Duck Prints Press LLC Press Kit

About Duck Prints Press LLC

Tagline: We Print Diversity

One-Sentence Description: An independent small press dedicated to publishing original works by fanwork creators.

Full Description: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to work with fancreators to publish their original work. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and artists to publish stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

Currently, we are developing our business and developing collaborative relationships with fancreators. We’re also growing our ability to distribute and disseminate the works we publish. We’ll be publishing two anthologies in 2023 and as many as five in 2024, and we are growing our catalog of short stories and novels.

Long term, we will operate as a cooperative multi-genre publisher. Members of the cooperative will provide services such as editing, copy-editing, formatting, and art to other members of the cooperative. Operating as a cooperative will enable us to leverage our diverse skills, publish high-quality books at a low cost, and maximize the percentage of each sale that we can pay forward directly to authors.

You can find our books on our website (duckprintspress.com) and on most major retailers and library e-book services.

Founded: January 2021

Location: Schenectady, New York State, USA

About Our Founder: Claire Houck (she/they/he), pen name Nina Waters, fandom name unforth, is the founder and sole proprietor of Duck Prints Press LLC. She is agender, queer, 40 years old, white, Jewish/atheist/Unitarian Universalist, married, and a mother of two. She has written over three hundred short stories, a number of novellas, and 16 novels, some original, some fanfiction. She’s run seven successful crowdfunding campaigns, edited five anthologies (and counting), and worked as a professional author and editor since January, 2021. Before she became a full-time writer, Claire had a career as a self-employed professional grant writer and program evaluator, providing consultation services for the New York City Department of Education and other non-profit education organizations. She wrote grants that won her clients more than $25 million and successfully juggled as many as 12 projects at a time. Her dream has always been to create and help others create, and Duck Prints Press is the culmination of that dream!

You can find Claire on: Tumblr | Archive of Our Own | Goodreads

You can read about other members of our management team and staff here.

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Media Assets

The Duck Prints Press logo. It reads Duck Prints Press with one word per line. On the left and bottom sides there are eight duck prints in a row. The top left most print is brown, then green, blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow, the print rainbow ending with the bottom right most print, which is white.
The logo for the Duck Prints Press explicit imprint Duxxx Prints Press. It has text with the name of the press, and the three xs are filled in with the colors of the rainbow. A droplet drips from the last S of "Press," and it also has rainbow colored fill. On the left side and bottom of the text are citrus slices and lemons shown at various angles, and each is a different color of the rainbow. In order, the colors are brown, green, blue, purple, red, orange, yellow, white. The final white slice intersects with the S droplet.

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Get In Touch

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Upcoming Events

No November events. You can see our full schedule here.

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Selected Works

Our Anthologies:

Our Novels and Novellas:

Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers

Title: Aim For The Heart

Full Title: Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers

Authors: Aria L. Deair, E. V. Dean, Rhosyn Goodfellow, Catherine E. Green, J. D. Harlock, A. L. Heard, D. A. Hernández, R. L. Houck, Lucy K. R., Aeryn Jemariel Knox, Annabeth Lynch, Sebastian Marie, Nova Mason, Sage Mooreland, D. V. Morse, MouMouSanRen, J. D. Rivers, Veronica Sloane, Shea Sullivan, Xianyu Zhou

Artists: Aceriee, Cris Alborja, bloomingtea, C, Amy Fincher, Kou Lukeman, Giulia Malagoli, MidnightSilver, Pallas Perilous, Queen Sponge Studios, Jennifer Smith, Toby.exe, Jupiter V, Amy Alexander Weston, Amalia Zeichnerin, Jagoda Zirebiec

Publication Date: Coming winter 2023

Publisher: Duck Prints Press LLC

ISBN: 978-1-946472-93-9 (ePub); 978-1-946472-92-2 (PDF); 978-1-946472-91-5 (Print Book)

Genre: Fanwork Anthology

Length: 254 pages / 107,474 words

The cover of the book "Aim For The Heart." It shows a person of indeterminate general in shades of red in the center of the image. They're dressed in a doublet over a collared shirt, thick gloves, and a broad-brimmed feathered hat. Only their nose and mouth show, the rest of their face covered by the hat, and the are smiling broadly. Their hands clasp the sides of their shirt, spreading it apart to reveal the center of their chest beneath. Three swords emerge from off-canvas, and their points converge just before the person's chest, the points crossed and aimed for the person's heart. In the background, two indistinct figures in historical, lace-trimmed dresses are shown in shades of gray; both reach for the central figure, one touching their face and chin, the other reaching for their shoulder. Text over the image reads "A Duck Prints Press Anthology. Aim For The Heart. Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas's 'The Three Musketeers'"

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Description:

You’ve heard “All For One!”; now get ready for “One For All!” Duck Prints Press is thrilled to bring a whole new meaning to the Musketeers’ famous slogan in one inclusive book with a little bit of something for everyone: Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers.” For this collection, we recruited 20 authors and 16 artists who love Athos, Porthos, Aramis, d’Artagnan, Milady, Madame Bonacieux, and the whole gang from Dumas’s wonderful historical melodrama. These creators’ mission was simple: take this long-adored story and make it queer! The result is an amazing collection of works exploring the nuances of these characters, delving into issues of identity, gender, and sexuality—telling and retelling a story we all know and love.

About the Authors and Artists: Contributor Biographies

Add This Book on: Goodreads | StoryGraph

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She Wears the Midnight Crown

Title: She Wears the Midnight Crown

Authors: Adrian Harley, Alec J. Marsh, Annabeth Lynch, boneturtle, Bunny K. Solomon, D. A. Hernández, Emma Victoria, Lex T. Lindsay, Lucy K. R., Lyn Weaver, Mare Griffen, N. C. Farrell, Rascal Hartley, Rhosyn Goodfellow, S. Z. Meriläinen, Sebastian Marie

Artist: Friendly Pigeon

Publication Date: March 15, 2023

Publisher: Duck Prints Press LLC

ISBN: 978-1-946472-17-5 (ePub); 978-1-946472-16-8 (PDF); 978-1-946472-15-1 (Print Book)

Genre: Anthology

Length: 276 pages / 98,150 words

The book cover for "She Wears the Midnight Crown," which is also the only text on the image. It depicts two women embracing as if dancing, both wearing dresses. One woman wears a mask; the other has removed her mask and holds it in one hand outstretched behind the other woman's back. In the background is the moon.

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Description:

She Wears the Midnight Crown is one of our two paired masquerade-themed anthologies. It features 17 stories exploring wlw relationships developing, growing, and changing while the characters attend or participate in masquerades!

The collected works in She Wears the Midnight Crown feature women and feminine-leaning genderqueer characters, with a spectrum of sexualities, and these diverse individuals inhabit worlds ranging from a science fiction story where an animal’s appearance hides human intellect, to a fantasy setting where masks show the role one plays in society, to an iteration of the real world the greatest danger lies in unmasking. Our contributors stretched their imaginations to present innovative stories exploring what a masquerade can be…and, of course, tell rich, engaging tales of wonderful queer folk finding love, companionship, acceptance, or the found family they deserve.

About the Authors and Artists: Contributor Biographies

Add This Book on: Goodreads | StoryGraph

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He Bears the Cape of Stars

Title: He Bears the Cape of Stars

Authors: A. L. Heard, Alex Ransom, Era J. M. Couts, J. D. Rivers, J. S. Lenore, Jessica Black, Julia Perroni, K. B. Vimes, Kit Alexander, Louise Long, Maggie Page, Mikki Madison, Sanne Burg, Stephen G. Krueger, Tevye J. Schmidt, Tris Lawrence, Veronica Sloane

Artist: Friendly Pigeon

Publication Date: March 15, 2023

Publisher: Duck Prints Press LLC

ISBN: 978-1-946472-21-2 (ePub); 978-1-946472-19-9 (PDF); 978-1-946472-18-2 (Print Book)

Genre: Anthology

Length: 277 pages / 100,139 word

The book cover for "He Bears the Cape of Stars," which is also the only text on the image. It depicts two men embraced as if dancing, their bodies close and their hands clasped. One man wears a mask. In the background is the moon.

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Description:

He Bears the Cape of Stars is one of our two paired masquerade-themed anthologies. It features 17 stories exploring mlm relationships developing, growing, and changing while the characters attend or participate in masquerades!

The collected works in He Bears the Cape of Stars feature men and masculine-leaning genderqueer characters, with a spectrum of sexualities, and these diverse individuals inhabit worlds ranging from a science fiction setting where everyone must be masked to breathe, to a fantasy world where no one wears a literal mask but everyone shows the world a false guise, to an iteration of the real world where all the characters truly want is to take their masks off and show the world who they really are. Our contributors stretched their imaginations to present innovative stories exploring what a masquerade can be…and, of course, tell rich, engaging tales of wonderful queer folk finding love, companionship, acceptance, the queer platonic relationship of their dreams, or the found family they deserve.

About the Authors and Artists: Contributor Biographies

Add This Book on: Goodreads | StoryGraph

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And Seek (Not) to Alter Me: Queer Fanworks Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

Title: And Seek (Not) to Alter Me

Full Title: And Seek (Not) to Alter Me: Queer Fanworks Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

Authors: Adrian Harley, Aria L. Deair, Era J. M. Couts, Juno Caster, K. B. Vimes, Lucy K. R., Lyn Weaver, Mikki Madison, Nickel J. Keep, Nicole Wilkinson, nottesilhouette, Nova Mason, R. L. Houck, Theo Neidlinger, Theresa Tanner, Veronica Sloane

Artists: A. A. Weston, Alicia Matheson, Amy Fincher, Casei Solus, Cris Alborja, Gio Guimarães, Jared Powell, Joey Hazell, Joshua Beeking, Liz Brooks, Magnolia Porter, Miss Aceriee, Pallas Perilous, Pimmy Oldham, Rima Sweet, Taylor C. Fischer, Xanthe P. Russell

Publication Date: October 1, 2022

Publisher: Duck Prints Press LLC

ISBN: 978-1-946472-13-7 (ePub); 978-1-946472-14-4 (Mobi); 978-1-946472-12-0 (PDF); 978-1-946472-11-3 (Print Book)

Genre: Anthology

Length: 179 pages / 79,553 words

The cover of the book "And Seek (Not) to Alter Me." It shows four people in two couples - a pair of men in the foreground, embraced as if talking intimately and perhaps about to kiss, and a pair of women in the background, one reaching around to hug the other. All four people are dressed as though from different time periods - one man in faux 16th century garb, the other in armor, a woman dressed in Medieval style, the other in clothing from the early 20th century. A motif around the figures includes an arch and a curtain, suggesting that they are on a stage. A crowned duck in the lower right corner stands before all, mid-quack. Text on the image reads, "A Duck Prints Press Anthology. And Seek (Not) to Alter Me. Queer Fanworks Inspired by Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing."

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Description:

In And Seek (Not) to Alter Me, 16 authors and 16 artists have come together to create an exquisite, full-color collection of artwork and stories inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. We encouraged contributors to stretch their imaginations, think outside the box, and put their own unique—and queer—twists on Benedick, Beatrice, Hero, Claudio, Don Pedro, and the whole gang! In true Shakespearean fashion, our creators utilize gender, sexuality, romanticism, and a host of costume changes to tell unique artworks and stories—some featuring original characters, some characters from the play—that show Shakespeare’s work in a whole new light.

About the Authors and Artists: Contributor Biographies

Add This Book on: Goodreads | StoryGraph

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Add Magic to Taste: A Spellbinding (and Scrumptious!) Collection of Heartwarming Queer Stories

Title: Add Magic to Taste

Full Title: Add Magic to Taste: A Spellbinding (and Scrumptious!) Collection of Heartwarming Queer Stories

Authors: A. L. Heard, Alex Ransom, Beth Lumen, Em Rowntree, Florence Vale, I. A. Ashcroft, Jessica Black, Jo Mathieson, Kristi Mae, Lacey Hays, Lex T. Lindsay, Maggie Page, Nina Waters, Puck Malamud, Scarlett Gale, Shea Sullivan, T. S. Knight, Theresa Alef, Tris Lawrence, Willa Blythe

Artists: Joshua Beeking, Liz Lee Illustration

Publication Date: December 15, 2021

Publisher: Duck Prints Press LLC

ISBN: 978-1-946472-09-0 (ePub); 978-1-946472-10-6 (Mobi); 978-1-946472-20-5 (PDF); 978-1-946472-08-3 (Print Book)

Genre: Anthology

Length: 306 pages / 100,598 words

The cover of "Add MAgic to Taste." It shows a bespectacled dragon standing behind a counter, lifting one clawed hand to add something into a sparkling beaker labeled "everything nice." Their tail holds open a book, the spine of which reads "Magical Morsels." They are surrounded by a plate of macaroons, a tiered stand with cupcakes and brownies, jars with candy, pictures of steaming coffee mugs, a bookshelf with a few books, and a cash register and tip jar. Above them is a banner with different queer flags, such as the lesbian flag, non-binary flag, trans flag, gay flag, bisexual flag, and others. A wooden banner reads "Add Magic to Taste," and at the bottom is a subtitle that reads "A Spellbinding (and Scrumptious!) Collection of Heartwarming Queer Stories."

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Description:

For Add Magic to Taste, 20 authors have come together to produce new, original short stories uniting four of our absolute favorite themes: queer relationships, fluff, magic, and coffee shops! Our diverse writers have created an even more diverse collection of stories guaranteed to sweeten your coffee and warm your tart.

About the Authors and Artists: Contributor Biographies

Add This Book on: Goodreads | StoryGraph

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Many Drops Make a Stream by Adrian Harley

Title: Many Drops Make a Stream

Author: Adrian Harley

Artist: Roiu Cris

Publication Date: Coming soon

Publisher: Duck Prints Press LLC

ISBN: 978-1-946472-97-7 (ePub); 978-1-946472-96-0 (PDF); 978-1-946472-95-3 (Print Book)

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 159 page / 57,224 words

Text on this book cover reads Many Drops Make a Stream (the title of the book) and Adrian Harley (the author of the book). The image depicts a huge bird with an eagle-like head and golden and white features carrying a medium-skinned woman with black hair who is waring a white sleeveless shirt, capri length brown pants, and ankle-high boots. The clothing looks old-fashioned without suggesting a specific time period. Far below them is a city of one and two story buildings with white walls and orange roofs, and a city square filled with people so tiny they are just small lines. The city ends with the buildings descending into a waterway in the bottom foreground. In the top middle and lower corners of the cover, a neon-pink eye motif overlays the rest of the image.

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Description:

A memory-stealing cult.
The ever-watchful City of Eyes.
Making small talk.
Join Droplet as she faces all these horrors and more…

Vigilante shapeshifter Droplet has trained her entire life to take down those with more power than scruples, but she still makes mistakes. When a rescue mission goes wrong, a memory-stealing cult of blood mages escapes with kidnapped captives in tow. To save them, Droplet reluctantly teams up with the outgoing, tenacious Azera. Droplet knows better than to trust a human—she made that mistake once, and that person’s betrayal scattered her community across the known world—and she can tell Azera is hiding secrets behind her sunny smile. But if they can’t learn to work together, even Droplet’s own memories could be lost.

Add This Book on: Goodreads | StoryGraph

About the Author:

Adrian Harley is an almost-lifelong North Carolinian and a fantasy-fiction aficionado who started delving deep into fandom as an adult. They are an editor of research by day and a writer, also by day. They go to bed early. They have short stories in OFIC Magazine and multiple Duck Prints Press anthologies. They live with their husband and a perfectly reasonable number of cats.

Find the Author on: Website | TikTok | Tumblr

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To Drive the Hundred Miles by Alec J. Marsh

Title: To Drive the Hundred Miles

Author: Alec J. Marsh

Publication Date: Pre-Orders Open Now!

Publisher: Duck Prints Press LLC

ISBN: 978-1-946472-57-1 (ePub); 978-1-946472-56-4 (PDF); 978-1-946472-98-4 (Print Book)

Genre: Modern with Magic

Length: 67 pages / 24,001 words

The cover of "To Drive the Hundred Miles." It shows a snowy mountainscape, with the foreground bare save for snow in which footprints and a path have been worn, and the midground full of snowy pine tress, and the background of a stony mountain fading into white. In the front of the image, two people are shown from the back, both in modern clothing, one taller and wearing a hat and backpack, the other shorter with a yellow headband. The two people are holding hands. Text on the cover reads "To Drive the Hundred Miles" and names the author as "Alec J. Marsh." The Duxxx Prints Press explicit logo is in the upper right-hand corner.

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Description:

Serendipity, WA is filled with Christmas cheer, beautiful mountain views, and trans man Will’s feminist Wiccan family. Home for the holidays, he avoids their clumsy attempts at support by hiding in the local coffee shop and flirting with Bea, a friend from high school.

The beautiful landscapes can’t make up for the the realities of being queer in a small town, and Bea wants out. Will grabs for a prosperity spell, and finds a new way to connect to the magic he’s become estranged from. New romance and optimism get them through the holidays, ready to face their next problems.

Add This Book on: Goodreads | StoryGraph

About the Author:

Alec lives in the Pacific Northwest, where they write romantic adult fantasy and self-indulgent fanfiction. They make candles inspired by their favorite characters.

Find the Author on: Etsy | Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter

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