What is Boneyard Picnic?

I first launched my Bindery page, Boneyard Picnic, in April 2024 so let me tell you a little bit about it and try to answer any of the questions you might have about Bindery and Boneyard Picnic.

First things first, what is Bindery?

Long story short, Bindery is 2 things: A membership based platform (think bookish Patreon) and a publishing house that allows for tastemakers/influencers to become their own publishing imprint once enough of a community is established!

You can learn more about all things Bindery on their FAQ page but for here and now, let’s go over how I am currently using Bindery to host my page, Boneyard Picnic.

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What is Boneyard Picnic?

I am not an imprint (yet) so for now, I am using Bindery as a way of building community, sharing exclusive content and financially supporting myself for the work that I do.

Boneyard Picnic is the name I chose in order to represent the books I enjoy, the vibes I want to create and the kinds of things I hope to one day publish! I love spooky, I love horror, I love darkness. I also love cozy and comfort and heartfelt storytelling. The balance and the contrast really speak to me and hopefully, you get it. If not, I talk a little bit more about it a bit further down.

Currently

Where do I come into all of this?

For now, there are a few ways you can support Boneyard Picnic and help it grow!
There are 3 membership options right now - Ghouls, Bookworms and Weirdos.

Ghouls

This is the free tier for you to join the community and get access to:

• Any public updates (blog posts, discourse, updates, text reviews, etc.)

• Access to the Discord channel

Bookworms

This is a paid tier where for $5 a month, you get access to everything from the free tier plus:

• Early access to rant reviews (the big one)

• Monthly digital downloads (story templates to share your reading, coloring sheets, etc.)

• Members-only Discord channel

Weirdos

This is a paid tier where for $12 a month, you get access to everything from the previous tiers plus:

• Bonus videos & reading vlogs

• the option to request specific reviews from me

I am also thinking of implementing a mini book club experience for this tier in the future or at the very least, letting you know what horrible book I’m reading so you can read along with me!

Boneyard Picnic already has over 200 community members and I am so thankful for each and every one of them! In order to become an imprint, I need to continue growing my community and then, I can be invited to join the ranks!

Signing up on any tier will help me reach this goal AND once I become an imprint, the perks will update to include things like publishing updates, cover reveals, early access and even free copies of the books I publish (digital and physical, depending on the tier you select)

It would mean a lot to me if you joined. Even in joining the free tier, you are letting me know you enjoy the work I do and want to stay up to date on things I do in the future and that means the world to me.

The Future

Since we’re talking about publishing, let’s talk about publishing!

What are your publishing goals?

As a queer kid who was disowned by my family at 16, simply because I was queer, I used to desperately seek out queer stories to help me feel less alone. As an adult, I understand the importance of supporting and uplifting voices that can help future queer kids feel seen and held through stories. I also believe in reading diversely, sharing and uplifting the voices of other marginalized communities and would prioritize these things when publishing with Boneyard Picnic.

As far as genres go, I know my lane and think I could do well with horror, romance or dark fiction in general. I also want to embody softer elements to give my books balance. For example, some of my favorite books that I think embody all of these things would be:

• The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi - a dark fantasy/horror set in an unnerving manor and following a dual time line where dark secrets threaten a couple’s undoing.

• Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark - a fantasy/horror novella following a group of Black girls as they fight against KKK members whose hatred has turned them into literal monsters.

• The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M. Romero - A YA fantasy novel in verse following a young girl on a trip to Prague where she encounters some friendly, some not so friendly ghosts in an old Jewish cemetery.

• Sing Me to Sleep by R.M. Virtues - a dark, demon romance novella that explores demonology, PTSD and falling for your sleep paralysis demon (and having a lot of sex with him.)

• The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue - A historical fiction ghost story with ethereal writing with themes of feminism, loss, grief, racism told through the lens of a wandering spirit from 1920’s NOLA.

All of these books embody most/all of my preferences while seamlessly marrying them in the most captivating way. In the way a nice boneyard picnic blends the morbid with the comforting. The boneyard brings the darkness, the loss, the horror. The picnic brings the sustenance, the comfort, the heart and soul. I would love the opportunity to publish similar things through Boneyard Picnic.

So there you have it!