We might reach 90% funded today. I’m truly so grateful for each and every one of you who has shared and supported this book of Palestinian fantasy, science fiction, and horror. www.kickstarter.com/projects/158...
Posts by Kaya Skovdatter 🏳️⚧️ (She/They)
Good work, everyone. We've broken 110%!
Technically, both companies were under the nonprofit umbrella of Family Christian Resource Centers. But it's the same owners.
Just an atrempt at getting around losing assets/paying creditors a fair rate, and to establish the online business under a "different" entity.
So yeah, don't work with FC.
More on FC, bevause I've been trying to recall something about their bankruptcy since this came up, and finally remembered.
During bankruptcy proceedings, FC rejected a higher bid from a liquidator (to settle creditor debt) and sold their assets to FCS Acquisitions. (Themselves under a shell corp.)
At the point at which you're operating with a business license and/or as a publisher with one, that complicates things. In Canada at least, then you're paying business taxes on that income. (Different filing date, different considerations re expenses and fees.)
That one seems fine.
In the US, patent/corporate copyright income is considered normal income to the IRS. Income from author royalties is declared "other income" under Schedule C.
Here in Canada, we also declare it "other income" if it's through personal taxes. (Filed to the CRA via a T2125 form.)
Re the latter, not entirely sure in this instance what XinXii means by without conversion. Could be a few different things given the wording.
Two quick updates to this from rereading XinXii's FAQs looking for other information:
You *do* pay PayPal fees on their transactions still. Was misreading that they don't apply third party processing fees to *royalties*.
And if you get paid in USD (you can choose currency) that's w/o conversion?
Re the latter, not entirely sure in this instance what XinXii means by without conversion. Could be a few different things given the wording.
Two quick updates to this from rereading XinXii's FAQs looking for other information:
You *do* pay PayPal fees on their transactions still. Was misreading that they don't apply third party processing fees to *royalties*.
And if you get paid in USD (you can choose currency) that's w/o conversion?
At this point I'm not entirely sure they are providing free ISBNs? Almost looks like it might be a tiered system. (Free to use base level, then paid options for ISBNs, etc.) I'd probably need to open an account and do some digging to see.
I do think tech companies are underestimating the amount of
- new account fatigue
- new app fatigue
- useless upgrade fatigue
- terms of service fatigue
Makes sense given fluctuating currency exchange rates. Note of that in the FAQs would be ideal though.
That aside, XinXii seems like a fairly good alternative if you're heading out of D2D.
I don't like that XinXii works with Family Christian. But if you choose to work with XinXii, do not distribute to FC. They have a history of negative reviews and complaints from past employees, ran their business badly, and any monies you earn them you're doing at the expense of queer communities.
I do have one big red flag about XinXii via their distribution channels. They apparently distribute to Family Christian, which...
FC used to be brick and mortar. They went bankrupt in 2017 and transferred to an online only model. FC is an evangelical bookstore, and catered to that community. 5/?
That timeline on payouts would seem to suggest payment is handled manually, rather than an automatic distribution of payouts. *If* so, could potentially lead to some of the same issues the manual payout side of Itchio's payment system faces.
Note: *If* that's the case. Not sure from the FAQs. 4/?
XinXii's payout setup can be paid either via PayPal, or if in the EU bank transfer in Euros is an option. It looks like they cover PayPal fees? (Or so the FAQ suggests, which is unexpected but would be useful.)
Payouts, once requested, are paid out by the end of the *following* month. 3/?
There's a discrepancy in XinXii's FAQs about their minimum payout requirements. (They use a payout threshold system.)
In one earlier FAQ entry, the payout threshold is listed as $27 USD, later as $20 USD. I'm not sure which is correct, and am just assuming this is an error with FAQ maintenance. 2/?
Been reading through the site. Definitely a good option, worth looking into as an aggregate distributor.
Quick things of note (for me anyway):
XinXii's royalties for their own sales pages (vs. distributed channels as set by those retailers) are 70% for titles over $0.99, 40% for $0.99 titles. 1/?
Trying out XinXii for ebook distribution. It gets Amazon, Apple, B&N, Casa del Libro, Kobo, Google Play, Tolino, Everand, and maybe a few more. Seems to do audiobook too. The UI isn't great, but it's *free*.
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This bundle of spicy queer stories (and two stories of mine where the heat mostly comes from a goblin who likes burning things) has sold 369 copies.
Grab one while you can to get these amazing savings.
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to add on to this - and not just because I have a book in here somehow - but Beedok's writing's some good stuff and she's not the only one. The work on itchio is universally underpriced as it is - but you can really cash in and save money for summer reading by buying it up now.
Do you want tall muscular butches? I've got a few of those in stories in this bundle.
They're mostly gremlins.
I'm not sure it's better or worse going from non-fiction and small press poetry and literary circles (where I never really connected with people) to spec.
Very different kinds of drama. And a lot of boring (mostly elderly) white men who talk over everybody in, admittedly, all of those circles. :/
So I was thinking about this after the panel on the weekend, trying to remember when I'd actually waded into publishing, and I realized my first gentle forays were back in 2001. But I didn't really get into spec publishing circles until 2010/2011? There's so much I've heard of but missed, yeah. :D
When we hit $5,200 everyone included in the bundle will have made $100! 🙌 Which is awesome! That's the power of these bundles: getting a lot of cool people paid in return for a lot of cool stories to chew through! I LOVE IT! 💕🌈
If you're low on reading material, or you just want more AMAZING books to throw on your TBR list, there's some absolute heat here. There's less than two weeks on the bundle, so you should go! go! go! and pick the bundle up while it's here!
it’s a great day for transphobes to eat shit