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Duck Prints Press Summer 2023 Con Wrap!

We’ve now vended at our first two cons, and we wanted to take a few minutes to blog about it!

I (press owner Claire Houck/unforth) attended Fandom Fest in Schenectady, NY, and Albacon in Clifton Park, NY, and vended on behalf of the Press. Authors Nova Mason, Shea Sullivan, Catherine E. Green, and Tris Lawrence helped me out with manning the booth, handling transactions, participating in our first DPP panel, and more, so huge THANKS to them. (Also to Prof. Robert Heverly from Albany Law School, for contributing his expertise on copyright law to our Fandom Fest panel). I wrote about our Fandom Fest panel here, and about our events at Albacon here and here.

To be honest, we really had no idea how things would go, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that we far exceeded our expectations. Going into this, I’ll own I was very afraid – would people be interested in our Press? Would we make money? Or would we be that sad, lonely table that everyone walks quickly by? But things couldn’t have gone better – they went so well we’re already looking at more events to attend in the future.

From a fiscal standpoint, we made almost double what I anticipated and completely made up the expense of buying the supplies and equipment necessary for us to vend at these events and going forward. From a panel perspective, our events were nicely attended. From a “growing the business” standpoint, we added many names to our mailing lists and gained social media platforms. And, from a networking standpoint, we had a fantastic time and met a lot of awesome people – and that’s primarily what this post is about!

You already know about us; we’re here to shout-out some other folks we’re now very happy to know!

The amazing Syrren and I bonded instantly over our shared love of the men of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu books and Stardew Valley romance options. I miiiight have ended up with some merch (though the Genshin Impact ones are gifts for a friend).

According to the Fandom Fest organizers, it was 100% a coincidence that we ended up next to Duck and Cover, but we couldn’t have had a cooler or more appropriate neighbor. A con attendee felt it was so on-brand for Duck Prints Press that they actually bought us this one-of-a-kind hand-painted James Bond duckie! We also talked with Duck and Cover about maybe offering some of their custom ducks as campaign add-ons in the future, so be on the lookout…

The owner of The Cogitation Zone, Lisa, is a long-time friend of Tris Lawrence, who commissioned us this custom Duck Prints Press business card holder that’ll be accompanying us to all our future cons! Lisa also had made a large number of adorable creatures, and I miiiight have traded a copy of one of our anthologies for an axolotl. Because. Axolotl.

The Consol Collection, sadly, has no website that I can find, but they had a lot of things such as this adorable Totoro sticker I got for my kids. And when the owner of Eclectic Arts approached me in an absolutely fabulous Hawaiian shirt featuring Pride-flag-colored twenty-sided dice, I instantly agreed to a sticker trade. On the right, jiadoesart had many lovely things, and I picked out some stickers for my Ghibli-loving kids.

Some Other Neat Folks We Met:

Pastel Prince Shop: lots of gorgeous queer art and merch; I’m hoping to get one of their asexual pride bracelets in the future (it got sold before I could grab it, sadly).

Bear and Bird Boutique: a local business that was vending at Fandom Fest, too, they have a lot of amazing bits and baubles, both fandom-related and original. We’ve bought everything from the Hilda graphic novel to a dragon puzzle at their store.

Picnocline: the only reason I didn’t buy things from Picnocline’s shop is that there were so many cute things that I literally couldn’t pick.

It’s Getting Dicey: dice, one of my true weaknesses! They have metal pride-flag dice sets, and lots of queer dice trays. I wish I could get them all…

Two-Penny Nerdlesque: a local burlesque troupe; they were very enthusiastic about And Seek (Not) to Alter Me and our queerifying of Much Ado About Nothing, and delighted told me about their own very queer versions of Shakespeare and other plays – I’m definitely going to have to check them out in the future.

(There are others too, but I didn’t grab everyone’s information, and I think this is plenty for one post. 😀 )

If any of you all are seeing this post, it was an absolute delight to meet you, and please don’t be a stranger!

Going forward, we’re looking forward to participating in more events and making more connections with other creators, especially other queer creators! Just today, we’ve applied to vend at A Big Gay Market, taking place in Washington Park in Albany on October 29th, 2023. We’ve also got a tentative schedule for 2024, and we’ll post more about where you’ll be able to find us as the dates grow closer and we find out if the juried shows have accepted our applications. We’re going to do our best to continue the success we’ve enjoyed at our first two conventions by pursuing vending as a way to meet potential readers and customers, grow relationships with other queer creators, and get the Duck Prints Press names out there for the benefit of all the authors, artists, and others we work with!

Got a con in New York State or Massachusetts that you love and think we should try to attend in 2024? Let us know in the comments or by dropping us an e-mail at info@duckprintspress.com!

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May Created Works Round-Up: 8 New Works by Our Creators!

Our monthly “created works round-ups” are Duck Prints Press’s opportunity to spotlight some of the amazing work that people working with us have done that ISN’T linked to their work with Duck Prints Press. We include fanworks, outside publications, and anything else that creators feel like sharing with y’all! Inclusion is voluntary and includes anything that they decided “hey, I want to put this on the created work’s round-up!”

Check out what they’ve shared with us this month…


And Then There Weren’t Nine (shhh) by firefly124

fiction || mcyt-evolution smp || no ships || general audiences || no major warnings apply || 607 || complete

summary: The portal they’d found in the maze under spawn had promised them freedom. Instead, Jimmy’d lost his best friend, and nobody was talking about it.

other tags: characters gone missing, watcher/listener lore

AO3


We Are Not Wise by Lucy K.R.

fiction || the scum villain’s self-saving system || m/m || shen yuan/luo binghe || teen & up || no major warnings apply || 52,243 || complete

summary: Transmigrated into a version of Proud Immortal Demon Way where cultivators manifest their own souls into spiritual weapons, Shen Yuan finds himself sort of kind of…accidentally blackmailing Shen Qingqiu into taking him on as a disciple before Luo Binghe joins the sect.

That should give Shen Yuan plenty of opportunities to make sure nothing goes wrong for his favorite protagonist, right? RIGHT!?

A story of twists, turns, hope, despair, and soul swords.

other tags: Utena-Inspired Setting, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Shěn Yuán Transmigrates into an NPC

AO3TWITTER


Love Like You by Lucy K.R.

fiction || the scum villain’s self-saving system || m/m || shen qingqiu/luo binghe || teen & up || no major warnings apply || 19,132 || complete

summary: Luo Binghe grows up in the shadow of his father, the red beryl Tianlang-jun. He loves his mother, and he loves his gem family, but there’s something missing from his life.

Enter the enigmatic, elegant, beautiful Shen Qingqiu–a pearl who quickly cements himself in Luo Binghe’s heart.

Unfortunately, their quiet days spent side-by-side on planet earth are quickly drawing to a close. When the appearance of Blue Diamond and his human pet changes everything, can Luo Binghe find a way back to Shen Qingqiu?

other tags: Steven Universe AU, He/Him pronouns for gems, mild body horror

AO3TWITTER


to live without regrets by Shadaras

fiction || guardian (tv 2018) || f/f || ya qing/zhu hong || mature || no major warnings apply || 3,245 || complete

summary: Zhu Hong goes back in time. With greater experience and knowledge at her disposal, she makes choices she hopes will help everyone she loves to live without (as many) regrets.

other tags: Alternate Universe – Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Established Relationship, Developing Relationship, Post-Canon to Pre-Canon, Non-Linear Narrative, Light Dom/Sub

AO3


Cicada Sings Amongst Bamboo by Shadaras

fiction || 陈情令 | the untamed (tv), 魔道祖师 – 墨香铜臭 | módào zǔshī – mòxiāng tóngxiù || f/m || qin su/lan qiren || teen & up || no major warnings apply || 14,000 || complete

summary: Qin Su is given a second chance at life.

This time, instead of the sweet-faced soldier who rescued her during the war, she chooses the Cloud Recesses. And, to everyone’s surprise, she chooses Lan Qiren.

other tags: Alternate Universe – Canon Divergence, Courtship, Time Travel, Second Chances, Recovery, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, References to Canonical Rape, This Burn Could Be Slower

AO3


Desperate For It by unforth/Nina Waters

fiction || the husky and his white cat shizun || m/m || chu wanning/mo ran || explicit || no major warnings apply || 4,116 || complete

summary: Chu Wanning is walking, alone, down a narrow alley when he’s assaulted by a man far too powerful for him to resist.

Chu Wanning should have known better than to get into this situation.

After all, it’s happened before…

other tags: Modern AU, Consensual Non-Consent, Rough Sex

AO3


Drinking Vinegar by unforth/Nina Waters

fiction || scum villain’s self-saving system || m/m || liu qingge/shen qingqiu || mature || no major warnings apply || 3,439 || complete

summary: Most days, Liu Qingge goes to System Shock Bookstore to pick up the BL titles that Liu Mingyan wants, and he definitely DOESN’T go to System Shock Bookstore to ogle the cute twink owner Shen Yuan.

Most days, by the time he leaves, Liu Qingge resolves to never go back. He’s never going to get what he wants, not when Shen Yuan is so obviously interested in the beefy guy who works at the store’s cafe.

But, of course, Liu Qingge always goes back…

(Liu Mingyan might kill him if he doesn’t pick up her pre-orders, after all…that’s the only reason…)

other tags: Modern Setting, Idiots to Lovers

AO3


Dawn by unforth/Nina Waters

fiction || mo dao zu shi || m/m || lan wangji/wei wuxian || general audiences || no major warnings apply || 1,325 || complete

summary: Exhausted, Lan Zhan returns to his tent after a long day of battle during the Sunshot Campaign.

And, on his pillow, he finds a letter that cannot possibly exist.

other tags: Time Travel, Canon Divergence, Second Chances

TUMBLRAO3


Happy reading!

Who We Are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher. We work with fan creators to publish their original work. We are particularly dedicated to publishing stories and art featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Love what we do? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more! Want to support the Press, read about us behind-the-scenes, learn what’s coming down the pipeline, get exclusive teasers, and claim free stories? Back us on Patreon monthly!

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Creators Spotlight: November Works by Duck Prints Press Creators!

Our creators had a busy November! Check out some of the works they created…


Breath of life. by MizuShiba / @mizushibart

art || ​call of duty: modern warfare 2 || m/m || ghost / soap || general audiences || no major warnings apply || complete

summary: So close. So intimate. Yet its not enough.

other tags: smoking, cigarettes

TUMBLRTWITTER


Kinkiest ship on the ocean (1-15) by FPwoper / @fpwoper

fiction || our flag means death (tv) || various, see tags per chapter || various, see tags per chapter || explicit || creator choses not to use warnings || 8,045 || complete

summary: Kinktober 2022 – OFMD Edition

31 (short?) fics featuring all kinds of kinks!

The chapter summaries will include the ship and tags for each fill because everything is rather fluid in this.

Chapters might not be updated daily.

This has been split in two, see the series for 16-30

other tags: (Tags and ships are included in every chapter description)

AO3


Kinkiest ship on the ocean (16-31) by FPwoper / @fpwoper

fiction || our flag means death (tv) || various relationship types || various pairings || explicit || creator choses not to use warnings || 11,103 || complete

summary: Kinktober 2022 – OFMD Edition

31 (short?) fics featuring all kinds of kinks!

The chapter summaries will include the ship and tags for each fill because everything is rather fluid in this.

other tags: (Tags and ships are included in every chapter description)

AO3


Kinky fuckers by FPwoper / @fpwoper

fiction || our flag means death (tv) rpf, new zealand actor rpf, new zealand comedy actor rpf || various relationship types || various ships || explicit || creator choses not to use warnings || 28,690 || complete

summary: Kinktober 2022 – RPF Edition

31 (short?) fics featuring all kinds of kinks!

The chapter summaries will include the ship and tags for each fill because everything is rather fluid in this.

other tags: (Tags and ship are included in each chapter description)

AO3


Idiocy Can Sometimes Be Catching by FuziPenguin / @fuzipenguin

fiction || gokusen (tv) || f/m || sawada shin/yamaguchi kumiko one-sided || explicit || no major warnings apply || 1,972 || complete

summary: It’s the first time Shin has ever seen so much of Yankumi’s skin. Predictably, his body reacts. Unpredictably, his regular brain takes a back seat to his second brain for a moment when he offers to throw away Yankumi’s cheerleading outfit for her. Instead, he does something else with it. Something she would probably hit him for. A lot.

other tags: Unrequited Love, Unrequited Lust, Masturbation (male), angst, Shin is 18 years old

TUMBLRAO3PILLOWFORTLINK


That’s NOT A REAL TROPE you Hack Author! by Lucy K.R./Boomchick / @boomchickfanfiction

fiction || scum villain’s self-saving system || m/m || luo binghe/shen qingqiu, mobei-jun/shang qinghua || explicit || no major warnings apply || 126,603 || complete

summary: In a world that is a story come to life, bringing fanfiction tropes into play can lead to unexpected concequences… Especially if the fanfiction author had no idea what those tropes were supposed to mean!

A post-canon story of love, humor, hurt, healing, and most of all TROPES.

other tags: crack treated seriously, humor, hurt/comfort, happy ending, identity reveal, onscreen injury, animal endangerment, explicit sexual content, fix-it of sorts

TUMBLRAO3TWITTER


spring moves under ground and under skin by Puck Malamud / @theleakypen

fiction || mo dao zu shi/the untamed || platonic or familial || lan xichen & nie mingjue || teen & up || no major warnings apply || 1,840 || complete

summary: A pre-canon fic in which Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue become close when Nie Mingjue attends the Lan sect’s guest lectures and Lan Xichen takes some time to figure out that he’s ace.

other tags: Pre-Canon, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Platonic Physical Affection, Unaware Ace Lan Xichen, minor Lan Xichen & Lan Wangji, Best Friends, Increasing Intimacy of Address

AO3


На высокий берег, на крутой | Onto the high bank and steep by Puck Malamud / @theleakypen

fiction || goncharov (1973) dir. matteo jwhj 0715 – beelzebub || platonic or familial || andrey “the banker” daddano & katya goncharova; background “lo straniero” goncharov/katya goncharova; background andrey “the banker” daddano/”lo straniero” goncharov || general audiences || no major warnings apply || 669 || complete

summary: Puck gets in on the Goncharov nonsense with a small missing scene fic where Katya invites Andrey out for lunch in order to get his measure.

other tags: Missing Scene, Awkward Conversations, Complicated Friendships

AO3


You know you don’t need a better moment to go check out some fanfic! And don’t forget to leave some kudos and love!