a plot point, they will go out of their way to make their intent known. Most reviews like this will have maybe one 3-star out of the deluge of 2 and 1-star reviews (and even then, the 3-star review is not shining or middle-of-the-road.)

And here is where reviews can be damaging.

As writers, we grow close to our works. We start stories, nurture characters, see plots to fruition, and create worlds we hope others will enjoy. Releasing them into the wild is akin to walking over landmines that could or could not go off.

Which is where the danger of reading your own reviews comes in.

Looking at the top reviews of certain Big 5 (or is it 4 or 3 now?) publishers, you can generally sense that there will be a divide between readers and their opinions over a piece of work. Some will love it, others will like it, a few will hate it. But let me tell you: when you get a certain type of reader who really, truly not just hates, but abhors a book (for whatever reason,) they will spare no mercy in telling the reader what they think of it.

Even if that means attacking the author.

Now... personal attacks can come as a result of a variety of things—from an author/reader interaction, to a social issue that a reader conflicts with, or even a political one. However, when a reader wants to attack an author, they usually come with knives out.

Which is where the point of this post comes in:

I strongly caution writers not to read reviews of their work.

Why?

Beyond the aforementioned reasons, there are a few things that lead me to follow this practice:

1. The fact that reviews can affect your works-in-progress.

Reading reviews for a series that is in progress can be detrimental to the development of the plot of that series. One misconception on the author's part can lead to second thoughts, doubts, overthinking. I've even seen some authors go back and revise books already self-published in order to cater to the reader who was put off and/or offended by their work.

2. The fact that your work will not be for everyone.

Just like in real life: not everyone is going to like you. Likewise, not everyone is going to like your work (no matter how hard you work at it.) As a result of this, it should be noted that you could write the simplest story that is literally about a rabbit chasing another rabbit and someone will still get offended by it. Some readers, I've said, are impossible to please. Sometimes they don't understand where you were going with the plot, or don't realize their perception of the work doesn't align with your own. Sometimes, people just like to be nasty.

And finally, I should point out the most dangerous part of reading reviews:

3. The fact that reviews can damage your self-esteem.

There are writers who are so sensitive to the feelings of others that they simply cannot take criticism. I've come across this several times throughout my time as a writer, as a developmental editor, and as a reader. Some people are simply not able to handle the idea that not everyone will like their book, and as a result, reduce themselves to tears when it comes to reviews. I've even seen some writers close shop and stop writing forever.

With that being said, and with those points made, I will say that there is a shining kernel of truth throughout all of this:

If someone likes your work enough, they will let you know.

And while it is true that some readers will also go to lengths to point out how much they don't like your work (from nastygram emails to @ tags on social media,) I should note that, just recently, I received fan mail from a reader in India, who found one of my free books and took the time to write to me. They didn't have to do that, but they still did.

In the end, I think it's important to take away the fact that your writing is your own. If you feel your work can be improved with criticism, work to find a critique group or partner you feel can bring out the best in you. Don't depend on the internet to give you credit, props, or even accolades for writing a book. While people will like, and even love, your work, there are an equal amount who will dislike, or even hate, it.

The last thing I'd want to see is someone give up their joy of writing because of a bad review.

#writeblr #Book Reviews #advice for writers

An Update (+ What's coming next)

Hey peeps!

I wanted to pop in and give y'all a big update on what's coming up (writing and publishing-wise) for me.

First off: Dagana: The Last Mermaid is getting a new cover to match the second one created by KDS Cover Concepts. I will then be working with her to create a cover for book 3, The Breeding Season, and closing that series up for good.

Secondly: I do have a story that I am planning on serializing on Kindle Vella (Amazon's new serialized fiction app.) I realized this the other night when, out of the blue, I remembered my zombie series, The Southern Dead. Given that book 1 is already complete, I figured, "Why not?" For that reason, KDS Cover Concepts is going to be working on that image in anticipation of Kindle Vella debuting next month (sometime in mid to late July.) I'm still trying to figure out a release schedule per episode in that sense, but I'll be sure to let everyone know what's going on with that when the time comes.

And finally: I am almost done with the second United States of Witches book. I am on the cusp of finishing The Burning Fields, and after that, will be working on completing the series with book 3, which is tentatively titled The Fear of Fire.

After that, I am going to be finishing the final Plague Bloom book and then, most likely, writing the last Scarlet Jane installment/novella.

My goal this year is to close out series and commission covers for old ones, and I'm working on doing that as I am able.

So, yeah! There's my update for y'all! :)

#Writeblr #Writing Community #Writers of Tumblr

I just received the cover for my final Red Wolf Saga book. Cover by the brilliant KDS Cover Concepts!

If you like wolf shifters, urban fantasy, and coming of age stories, this one might be for you!

Find out more about the series at www.kodyboye.com/the-red-wolf

#writeblr #indie books #urban fantasy novels

My experience with aphantasia.

Aphantasia — which, according to Wikipedia, is: the inability to voluntary images in one's mind — is something that many people experience. But how, you might wonder, do writers write with aphantasia?

Though there have been a few writers who have chronicled or spoken about their experiences with aphantasia (mainly being Mark Lawrence, author of the Broken Empire series, and Andrej Sapkowski, author of the books that were turned into the Netflix Witcher series,) I've never personally written about my own experience. I figured I'd do that today.

The following is a semi-condensed version of how I came to learn about aphantasia, and how I experience it as a writer. You can find it under the cut.

#Aphantasia #Creative Writing

Why the "self-published authors are unpublishable otherwise" saying is annoying

So, sometimes, I hear people (particularly other writers) disparage self-publishing. This usually comes with the idea that self-published writers are "unpublishable otherwise."

What these people fail to take into consideration is that:

there are hybrid authors who self-publish to help sustain their income

there are writers who have been screwed over by traditional publishing or publishers (and no longer want to work with them)

there are writers who can't wait two or three years between books or advances

and finally: the fact that publishers sometimes won't want EVERY book a writer writes

Oh, and there's also writers like me, who depend on monthly (self-publishing) royalties to survive. There's also writers who could care less about being published traditionally.

Seriously. I get so tired of hearing this from other writers, especially when their argument defeats itself when traditional publishers publish PURE, UNADULTERATED "crap" ALL THE TIME.

#self publishing #writing #publishing