Toil & Trouble Studios: Where Worlds Are Born
Toil & Trouble Studios LLC was founded by authors Ronnie Massey and Gary Robinson, both passionate storytellers who know firsthand how difficult it can be for new voices to break into publishing.
Like many authors, once they completed their first novels, they had no idea how to get published. Ronnie spent years posting her work on online e-book sites like Wattpad and Scribd while researching the industry and navigating the intimidating world of agent queries and publisher submissions.
After countless rejection letters and setbacks, a fellow author encouraged Ronnie to try again—this time pursuing micro-publishers. The advice paid off, and in 2011, her debut novel, Crimson Dawn, was published. Along the way, Ronnie also discovered a love for the publishing process, releasing short stories and novellas and finding joy in helping other authors bring their work to life.
That spirit of collaboration led Ronnie to partner with fellow author Gary Robinson, and together they founded Toil & Trouble Studios LLC and its sister imprint, Imagine That Books.
Today, Toil & Trouble Studios is an independent publishing house where bold imagination comes to life. We publish diverse, character-driven stories across fantasy, paranormal, horror, and science fiction — celebrating the magic of storytelling in all its forms.
Our mission is to produce books that are relatable, entertaining, and above all, a celebration of the cultures, sexualities, genders, and identities that have historically been marginalized or underrepresented in these genres. We believe everyone should be able to find themselves in a story, and that the fictional worlds we create should reflect the richness of the world we live in.
At Toil & Trouble Studios, we embrace speculative fiction as a powerful vehicle for deep storytelling and unapologetic creativity. We invite readers of all backgrounds to see themselves as heroes, monsters, dreamers, and legends — because representation matters, both on and off the page.
In addition to publishing through our imprints — Toil & Trouble Teen, Toil & Trouble Heat, and our sister imprint Imagine That Books — we also produce Blerd Diaries, a multi-generational podcast hosted by Ronnie and her brother Ty, celebrating Black nerd culture and the genres we love. Through our books, audio projects, and creative collaborations, we are building a house where worlds are born.
And while we may be a small press, we offer our authors unlimited and unparalleled support as we work with them to bring their works to the public.
