Jay Bell's Blog, page 2

The Something Like Summer comic is about to reach its dramatic conclusion! We’d like to get the third and final volume into print, but we can’t do it without you. With over 150 pages of comics plus the massive gallery of bonus art, this is going to be one special finale! We’re also offering an exclusive one-shot comic book, Something Like Sins, that includes sexy pin-ups of Ben, Tim, Jace and the others, as well as full comic pages of them getting busy together. The novels are sex-positive, so we figured why not?

Something Like Sins will NOT be available everywhere else. This is your one and only chance to get it! If we meet our next stretch goal, everyone will receive a specially commissioned cast illustration FOR FREE. Digital tiers will get a download, physical tiers get an archive quality print. I often write about second chances, but not this time. If you want it, please don’t hesitate. Check out our campaign and the options that await you over on Kickstarter.

When a young man is swept back in time to the 1950s, he has to decide if he wants to return home or stay with the special guy he falls in love with while there.

That’s the plot of my newest release, Out of Time, Into You, but I suspect you’re more interested to learn how this book is going to make you feel. After all, I do have a reputation for writing emotional stories. It’s not that I want to rip your heart out. I’d rather fill it with so much beauty that you have to cry just to relieve some of the pressure. So yes, this book is bursting at the seams with emotion. It also focuses on the best part of being gay—the unique nature of our love, which we often have to fight to defend. Like everything I write, there is humor, characters you’ll want to be best buds with, angsty feelings abound, and of course some steaming hot sex. This is very much a Jay Bell book, despite there being a little time travel thrown in, so please give it a shot. If you do, let me know what you think. I’m very excited about this one and can’t wait to hear what you make of it. Out of Time, Into You is available right now from these retailers. Thank you, as always, for making it possible for this sentimental old fool to keep telling his big gay stories.

We’re about to enter the craziest time of the year when many of us will be emptying our pocketbooks to buy gifts for the people we love. But what about you, my dear reader? You deserve nice things too! Don’t fret, I’ve got you covered. I plan to end 2021 in style. If you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll not only learn about a slew of sales that I have planned, but you’ll also be automatically entered into my new monthly giveaways! I’ll be sending out fun merch, signed books, rare proof copies and more. And of course I’ll let you know whenever I have a new book coming out. (Soon!) Please fill out the form below so you don’t miss out!

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Summer is officially here, and that means more Something Like Summer! We’ve got a second volume of comics out today, but you know what’s cooler than picking up the new graphic novel? How about getting an exclusive Something Like… mini-story too? I wrote Something Like Marriage as a sneaky bonus for my Kickstarter supporters. It’s a cute little scene from when Ben and Tim were teenagers. This story is so small that it fits on a single sheet of high-quality paper, printed front to back. This story is part of a bundle that also includes bookmarks, character cards, stickers, a magnet, an art print, and yes, the graphic novel itself. Holy smokes! Supplies are limited, so grab yours from my store while you still can. Doing so will keep me going instead of making a multi billion dollar corporation even richer. If you’ve already sold your soul to Amazon like I have, they also have the graphic novel and eBook version, although if you’re feeling electric, I recommend Comixology instead. Amazon owns them too, but they deliver the highest resolution graphics.

And speaking of getting graphic, last month we released our first Something Like Centerfold. If you’ve ever wanted to see your favorite Something Like… character naked, this is your chance. Tim is up already, and Ben is next in line. These playful illustrations are Patreon exclusive, which is another great way to ensure that I don’t starve. You can even vote for who you want to see next!

Thank you as always for caring about the authentically queer stories that I am deeply honored to create. More is on the way!

Please take a moment to enjoy the beautiful cover art above that Cassy Fallon worked so hard on. Then rejoice, because we’re ready to print another Something Like Summer graphic novel! Volume Two: Autumn will collect over 100 pages of comics, telling the story of how Ben met Jace before delving into the past so we can meet a philosophical young man by the name of Victor. There are so many surprise twists that aren’t in the novels, a gallery of never-before-seen bonus art, and wait until you feast your eyes on the stunning character cards that we’re offering as a free perk! The only catch is that we can’t do this without you. Like last time, we want to print these books in the highest possible quality, so we really need your support. If you can, please check out our Kickstarter campaign and the different options available to you. If you’ve been enjoying the comic, this is a fantastic way of showing it so we can keep it going. Thank you!

The audiobook of Kamikaze Boys is here, and I’m beyond excited to share it with you. The narrator, Kirt Graves, did an amazing job on Straight Boy, and I was eager to work with him again. I’m extremely pleased with the result. Especially the added color he added to the narration. Those who have read the book know that it’s about two outcast teenagers who fall madly in love while dealing with bullies, parents, and all the usual pressures of life. It’s very much a “us against them” story. The novel switches perspective between the lovebirds, allowing us to get inside the mind and heart of both guys. Kirt Graves took this to another level in the audiobook, his narration reflecting each character’s voice, depending on who we’re with at the time. Confused? Why not listen to the story and see what I mean. Get your copy here, or if you’d like to dip a toe in, you’ll find the first five chapters available for free below. Enjoy!

Amazon’s market share in 2015. Last year it was 83%. Now it’s probably more.

The wild west days of indie publishing are drawing to a close. In the past, a reader would write me, let me know where they wanted to buy my books, and I was always happy to make it happen. That usually resulted in a new but small stream of revenue. Even back then, Amazon dominated my eBook sales. Over the last couple of years, I’ve watched those other revenue streams dry up until they became a trickle. That’s where we’re at now. If I log into my Google Play dashboard, it proudly informs me that me top selling title earned $18 in the last 30 days. Wow. That’s not even enough for me to purchase a paperback copy of the same book.

As many of you know, I enrolled the entire Something Like… series in Kindle Unlimited earlier this year. I’m still analyzing the results, but it would seem that doing so pulled my sales out of a nosedive. I’m impressed enough that I plan on enrolling the rest of my full-length novels in Kindle Unlimited over the winter, to see what happens. I know, I know. Amazon has a bad reputation for a variety of reasons. But those warehouse employees who work under subpar conditions stay with the job because they need the money. So do I. I’m not a household name. I write in a genre that already has limited appeal, and when you factor in that authenticity is more important to me than penning a trendy romance novel with shifting mpreg reverse harems or whatever… Well, quite frankly, I’m surprised that I’ve managed to keep this plate spinning for so long. I need to not only go where the money is, but also where the readers are. It’s impossible to separate one from the other while still making a living.

If you want to buy my non-Something Like… books from somewhere other than Amazon, I’ve provided links below of the titles that will be going exclusive starting on November 1st. I’ve also slowly been uploading my paperbacks to Ingram Spark, which will eventually mean that when you buy a paperback from anywhere but Amazon, it will be printed by a company that isn’t associated with them. Although I’ll earn nearly twice as much when you buy my books from Amazon instead. The devil is nothing if not seductive!

Soon to be exclusive titles:

Straight Boy

Kamikaze Boys

The Cat in the Cradle

From Darkness to Darkness

Hell’s Pawn

Almost nine years ago, I signed a contract granting permission for a film adaptation to be made of one of my most beloved books. I tried to temper my enthusiasm after being warned by industry professionals that most independent movies crash and burn before ever getting released. So I felt especially relieved, five years ago, when the movie finally began filming. Spending a few weeks on set was one of the highlights of my life, but the work wasn’t completed as it should have been. A delay in filming two very crucial scenes meant that we didn’t have our festival debut until two years after. I don’t think anyone expected our retail release to take so long, but after three more grueling years, here we are: The Something Like Summer movie is finally available for rent or purchase! At the moment you can stream it from select platform in the US only. Click here to find out where. I’m told that international options will follow, and if we’re lucky, a physical release too, but considering the timeline above, I won’t attempt to estimate when. For now, I hope the existing options will allow many if not most of you to watch this long delayed gem. Before you do, I ask that you consider the following:

Books have an unfair advantage over their film adaptations. When you read one of my books, I might be directing the story, but I’m also inviting you to participate in the telling. Beyond a few basic details, it’s your job to imagine the characters, the world they inhabit, how they sound, etc. Reading a book is a creative collaboration with the author. I believe that’s why so many readers feel frustrated and disappointed after watching a film adaptation. Then there are the inevitable plot changes, many of which occur due to practical concerns. Those diversions from the source material can be challenging, but they can also make the movie more enjoyable. If you want to reexperience exactly how the book made you feel, it’s always there, waiting to be reread. If you want to see a similar but unique version of the story presented in an entirely new medium that utilizes cute boys and catchy music… well, that sounds pretty damn fun to me! So please go into this one with an open mind and heart. Revel in listening to Ben sing and all the other things a book can’t do that a movie can. Allow the film to complement the books, rather than expecting it to faithfully recreate the same experience, and you’ll be more likely to enjoy yourself. There’s room enough for both, right? And hey, the more success the movie has, the more likely it’ll be that we can do this again. I’m dreaming of Netflix series. Wouldn’t that be sweet?! So if you could please help spread the word to friends and family, I will continue to be deeply indebted to you, because there never would have been a movie without your support. Thank you!

Something Like Stories: Volume Three is out today, marking the end of the series. I’ve made that claim before, and at the time, I meant it. I was sad about the decision too, mostly because I knew I would never see Ben, Tim, Jace and everyone else again. I still get to write about them in the comic, and maybe I’ll do so again in future adaptations, but nothing can quite compare to living with them for the duration of a novel. That’s why I was devastated after writing Something Like Forever, but I consoled myself with the fact that I could still create little scenes, just to visit with those characters again, if need be. And I did. I kept hearing their voices and thinking of plots I never got around to realizing. So I slowly worked through my bucket list, made the rounds visiting everyone I needed to see, and at the end of it all, there was more than enough material to fill another book. Since then, the voices have grown silent. Contentment fills me rather than sorrow. I have no doubt that these characters will always be a part of my life—dear friends on the fringes of my imagination—but I believe I finally found my stopping point. Something Like Stories: Volume Three is that finale. When reading it, you’ll be able to do exactly what I did: You’ll take a tour through the history of the series, have a few more laughs along the way, maybe shed a tear or two, and then it will be time to say goodbye. I hope you end the experience feeling just as satisfied, although it won’t hurt my feelings if you’re sad and still want more. Maybe—just maybe—a little part of me deep down feels that way too. Mostly I’m happy to tuck this series into bed, making sure that it’s warm and cozy before I turn off the lights. Let’s all keep a nightlight on in our hearts though, okay? That’s where we’ll always be able to find these characters again, when we need them.

You can get Something Like Stories: Volume Three from here.

Books are lucky. Every so often, they get to shed their outer skin and take on a fresher, younger appearance. If only we could do the same! Something Like Summer is nearing its tenth birthday and I felt that it, along with the other books in the series, could use some sprucing up. We’re sticking with the same bold colors while highlighting the main character of each book, and personally, I think the first batch looks great! “Wait a minute, Jay,” you cry. “Weren’t the old covers drawn by your husband? What kind of a heartless bastard are you?” I’m very attached to the original covers, believe me. We’ll still be using them, albeit in a different capacity. I’ll go into more detail at another time. For now, this will be a slow roll-out. The first four books are complete, and more will be added later. Until then, the print editions will remain the same, and when Something Like Stories: Volume Three is released, it will have a traditional “I love my husband and his art so freaking much” cover. Once enough time has gone by, it will get a revised cover to match with the new style. You can see the full covers here.

Times are crazy right now, but I’m not going to insult your intelligence with one of those “Our company has your health and safety in mind. Buy our shit.” messages that there have been way too many of recently. However, I have been thinking about how many folks won’t have as much money as usual. I’m certainly concerned about earning enough to get by, so I put together two budget options hoping that we can meet in the middle. The first of these cheaper solutions is that I’m enrolling the entire Something Like… series in Kindle Unlimited. That means the eBooks will be exclusive to Amazon for the next three months, but it will also enable tons of people to read them without having to shell out extra, assuming they are already members of that program. (It’s ten bucks a month for an all-you-can-eat book buffet.) I’m not happy about the exclusivity that Amazon demands, but I would like to try having my books in Kindle Unlimited just once to see what I think. If it’s successful, I might periodically add some books and take others out, like Netflix does with their programming. New releases will be available on all platforms, so no worries there.

I’ve also put together a “boy” themed box set at a discount price. Boys in Love includes the newly revised Kamikaze Boys, my bittersweet bromance Straight Boy, and a heartstring-tugging novella called The Boy at the Bottom of the Fountain. You can get all three as eBooks for the low introductory price of just $7.99. That’s five bucks cheaper than buying them individually and a lot of escapism while we wait out these lockdown orders. You can get Boys in Love from Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

Times are changing and so must we. I hope that something above appeals to you. If you already own the above books, thank you! I don’t suppose you have a friend who would be interested in any of the new options? If so, I’d appreciate if you gently nudged them to see if they’re interested. As for me, I’ll buckle down and work on getting the next book released. Until then, please be safe and treat yourself (and others!) with kindness.