Best For:
Fellow independent creators, minority writers, trans and queer community members, advocates of human-rights, fans of grassroots publishing movements, and anyone who feels like they’re swimming against the current.
Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
The Shark:
There is a primal, unyielding intelligence in natural bodies of water that I have felt at home with since I was a child. I have also been obsessed with sharks since i was also a small child. Honestly as far back as I can remember I’ve loved both of them .
While most people project their fears or harmful myths onto sharks, I have always felt a deep, intense connection to the misunderstood water mammals.
Whether I am navigating the relentless pace of a small business or carving out space for marginalized voices, the shark isn’t just an animal; it is a blueprint for living authentically in a world that often tries to misinterpret you.
Survival and Constant Motions:
For many, the shark is defined by the “obligate ram ventilator” metaphor. While not all sharks must swim to survive, many use a process called buccal pumping to draw water over their gills while resting. Though, those that are obligate ram ventilators, like the Great White or Mako, must keep moving to stay alive.
Indie Publishing Intersection;
In the world of indie publishing, there is rarely a safety net. You don’t get to “rest” on past achievements; you are the engine of your own ecosystem. My work is the oxygen here. If I stop creating, the business stops breathing. It’s not just about speed; it’s about the necessity of constant, fluid adaptation.
Survival & Evolving:
Sharks have survived for hundreds of millions of years because they evolve with their environment, a lesson I take to heart when facing the shifting, often turbulent waters of the creative industry.
We are only labeled as predators by the systems that fear our refusal to be erased.
The Queer & Trans Connection:
Lately, sharks have become an unofficial symbol of queer and trans joy. Have you see the iconic blue, pink, and white plushie known as Blåhaj. It’s a beautiful reclamation. This phenomenon began circulating on platforms like Tumblr and Twitter around 2018.
Growth:
Growing rapidly as a grassroots symbol of trans joy and solidarity. Its status as an internet icon wasn’t planned; it was an organic, community-led movement where the plushie’s color palette became a subtle, affirming nod to the trans flag, cementing its role as a mascot of collective, queer-led celebration.
Media:
The Media often paints sharks as mindless, bloodthirsty monsters. This narrative feels painfully similar to how society frequently treats minority individuals. We are “othered,” scrutinized, and labeled as dangerous simply for existing outside the mainstream. Reclaiming the shark isn’t just a comparison; it’s a statement of power. It says: We are an essential part of this ecosystem, and we will not going anywhere.
Advocacy and Ecosystem Balance:
Sharks are apex predators, which is a role often misunderstood. They don’t just kill; sharks regulate. By keeping populations in check, they ensure the entire ocean ecosystem remains healthy. Much unlike most of their human counterparts who do not care about the health of those “below them.”
Publishing & Advocacy:
As a publisher and advocate, I see my role in the same light. I am one of the guardians of our community. Shark, animal and child advocacy often involves pleading for a someone that cannot speak for themselves. I find my platform to be similar, being that I use my platform to amplify forgotten or spoken over voices. I don’t just publish. I protect the integrity of the stories that traditional houses are too afraid, secretly bigoted, or too shortsighted to allow forward .
Independence vs. Corporate Sharks:
In the business world, the term “shark” is often used to describe someone predatory or ruthless. I’m flipping the script on that one also. To me, a “business shark” is about unyielding resolve.
- Trusting the instinct: Much like a shark sniffing out a trail, I rely on my intuition to find creators or create my own stories that mainstream publishers overlook.
- Focusing on the heartbeat: While corporations focus on market saturation, I focus on the heartbeat of the community, the soul in speaking your truth, and the mind that goes with being creatively inclined.
- Strategic precision: I don’t waste energy on what doesn’t serve the communities mission.
Emotionally Thick-Skinned:
A shark’s skin is covered in dermal denticles. These are tiny, tooth-like scales that reduce drag and act their natural armor while also cutting down on drag.
Each denticle is built from the same hard tissue found in teeth, and they overlap like shingles, creating a flexible but protective surface. Their ridged shape channels water into smoother streams as the shark swims, cutting down turbulence and helping the animal move with less effort. This structure allows the skin not only shield the shark from scrapes and parasites but it also boosts efficiency in the water. These provide the shark both protection and speed in a single design.
Human Evolved Armor:
In the human world, we have to develop a similar kind of armor. Over years of facing systemic rejection and gatekeeping, we learn that we don’t have the luxury of being “soft” in rooms where our identity or business is constantly scrutinized. This exterior isn’t about being unfeeling. This aligns with protecting the sensitive, vital creative work that lives inside.
We are not defined by the waters we swim in, but by how we choose to move through them.
Primal Trust & Hyper-Awareness:
Sharks possess a “sixth sense” called the Ampullae of Lorenzini. Which is a network of jelly-filled pores that allow them to detect the tiniest electrical impulses in the water. Each of the shark’s pores opens up to the surface through a small pit and connects to a long canal filled with conductive gel.
The gel, then carries electrical signals to clusters of sensory cells deep in the shark’s head. These cells fire in response to minute voltage changes. Which may be from the faint muscle contractions of a hiding fish, the heartbeat of a buried stingray, a swimmer or seal splashing, and even the Earth’s own magnetic field.
This system gives sharks an almost supernatural ability to navigate, hunt, and orient themselves in murky or pitch‑black water. This allows the shark to go about reading the world through invisible currents most animals never even perceive.
Human Bullshit Detector:
In my professional life, this translates to hyper-vigilance. I have a finely tuned radar for detecting performative allyship and insincerity. It’s a survival mechanism. Because I operate in a field that often tokenizes my existence, I have to be the one to vet who is safe to let into my inner circle. This isn’t a lack of trust; it is the wisdom to recognize who actually aligns with my values.
What about you?
We aren’t just swimming; we are hunting for truth in a sea of noise. I want to know how you operate in your own depths:
- What is one barrier or “gatekeeper” you’ve had to use your own version of dermal denticles to protect yourself from?
- Tell me about a time you had to keep “swimming” because you knew if you stopped, the project would sink… what kept you moving?
- We all have a “sixth sense” for insincerity. What is one red flag you’ve learned to detect in this industry that helps you decide who is actually safe to bring into your shiver?
Finding the Pack:
While the stereotype is that sharks are solitary loners, many species form social groups called “shivers.” This is exactly the kind of thing I’m building. I’m not looking to blend into a mainstream school of fish.
In many species, these shivers function as loose social networks where individuals coordinate movement, share hunting grounds, and gain protection simply by being part of a collective presence. Sharks in these groups recognize familiar individuals, form temporary alliances, and even show preferences for certain companions over others. It’s not mindless schooling. The choices are selective, intentional association, and a way of moving through the world with others who match their pace, instincts, and temperament.
My Sharks:
I am looking for other “sharks” aka people who share the same drive, different scars enemies the same, and their sharpness a razor’s edge. When we aggregate, we aren’t just surviving; we are creating our impenetrable community that operates on it’s own terms.
Living on the Fringes:
Many sharks thrive in the “midnight zone,” a deep, dark part of the ocean where light doesn’t reach and pressure is too extreme for most other living organisms.
Sharks that inhabit this zone have evolved slow, energy‑efficient metabolisms, bodies reinforced to withstand crushing pressure, and sensory systems tuned to detect movement or electrical signals in total darkness.
Some species rely on bioluminescence, others on heightened electroreception, allowing them to navigate, hunt, and survive in an environment where almost no other large predators can function.
Failure isn’t Fringe Worthy:
For an LGBTQ+ publisher, there is immense pride in operating on the fringes. We live in the places where traditional houses fear to go. We are the ones pushing the boundaries, proving that survival and thriving are both possible in the dark. If society wants to call us “predatory” for reclaiming our narrative, let them. I am only a predator to the systems that try to erase those like me.
The deepest parts of the ocean aren’t empty; they are full of the only things strong enough to handle the pressure.
Apex-Predator
Comparing myself to a shark isn’t about ego, it’s about survival, guardianship, and the quiet power of the deep. Whether it’s the armor of my skin, the precision of my senses, or the necessity of constant motion, I am proud to be a creature of the fringes, protecting my own and refusing to be anything less than what I am.
Before you swim off:
If this post resonated with you, please consider sharing it.
Your share helps our stories of survival, truth, lived experiences, and advocacy deserve to be heard by others who feel like they’re swimming alone.
If you’re interested in existing in the fringe and joining our shiver you can do so on Discord and Twitch currently.
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