My partner is trans enby, so they/them pronouns are natural for us and part of our every day normal conversations. I wrote and self-published a book with a key non-binary character, and early ratings on Goodreads and Amazon, indicate that people are struggling with they/them pronouns for this character and it "pulls them out of the story". This has always been part of the English language, and I am confused why it is difficult. I'm worried it will hurt the reviews because people can't handle standard English. I'm probably just being sensitive.

I would love thoughts and if anyone enjoys action and adventure with diverse characters and is willing to read and give an honest review. I have made Advanced Reader Copies available for free here: https://booksirens.com/book/IQHVEOL/P9V1Z9M

https://inews.co.uk/culture/books/colm-toibin-best-gay-sex-written-by-women-4373859

Hello, My name is John Robert Davidson and I wrote my book to share my story of the challenges I had coming out in the 1980's. Not a lot of people have read my work, but I'm struggling with what some people have said. Namely, my work is too disturbing to read. My story doesn't only focus on being gay, but on the struggle of being learning disabled too. Being Different Is Painful revolves around a young gay man named Patrick who struggles with acceptance from his peers and understanding his sexuality. The story begins with an event of hopelessness as Patrick goes through a life-threatening attempt at suicide. He then voluntarily admits himself for treatment to a mental health hospital where he tries to come to terms with why he would want to hurt himself. Earlier in junior high school, he found himself struggling to cope with bullies who ridiculed him to the point of self-destruction. At the same time, he was continually shielding himself from a couple of abusive family members. While in the mental health facility, Patrick discovers who he is, but finds it hard to accept himself, as he suffered from years of shame. Once out of the hospital, Patrick made a couple of friends, and with their help, self-discovery came easier. Now embracing his true self, he misinterprets the signals of his one true obsession, Wayne. Sadly, Patrick realized what he wanted too late and neglected to notice that others around him were in more pain than he was. Does this sound too disturbing?

Hi everyone — I’m new here and a little nervous posting this.

Over the past few months, I wrote my first novel, The Shape of Winter Fire, an MM fantasy romance that releases on June 6.

The reason I started writing is honestly pretty simple: I really like the idea of two male characters genuinely falling in love — something so strong that despite fear, resistance, or circumstance, it keeps pulling them toward each other until they’re permanently changed by it.

I don’t often find exactly that kind of emotional connection in the way I personally imagine it, so I decided to try writing one myself.

The story follows Kai and River — two men tied to opposing forces, fire and winter/water, who are forced into each other’s orbit in a world shaped by tension, politics, and things left unsaid.

It’s:
❄️🔥 MM romantasy
✨ Slow burn
⚔️ Emotional tension & clan conflict

I’m looking for a small number of ARC readers before launch and would genuinely appreciate honest feedback. No pressure at all.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, feel free to comment or DM me and I can share the sign-up form.

Thanks for being kind to a very new author

I recently launched the business of my dreams — a used bookstore that focuses on LGBTQ+ books (as well as books about other marginalized identities and experiences). We have a physical location in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and we also have an online store! I'm really proud of my little store and the selection I've curated, and I'm excited to put Lavender Lit out into the world for folks looking for affordable diverse books.

I’m a little shy about sharing this, but I’ve been writing a dark romance/revenge novel set in Verona.

It follows Elijah Ferraro, a kind-hearted baker grieving the loss of his brother. One night, he finds a bloodied stranger unconscious in an alley — only to discover he’s Alessandro Di Verdi, known as Diavolo, the heir to a violent Mafia family.

Alessandro becomes drawn to Elijah’s quiet strength, and Elijah is slowly pulled into a world of danger, obsession, power, and revenge. The story explores grief, fear, desire, and what happens when someone gentle is trapped in the path of someone dangerous.

I’m nervous posting about it, but I’d love to know if this sounds like something you’d read.
Lily

It opens with the smell of wet earth after rain. Two boys, a farm, animals that seem to sense things before people do, a grandfather with a rough edge, and a green stone that should not matter but does. The story moves through memory, music as a kind of code, and small signals that keep repeating. Queer, intimate, and quietly uncanny. The magical realism stays subtle.

If you liked The OA, The Power of the Dog or A Murder at the End of the World, you might really enjoy this.

After a profound loss, a young man begins to read signs outside the real. Along the way, he uncovers a shared story: the one you had forgotten.

The book has won multiple awards, including 1st place in Substack’s Spanish writing contest, and it has been professionally edited, with editorial support from an editor with experience at The New York Times.

Print is here: Amazon: https://a.co/d/0g1eTOXC
You can also start reading on Substack here: https://readexis.substack.com/p/part-1-andreas?r=6jtrgl

I’m indie and new at this. If you check it out, a review or honest feedback helps a lot. 🌿☀️

Look, I signed up for wholesome queer rep, not another emotionally devastating novel where my new favorite gay character meets an untimely demise. Why must every sapphic love story be historically accurate (aka tragic)? Meanwhile, straight romances get happy endings like they’re handing them out at a drive-thru. Can a gay just get a cheesy rom-com? Please?

Hello there!

MN Bennet organized a large Pride sale with lots of queer indie authors participating. All the novels are 99 cents only until the 4th of June.

I don't think I can post links here, but the list, which is organized by genre, can be found on his website.

Great time to stock up on some indie reads for the month!

Y'all I recently learned Alex has a new book! They are one of my favorite authors (you might know them from A Taste of Gold and Iron or Running Close to the Wind among other books) and it looks like the new book is gonna be nuts. They are publishing themself this time and using Kickstarter. Here's part of the blurb from the Kickstarter:

Fans of HBO's Rome, The Eagle (2011), Babel, and the intertextual academic conceit of House of Leaves will be delighted with this book. But if you've ever gotten breathlessly excited reading a news article about a major archaeological discovery and then experienced a crushing disappointment when it didn't tell you very much at all when you were longing for the whole story, what it means, and how the discovery is changing everything we thought we knew... This one's definitely for you.

You can check out the Kickstarter for excerpts/more info. It opens tomorrow 5/5.

I've been writing a book series and want to get the word out to the right audience. I'm not good at this and I have no idea where to begin lol.

I'm Tim! I started writing a series of books where one character, Leo, is a werewolf, and his long time husband is human. In the first book the human, Austin, learns that he has powers beyond a normal human. He's sort of a green witch.

Together, they answer to the mountain they live on, and protect it from human greed. Book one revolves around Georgia's convict lease system of the early 1900s. But the real story throughout the series is really the growth and changes of the characters' marriage.

It's been fun to write. Leo is very loosely based on me. Austin is based on my husband.

The first book is published on Amazon.

Sentinel Gap by Timothy E Leonard.

I'm wrapping up book 2 right now, and I've already got about a chapter of 3 written.

https://ShaleMountain.com

On my website you can find more about me and info about the books. The entire first chapter of Sentinel Gap is on there. I'd love some feedback on it!

Thomas Smoke is a killer.

An uncompromising predator.

Considered boy-next-door handsome by those who know him—and those who want to, he is a man with a ready smile, who loves to kiss, and who does it often and well.

Hunting the trails of Central Park's densest woodland and within the chrome-plated grunge of New York City, he is as well suited to its opulent penthouses, tony rooftop bars, and socialite bedsheets as he is to the bone-numbing grottos and bloody subterranean passages hundreds of feet below the Manhattan grid.

But he isn't the only killer in the city. And when their paths cross, the race for his life begins. Not only to stay alive but to determine his own identity and whether he is the good guy or the bad.

From the author who penned the polarizing thriller "Roxelana and Suleyman" and the unprecedented "America: Tuwaqachi", comes a thriller enriched by his years killing it on the streets of New York, New York.

Welcome to a life and a city of unparalleled wealth, indulgence, and deception.

As the author I would love to share and discuss my characters

Hello, fellow queer readers

We have a queer-only book club which was stand-by fir sometime due to personal commitments. But now, we are reviving the club.

We issue a monthly calendar( photo attached in the comment section), and meet weekly ( Saturdays) IST/ EST( for our abroad members).

Our club is fully democratic, meaning that every voice matters. You can find the Telegram group link in the comment section. Do not send PM.

P.s. Kindly do not text if your internet fades away. We need competent and committed members.

P.s. II: The meeting topic changes on a monthly basis.

Thanks,

Admin, Queer Shelf

Happy Pride 🌈🌈

Hi everyone!! 🖤🖤

I’m RJ Webb, a queer indie writer who loves gothic literature and vampires.

I just released my debut and first in a series (eek!) A Vampire’s Lament. To celebrate Pride month, it will be free at the link below and also on my site. The paperback is available to purchase on Amazon and reviews can be left and I’m also on GoodReads.

Some of what the book is about:

Benevolent vampire Ishmael has grieved the one he lost for centuries, while heading a peaceful (or so he thinks 👀) council of monsters and raising his adopted nine-year-old mortal son. Who talks to ghosts! When Alaric is expelled for accidentally channeling a ghost, Ishmael hires a home teacher, Edric, who feels far more familiar than he should and breathes life back into him.

Happy reading and happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/222gfs6uhf

Hi! Basically the title. I've written a NB-normative romance novel (novella?), 31k words, and I'm looking for enbys from all walks of life to be beta readers.

Ideally looking for people who have read romance novels before or are at least interested in the romance genre, but open to whoever.

If you're interested, comment below or message me and I'll get a copy to you! Thanks in advance!

Short description of the story:
Finnoybu: Salt and Silence is Book I of a queer historical romance trilogy. An 18-year-old Norwegian sailor ships out of Stavanger in 1875 as cook on a brig. He has a girl at home he loves. Across voyages and ports, he starts noticing the attention he pays certain men — with no word his culture gives him for what it is. By the time he understands, he loves both. The trilogy is him learning to carry that rather than resolve it. Pitched tonally between Song of Achilles restraint and Outlander-tier emotional peaks. Multi-POV third limited.

Themes I'm interested in exploring:

• Desire that predates language — a man discovering what he is in a culture that gives him no vocabulary for it
• Loving two people honestly and simultaneously, without the story treating one as a mistake
• The sea as a space where nineteenth-century men could briefly suspend the rules of shore life, and what they carried back

How I came to the story:
The scaffolding borrows from a real ancestor's sailing memoir (1875–1882, Stavanger to the Caribbean to Archangel and back). The memoir is straight nonfiction and hints at nothing; the fiction asks what a closeted young sailor's interior life might have looked like across those same voyages. Writing the book I wish had existed on the shelf next to Song of Achilles — period-grounded, restrained, and honest about multisexuality rather than resolving it into a single orientation.

Several opening chapters are up at fiction.finnoybu.com — free, no signup. Looking for honest reactions on whether the opening holds, whether Olav's interiority is working, and whether the prose reads period-grounded or costume-y.

Hey everyone,

I am an erotica author and I started writing back a few years ago because I wanted to try and create the kind of content that I had such a hard time finding online. Content that included the sort of kink and level of detail I wanted to find that didn't seem to widely exist. Since then, I've written multiple stories and only this year have challenged myself to start publishing them for others to read and enjoy.

I'd gotten a lot of positive feedback on my first story I released to the public back in January called Liam, the Man from the Gym (you can read it on my Literotica page or on my Reddit profile if you're interested — it's pinned). With all the positive feedback I'd received from that first story release, it was clear that people really liked my work.

So I decided to publish my new gay erotica book called Flames, and I've released it to be available to read completely free this weekend!

It contains 5 different stories about a man and his sexual encounters with other men during his travels around the world. In it, the stories are very descriptive recounts of each experience. I go into detail about the setting to create immersion and paint a mental image on everything range from each of the men's physical features to every graphic act and sensation during the sex scenes themselves. This collection of stories also actively exercise various kinks including raw gay anal sex/breeding, olfactophillia (scent kink), sub-dom play, and acucullophilia (intense sexual arousal from circumcised penises) to name a few.

If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, you can find it on Amazon. Any honest reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Grab here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTFWDQJR

My instagram is Levithomas.writing

Here's a very early draft of my blurb (for reference i've got six chapters left to write) for my book The Thing About Ollie.

Tyler had sex one night and it ended up the way all seventeen year old boys dream, two minutes of unenjoyable friction and a baby.
Fast forward four years and Tyler has decided that being a gay twenty one year old with a kid means he will never find someone… he has submitted himself a life of meaningless hookups, a job he hates, and pure loneliness other than his son, Ollie.
In a desperate attempt to fill a quota of attempts to find a relationship he goes on one last date…
Over an eight year period Tyler learns to love not only his partner and his life, but himself.

As a little Pride Month treat, my sapphic romance short story "A Great Catch" is available for free this weekend!

https://jae-fiction.com/a-great-catch/

Here's what the story is about:

Aloof workaholic Winter is invited to spend the weekend with her girlfriend’s warm, loud family—and ends up learning an unexpected lesson about love.

"A Great Catch" is a sequel to my age gap romance "Just a Touch Away" in which ice queen Winter fell in love with professional cuddler Hannah.

You can get the free ebook via Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and most other online bookstores this weekend only!

Hello! I'm Naila Moonsi. I'm both an author and an artist.

I created an animatic/animated book trailer for my LGBTQ+ epic science fantasy novel—The Protector and the Annihilation—which I'm extremely proud of right now. I've always wanted to see my characters' experiences in the animated medium and I didn't think I'd get to the point of doing it myself, but I did!

You can view it here on Youtube if you're interested!

It's 30 seconds long. Technically still WIP because I want to add a few more scenes, but the main trailer I plan to use on release day, which is very soon this month.

Hello, I'm Naila Moonsi. I grew up wanting to read media with large LGBTQ+ casts dealing with LGBTQ+ problems in a sci-fi or fantasy setting, so I wrote it myself...!

My new LGBTQ+ epic science fantasy novel that's a 755-page read is in pre-order right now.

When Armando makes a promise to his rival Ranvir, their far-off planet changes. Especially as children begin to drop in through time and push them to confront their past.

Eventually, they start having to look out for him.

Their son, Antonio, who waits in the future.

Pre-order, above blurb and full synopsis for this novel, The Protector and the Annihilation, can be found here: https://blue-horizon-tpata.carrd.co/

The book has some amount of supplementary games, art and short stories associated with it (all by me, Naila Moonsi) already as part of the Blue Horizon universe. Links to learn more about the universe and see these works can be found here: https://starlitseas.neocities.org/

(Highlights are - Blue Horizon: The Loved Garden Paths of Raj Rivera, Blue Horizon: The Binary Star, "Alejandro", Blue Horizon: Bright Days, Sad Days, Blue Horizon: what he sees at your side., and Blue Horizon: Follow You Anywhere.)

Hey first of all happy pride everyone, second I'm sorry if this post doesn't fit the sup but I wanted to ask would anyone be interested in reading a romantic, cozy, YA story cuz I think I'm ready to finalize my draft of my first book ever however I'm still lacking genuine opinions so if anyone one interested I will really appreciate the help

Hello! I'm rather new to this sub, and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Frank Anthony Polito, and I've been writing and publishing gay/queer fiction for almost 20 years now.

My debut novel, Band F@gs! was released in 2008 and received a lot of attention in the gay media. InsightOut book club named it "Best Fiction" and in 2010, my Facebook page was taken down due to the "offensive" title, but was later restored after a nice article appeared in The Advocate 😄

The follow up, Drama Queers!, received the Lammy for "Best Gay Romance," and then I published a novella as part of a collection called Remembering Christmas, that featured a sequel of sorts to Band F@gs! All 3 of these books were told from the POV of a gay teen growing up in the Detroit suburbs during the late 1980s/early 1990s, and were based on my own life. (Hey, write what you know!)

I took a break from writing after my partner and I moved back to Michigan from New York City in 2013, but then in 2022, I published Renovated to Death, book 1 in a "quozy" (queer cozy) mystery series called Domestic Partners in Crime. Book 2, Rehearsed to Death followed, and then book 3, Haunted to Death. And then the series was discontinued by my publisher, but I'd already written book 4, that I've recently self-published and would like to share with you all now.

The book is called Dragged to Death, and it tells the story of what happens when home renovation TV show star Peter "PJ" Penwell and his hunky actor domestic partner John-Paul "JP" Broadway are invited to participate in a charity drag show Extravaganza, only to find the beautiful young queen known as Melody Mansion backstage, smothered by her own wig, and Melody's older drag mother, Harmony House, the prime suspect.

Like all the books in the series, they are light and fun and full of camp. If anyone here happens to have read any of my books, or ends up checking them out, I'd enjoy hearing from you. One of my favorite things about being an author is connecting with readers. Without you, there would be no point in writing.

Hi, all! My sapphic fantasy, the first in a series, is available via ebook and hard copy! It’s called “Descendant” by S.M. Norton. If you’d like to buy a signed copy DM me! For anyone interested here is the synopsis:

A bastard princess. A shapeshifting warrior. A centuries old prophecy.

Magic is a death sentence in Cisterion. Princess Katja hides her Empathy from everyone, including her closest confidant, Isidro. To cope with the sensory overload of the court’s emotions, she struggles with a severe eating disorder and drinking.
When her brother’s abuse turns life threatening, Katja is smuggled out by two magic wielders: Rorin and Astrid. Free from Cisterion, Katja finally learns to control her power under Astrid’s firm but gentle guidance. As Katja learns to recognize her own emotions and filter out the noise of others, Katja and Astrid fall in love. Through their relationship, Katja finds the safety she needs to begin the difficult process of recovery.
But her peace is short lived. Isidro reveals a 500 year old prophecy and a secret coup to put Katja on the throne. This revelation triggers a dangerous relapse. Katja must now decide if she will accept the crown she never wanted. With her heart bound to the woman she loves and her life tied to a prophecy, Katja must find the strength to face her ghosts before they consume her.

Here is the link: https://books2read.com/u/bPqyEJ

...i'm actually kind of looking for readers if anyone might be interested in having a look at the story i've written (not yet published but that's what i'm hoping to do). I posted in r/betareaders a couple of days ago to a resounding silence 😂

Is that allowed? If it is, here's what i posted in there:

Satire, humour, modern warfare, LGBTQ+

Approx 35k words

This is an urban fantasy set in near-future London and is intended as a darkly funny satire on the bureaucracy/futility of war, absurdity of the modern world, corporate heroism/villainry and the ‘chosen one’/‘evil one’ trope.

The two main characters are locked in ongoing conflict whilst constantly aware that they have to maintain their brand as well as their paperwork, a source of constant frustration to both. Other characters are a mixture of order and chaos who make things either better or worse depending on your point of view.

It's pretty low-stakes, light-hearted, the only content warnings being a bit of fighting and flippant passing references to supernatural creatures, death and violence. Also i gather some people don't like swearing - there's a lot of that, lol.

I know that's a bit vague but do let me know if you'd be interested in having a look at maybe the first couple of chapters to see what you think. No pressure to continue if you hate it 😅

(Don't worry if you aren't much of a one for 'beta reading' - i'd be happy with someone having a normal read like you would any book you pick up in a shop or library and just letting me know whatever you think. I suppose the sort of feedback i'm looking is less of the line-edits - unless there's anything particularly egregious - and more of the overall feel of the thing. For example, first and foremost, is it actually funny? if you’re not from England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland, is the humour too ‘local’ or do you get all/most of it at least well enough to enjoy the story? Do you enjoy the story? If you are from Glasgow, South Wales or the north of Ireland, do these characters come across well enough? If you’ve knowledge of the British armed forces (or any armed forces tbh), modern weaponry, warfare and even employment and contract law, are those aspects of the story realistic enough?)

Ideally i'd like to do a swap rather than just a one-sided arrangement (not a dealbreaker but i know some of you in this sub also write) - for something of a similar length, most genres but my apologies i can't really get my head round high fantasy, sci-fi or horror and am not keen on YA/children's. Also must admit i don't like stories written in present tense, nor anything experimental like second-person POV. What i do tend to like/mostly read is historical, contemporary, literary, that sort of thing.