#Book Formatting Service Near me

[callsign-rogueone]

all the small things - g.t.

Garrick Tavis x gn!reader 💌: …would you consider writing something for Garrick that explores some of the little intimate, familiar, or caring details he would do for/with the person he’s in a relationship with? words: 1.1k 🏷: no book spoilers! NSFW at the end, because it’s Garrick and I had to. just some thoughts about Gare being soft and cute (and a little sexy) with his partner. I managed to make this gender neutral. I’m trying a list format this time bc that flows better than a dozen little scraps lol

I feel like Garrick is a quiet partner, that he shows his feelings for you in a lot of little ways that you might not even notice.

He’s just always there.

If you’re studying, he’s studying with you, or working on something else quietly, sharpening his knives, etc.

While you’re chatting with a friend, he’s sitting a foot or two away, slicing a clean dagger through an apple, cutting off a small piece and extending it to you silently.

He is absolutely not afraid to use his stature and his scary reputation to his advantage when it comes to protecting you. 

Some guy made you uncomfortable in the laundry room? Well, now every Thursday night is laundry night for both of you, and he’s gonna stand behind you the whole time, brooding at anyone in the room Xaden-style and making sure they leave you alone.

Your safety is his number one priority.

We all know Dain’s philosophy — I’m going to do everything I can to keep you out of harm’s way

Garrick’s is a bit more nuanced — Harm is going to come to you no matter what, because the world is cruel and we’re literally preparing for war. While I’ll still do everything I can to protect you, I’ll also do everything I can to teach you to protect yourself.

He’s strict about keeping your training routine, giving you extra practice sparring near-daily. He knows when you can handle it and when you can’t. On days when you’re truly exhausted, injured, or at your limit, or something really upset you etc, you’ll spend training time resting — cuddles!

I know this man is an amazing cuddler. All that soft, warm muscle… big hands… strong arms to wrap around you… there’s no escape. Not that you’d ever want to leave lol

… Where were we?

He takes responsibility for your safety (as much as he can in this very dangerous school) while still letting you handle yourself.

That said, he’ll take matters into his own hands for small situations. He will not hesitate to pull you out of the way if people run by and might bump into you, etc. (plus it’s an excuse for him to hug you in the middle of the day lol)

He grabbed you by the back of your shirt once to stop you from hitting the ground when you tripped over your own shoelace — he then proceeded to set you upright and kneel down to tie said shoelace for you. 

Xaden never lets him hear the end of that. (“How come you never tie my shoes for me, Gare?”)

Big acts of service guy.

He’ll fill your water bottle in the morning, and he expects it to be empty at the end of the day or he will make you chug it because hydration is important. He ignores any eye rolls or complaints — you both know that he does this because he loves you.

He makes sure you’re eating, knows your favorite and least favorite foods, and will wordlessly move things on / off of your plate at meals, because you’re sitting directly next to him, of course. You know he wants you close and that’s a way you show love back to him. You also give him your leftovers sometimes. The boy can eat; that's half of how he put on so much muscle.

If you have long hair, he’ll keep one of your hairbands or pins etc in his pocket for whenever the need arises. He likes helping you with your hair, too. He's not the best at braiding or doing other hairstyles, but he’s trying and he’s improving! He also absolutely loves it when you sit in front of him and let him brush your hair / detangle / condition it etc.

He will always take the opportunity to wash your hair. He's super thorough with it and it feels so nice and relaxing.

As Ilya Kaminsky wrote: “Soaping together / is sacred to us / Washing each other’s shoulders. / You can fuck / anyone— but with whom can you sit / in water?”

Garrick. Garrick is whom. he loves showering with you after a long day, washing your back or places you can’t reach, being super gentle with any injuries you have, kissing every bruise and scar.

aaand this is getting nsfw, because it’s Garrick;

Don’t get me wrong though — he loves showering with you for other reasons, too. He loves seeing you naked, obviously, loves gliding soapy hands over your skin, kneading the softest parts of you, massaging gently and getting you all pliant and relaxed for him…

He’ll never pass up an offer to press you against the tiled wall and fuck you until you need to take another shower.

Speaking of fucking… Garrick fucks. 

He took his sweet time with you in the beginning, when your relationship was just starting, because he wanted to make you feel loved and safe with him of course, but also because he was studying.

He’s learned almost everything about your body. He knows what feels good for you, and recognizes all the signs that you’re about to cum — the cute sounds and expressions you make, the way your breathing changes and you grip his hand a little tighter… 

King of praise btw. The boy cannot shut up between the sheets. always telling you how pretty you are, how well you’re taking it, that you deserve to feel so good, just relax and let it out…

But it isn’t all soft and sweet. He's strong, and you’ve put that strength to the test multiple times. He's more than able to pin you down, to keep your legs spread, to hold you in all sorts of positions while he does what he does best.

Being an executive officer comes with a lot of paperwork, and he often gets stuck doing Xaden’s too (they really need to stop using that as a betting chip), but if you sit on his bed all pretty and keep quiet while he works on it, he’ll make it up to you by bending you over the desk when he’s finished.

Remember what I said about keeping you out of danger? There's gonna be consequences if you do something reckless in training or out in the field… That’s all I’ll say on the subject for now 🤭 

I got a little carried away there… Can you tell I’m currently working on three different Garrick smuts? gonna be exploring some of those things in more detail ^^ 👀

all in all, Gare is an amazing boyfriend and he loves you so much 🥺 big strong boy is just so soft for you and only you, and wants to take care of you all the time and make you feel loved and protect you from the cruelty of the world. ❤️

[lonesome-sometimes]

up on the bookshelf

wheels on the bus 2 and it’s completely different because there is no bus or any form of transport at all really and matty is a librarian but it’s still wheels on the bus 2 (in the brat remix album cover format)

that was until a certain someone sitting behind the librarian desk caused you to drop them abruptly, sending a loud echo throughout the near silent building.

“matty?” you say in disbelief.

matty healy x female reader

content warnings: public sex, sweet service top matty, age gap, oral (female receiving), slight blood kink when you squint, lovey dovey stuff because I miss matty I’m genuinely a trainwreck right now

minors do not interact!

with your reading list in one hand, you huff in annoyance as you fail to find the last few textbooks you needed for the rest of the semester. admitting your defeat, you carry the rest of your books towards the front desk, already dreading the walk back to campus on the other side of town.

that was until a certain someone sitting behind the librarian desk caused you to drop them abruptly, sending a loud echo throughout the near silent building.

“matty?” you say in disbelief.

he looks up from the book he was engrossed in, startled by the loud thud. he takes a second to register who you were, scrambling to push his bookmark into place before turning his full attention towards you. “y/n? oh my go- hey! hey, how are you? god, I haven’t seen you since-”

“since the really, really long and awkward bus ride home with your wife in our presence after you-” you explain nonchalantly, causing the older to choke on his own spit as you remind him of your rest stop bathroom antics, not that he had ever forgotten.

he laughs nervously, pushing a hand through his shorter curls. “I mean, I guess? anyway, what are you doing here?”

“oh, I go to college here.” you say like its obvious, gesturing to nothing as you look around the empty room. “I just hate our campus library, or just our campus in general I suppose, so I come here to study and take my books out. It’s much quieter here, campus is too…studenty?”

he laughs with you, chuckling softly at how ridiculous it sounded. “I get your point, but aren’t you meant to like, enjoy all of that?” he thinks for a moment, shaking his head softly. “nevermind, that’s not the point. this is crazy, what a nice surprise I-”

“you have a moustache now.” you observe out loud, your tongue working quicker than your brain as your eyes lingered on his upper lip and the new strip of hair there, moving down towards the tight sleeves of his grey tshirt and admiring the way it hugged his frame perfectly. “...and you look like you’ve been working out…don’t tell me you…”

his cheeks tinge pink, swinging his chair slightly away from you as he lets out a nervous breath. “I told he, I mean, not about us! not exactly, I just told her how I felt and here I now am, working day shifts at the local library, waiting for my whole music thing to take off, while she vacates on some island somewhere with her neeew husband.” he draws out the new, politely taking a book from an older lady and wishing her a nice day, turning back towards you. “I’m happy here though, the people are nice and well, you’re here.”

It’s your turn to blush at his words, forgetting how sweet he had been with you in the bathroom moments after he had fucked your throat raw. “oh, come on matty, it’s not like you sat and dreamt about me everyday like a fairytale princess waiting for her prince to come…” you half joke half admit about yourself, causing his cheeks to turn a darker shade of pink at the comparison, his secrets spilling without having even said anything.

“oh I seeee.” you singsong as you lean forward, putting your hands on the desk so that you were leaning over him, letting your oversized tshirt fall off your shoulder slightly and revealing your collarbone. not the most flattering outfit you could have worn, but you weren’t exactly expecting your random one bus stand to show up anytime soon. “been thinking about me, matty?”

he visibly swallows, opening his mouth to answer but instead his eyes widen as a mother and daughter approach the desk. you stand up straight again, slightly embarrassed as you pull your tshirt centre again. you watch the exchange, matty smiling ever so sweetly as he hands the young girl her picture book and again wishes them a lovely day. he turns to you once more, sighing softly. “darling, I don’t think now is a good time, I’m working and-”

“matty, I managed to seduce you into fucking my throat with enough time for small talk afterwards inside the bathroom of a service station during a twenty minute rest stop, all while your wife-”

“-ex wife.” he corrects, smiling softly.

“...ex wife, was sitting back on the bus unaware of how her sweet little husband was crying for me and asking me about my favourite radiohead album, and you’re gonna sit here and tell me you can’t have a private conversation with me because you’re at work?”

theres a moment of silence as he looks between you and the empty room, standing up suddenly and grabbing your hand as he pulls you back towards an abandoned section of the library. smiling wide, you expect him to push you up against one of the old bookcases and start kissing you like a man starved as he pulls you in front of him, but it never comes.

Instead, he pulls you in. hands coming up around your waist, he hugs you. unexpected and unsure of what to do at first, you let your arms come up around his shoulders, pulling him in closer as you stroke the hair on the back of his neck softly, letting him breathe you in as you stay silent for a moment.

he pulls away, the both of you laughing as you realise how ridiculous this is, not having shared more than ten minutes alone together that didn’t include a quickie in a restroom. “everything okay, matty?” you ask, pushing his hair away from his face and letting your hand rest against his cheekbones as he nods.

“I wanted to erm, thank you, for helping me realise things about my life and marriage, I might not look like anything special at the moment but since meeting you I’ve been able to find my own place, I have a kitten who I adore, and I actually get to work on my music I-” he stops. “I’m really happy y/n, and I owe that to you.”

for a second you’re worried he’s being completely serious. “m-matty, you surely can’t fully believe I’m to blame for all that, you barely even know me I-”

he starts kissing down your collarbone, letting your tshirt fall again as he sinks down down down till he’s almost kneeling in front of you, his hands coming up towards your tshirt, breathing heavy. “no really darling, thank you so, so much.” he breaths, punctuating each so with a wet kiss to your stomach, kissing and licking at each expanse of skin he can reach. your hand comes up to cover your mouth, the other moving to hold the back of hid head through the fabric of your shirt. somehow this felt much more intimate, more naughty, than the restroom ever did.

he reappears from under your shirt, staring up at you with complete adoration as his fingers dance up your thighs and hooking themselves into the waistband of your leggings. “can I please?” he asks ever so politely, although your pants are already being pulled down low enough so that he can access where he wanted before you had chance to answer. your face was on fire.

“been thinking about doing this since I met you, wanted to taste you so bad darling.” he breaths out against you sending goosebumps across your skin, lips so close to you as he teases before finally settling on your core.

you desperately try to stay quiet, the fact that you were both in a library being some sick torture and punishment for engaging in infidelity beforehand because good god was he good with his tongue, licking and sucking at your clit like he was desperate. his large hands almost enveloped your waist, holding you in place as he began to fuck you on his tongue up against the shelf behind you. you thread your fingers through his salt and pepper locks, frowning when it was a little too short to pull. still, you let your fingers stay where they were, your lips bitten red as you tried to conceal your noises.

suddenly he stops, pulling away from you with only a trail of spit connecting the two of you, lips glistening with your wetness. you look down, brows furrowed in confusion as you try and catch your breathe. “w-why’d you stop?”

he giggles before diving in again like a teenager, his hands moving to hook around the backs of your thighs now. you moan around your fist, desperatly trying to stay as quiet as you can but failing miserably. he shushes you, the vibration from his vocal chords not helping your situation as you feel yourself quickly approaching the edge. “m-matty I-”

he pulls away for a small second, eyes wide and hungry. “please cum for me darling, need to feel you cum on my tongue-” he begs, quickly diving back in as he licks you through your orgasm, groaning softly as he feels you clench around his tongue, lapping at your folds as he cleans up your orgasm.

“fuck-” you bring a finger up towards your lip, blood pooling on your tongue from where you had to bite to keep quiet unless you wanted the whole library to hear you. he pulls your leggings back up and over your thighs, the both of you silently thanking somebody for the fact that nobody was looking for cooking books. he smiles up at you dopily, allowing himself to catch his breath before standing back up.

“good?” he breaths out, pulling your bloodied finger to his lips to lick it clean. You couldn’t find the words to answer, nodding as you watch his lips sucking your fingers entranced. He pulls off them with a pop, smiling at the way he left you speechless.

you both forget where you are until an older male comes around the corner, causing you both to jump away from each other. he doesn’t suspect much, why would he? shooting you both a small smile before turning and going back the way he came, sending you both laughing.

“so…” he begins as your giggles come to a stop, shuffling from foot to foot nervously. “I don’t actually finish up in here for another hour, but I could drive you back to campus? your books seemed heavy, and I’m guessing you don’t have a car…”

god, you were so smitten for him and you had only spent less than an hour with him alone at most. “...or I could come to yours?”

he smiles, thinking for a moment as you two start walking back towards the desk, to no surprise the place was still pretty much empty. “wanna see a picture of lilah?”

you squeal at the idea of singing his kitten, sending apologies to nobody at the sudden loud noise coming from you once again. “yes please.” you nod and whisper, the idea of seeing both matty and lilah filling you with warmth.

you were right, the local library was definitely better than the campus library.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Re-skimmed through a bunch of Dune Messiah last night because why not and now I am having thoughts:

The thing that sticks with me most is the tone. It's melancholy, it's eerie, it's unsettled and weird. Cannot think of a more pitch-perfect director for it than Denis Villeneuve. He's gonna nail it.

There is...not that much...actual story? Denis has referred to it in interviews as "a small book" and I'm like my guy it is 350 pages. But there are actually not that many plot beats. It's just that every. single. scene. is WILDLY overwritten. The real challenge of adapting Dune is not the giant worms or the dense complicated worldbuilding or the fact that actors have to say the name "Duncan Idaho" repeatedly with a straight face. It's that there are pages and pages and PAGES of internal monologue that have to be externalized somehow for film.

After a re-skim my gut instinct for "how much story goes in a feature film" is that if you just wrote out the dialogue and action that happens in every scene in the book in screenplay format you'd end up with...maybe about an hour of material? Which is great, actually, because it means there is room to add stuff. Like a whole new independent plotline for Chani if they decide to do that.

It may seem insane to add things to an adaptation of what's notoriously one of the wordiest series in classic sci-fi but it's worth remembering that they added quite a bit to Dune Part Two. Most of the first hour of the movie--almost everything before the worm ride except for Jessica drinking the Water of Life--is stuff that isn't in the book. And it's the best part of the movie essential to making the movie work as well as it does. Yes, they also cut elements from both parts (the dinner scene, the whole plotline where Gurney thinks Jessica is a Harkonnen spy, Thufir Hawat's fate, Leto II the Elder, murder toddler Alia) but I understand why each of those elements was cut or changed in the service of cinematic storytelling.

There's an interview (can't remember which one) with Jon Spaihts, the other co-writer of the scripts along with Denis, where he talks about how Dune is like a stage play, with so many of what would be the big action set pieces happening off-page. I kept thinking about that comparison while reviewing Dune Messiah because in addition to the scenes that do exist being wordy and internal as fuck, an absolutely insane list of major events/reveals/emotionally significant moments happen off-page. The list of things that we don't actually see in the main action of the story, that we're only told about after they happen, includes:

Chani finding out Irulan has been secretly dosing her with birth control for YEARS

People trying to capture a sandworm and take it off planet

Chani and Paul finding out Chani is pregnant after 12 years of trying to conceive

Paul flying an ornithopter carrying his extremely-about-to-go-into-labor partner while blind

CHANI DYING (first time reading I did NOT know this was coming and damn near threw my Kindle across the room at the way the information was delivered)

Alia executing a bunch of people including a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother

Paul walking into the desert at the end

You could add all these moments into a scene-for-scene film adaptation of the book and probably still have room to add more material.

The other thing that jumps out is that Paul doesn't really...govern...much. Like there's this whole subgenre of post-Dune/Dune Messiah-era fic that's just some combination of Paul, Chani, Irulan and sometimes Feyd traipsing around the palace having feelings while vague politics happens in the background, but I forgot that Dune Messiah is actually kinda like that??

There is a whole thread of Paul feeling kind of abstractly bad about being Space Hitler but he does not, in fact, actually do anything about it. And like yes both bureaucracies and religious movements can grow to have a life of their own that seems beyond the control of any one person. But also my dude you are the Emperor of the Known Universe. Someone is signing those space checks for the Endless War budget. You are not powerless here.

The one thing that really, clearly drives Paul to actively do things in the plot is not feeling guilty about having unleashed catastrophic religious war on the universe. It is protecting his family. Chani, Alia, his unborn children, and you could probably throw in Duncan by the end. That is what motivates him to act at key moments, and to want to hold on to power. And hey, y'know, if I'd experienced almost everyone I'd ever known getting murdered in a single night, I would probably get a bit intense about that too! It makes sense from a character point of view!

I'm very curious to see how these threads interweave with each other in the film, because the Villeneuve films put a lot of emphasis on Paul's agency and the fact that he may be constrained by shitty circumstances thousands of years in the making, but he still makes choices within that context. I can't see the narrative allowing film!Paul to get away with the same Poor Little Dictator routine as in the book. There are a few ways they could play this but I think the most interesting one is kinda the way they started going at the end of Part Two. Which is that as soon as you start reaching for that kind of power, then power becomes its own end and you will end up doing increasingly horrific things to maintain it. I think it would be quite interesting if the film shows us Paul not just being like "woe is me" but actively choosing to make the world worse because his trauma-driven fear of losing the people he loves makes him cling ever more desperately to power for its own sake.

If they went this route I think it would make Paul's decision at the end hit even harder. FWIW I actually really like Paul walking off into the desert at the end of the book. I think it brings things full circle with his relationship to the Fremen and creates this beautiful arc going back to the duel with Jamis. He first won a place among the Fremen through respecting their customs even though he really did not want to fight and kill someone he had no beef with. And by respecting the Fremen custom of the blind walking off into the desert, he proves himself to be fully Fremen and protects his children not by making them heirs to the throne but by making them Fremen.

And yeah, to a modern audience here on Earth it can look like "Paul conveniently fucks off and doesn't have to raise his newly-motherless children." And we can have a whole discussion about the unexamined ableism of the idea of someone who's gone blind voluntarily choosing death so as to "not be a burden" on their community. But neither of those readings is really the point here. Within the logic of Fremen cultural values, where the survival of the group as a whole is more important than the life of any one individual ("your water belongs to the tribe" etc.) Paul's choice is a willing and intentional self-sacrifice (see also: fedaykin) that wins him huge respect. There's a line in the book about Paul that's like "He would be one of them forever now" and damn if that didn't give me shivers. Like!! The political-symbolic implications!!! Which maybe I'm particularly attuned to because I just wrote a whole fic about what does it mean for an outsider to become Fremen but hmm something something Paul's final* act not being an exercise of Imperial power but an expression of kinship with an oppressed group and that being the thing that's needed to keep his family safe even if he is not physically present with them...IT IS RICH SYMBOLIC TERRITORY.

(*Yes yes I know about events in the next book. Shush.)

This kind of stuff is why I tend to think Chani may start out in a very different place in the story but the end will still be pretty close to what's in the book. It's too thematically powerful and tragic to go any other way.

But also...if they change things around enough that she is still alive at the end of the movie...I won't be sad about it.

[duckprintspress]

hey, i'd like to just throw this out to you, since you're a press so i have a feeling you might know. if i was seeking to publish a book but i didn't want it to ever be sold through amazon, what would my options be?

Hiya!

I'm assuming you mean you're interested in self-publishing? If yes, then yeah, I can give you at least some information about your options. :D

If you don't want to use Amazon, you definitely still have some options for self-publishing a book. I can sympathize with this sentiment; we hate Amazon and I've done what I can to keep our works off there (and, ultimately, failed, but still kept it to a minimum).

There's two overarching questions you'll need to consider when deciding how to proceed:

What formats are you selling? Are you doing e-book only or e-book + print or print book only? What about audiobooks? Which will influence your choices.

Are you mostly interested in direct sales (as in, you personally sell the book to the customer) or sales-through-an-intermediary (as in, a bookstore sells your book to a customer) or distribution (as in, you list the book with someone who acts as an intermediary between you and other vendors)?

As briefly as I can, first, here's what Duck Prints Press uses:

Ingram - e-book (and, once we have one - we're working on our first! - audiobook) distribution. Ingram is the biggest book distributor in the US and has a virtual monopoly on distribution. Even places that aren't technically Ingram, such as draft2digital, usually use Ingram. Because they're a near-monopoly, Ingram has a lot of ability to, well, screw people, and one way they've tried to screw people is they keep making it harder to get into their better services, pushing people to their much-less-supported service IngramSpark. I managed to get the Press grand-fathered in to Coresource, which is their e-book and audiobook distribution system, even tho we don't meet the current minimums for number of titles for that product. I CAN'T get into Lightning Source, which is their better-supported print book distribution service, because we don't have enough titles (we'd need 30, we currently have 10ish). If I wanted to use IngramSpark, I'd have to ditch Coresource, and I don't want to do that because Coresource works great and has good customer support, and so I had to settle on a compromise I don't love until we meet the minimums for Lightning Source - I use Coresource through Ingram for e-book distribution (and don't distribute to Amazon), which is...

draft2digital - print book distribution. This was my work around for not losing Coresource in the name of getting Ingram print on demand (pod), and it came with a price: d2d doesn't let me opt out of Amazon, much to my irritation. So the three titles we currently have pod on ARE on Amazon.

our webstore - e-book and print books, directly sold to the public. Our website lets people download e-books; I package print book orders made through the webstore myself and mail them myself.

in-person sales - I started vending at events last year; this year I'll be doing about a dozen.

All of which goes to show, even trying to publish while avoiding the most evil places is really hard and a source of frustration. If anyone knows a good option for ethical publishing distribution, I'm honestly all ears. Competing with Ingram is extremely David vs. Goliath (see also the recent death of Small Press Distribution).

So: remembering that Amazon is easily the worst but that there's still basically no ethical consumption or production under capitalism...

Ingram

Of the places I'm familiar with, the best-known option with the widest reach for self-publishing distribution is IngramSpark. As mentioned, I don't use Spark, but Coresource lets me completely customize which of Ingram's partners (vendors, wholesalers, libraries, etc.) I actually distribute with, and I've assumed that other Ingram products are the same. I believe IngramSpark is currently free per title; they get paid by charging fees per sale and because they get better listing deals with partners than an individual would get (like, Ingram might get charged x per title they list with, idk, Barnes and Noble, whereas you as an individual would get charged y, where y is larger than x, and Ingram pockets the difference).

I know a lot of people who use IngramSpark and my impression is that when it works, it works really well, but when it doesn't, getting help/customer service can be a nightmare. Virtually everyone I know who has used them has stories about late titles, support taking a week+ to reply, that kind of thing. I believe they have an option to pay for better/more rapid responses from customer support, which I feel kinda tells you everything you need to know about IngramSpark.

Draft2Digital

Another option is draft2digital. They use the Ingram distribution network, but again they can do so cheaper than an individual can because of their bulk sales through Ingram. They also offer e-book, audiobook, and print distribution. I use draft2digital for print and I've been quite satisfied with their customer support, but their print distribution doesn't allow opt-out of Amazon. HOWEVER, I believe their e-book distribution does. At minimum, there's a checklist on d2d about "steps you have to take to distribute e-books through d2d" and I'm assuming if you just. didn't do that checklist. then you obviously wouldn't get your books distributed through them. The other big thing I don't like about d2d (which may also be true of IngramSpark, idk) is that they charge after the first revision. Which is to say: you put together your book, you upload your book, you get it all set... and you notice a mistake. Okay, fine. You fix the mistake and re-upload. Re-uploading uses a "change token." You only get one free change token per title per six months. So, you notice another mistake you feel you have to fix a few days after that first? That'll cost $25. I've personally just kinda... tried to find all my mistakes right off and fix them, and anything I spot after that, I keep a log and will update all of them at the six month point. (I understand why they do this, btw - they have actual humans doing set-up on their end, so if you revise eight times in a week, that's a lot for an actual human, and charging for the tokens forces people to be careful, helps ensure people submit books that are actually ready in good faith, and helps keep costs low. That doesn't mean it's not annoying, though.)

Bookvault

Bookvault is a UK-based print-on-demand option (so NO e-book distribution, just print) that has recently started offerings in the US too. They currently have a relatively limited distribution network, but they're growing, and especially for UK-based people they're a strong alternative. I've heard a lot of positive reports about their printing in a FB group I'm in (Kickstarter for Authors - do recommend, lots of great info there), but I'll own my personal experiences weren't great and I've decided not to keep using them for now. However, if what you primarily want is print books as print-on-demand, and some limited distribution choices, they're a good choice, and they can help with option five below.

Do It Yourself Lite

A fourth option that's a LOT of work is...you add it everywhere yourself. Most places will let you. For example, here's how to sell on Barnes and Noble.com. When I self-pubbed a book a few years back, before I ran the Press, I submitted my work by hand to several different options (B&N, Kobo, Amazon because I still used them then, Smashwords, to name a few). However, doing this isn't the same as distribution - it only will sell through that specific vendor - and as far as I know there are no options for doing print-on-demand those ways (I THINK, tho I'm not sure, that Amazon is the only place you can set up both e-book and pod through a single vendor - it's not something I've researched tho, cause with the Press, doing single-title-at-a-time entry across so many different vendors is simply not realistic).

Side note on this: I don't believe there's a way to list self-pub books on Bookshop.org, but don't quote me on that.

This method also doesn't work well if you want to get your title in with libraries. I researched this a bit well over a year ago now, so I don't recall all the details, but before we signed up for Ingram I DID try to see if there was a way for us to publish and get in libraries especially without involving them, but there...wasn't really. Places like Overdrive that handle e-book-to-library distribution don't really have a way for individuals to submit; I have this vague memory I found a way to do it that involved paying per title but tbh I can't even find that now (though while I was looking I did find this decent-looking article about how to get your self-published book out in the world, echoing a lot of what I say here).

Do It Yourself Difficult Mode

Your fifth major option, and what we originally did as a press, is: do it all yourself. You can get your own storefront (ours is through Woocommerce + Wordpress). You can do your own crowdfunding. You can run your own newsletter (I use Mailerlite), do your own advertising, etc. You can do your own printing (we currently use Booklogix and I'm quite happy with them, their customer service is A+++). You can vend at events, you can market to local bookstores, sell through bookstores that do consignment, etc. You can learn to format your own e-books (I use a combination of Affinity software and Calibre, with an assist from Daisy to improve the accessibility of our e-books). You can get access to stock images and vector art to make things look nice (I use vecteezy). There's a LOT you can do entirely on your own. And that's what I did for myself before I ran the Press, and what I did for the Press for the first couple years we operated.

The reason I changed how the Press handles things? I hate to say this but the sad truth of publishing is that not using Amazon is utterly crippling to a publisher. As of 2 years ago, Amazon represented 67% of all book sales in the United States. Not selling through Amazon means accepting you'll simply be completely unable to reach more than half of the people reading works in English all around the world (works not in English may be different, I don't know that market since I publish in English). And for myself, alone - for my works? I could make that choice. But the Press currently works with well over 100 authors, and I ultimately felt I couldn't make the same choice to them. I tried so so hard not to compromise this, but refusing all distribution, when we were also avoiding Amazon, meant completely hamstringing the ability of authors we work with to market and sell their books. It meant, to work with us, people would have to sacrifice so much of their ability to earn money from their words, and it just didn't feel right to continue in that avenue as we grew. So, I was forced to compromise: first to use Ingram, which I did on the condition that I'd be able to reject Amazon specifically, and then by having to use draft2digital, including their goddamn Amazon print-on-demand, at least until I qualify for a better option, which as soon as I can do? You bet your butt I'll be switching and opting out of Amazon again.

The current climate makes these choices really hard, and I didn't make them lightly, nor did I make them alone - there's about 20 people on the DPP staff, and they all contributed opinions and voted on the final decisions I implemented for the Press in these regards.

(and sorry, I know "what DPP does and why" is a bit to the left of your actual question, but I felt like it'd be weird to make a list of recommendations without including the decisions I've personally made and why - like, why would I recommend you something I don't do myself with the books I publish? So sorry for the info dump.)

The TL:DR of all this is, as far as I know, and as I've been forced to accept as part of the realities of running a small press in the modern world of publishing, is that avoiding one Big Evil (Amazon) with any hope of achieving even a modicum of success basically requires partnering with at least one other Big Evil (Ingram especially). It's a very hard game to win.

HOWEVER, you are doing this FOR YOURSELF, NOT for all the people involved in a business larger than just you. If you're willing to put in the extra work to figure out a lot on your own and manage your own marketing, you can theoretically build enough of an audience to go it alone without Amazon OR Ingram OR places like Kobo/B&N/etc. You'll have to outlay more out of pocket - things like webhosting cost money - and you'll have to be a lot more careful - if you're running your own website instead of using someone elses, you gotta go above and beyond making you're in compliance with privacy rules and such - but it can be done.

And if you don't want to go that route, and your only real "to avoid" is Amazon specifically... use IngramSpark.

Sorry I'm long-winded. I hope this helps! Good luck with your publishing goals!

(and if others reading this have some other advice and resources, things I may not know about, please do weigh in! I bet the asker would like to know, and I'm always eager to learn about new options too.)

[yannaryartside]

THE NEW 'MENU" IS GONNA BE HELL FOR SYD

I have been reading Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line –by Michael Gibney because I wanted to understand more about Sydney's future responsibilities. I know next to nothing about the cooking industry, and this show particularly doesn't want to waste time explaining the context to the untrained eye (which is fair, we are here for the drama).

Man, this book was so awesome. It is literally like experiencing a The Bear episode in book format. It takes you through the whole routine, explaining who does what, the expectations, skillsets, and the emotional burden of each position. The protagonist is, of course, the sous chef, and what I have read made me feel scared for Sydney next season. So, every fact I display here is because the book presented it as the expected.

THE BEAR'S CASE

Now, a clarification: As I understand, the CDC supervises the whole kitchen, which is Syd's official title. But Carmy will technically still act as CDC since most executives don't move a finger; they are supposed to be there only to ensure rules and quality standards are followed.

The CDC is the person in the kitchen that everyone answers "yes chef/Oui chef too. The one that calls the orders and keeps everyone in line. The one who has the final say about what goes out of the kitchen. Under them, there is the sous, making sure all the operations are in order.

So you will technically have two CDCs; just one of them will have the final say, and you will have Tina as the sous. But that puts Sydney in a position to act both as CDC and a Sous, so I am using the book to guide what we may expect her to endure. This as a report made last minute with only two sources (pretty good, but still only two). Now, lets begin.

A very inexperienced staff: The author created a fictional restaurant based on his experiences, merging people he has met over the years to give you an idea of the most common in the industry. But it made something very clear to me: the staff of the bear, especially the line cooks, do not possess the training to operate at the level that Carmy is requesting. They better send them to culinary school before officially opening. I don't know why (I actually blame Carmy for this), but they haven't prioritized hiring certified staff since the beginning. They should have never had an opening day without knowing their staff and, if they were as green as Syd described them, sent their asses to culinary school right away. The fact they only bothered to send Tina and Ebra is baffling. And even when training is essential, experience is what can make the difference in unprecedented scenarios, and everything that Carmy is asking is pretty unprecedented by definition.

With the menu changing every day, Sydney's job as a cook herself and as the captain of many cooks is going to be darm near impossible.

Actually, in the book, there were two sous chefs, one for opening and one for closing. Even if you delegate the administrative task normally reserved for the morning sous chef to someone like Natalie (managing schedules and callouts, checking deliveries, and inspecting the state of the food before opening), it would still leave a lot of things on Sydney's plate. I am gonna be quoting this article:

"Few are the kitchens I’ve worked or sta’aged in where the Sous Chef wasn’t doing all the work that the general public thinks the Chef is doing.  And don’t get me wrong, such is the natural progression of things and not without good reason.  But more often than not, while the Chef is the General, with his/her name on the line, the Sous Chef is the lieutenant, seeing to it that the work gets done in the trenches".

During service, the chef (CDC) plates the dishes in the pass, but before that, the sous has to check the food the line cook brings; they need to be aware of how the executive chef likes a particular dish, the consistency, temperature, and other culinary details. Again, Carmy will act as CDC here and Syd as sous. Even though I didn't see them do this in f&f, it will likely be necessary for the future. Carmy changing the recipes constantly is gonna make it virtually impossible for Sydney to keep up, with their particular preparation, and since they are gonna be the final portal after the food gets to be presented to the client, it could cause a lot of friction between them.

Not only that, the sous chef normally leads the preparation of the specials (since in most restaurants, the ordinary menu has been established, only the specials can change every day) For both sous chefs in the book, leading prep consumed most of their time before opening, since, again, the executive has already trained them in how he prefers certain parts of the recipe. Again, in the Bear's circumstances, this will probably also be Sydney's job.

Replacing staff. The book even includes a scenario when a line cook fails, and the sous has to cover that station. Sydney is kind of destined to experience this, too, considering how unreliable their staff could be. If that happens, Carmy will be alone at the pass, checking every element before plating, which will obviously cause a delay.

Tina is the sous, and it will be interesting to see how she manages that; she definitely doesn't have the experience, and these expectations are definitely no industry standard. It hurts me that Sydney may suggest hiring another sous to work next to her or another cook who actually has experience operating in the industry to level up her workload. That is where I think Luca's role will be next season, if he goes to work for them. He probably has the skill set to do it. There is no point in having two people manage desserts.

Evidently, with a menu changing every day, it also means that Carmy has to make Syd come early every day to explain this recipe to her and make sure she can lead the rest of the kitchen in making them. Most of their dynamic is gonna rely on how much Syd can actually fulfill Carmy's expectations; she came here to work for him, running away from psycho chefs, and yet Carmy's expectations are going to be the most reckless the industry has ever seen.

The closing sous has to prepare everything for the next day long after the executive and the other sous are gone, revising the mistakes that were made, and preventing the ones they could make tomorrow.

Regardless of the title and responsibilities that may go on Sydney for being the only other experienced chef in the kitchen, we are talking about a 15-hour day. And I know it can be expected in this industry, but the layout for having two sous made plenty of sense. I don't know if Carmy will take part of the workload. I hope that is the case.

But yeah, the line "so you can push me, and I can push you" is taking a new connotation in my mind. What Carmy is creating doesn't make any logistical sense, with an untrained/inexperienced staff and with a sous chef that he trusts and cares about, but he is basically asking to perform to a level that defeats reason.

It is not even the level that made him "the bear" in his years as the best CDC in the world. Because even if Carmy's past executive was abusive and cruel, their expectations had to obey certain logistic logic that Carmy was completely abandoning. Carmy is not gonna be abusive, but all of this is a whole orchestra he is creating for self-punishment because even he won't be able to keep up with it, he may push everyone away because there is nobody who can. All of this is his version of self-harming. And Sydney and everyone he loves will witness, it until he asks for help.

Edit: I had to make a correction, explaining Carmy's and Syd's will technically both do the job of CDCs. Again, please do let me know more about that or feel free to correct me.

[ashxolotlreal]

UPDATE

I finished up the formatting! Was super fun to develop my typeset style

The half title, front stuff, full title, and author's note section

The table of contents

Chapter title formatting, page numbers, and headers [Note: the corner-shaped brackets will not be visible in print (assuming I don't screw anything up)]

Appendix formatting

I tried to encapsulate the feeling that this fic gives me — I've lived near Atlanta my entire life and some of my best childhood memories come from that city (and from DC comics). This fic really captured the feeling of Atlanta for me, and left me feeling a nostalgia few fics have before, both in the inclusion of a location so close to me and the themes that the fic carries. I wanted to pay respects to that in the formatting.

A bit of this will likely change! Looking over just the images now, I see some things I want to edit to match official book prints more closely (Mostly how with how I have it formatted now, the author's not is going to be on the back of the full title page, and that's generally not how it's done in official publishings).

The fic pictured is A Meditation in Railroading by @eggmacguffin! It's a truly phenomenal work of writing and I highly suggest it to anyone who has the time to read it.

Now I just have to make some cover art (and figure out the logistics for printing that), get the materials I need, and take lots of advantage of my local public library's printing service (because I am definitely not paying for all that ink).

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

No one. absolutely no one: .....

Me: Tavra’s style of sword fighting, in the one real example we see of it, shows a focus on finesse and point control- instead of singularly hacking or blocking, like Naia and Tae do, Tavra both deflects and disarms her larger and stronger opponent by cutting at skekSa’s claws, successfully flipping the Skeksis’ sword out of her grip and over a nearby cliff’s edge.

Me: This either shows that her sword is one capable of fine point control, implying that the sword’s balance is more towards to hilt, or that Tavra is skilled enough in the techniques of single opponent dueling to make up for her weapon’s innate design.

Me: That she knew she could disarm skekSa by targeting her hand without resorting to fully chopping off said hand, as Tae did, suggests Tavra is well aware of what damage to a sword wielder’s fingers can do to their ability to continue holding their sword.

Me: This in turn suggests she is used to combat where disarming rather than drastically maiming or killing your opponent is expected, again possibly matching up with duels of honor where dominance through the exhibition of greater skill decides the victor, possibly with rules regarding an instant lost if your sword is taken from you.

Me: She also makes good use of extreme maneuverability, “wing work” instead of “foot work”, evading all three of her opponent’s remaining hands despite skekSa’s much greater reach and fury. Her awareness of the local air currents- terrain for a woman with wings- also is sharp, as she uses the wind to power her own swift backward evasion while retreating safely out of skekSa’s wild swatting attacks.

Me: So much movement would not match well with fighting in close formations or with groups of others, or in densely foliaged or cramped spaces such as jungle or a ship’s deck. It would be a good match for open landscapes with strong wind currents, like the mountain sides or cliffs of her home, and for a woman fighting alone or who’s role is to completely distract and occupy a specific opponent while luring it away from her fellows.  

Me: This might explain why Naia and Tae remained more earth bound, being used to swamp and ships respectively, with Tae using her wings for a single preplanning diving attack, while Tavra takes to the air and remains there the moment she replaces them both in the fight.

Me: did you think i was going somewhere with this? NO!

Me: WAIT YES ACTUALLY

Me: book Tavra’s sword should look more like her one from the TV show, with the hand protection D guard thingy and more weight towards the hilt, and a single edged blade that can block blows on it’s spine while still cutting and stabbing

Me: her swords should NOT look like it does on the cover of book 3, with a short leaf blade meant for increasing chopping power meaning loss of point control and most weight up near the blade tip, especially paired with that simple and skimpy guard that does basically NOTHING this sword makes sense if it’s made out BRONZE or if you’re got a shield or spear, it is NOT a weapon of someone who fights like TAVRA DOES

Me: Also, the fact Tae is able to sever a larger opponents wrist with one cut from her dagger implies said dagger is either on the larger side or heavier side.

Me: That Onica's blade is called a "dirk" instead might suggest that it, unlike Tae's dagger, is not designed mainly for combat, and might be more along the lines of a highland dirk or bollocks dagger, with a single-edge multipurpose but still perfectly deadly blade and no hand protection to get caught on clothing or rigging lines while in use on her ship.

Me: Presumably, since Naia got her "knife" from her brother while he was in service as a guard in the castle, and she uses it later to fend off possessed NOT! Tavra's body while it was attacking with a sword, book Naia's knife is somewhere between Tae's dagger and Onica's dirk, possibly with some form of handguard, more than as seen in the TV show version, and maybe a bit longer blade with a single edge and dropped point to make it a tool as well instead of dedicated weapon like the word "dagger" when used in contrast sometimes implies- a knife capable of parrying or catching attacks with as well as for fighting your opponent in close quarters or more general day to day use.

Me: ok im done now

[shadowthestoryteller]

Will you be selling the hard copies again?

Hey Anon!

Admittedly, I’m not really sure. I’d love to, but financially it always puts me in the hole. It’s also rather disheartening when I do, because I put a lot of effort and time into revision/formatting but last round of orders I only had four people order. Bless the people that did, I love yall, but with shipping and printing costs I have to charge like $50 for Over the River (530+ pages) and $30 for Off to a Great Start (250+ pages) to even break even. That’s just too much for a book. Are there cheaper printing services than what I’m using? Yes. But they have policies against fanfic.

While I’m completely destroying Clone Wars canon and the Bad Batch are turning more “Shadow-ized” than “canonical”, it’s still fanfic.

Adventures!AU is nowhere near as popular as it once was, something admittedly understandable due to breaks and the over saturation of bad batch content rn. And the sheer length of the series atm, it’s sitting at close to 500k. Those who have been with the series from the start and really want hardcopies already have them.

The lack of interest in the series outside of hardcore fans (whom I cherish) is a whole other can of worms that I won’t get into rn, but it’s still something deeply affecting me and messing up my motivation. Combine all that with burnout from both the series and my masters (which is finally finished)?

All that to say I don’t foresee hardcopies offered any time in the near future. It’s just too costly in both money and time.

For now my energy will be focused on finishing out the series, but even that’s gonna be a while. I’m talking easily 20+ years. With book 5&6 being decanonized, we’re only on book 3 of 15+. And book 3 is just on ch 22 of 66. I’ll be lucky just to hit my target deadlines with e-books (Wattpad) without looking at hardcopies😅

Sorry to disappoint anon, and sorry for rambling!

[cursed-princess-club]

a review of the cpc book :)

saturday march 18th. I FINALLY GET A COPY OF THE CPC BOOK AT BARNES AND NOBLES. super super happy to have it on my shelf!! during my venture towards in the bookshop i was struggling to find it- so i'm in the graphic novel section right. and i figured it would be near this area where they have some other webtoon books like lore olympus or true beauty (also saw a woman world book out there!! was happy to see it:), along with some marvel comics. i searched for a while before i suck it up and just asked customer services to find a Webtoon Book and it took me longer to do this than i'd like to admit (musicitself can confirm). and in the end it wasnt at the lo or tb area, it was NEAR THE QUEER SECTION. RIGHT NEXT TO HEARTSTOPPER. and i love cpc for being there instead of where the other webtoons are,, that says something about cpc. while i asked about the book i heard one of the workers say "oh that one's pretty popular" which made me go !!!!. so glad to know we are winning

the book itself!! it's really neat to see cpc formatted like a comic book, and the redrawn panels look great! seeing old scenes in the newer artstyle really gives you a sense of how everyone's changed and developed. one extremely important screen to book change also:

ABBI'S JACKET IS THE PAN FLAG!! it used to be solid black, but this change suits her really well and she totally rocks it!! maria's eyes are also greener in the book, as they were more teal in the webcomic.

we also get insane anime character angle from frederick lmao

his expression game is always on point and i love how the new artstyle gets to highlight that more. the 4k artist profile lambcat uses of themselves scares me also, it's like normal lambcat but WAY more detailed. overall, cpc fans i'd totally recommend the book if you're thinking of getting one! i'm getting the next one for sure i cannot wait for when that comes out. also find it kinda ironic that true beauty the hit webtoon is advertised in the book and the end of the book has an ad for the next one saying "You too can learn to become as pretty as a cursed princess!", like i can kinda see what they were going for?? but uh. prez would not advertise like that lmao

there's a bit of character concept art in the back and i may make a post going over those because it is SUPER neat and i would lovelovelove to see more cpc concept art in the future.. suppose i'll see yall in that next post then!!

[captain-kit-adventuress]

I really struggled with whether or not I was going to even post this, because it's embarrassing and I still have a lot of baggage surrounding it, but in the interest of helping people who have debilitating ADHD, I'm going to.

When I was in my early twenties, I worked at a library. This was back when I thought I was going to have a career in library services, and though customer service is still customer service, I loved working in libraries and truly wanted to spend my working life dedicated to them. So this was definitely not a motivation issue or something I wasn't interested in.

Unsurprisingly, many of the people who work in libraries really, really love books and reading. Doesn't matter what format, they just love it. And many of the other services that libraries offer, but books is kinda the baseline. So we tend to check out a lot of books, too, and it was no different for me with this job.

I will say that this was a major branch in the local system of a mid-sized American city, and maybe a lot of other libraries aren't like this, but this was just before the sort of 'cool librarian renaissance' we seem to be experiencing now. This library ran itself very nearly like a business (which is a whole other issue for another time), and it was Serious when it came to books not being returned, by staff and patrons alike.

I knew the rough idea of what would happen, that the system capped fines at $50 (per item) and after that, the matter would be referred to collections. Yes, at an actual collections agency. There were even rumours that sometimes a police officer would be deployed to recover items, but that may only have been in particularly egregious cases where there was a strong possibility of regular theft.

Not that they treated a single item missing as anything less than theft, to be fair. I still loved working in the library, but I will say that branch was the most difficult place I ever worked at, and it really discouraged our patrons from engaging properly with our services. It was a challenging job, but still, I was doing what I loved.

Only...I was also in my early 20s, in college, feeling super overwhelmed, I was depressed, broke, failing out of school, and no idea why any of it was happening. I was about 15 years away from an actual ADHD diagnosis, so I was genuinely convinced that I was a stupid, shit person, and let me tell you, feeling thoroughly ashamed of every part of who you are does not do wonders for executive function.

My roommate and I were very lucky to get a cool apartment not far from campus and there was a tiny windowseat just inside the door. As was usually the case, that's where I tended to dump my stuff when I got home, at least initially, and there was often a book or two I'd brought from work. That book that broke the camel's back sat on that window seat for weeks, and I never read it. And then it became overdue, and I would often forget to put it in my bag so I could return it. More and more time passed, and I forgot. Literally every single time before I walked out the door, and then I'd remember halfway into my shift and would be embarrassed with myself and angry and spend way too much mental energy punishing myself for that rather than just...putting the book in my bag at some other point when I was able before I went to work. Eventually, for a lot of ADHDers, if that happens for long enough, the book becomes part of the landscape. You can't even actually see it anymore, it is just part of the shape of the room. So days overdue became weeks, and weeks overdue became months.

And sometimes? Sometimes I would manage to see that book sitting on the windowseat, and I would get so embarrassed I couldn't even look at it. It was just a reminder, a very visible reminder, of how viscerally I was failing at everything. It became the symbol of everything that was wrong with me, and I couldn't go near it. My body wouldn't even let me physically pick it up.

I don't know how many of you have ever experienced executive dysfunction, but it's not really what you'd expect. It's like being paralysed, knowing you're paralysed, knowing you're powerless to just...do the thing, even if you need to, even if you want to, even if you're desperate to do the thing. The more desperate you get, the worse it is. And when I say paralysed, I mean that very physically, like if I wanted to pick up the book, it was as though the signal from my brain could not reach my arms. I could not in any way have physically touched that book, much less put it in my bag or taken it back to work with me.

So one day, I went in and got ready to start my shift, and my boss took me back to our little communal area, and it was her and another woman from our central branch, and they looked Very Serious. I don't remember a lot of the conversation, only that I didn't really have answers to their questions about why I hadn't returned the book despite working there regularly multiple days per week for months while I had it in my possession, and they just became more and more grave as the conversation went on. At the end, my boss gave me a talking-to about how she couldn't understand why I had done this and how had it come to that, and how angry and at a loss she was, and then they fired me. The whole thing had taken maybe ten minutes, and I was out the door again almost as soon as I had gotten there. The rest of the staff was openly confused, and I could hear, before I even left, my boss starting a speech about why I would no longer be working there.

All because I just couldn't. Pick up. A. Book.

It was not the first time I had been fired, and it would not be the last. Most of the time, it was for making errors, or what my superiors deemed lapses in judgment because I didn't understand how to give them what they wanted from me. I have been written up for insubordination more than once because I just...couldn't stop making mistakes that I didn't catch before they became problems.

ADHD is not just a fun, quirky little offbeat brain thing. It is truly a disability, and I think it's really interesting that the ADA is super non-specific about what actually constitutes a disibility, but the language of the law does actually list ADHD as an example. It's horrible, and even though I now know that I have this condition, and I'm properly medicated for it and things are better, the damage it's done to my life and to me are permanent. Unlucky for me, mine got worse over time and now I am completely unable to work in a traditional job, or even drive safely. And that's with appropriate medication. So, yeah, we absolutely should make jokes about it to cope, but never forget that it truly is a disability, and some people are more debilitated by it than others.

And no, I can't keep my house clean, either.

Like I know we all love making ADHD seem cool but like, don't forget it's actually a disability? My ADHD is bad enough I've nearly been evicted for forgetting to mail the rent check to the property manager, I've forgotten to pay the utility bills and had my water or power get turned off or had to pay fines bcs I missed a credit card payment. Once I was supposed to cat sit for a friend and I lost the house key she gave me but didn't realize until she was already out of town, and she had to call the apartment office to get someone to give me the spare so her cats would have food for the week. When I'm unmedicated I can't even get myself to shower half the time, forget eating or cleaning. Before I started living with my fiance I'd just like, not eat for days because I didn't have anyone to remind me to eat or go buy me food. I've forgotten to turn the stove off so many times and ruined kettles and tbh been DAMN fucking lucky the house didn't burn down. I've done stupid, impulsive shit that's nearly gotten me KILLED. I can't remember to close the shower curtain reliably even through my fiance points out every single time I forget, and he's almost out of soap rn bcs for the last MONTH neither of us have been able to remember to order more once we get out of the shower.

I've had such bad memory my entire life that to this day someone suggesting I forgot something because I simply didn't care enough is a legitimate trigger that, in the worst cases, makes me have a breakdown.

I get that for some of you this is just something that makes studying hard or you forget to take a pee break when you're playing Minecraft or whatever, that's still a valid struggle and you do deserve help and understanding, but like, ADHD is a disability. It's disabling. It's not impossible to improve and learn coping skills, meds help a lot, there are great accommodations out there(LIKE CLEANING SERVICES), but not every case of ADHD is the same, and a lot of them are pretty ugly ngl, and just because you managed to do something doesn't mean someone else is gonna be able to manage it too, or that they're being lazy for struggling. And that obviously doesn't mean ADHD people have a free pass to never work on themselves and make everyone cater to their every need or whatever, but we do deserve some understanding when we explain that our disability is actually disabling in ways that aren't palatable to you. So like, idk, maybe don't immediately recoil in horror when you find out that someone with ADHD can't keep their house clean. And for fucks sake don't ridicule them for it.

[bakemybook]

How to Illustrate a Children's Book

Illustrating a children's book is an exciting and creative process that brings stories to life. Whether you are an aspiring children's book illustrator or an author looking to create children's book illustrations, understanding the illustration process is essential. This guide will explore how to illustrate a children's book, covering everything from choosing an illustration style to finalizing polished artwork.

1. Understanding Children's Book Illustration Styles

The first step in illustrating children's books is selecting the right children's book illustration styles. There are many styles to consider, including:

Cartoon illustration styles – Bright, exaggerated characters ideal for young readers.

Vintage children's books illustrations – Classic and timeless styles for nostalgic appeal.

Simple children's book illustrations – Minimalist artwork suitable for early readers.

Storybook illustration – Detailed and expressive artwork that enhances storytelling.

Choosing the right book illustration style depends on the book’s theme, audience, and storytelling tone.

2. Developing a Children's Book Illustration Concept

Once the style is selected, the next step is concept development. This involves:

Creating children's book drawings to visualize characters and settings.

Sketching different poses and expressions to enhance storytelling.

Ensuring the book illustration art aligns with the book’s message.

3. Finding the Right Illustrator

For authors who need an artist, there are many ways to find illustrators for a children's book:

Searching for children's book illustrators on freelance platforms like Fiverr illustration.

Checking the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for professional recommendations.

Exploring illustrators near me through online directories.

Professional illustrators for children's books can transform a story into a visually appealing book.

4. The Illustration Process: From Sketch to Final Artwork

The process of book illustration typically follows these steps:

Rough Sketching – Creating the first drafts of characters and scenes.

Storyboarding – Mapping out illustrations for children's books across pages.

Final Illustrations – Refining sketches into colored, polished artwork.

Formatting for Publishing – Ensuring the book with illustrations is print-ready.

Illustrators may use traditional drawing techniques or digital tools such as book illustration software.

5. Self-Publishing a Children's Book with Illustrations

Authors interested in independent publishing must consider:

How to make your own children's book with professional book illustrators.

Formatting artwork for both print and digital platforms.

Hiring book illustration services for high-quality designs.

6. Career Tips for Aspiring Children's Book Illustrators

For those who want to pursue children's book illustrator jobs, consider:

Taking illustrating children's books courses or an illustration certificate program.

Building a strong children's illustration portfolio to attract clients.

Learning how to become a children's book illustrator through training and experience.

Professional illustrators can work as freelancers or in publishing houses, with children's book illustrator salary varying based on expertise.

Conclusion

Illustrating a children's book is a rewarding journey that blends art and storytelling. Whether you are an artist or an author, understanding how to illustrate a book ensures a successful outcome. By choosing the right book illustration style, working with experienced children's book illustrators, and using the right tools, anyone can create engaging and memorable children's books illustrated with creativity and passion.

[vishealthcaremarketing]

Why Mobile Optimization is Non-Negotiable for Medical Marketing in Melbourne

The Mobile-First Reality in Melbourne Healthcare

With 83% of Australians owning smartphones (ACMA 2024), Melbourne medical practices can't afford to ignore:

7-second mobile page load expectation

53% mobile bounce rate for non-optimized sites

80% local search dominance via mobile devices

Why "Medical Marketing Melbourne" Requires Mobile Precision

Local SEO Dominance: Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in "near me" searches

Patient Journey Alignment: 74% book appointments via mobile (HealthDirect 2024)

Competitive Edge: Only 42% of Melbourne clinics have proper mobile optimization

5 Mobile Optimization Pillars for Healthcare Marketing

1. Speed That Saves Lives (Metaphorically)

Achieve <2s load time with:

AMP implementation

Image compression (WebP format)

Lazy loading for resource-heavy pages

2. Responsive Design Clinic Checklist

<!-- Essential meta tags for medical websites --> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=yes">

3. Mobile-First Content Strategy

Procedure pages: Collapsible FAQ sections

Location pages: Fold-out maps with transport links

Service pages: Bullet-point treatment benefits

4. Local SEO Prescription

FactorMobile ImpactGoogle Business Profile72% click-through boostSchema markup40% richer search snippetsLocal directory consistency58% trust increase

5. Conversion-Focused Patient Experience

Floating CTAs for emergency dental/GP services

Tap-to-call buttons with after-hours labeling

Mobile-optimized online booking systems

Case Study: Melbourne Cardiology Practice

After implementing mobile-first strategies through our healthcare marketing agency Melbourne team:

127% increase in mobile conversions

41% reduction in bounce rate

#1 ranking for "cardiology specialist Melbourne"

Why Choose a Melbourne-Specialized Medical Marketing Agency?

Our medical marketing agency Melbourne team brings:

Bulk-billing mobile speed tests

Medicare-compliant content strategies

Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner-aligned practices

Real-time ED wait time integration (for hospitals)

Mobile Future-Proofing Your Practice

2025 Melbourne healthcare trends demand:

Voice search optimisation for symptom queries

AI chatbots for triage assistance

PWAs for telehealth integration

Struggling with mobile patient retention?Vis Healthcare - healthcare marketing Melbourne experts deliver: - 100% mobile-optimised websites - Google Core Web Vitals mastery

[vihaandigitals]

What are the Best Digital Marketing Strategies?

Digital marketing strategies are essential for businesses to thrive in today’s competitive online landscape. At Vihaan Digitals, we specialize in crafting and implementing these strategies to drive business growth. Here are some of the best and most effective digital marketing strategies:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO ensures that your website ranks higher in search engine results, improving visibility and organic traffic. Key practices include:

Targeting the right keywords.

Optimizing on-page elements like meta tags and headings.

Building quality backlinks. At Vihaan Digitals, we ensure that your website is optimized for maximum reach and relevance.

2. Content Marketing

Create and distribute valuable content to attract and retain your target audience. Content formats include:

Blog posts and articles.

Infographics and videos.

E-books and whitepapers. Our team at Vihaan Digitals crafts compelling content that speaks directly to your audience.

3. Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Leverage platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to engage with your audience. Focus on:

Consistent posting.

Using engaging visuals and videos.

Running targeted ad campaigns. With Vihaan Digitals, you can effectively manage your social media presence and connect with your audience.

4. Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)

Use paid ads on platforms like Google Ads and social media to reach a broader audience. Ensure:

Precise audience targeting.

Compelling ad creatives.

Monitoring ROI closely. Our PPC experts at Vihaan Digitals deliver results-driven campaigns to maximize your returns.

5. Email Marketing

Email remains one of the most cost-effective strategies. Use it to:

Share updates and promotions.

Nurture leads with drip campaigns.

Build customer loyalty with personalized messages. Vihaan Digitals helps you design email campaigns that foster engagement and conversions.

6. Influencer Marketing

Collaborate with influencers who resonate with your brand. They can:

Promote your products to their followers.

Enhance credibility and trust. Our team can connect you with the right influencers to amplify your brand’s visibility.

7. Video Marketing

Videos are highly engaging and can be shared across platforms. Focus on:

Tutorials and product demos.

Behind-the-scenes content.

Live streams and webinars. Vihaan Digitals excels in creating video content that captivates and converts.

8. Local SEO

If your business serves a specific area, optimize for local searches by:

Registering on Google My Business.

Encouraging customer reviews.

Optimizing for "near me" keywords. Our local SEO services ensure your business is easily discoverable by local customers.

9. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Drive more conversions by improving your website’s user experience. Test:

Landing page designs.

Call-to-action buttons.

Checkout processes. Vihaan Digitals ensures that every visitor to your website has a seamless experience.

10. Analytics and Tracking

Use tools like Google Analytics and social media insights to:

Monitor performance metrics.

Understand user behavior.

Refine your strategies continuously. At Vihaan Digitals, we track and analyze data to continuously improve your digital marketing campaigns.

By partnering with Vihaan Digitals, you can implement these strategies effectively and achieve sustainable growth. Our expert team tailors each strategy to suit your unique business goals.

What’s your favorite digital marketing strategy? Let’s discuss in the comments!

[walliscranetruckhire]

Locating the Best Truck Hire: Your Complete Guide for Renting a Truck

Are you planning a move from one location to another? Select the online truck services offered by Truck Hire Ipswich, where reasonably priced transportation meets flawless availability. Whether you are relocating Truck hire near me or beyond, we link you to outstanding truck service providers to streamline your relocation procedure. 

 Why to hire a truck?

 Particularly without the appropriate mode of transportation, moving can be physically demanding. Understanding this difficulty, there is the requirement of an internet platform to provide a wide spectrum of Crane Truck Hire. It can cater to both local and long-distance migration needs, as well as those of other transporters. Although some people choose to do it themselves, paying Truck Crane at a reasonable price per km turns out to be a more sensible choice. We strive to provide exceptional service for relocation from Chennai, fostering trust in our unwavering commitment to quality.

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 We guarantee you the ideal Truck with crane service for your changing requirements, so improving the whole traveling experience. Throughout the moving process, we prioritize our clients' convenience with a committed workforce that is always ready to assist.

 Although moving might be difficult work, it can be a controllable and enjoyable experience with careful preparation and appropriate tools. Choose dependability, cost-effectiveness, and convenience when choosing our truck service. Here we are to ensure your move is unforgettable.

Choose your booking partner of choice.

Work with Truck Crane as your reliable partner for booking to enjoy unmatched simplicity. We carefully select our wide range of options to cater to your specific requirements. Our different sizes allow you to find the ideal speed whether you wish to move just a few domestic goods or a more substantial load. We give you the flexibility to easily move your goods to your new location. 

Just get in touch with us to make sure a well-maintained truck is ready to quickly move your goods safely to your selected destination. We make sure your whole relocation process will not cause you any trouble. 

 Our mini-truck services offer unparalleled convenience for managing smaller volumes. Count on Truck hire Ipswich to be your committed transportation agent in providing dependability, security, and a will to improve your truck experience. Use us, where our first concern is your happiness. Find the differences. 

 We especially focus on your safety and the reliable movement of your possessions. We use safety procedures and have a fleet of well-kept vehicles to deliver your goods with dependability and security. 

 Round-the-Clock Customer Support: We know relocation can present unforeseen difficulties. We offer round-the-clock client service. Always ready to help you is our committed crew. They answer your questions, give quick fixes, and offer a stress-free truck service experience.

 The pillar of our service is timeliness. We understand that your time is valuable and that you need to follow plans. Rest assured, timely arrivals and quick delivery rank highly.

  End Note

 We keep pricing open and free of hidden costs. We think in offering fair and transparent cost structures that support your better budget planning. Our open pricing approach shows our will to be honest and moral in our offerings.

[chocolatedetectivehottub]

car wash near me,

car wash near me,

Maintaining a clean and shiny car is not just about aesthetics; it also plays a key role in preserving the longevity of your vehicle’s paint, improving its resale value, and maintaining hygiene inside your car. Whether you're looking for a quick wash, an in-depth detailing service, or eco-friendly cleaning options, finding a reliable car wash near you is essential. Here's a guide to help you discover the best car wash options available nearby.

Why Regular Car Washing Matters

A regular car wash does more than just keep your vehicle looking good. Over time, dirt, grime, and road salts can build up on your car's surface, leading to paint damage, rust, and other forms of wear. Washing your car regularly helps to:

Protect the Paint: Removing contaminants can help maintain the finish and prevent corrosion.

Improve Visibility: Clean windows and mirrors enhance driving visibility, reducing the risk of accidents.

Boost Resale Value: A well-maintained car with a clean exterior and interior tends to have a higher resale value.

Improve Safety: Regular washing prevents buildup that can affect car performance, like brakes or tire performance.

Types of Car Wash Services

Car washes come in various formats, so it’s important to choose the one that best fits your needs. Here are the most common types of car wash services:

Automated Car Wash: The fastest option, this is where you drive your car into a tunnel, and automated machines wash and rinse your vehicle. It's perfect for a quick wash but doesn't offer deep cleaning.

Hand Wash: Performed by professionals who use towels and sponges to wash your car, this option offers a more thorough cleaning and allows for more careful attention to details.

Self-Service Car Wash: These are DIY stations with cleaning equipment such as hoses, vacuums, and detergent dispensers. Ideal for those who prefer a hands-on approach to washing their car.

Eco-Friendly Car Wash: For environmentally conscious individuals, many car washes now use eco-friendly products that are biodegradable and require less water.

Full Detailing: This goes beyond a simple wash. It includes interior vacuuming, leather conditioning, waxing, and engine cleaning. Perfect for those who want their car looking brand new.

How to Find a Car Wash Near You

Finding a car wash near your location is easy with the help of modern technology. Here are some ways to locate a car wash in your area:

Google Search: A simple search for "car wash near me" on Google will provide a list of options. Google Maps even provides user reviews, hours of operation, and directions.

Car Wash Apps: There are several apps dedicated to locating local car washes. These apps also allow you to check reviews and book services in advance.

Word of Mouth: Ask friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations. Personal experiences are often the best way to discover a reliable car wash service.

Social Media & Forums: Platforms like Facebook, Yelp, or Reddit can offer insights from local communities about the best car wash places.

Mobile Car Wash Services: Some services will come directly to your location to wash your car, perfect for those with a busy schedule.

What to Look for in a Car Wash Near You

When searching for the best car wash service in your area, here are a few things to consider:

Reputation: Check online reviews or ask around for recommendations. A reliable car wash should have good customer service and leave your car sparkling clean.

Price: Ensure the service fits your budget. Prices may vary depending on the type of wash, location, and level of service.

Eco-Friendliness: If you're conscious about the environment, look for a car wash that uses eco-friendly products and water-saving technology.

Convenience: Consider factors like location, hours of operation, and whether the service offers additional perks like vacuuming or interior cleaning.

Range of Services: Some car washes offer add-on services such as waxing, tire cleaning, or detailing. Ensure they offer everything you might need.

Conclusion

Finding a quality car wash near you is simple, but choosing the right one requires some consideration of your needs, budget, and preferences. Whether you opt for a fast automated wash or a thorough detailing session, keeping your car clean helps ensure its longevity and performance. With the tips above, you'll easily locate the best car wash service in your area and keep your vehicle looking its best for years to come!

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