I try to answer all e-mails I receive from readers, and it always surprises me that people ask the same things over and over again. So here are some of the questions readers often ask me.
- Are you male or female?
- Personally, I don't see what it matters, unless you're a young gay reader interested in hooking up with me. In that case, I hate to tell you that I'm probably not your type, as I'm of the fairer sex.
- Are you gay?
- A lot of people who don't read M/M or gay fiction ask this. They assume because I write gay fiction, I must be gay. When I point out I write about gay men, which I'm obviously not, they sort of go, "Ohh," then give me weird looks. That's cool. To put this question to rest, I consider myself bisexual, though I've never been in a relationship with a woman. And to complicate things further, the only men I really fall for are gay, but I don't consider myself transgender. Sexuality is a funny thing, isn't it? There are no absolutes, but instead a veritable rainbow of flavors that mix and meld together to create the human race. And anyone who tries to tell you different is only suppressing their own innate multi-faceted sexuality.
- I work for a bookstore or library. Can we purchase your print books at a discount to resell?
- Yes. Information on wholesale pricing can be found here.
- Can I get copies of your books to review?
- Yes. Contact me with information on where your reviews are posted and we'll talk.
- What are do the initials "J.M." stand for?
- "Jeanette Marie." That's my real name, so those are my real initials and not a pseudonym. When I wrote fan fiction, I went by the oh-so-clever nom de plume of "NSyncGrrl." When I began publishing original fiction, though, I wanted a gender neutral name because some of my stories are written in the first person and I didn't want readers to confuse the author with the main character of the book. So I decided to use my initials, and they've served me well ever since.
- What's your writing schedule like?
- This may come as a surprise to you, but I work full-time, so I don't get to write much during the day. My average weekday begins at 6 AM, when I get up to feed the cats (I have 2). This is the only time I really get to myself, so I try to write between 500-1000 words every morning before 8 AM. Then I get ready for the day job. Sometimes I write in the evenings after work, if I'm lucky. On the weekends, I focus on marketing, promotion, my website, and other aspects of the writing business, and don't tend to get any real writing done.
- How do you write so damn much!??
- I don't -- it just looks like I do. Since I began e-publishing, 90% of my releases or "books" are really novellas or short stories that would never be long enough to put into print on their own. Novels take me much longer to write, usually about six to seven months, though I've had a few that took longer. Short stories I can dash out in a couple of weeks. If you write a thousand words a day, you'll have a complete short story in no time, right? Also, please keep in mind that many of my releases are scheduled months in advance.
- Where do you get your ideas?
- Everywhere, and I mean that literally. Music, movies, books, conversations overheard in restaurants, signs seen on the highway, everywhere. Many times it's just a case of a scene or a moment frozen in time that sparks a thought in my head, making me see things in a new light. In a future update to this site, I plan to explain the thought processes behind some of my stories, which should give you insight into what really is a completely random occurrence. To those budding writers looking for your own inspiration, all I can say is pay attention to the world around you, the people and things you see, what you hear and feel. Every second is a story waiting to unfold.
- Who are your favorite writers and/or books?
- Though I write gay erotica and romance, I'll let you in on a little secret -- I don't tend to read much of it, gay or otherwise, "for fun." Why? Because I write it. When I read, I read things I don't write. My favorite authors are Stephen King, Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut, Jude Watson, Charles Pellegrino, and Jon Krakauer. I love to read non-fiction, mostly about the Civil War, diseases, death, the Holocaust, myths and legends, and shipwrecks. The fiction I like tends to be sci-fi or fantasy, some high-brow literary stuff, some thrillers or horror, and YA books. Yet my favorite book of all time is Watership Down by Richard Adams. I love it so much, I read it at least once a year. I'm odd, no?
- Are you ever going to write a sequel to [ insert title here ]?
- The most common book I'm asked this about is Power Play, which surprises me because very few people read it as a paperback, but now that it's in e-book format (and much more affordable, I might add), it's one of my best sellers. The short answer is simply, I don't know. I have story ideas for sequels to several of my older books, Power Play included, but at the moment I don't know when I'll get around to writing them.
- Is [ insert title here ] ever going to be in print?
- I am still a huge fan of self-publishing, particularly when an e-publisher I work with doesn't offer print publication. So the short answer here is yes, eventually everything I've written will be available in print. The real question is when? And the real answer is, I'm working on it!
- Will you ever stop writing stories about Vic and Matt?
- I don't know if people ask me this because they hate those characters or love them, but suffice it to say that at this point in time, I don't foresee an end to their stories. Though one series is ending, I have several other stories already contracted to be released in 2009, and quite a few more in mind to be written. So love 'em or hate 'em, they're here to stay. Sorry!
- Will you be doing a book signing in my area any time soon?
- Probably not. There are several reasons for this: 1) I'm broke most of the time and can't afford to travel much beyond my own home state; 2) I've never had much luck at book signings, so I'm sticking with local conventions and Pride events from now on; and 3) who'd watch my cats while I'm away? That's the most important thing, really!
- Seriously though, if you'd like a signed book by me, I have several for sale through Amazon on this page (you can also contact me privately to purchase them from me through PayPal). If you already have a book of mine that you'd like signed, I do have book plates which can be personalized to you. These are stickers I'll sign to you which can be placed in the front of the book. You can request free book plates from this page.
- Will you marry me?
- Believe it or not I've been asked this question at least ten times by different male readers, some of whom I don't think were joking. The answer is no, but if you're rich, aren't allergic to cats, don't expect me to do housework, and are willing to support me so I can quit the day job and write full time ... well shit, drop me a line. *wink*
Feel free to drop me a line at jms@jmsnyder.net. It may take a while for me to answer, but I promise I'll write back as soon as I can!