Byrd Koto | Updates

Our Funny Love Story - First Chapter

Byrd Koto — Wed, 20 May 2026 00:35:14 -0400

Hardback announcement for Our Funny Love Story

Byrd Koto — Sun, 3 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hardback for Our Funny Love Story is dropping this September 2nd!

You get everything that is in the paperback (book art! book 2 teaser - opening chapter preview!) with four specially drawn pages of manga art centered on two scenes.

Hint: both scenes take place in two different living rooms and um, on the sofa, for I am a very predictable person and I kind of know what WE ALL LIKE TO SEE. 👀👀👀

I’ve commissioned the wonderful @4771tn to draw the manga and I can’t wait for you to see it 🙂‍↕️

Watch this space for more information to come, with an early bird deal for newsletter subscribers to be announced in June/July!

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New book release: Our Funny Love Story

Byrd Koto — Mon, 2 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My debut novel is out!

A novel that was first conceived in the back of a taxi when a popular song played on the stereo. In that moment, all I could see was twilight reflecting off a glass-and-concrete landscape.

One year later, it has moved from the recesses of my brain and into your hands.

One misdelivered package. Two men hiding behind very different masks. Three stories that bind them together in a megacity of millions.

OUR FUNNY LOVE STORY is out today.

🔍 Literary Mystery 🏠 True Grumpy/Fake Sunshine 🇯🇵 Set in Tokyo

It’s Book 1 of a duet—a darkly ironic Achillean mystery for those who like their banter hot, their protagonists outrageous (at times!), their burn simmering, and their prose introspective.

WHERE TO PURCHASE

Available now in print and digital on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo (free to read on Kobo Plus!), Apple Books, Google Play, Smashwords, Blackwell's, Bookshop.org, and most places where books are sold. Visit https://byrdkoto.com/books/our-funny-love-story for the full set of shop links!

If you're in Asia, my book is also available for purchase on major bookstore websites, including Kinokuniya (Japan, Singapore) and Eslite (Taiwan).

As always, if you'd like to support an indie author's debut, please consider making your purchase on my online shop (Byrd's Bookshop) at https://payhip.com/ByrdKoto (if shipping isn't too costly!). You get better bang for your buck: better quality than KDP paperbacks :0), cheaper than retail, more goodies! You'll also find stuff that you won't find anywhere else ;-)

By removing the middleman, I'll also earn a larger cut, which will be used to fund future projects. They are coming!

Byrd's Bookshop (All prices in USD)

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Our Funny Love Story: Now Available to Request on NetGalley

Byrd Koto — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Good news -- if you'd want to read my debut Achillean literary mystery before it releases on March 2nd, here's your last chance to do so!

You can now request via NetGalley at this link: https://www.netgalley.com/publisher/title/780669.

There will be no more ARC runs after this, so grab your advance copy for review before February 2nd!

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Announcement: Preorder Campaign (through March 1, 2026)

Byrd Koto — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Guess what?

I'm launching a preorder campaign for Our Funny Love Story through March 1, 2026!

With every order of Our Funny Love Story, you will receive two high-res digital wallpapers - featuring Ran and Eizo in two incredibly classic scenes, illustrated by xiehuajun (cover art) and Ferilily87 (fight! art). No, I'm not trying to make you stare at these two nerds for longer than necessary.

The eBook is currently available for preorder, and I'm working to get the paperback listed for sale by the middle of February. More updates to come on that!

Preorder Our Funny Love Story today:

Payhip (Byrd's Bookshop) | Amazon | All other retailers

Here's how you will receive your preorder gifts:

For preorders on my Payhip store, you will receive an email from Payhip to download the wallpapers after your purchase is confirmed. If you have already preordered on Payhip before this announcement, please click 'Download Now' in your Payhip email to download the updated files.
For other platforms such as Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Smashwords, etc., please fill in the Tally form here. Preorder gifts will be emailed directly to you from hello@byrdkoto.com by March 15, 2026.
A note on preorders: All eBook files will be delivered to you on March 2, 2026. For Payhip, it will be delivered by BookFunnel. For other platforms, they should be added to your library immediately and downloaded on the publication day, depending on their practices.

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Advanced Reader Copies for Our Funny Love Story are now available

Byrd Koto — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

My debut novel, Our Funny Love Story, is now open for ARC sign-ups!

What is it about?

Our Funny Love Story is the first book in a duet and is part of the Resistance series—a LGBTQIA+ contemporary romantic genre-blender set in Tokyo.

This tale is perfect for readers craving a book that combines the intimate dynamics of love and social class found in Sally Rooney's work and the humor of Alexis Hall's romcoms into a literary whodunit (no dead bodies here, only wounded hearts).

Or if you enjoy danmei crossed with contemporary fiction, my book could totally be up your alley ;-)

What can I expect from this book?

Genre-blender (romance, comedy, mystery, literary fiction)
Dual third-person POV
Asian/BIPOC-centered stories
Enemies-to-lovers
Editor x Author dynamics
Slow-burn Achillean romance
Barbed banter meets bawdy wordplay (with five-star insults!)
Neurotic characters who need a hug
Complicated family relationships
Amateur sleuth type of mystery
Stories that twist and turn like puzzle boxes

If the above interests you and you'd like to nab an early copy to read, sign up at this link (Google Forms) by December 4.

[Update: Signups have now closed.]

Image from Dupe Photos.

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