Yes!

All physical book orders are fulfilled by me, and come signed.

If you want the book personalized when I sign it, please make sure to put a note in your order comments!

My eBooks and audiobooks are both fulfilled and delivered through BookFunnel.

After Purchase:

When you place an order for an eBook or an audiobook, you will receive:

1. A confirmation email from me
2. An email from help@bookfunnel.com with your download link

From that BookFunnel email, you’ll be able to download your purchase and begin reading or listening.

How to Read/Listen:

eBooks are able to be sent to any eReader device of your choice, or be read in BookFunnel’s app.

Through BookFunnel, you're able to read on:

• BookFunnel app available on Apple and Android
• Kindle eReaders after 2015
• Nook eReaders after 2014
• Kobo eReaders (apart from Kobo Aura)
• Apple Books on iPads, iPhones
• Android Tablets and Phones
• Your computer using Chrome or Firefox browser

You also have the option to have the ePUB file emailed to you (if the author has this enabled), and from there you can manually load it onto the device of your choice.

Audiobooks are available to listen through via your preferred web browser, or in the free BookFunnel app (available on the iTunes and Android App Stores).

You have 14 days to download the book before the link expires. If your link expires before you're able to download, you can find it in your Bookfunnel library in the app, or please email me to get a new link.

Technical Help:

If you didn't get the email from Bookfunnel within 10 minutes of your purchase, please reach out to me at jess@authorjessicastaylor.com

If you need technical support accessing your ebook or audiobook, please reply to the Bookfunnel email (help@bookfunnel.com) and the very intelligent and nice people there will help you out!

Preorders will charge your payment method at checkout.

Physical preorders will begin shipping out the week before release day, with the hope it will arrive in time for release day.

eBook and audiobook preorders are automatically fulfilled at midnight Eastern Time (US / Canada) on release day. You will get an email from help@bookfunnel.com with your preorder and the download link.

Currently, we are able to sell and ship products to the US, EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Bahrain, Egypt, South Africa, India, and Japan.

Please note: Due to new EU regulations, drop-shipped merchandise (clothing, apparel, accessories) are not available to customers in EU countries. Only those items fulfilled by me (books, art prints bookmarks, and bookplates) are available to EU customers.

VAT is included in checkout for EU and UK customers. However, you may still have to pay additional customs fees upon delivery depending on your location and the shipping method chosen.

For Canadian customers, I encourage you to choose USPS shipping where possible to avoid additional brokerage fees charged by UPS or FedEx.

If you have any issues during checkout regarding shipping, please email me.

If you are in a country that we are not currently shipping to, please reach out and we will see if we can figure out an alternative.

You can read our shipping policy by clicking here.

Digital items, like eBooks or audiobooks, are not eligible for returns or refunds as they are instant downloads.

Signed books that are personalized are also not eligible for return, refund, or exchange. If your book arrives damaged, please follow the instructions found in our Returns & Refunds Policy.

Clothing is fulfilled on demand by Printful, and is made to order. As such, Printful does not offer returns or exchanges based on incorrect sizing, except where required by law. Please use the sizing charts found on each clothing's product page to ensure you're getting the correct size.

For more information, click here to read our full Returns & Refund policy.

I use a combination of Printify and Printful, two recently merged third-party dropshipping companies, to fulfill and ship all clothing, apparel, and accessories on my site.

I fulfill and ship all bookmarks, art prints, signed bookplates and physical books myself.

If your order includes a combination of these items, your items may ship in separate packages. You will receive tracking information for all packages.

If your item arrives damaged, please retain all packaging and items and email me as soon as possible so I can begin the claims process with our shipping insurance.

You will be asked to provide pictures of both the original packaging and the damage. Please retain all packaging and items until I confirm the claim has been approved.

DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY.

It's imperative you contact me as soon as possible if your order doesn't meet your standards in any way. I want you to love your items, and I'll work with you to get a solution.

For more information, click here to read our full Returns & Refund policy.

eBooks/Audiobooks are delivered via BookFunnel to the device of your choosing.

Print books are sourced primarily from IngramSpark and printed in the US. The only exception to this is the Seas of Caladhan Omnibus, which is sourced from Sese Printing in China).

Merchandise is printed and distributed by Printful or Printify and the specific country of origin for each product can be found in the description. The specific printer will depend on your location and the product ordered.

Art prints and bookmarks are printed in the US by Smartpress.

If you have questions about any of my products, please email us at shop@authorjessicastaylor.com.

I write dark FANTASY romance. The "dark" in dark fantasy romance describes the FANTASY. I do not write dark romance, and none of my books are dark romance.

Dark fantasy is fantasy with horror elements in it, and while the romance may also be tinged with grey, it is NOT dark.

Dark romance readers would likely not appreciate my books, as they're not dark romance.

No, and they likely never will be.

Kindle Unlimited requires indie authors to have their eBooks exclusive to Amazon, and for both personal and professional reasons, I am not comfortable with that.

If you're looking for a subscription program similar to KU, I encourage you to check out Kobo Plus.

My books are also available via library sites like Hoopla and Libby, and through other subscription services like Everand (fka Scribd).

I run sales on my eBooks fairly often, and if accessibility or financial situations are still a concern, please email me and inquire about my eBook Access Review program.

Yes! Though likely not at the same time as the other formats release.

All of my books are currently available in audiobook. The Seas of Caladhan audio was produced independently, and Hollowed was picked up by Dreamscape and published through them.

For any audiobook publishers interested in future works, you can inquire at subrights@browerliterary.com!

Translations are often picked up by foreign publishers based on demand.

So if you're interested in seeing my books translated into your language, the BEST way to get that is to reach out to local publishers in your country and tell them about my book!

That said, I am under contract for the following translations for the Seas of Caladhan duology:

• Spanish (2025)

For all other languages and all future works, including Hollowed, my translation rights are represented by Brower Literary Management.

For any translators or foreign publishers who are interested in my works, you can contact subrights@browerliterary.com to inquire!

Not at all. The Seas of Caladhan duology is completely separate from Hollowed, which is completely separate from Beyond Those Gilded Walls.

The duology should be read in order, The Syren's Mutiny first and then The Captain's Revenge. You can read the prequel novella, The Ocean's Mercy, at any point (either before or after). I have no other plans to come back to this world. I have so many more ideas I want to explore first!

Hollowed is a standalone, and will have no other books set in the same world.

Beyond Those Gilded Walls is also a standalone, but I do have other books planned in the same world. However, these books will not be connected to the events or the characters of BTGW.

I will not be writing a Cam/Kyla book, even if I do return to the world of Caladhan.

Kyla is a black woman, and as someone who is whiter than white bread, it is so far beyond my place to write her experiences and her story. The story she wants to tell is her experience as a black woman, as a black mother, and as a black wife, and that is not my lane.

I could write Kyla as a side character all day long and I love her to death, but it's not my place to write her story.

Cam says that he loves y'all for asking though, but he's selfish and wants to keep Kyla to himself for a while.

If you missed it, you can get bonus content from the Seas of Caladhan, including a bonus scene of That Kiss from Cameron's POV! Click here to download it.

I know, I know, I picked words that are super hard to pronounce. You can continue making the weird noises in your head when you read over them, but if you do truly want to know how they're pronounced, there is a pronunciation guide at the front of all my books.

If you're reading the eBook version, some eReaders might skip past it, so just flip back to the beginning. It's there with the map and the playlist!

You can also find pronunciation details for all my books here.

On a scale of 1-5 chili peppers (5 being the spiciest), my books are:

Seas of Caladhan: 1-2 peppers (fade to gray situations and the door is open, descriptions focus more on emotions)

Hollowed: bell pepper/0 peppers (kissing, nudity, tension but no sexual content)

Beyond Those Gilded Walls: 2-3 peppers (multiple, explicit sexual content scenes with detailed descriptions of bodies and emotions)

You can buy my books directly from my shop, in all formats (except for Hollowed's audiobook)!

My books are also available everywhere eBooks are sold and at most major book retailers.

You can also find then on subscription and library sites like Kobo Plus, Overdrive, Scribd, Hoopla, and Libby.

Buying direct will always benefit authors the most, but I encourage you to buy from wherever is most convenient for you!

I do offer eARCs, but the signups are opened on a per-book basis. I no longer do PR boxes due to the cost associated.

BTGW's ARC signups are now closed, but I do plan on some giveaways closer to release day.

Be sure to follow me on social media and my newsletter to be the first to hear about news for upcoming releases and giveaways!

My Seas of Caladhan duology does have special editions made by Fabled Co. While they're not for sale anymore, you can browse Mercari and PangoBooks and likely find the Fabled Co editions of the Seas of Caladhan books.

I do also have an event exclusive omnibus of the Seas of Caladhan too. The last chance to grab that is at Authors in the Bluegrass in October 2024, or if I have any extras or damages, they'll go up for sale here in my shop. I do not anticipate a reprint of these at this time.

I do not have any special editions in the works for Hollowed or Beyond Those Gilded Walls at this time.

I absolutely do allow small businesses and bookish creators to license with me and create merchandise from my books!

My merchandise terms are non-exclusive and will vary dependent on the type of merchandise being created.

For all commercial merchandising inquiries, please reach out to my agent at subrights@browerliterary.com.

If the art is just fan art and you aren't planning to sell it or use it commercially, I'd love to see it! Please post it and tag me in it, or email it to me!

I do not support the use generative AI at all, but I especially do not condone it for artwork.

All of the artwork featured and for sale on my site, I commission from human artists, including all book covers and character art.

None of my books will ever be written using any level of involvement from generative AI either.

Please do not feed any of my commissioned artwork, or my books into AI and do not create any fanart of my books using AI. I do not condone theft of human artist works to feed AI machines.

Currently, the following shops sell licensed merch:

• Quill and Cauldron

I am self-published! All of my eBooks, print books, and the audiobooks for the Seas of Caladhan duology have been self-published.

Hollowed's audiobook was picked up by Dreamscape Media for publication.

My subsidiary rights (audio, foreign translations, merchandising, film/TV, etc.) have been taken over by my agent, so those rights have potential to go through traditional publishing avenues, but at the end of the day, I'm still a self-published author, and likely always will be!

I do on a limited basis. I'm very, very busy so I'm currently only open to dark fantasy (romantic or otherwise) requests.

You can email me, or reach out via my contact form.

I am absolutely not. And I don't think I ever want to be.

My day job is in legal & regulatory compliance, and I think it gives me a nice balance of analytical and creative avenues. It's a good balance.

Right now, probably Hollowed. Writing Katrina was very cathartic in many ways, but Brigid will always have a special place in my heart too!

I think I relate to all of my characters in some way. My writing is a very personal journey and I try to let that shine through. The character most like me, right now at least, is Katrina.

Brigid represented my anger, Sorcha represented my naivety, and Katrina is now representing both my disability, and my journey to grow into myself and my confidence.

I am a fantasy and fantasy romance girly through and through! I have way too many favorites (and add more every day), but my all time faves are:

• Ilona Andrews
• Patricia Briggs
• Jeaniene Frost
• Adalyn Grace
• HM Long

I don't have TIME for hobbies, haha! But when I can, I enjoy going to music festivals and concerts. I also enjoy journaling.

Cover Designer: Bianca at Moonpress Designs

Editor: Earley Editing, LLC, Booklight Editorial, Haus of Fables

Website: Shopify (theme is Impulse)

Shop: eBook/audiobook fulfilled by BookFunnel; print books fulfilled by me (printed via IngramSpark); art prints/bookmarks fulfilled by me (printed via Smartpress); merch and apparel fulfilled by Printful or Printify

Newsletter: Flodesk

Logo/Branding: Books and Moods, Sam's Creative Cure

PR: Book of Matches Media, Hidden Hollow Book Tours, RR Book Tours, Book Tour Gals, MTMC, Good Girls PR

Do your research. A lot of it.

Self-publishing is a very involved process. Unlike traditional publishing, you have control over every single decision that needs to be made.

It may not be for everyone. Before leaping in, research self-publishing and traditional publishing, and see which one would fit the best for you.

After writing your first draft of your book and deciding you're going to go the self-publishing route, being by researching the biggies: editing, cover design, formatting, distribution options, and marketing techniques.

Take your time, and make a plan. I have documented a lot of my own research process over on my blog, so be sure to go check those posts out.

Just remember, everyone's self-publishing path is DIFFERENT. What works for someone may not work for you. And what works for you may not work for someone else.

My ebooks are published direct through: KDP, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play. I use the aggregator distributor Draft2Digital to reach other eBook retailers.

My print books are published through IngramSpark. They push my books to their global catalog, making them available to most major book retailers to order. This does not guarantee in-store placement, but does (usually) get you on their online shop.

I also list all of my books on my website shop and TikTok shop.

If you're curious about the nuanced differences between each self-publishing platform, head to my blog and check out this post.

WIDE means that your eBook is available on all eBook retailers, rather than just on Amazon. This typically includes retailers like: Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Play, Smashwords, Thalia, etc.

I am not one to tell anyone they should do anything. But if you would like to learn more about the differences between publishing Amazon only and publishing wide, you can check out this blog post.

Getting into physical bookstores depends on where you publish through. If you want to get into physical bookstores, you need to publish through IngramSpark, you need to have returns on, and you need to offer 53-55% wholesale/retail discount.

Self-published authors usually do not focus on physical bookstores as a major revenue stream, due in part to the difficulties associated with it. But it is possible. Check out this blog post for more information.

It needs to be a targeted and intentional strategy, not just something you do hoping it happens.

I do! I've worked with a lot of amazing service providers while publishing, and I've compiled a list here. This list will be updated as I meet more amazing people in the indie space!

Yes to both.

Social media is fickle. It can die (MySpace), you can get banned and booted (Facebook), or it can turn into a raging trash can (Twitter). If any of those happen, you've just lost your reader base. That's why you need a newsletter. You need direct access to those people who are telling you they WANT to hear about your book.

Start with Mailerlite. They have a free plan up to 1,000 subscribers. Just pop that signup form in the back of your books and on your website. You don't even have to do anything with it yet, just have it for now.

If/when you get more than 1,000 subscribers, or you just want something super simple without all the bells and whistles of MailerLite, I'd recommend Flodesk. It's fixed price, but it is expensive if you don't have a ton of subscribers yet.

And when you're ready, go check out this blog post to get your newsletter started.

For websites, same thing. You can't share all your updates and info on social media. It's not easily searchable content, it's not organized, and it's not YOURS. Even if it's just a linktree or a quick landing page, you need something that can house your book links and info.

Statistics show that if you either have no link, or it takes readers more than 4 clicks to buy your book, they're not going to do it. Make it easy for them.

That's up to you.

I think social media is a fantastic marketing tool, so I'd recommend you be on at least one, but I'm not your mom. You can do whatever you want.

I'm on Instagram and Threads primarily, Facebook and Twitter to share updates only, and I outsource TikTok. It doesn't have to be a huge, formal thing if you don't want it to be.

Selling direct has a lot of considerations.

Please check out my selling direct blog posts for the most detailed information, but initial major considerations include:

1. Fulfillment options
2. Business registration requirements
3. Sales tax requirements
4. International sales (and international regulations)

I have a blog compiling all of my own research on the self-publishing process. You can click here to view all of those posts.

You can also find resources in so many places, but what you need to be careful about is the legitimacy of those resources.

Here's a few I have used and trust:

• Write Better Faster/You Need to Quit - Becca Syme
• The Writer's Sanctuary
• Wide for the Win (book and Facebook group)
• The Creative Penn: Joanna Penn's Blog
• Marketing Audiobooks Wide
• Stop Making Others Rich: An Author's Guide to Selling Direct
• Jane Friedman's Blog
• Consults/Courses with Erin Wright (use JESS as an affiliate code for a discount off your first one)
• Consults with Skye Mackinnon
• Kobo's Blog
• Bookbub's Blog

I also heavily encourage you to check Writer's Beware and similar warning sites before working with ANY company or service provider that you are paying money to.

Especially in the realm of "author coaches" or "book coaches" there are too many scammers. Victoria Strauss does an amazing job of keeping up with the latest information and warning authors who to look out for.