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Our 2008 Catalog
is online at this time ...
Click right here to download the PDF (download size is 1.12MB),
and take as read your permission to copy, print, forward, and generally pass it along. (If
anyone gives you grief, send them here!)
Drop us an
email to request a catalog for a friend who
doesn't have internet (or computer) access. We can
mail direct to your friend, or mail to you, and
you forward. (If you'd like a block of catalogs to
send along to multiple friends, let us know how many
to send ... and many thanks for helping us 'get the
word out' that MK is back, and better than ever!)
Are you looking desperately for the old GMP editions
to complete a collection? In our experience, here is your best shot:
Copies often change hands there, although it's also true they don't change hands cheaply. In recent years, since the DreamCraft editions have been published, the price of an original GMP Death's Head is around US$80 - $100 ... which is an improvement on the price years ago, then it wa 4-5 times that high! Incidentally, when you buy a Mel Keegan title second hand, via an eBay trader, from a link on this site — Mel Keegan will earn a royalty, which is extremely appropriate. A new window will open; search on 'Mel Keegan,' and you'll see what's available at this time. NOTE: few people auction their MK titles, so the first result in your search results window is almost certainly going to be be '0 results for Mel Keegan.' Don't be deterred: scroll down to the Ebay Stores. At the time of this upload, for example, you could buy four MK titles, including both the GMP editions of Death's Head and Equinox, at very reasonable prices! Happy shopping ... and good luck! (Tell us how you go.)
You can always contact DreamCraft for help, but before
you do, take a glance through our FAQ. There's a
good chance your question has been answered!
Q: Are these books suitable for young readers? (ie., can I get one
as a gift for my kid brother who already knows he's gay, but is under eighteen?)
Please don't! These novels are for the mature reader. They will
certainly contain graphic violence, some coarse language among the dialog,
and sensual scenes are treated frankly. They're also novels in which the
main characters, and their relationships, are gay. In other words, they're
definitely not for very young readers. Having said that ... no part of any
MK novel could be classified as gratuitous, be it the sensual or the
violent; and the books are all massively-scaled adventures and/or the most
intricate thrillers. Just how spicy are they? Well, all things are
relative! The NARC titles are 'meaty,' while White Rose of Night has
been said to 'sizzle with sheer, wine-dark sensuality' ... at the same
time, the HELLGATE titles, the vampyre novels, and THE SWORDSMAN are among
the favorite novels of MK's mother! They are 'gay novels,' and in
certain countries (Scotland, for one, believe it or not), it's somewhat
less than legal to 'promote the homosexual lifestyle to minors.' Our advice
would be to wait till your young friend, nephew, brother, son, turns eighteen,
and the whole question becomes void. If in doubt, for a 'first book' you
can't go past The Swordsman. It's a
fantasy romp with magic, weird creatures, strange places, and real,
genuine, old-fashioned romance ... of the gay persuasion, naturally!
Q: Then, 'who's the target marketplace,' as they say?
Keegan books are aimed at any adult who enjoys a vast
adventure with hot heroes and a spicy, sensual gay relationship.
Readers come from every walk of life and all genders, but they all
have the same qualities in common: they're open-minded adults who
enjoy a hell of a good yarn. Our readers are gay men, gay woman, straight
women who get a kick out of a massive adventure thriller where the romance
on the side is gay ... and straight men who are gay-friendly and are not
in any way threatened by the romantic or sensual aspect (and why should
they be?).
Q: Are these full-length novels?
Yes. The shortest is around 95,000 words and the longest is around
205,000 words. These are serious books. The exceptions are the 'slims,' which
are around 45,000 words, and 135pp, and priced accordingly. Slims are short
novels; brief by today's standards, but identical in length and treatment
to the SF novels of the 1960s. In other words, slims are ultra-fast paced
yarns with heroes you'll love and villains you'll hate from the 'off,'
because in 45K there isn't time to waffle on getting complex! (Which is
also the magic of TV show episodes. Today's readers have, to a great extent,
had their tastes formed by TV, and the 'slim' format is absolutely perfect
for some readers ... in fact, Windrage is one of our
recent bestsellers!) If you'd like more info on slimbooks, click here.
Q: How are the books produced?
They're done POD, which is an acronym standing for ‘print on demand.’
In the last couple of years the technology has become available, through the
wizardry of computers and the Web, to make just one book, as and when it's
ordered. Lulu.com does this ... and they're almost unique on the Web for their
ability to do just one. Many other POD printshops exist, but in fact, a better
term for these workshops would be ‘LPR,’ which would stand for ‘limited print run,’
since modest numbers of any book are printed as required. The publisher puts in
an order for 10 or 100, and they're delivered a couple of months later, and
either sold personally by the publisher, or else marketed via special distributors
who work in concert with POD publishers. If you're interested, Google on
Lightning Source, and Booklocker, and Book Surge. Each of these companies will
produce a pocket-sized printrun for the publisher ... however, Lulu.com will
produce ONE copy for the reader. When you order via this website or the Lulu.com
online store, you're ordering from Lulu.com, and they ship directly to you.
This is why DreamCraft and MK chose to work with Lulu.com ... being in
Australia made it virtually impossible to work with the others; most of the POD
workshops are 'USA only' services, and the other one would have been a
forty-thousand-dollar investment to get up and running! (Plus, we have it on
good authority that the quality from Lulu.com beats the others hands down.)
The Lulu.com paperback is 'book store quality,' which means library quality too.
They books are designed by DreamCraft, inside and out. We upload them as files
which are sent to printers on the other side of the world. We've designed the
books as 6" x 9" trade-size paperbacks, with rich full-color covers. The interiors
are laser printed on ivory-colored paper, which makes them utterly indistinguishable
from any item you'd see in a store. The covers are high-gloss and durable, and
we torture tested the gluing on the spines. They're close to indestructible.
The Lulu.com hardcover is the same size, but it's ... hardcover. The jacket is
done as a dustjacket. The product is library quality, we were impressed and
delighted.
Q: Can you ship by sea (surface) mail to save money?
Lulu will be shipping to you from the nearest possible printshop.
If you're in the USA, Canada, British Isles or Europe, you're already
sitting pretty; domestic postage will cost under $4. Alas, the US stopped
its surface mail service in 2007, and (probably to level the playing field),
Lulu.com don't offer a surface (sea) mail service from their workshops in
the UK or Europe. Sorry.
Visit Lulu and check out
their shipping and schedules pages; or...
Every parcel leaving Lulu's hands is trackable. If
your book goes missing, they'll surely find it; and if they don't, they
have a policy of replacing it. Important: email directly to Lulu's customer
service, not to DreamCraft! This is because your order was placed by them
and is 'ticketed' in their computer. Simply quote them your 'ticket number'
and let them take care of it. The Lulu Support staff are very helpful and
pleasant to do business with.
Paperbacks inside the US/Can, UK/Eur, about 8-10 days.
Hardcovers, add ten days because of the manufacture time. Shipping to
Aus, NZ and Asia/Pacific? It all depends on which planes the parcel rides on,
and how long post offices overseas take to fill their cargo requirements before
they send on a 'load' for your city. Your book could arrive in two weeks ...
could be three, or a tad bit longer, especially if it's a hardcover.
Yes, but like everything else in life, 'conditions apply.'
Order carefully, because they/we can't accept returns which are due to
carelessness (you ordered the wrong title in error) or bad luck
(you sent someone the gift of a book they already had). We can
certainly exchange a book which was delivered damaged by the
post office; and in the vastly unlikely event that the book
itself it 'faulty,' we/Lulu will happily replace it at our cost.
Q: Can you ship direct to my friend, as a gift?
Yes, we often do this. When you buy the book, give Lulu.com a
correct shipping address as clearly distinct from the billing address.
MK can't autograph the book, of course ... it's 10,000 miles from here!
Q: Can I send you a check or cash with my order?
Check with Lulu.com and see what their current policy is.
Things change all the time, but the last time we looked, it was
PayPal or any credit card. They could lay on a checking service any
day, however ,... Lulu, like the rest of the world, is in a
constant state of evolution and redesign!
Visit Lulu and
see what their payment policy is right now.
Q: So I have to use a credit card?
No, you have several options. Any credit card is welcome,
of course; but you can also send an e-check or use your PayPal
account direct. You'll see the whole routine when you go through
the Lulu.com checkout procedure.
Q: Do you ship books COD?
Sorry — we can't. Your funds are sent through to Lulu.com at the
time you place your order. DreamCraft gets paid six or eight weeks later.
More info...
Q: Can I order these books through my local bookstore?
No. We have no bookstore distribution, due to the nature
of POD publishing (see above). You might also like to take a look at
Information for Vendors ... you're not a
bookseller, but this might give you a glimpse of what goes on behind
the scenes!
Q: Can I order these books from Amazon.com?
No. At this moment, we use Lulu.com for production, and Amazon
has made it crystal clear that all POD books carried on their website
will be manufactured by their partner, BookSurge. Turns out, Amazon
bought BookSurge in 2005, and in 2008, they're trying to shoehorn
every POD publisher who wants to sell through them, to switch to
Book Surge. What's the catch? There are numerous catches, sandpits,
tiger-traps ... we took a look at the deal and, like 99% of pocket-size
publishers, we folded our tents and fled with a great deal
of hysterical laughter.
Q: Are there fees to be paid to become a member of Mel Keegan Online?
Memberhip is 100% free. Membership gets you 'secret URL' which is the portal to
the Members' Area, and you
have complete access to everything on-site. Rafts of material are free for the
downloading; you only pay when you place an order for a paperback, hardcover, 'commercial' eBook,
screensaver, giftware etc. More info...
Q: What if I want to use materials from the website elsewhere?
Anything on-site is 'cleared' for personal use on your home or work computer.
Clarifying that, feel free to copy, save, read. 'Personall use' means you don't
republish the materials from the site, whether or not profit is involved.
If you so want to upload text or artwork, or republish an item, please email for
permissions. Simple as that. More info...
...Good news for Lynx users. 'Gay fiction's hottest new list' is now completely friendly to text browsers. Obiously, if you're running Flash Player 6 or better, you'll be loading the movies, but if you're here simply to read (or to listen, if you have text to voice software), then you'll enjoy the full benefit of a Lynx-tested site.
Sign me up!
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Are you looking desperately for the old GMP editions
to complete a collection? In our experience, here is your best shot:
