rocktis

[rocktis]

So, there's a dirty little secret in indie publishing a lot of people won't tell you, and if you aren't aware of it, self-publishing feels even scarier than it actually is.

There's a subset of self-published indie authors who write a ludicrous number of books a year, we're talking double digit releases of full novels, and these folks make a lot of money telling you how you can do the same thing. A lot of them feature in breathless puff pieces about how "competitive" self-publishing is as an industry now.

A lot of these authors aren't being completely honest with you, though. They'll give you secrets for time management and plotting and outlining and marketing and what have you. But the way they're able to write, edit, and publish 10+ books a year, by and large, is that they're hiring ghostwriters.

They're using upwork or fiverr to find people to outline, draft, edit, and market their books. Most of them, presumably, do write some of their own stuff! But many "prolific" indie writers are absolutely using ghostwriters to speed up their process, get higher Amazon best-seller ratings, and, bluntly, make more money faster.

When you see some godawful puff piece floating around about how some indie writer is thinking about having to start using AI to "stay competitive in self-publishing", the part the journalist isn't telling you is that the 'indie writer' in question is planning to use AI instead of paying some guy on Upwork to do the drafting.

If you are writing your books the old fashioned way and are trying to build a readerbase who cares about your work, you don't need to use AI to 'stay competitive', because you're not competing with these people. You're playing an entirely different game.

[rocktis]

Recharge station!

[rocktis]

[rocktis]

[rocktis]

it’s insane how quickly your life can just. suddenly improve. i used to be so miserable but now i own 5 swords

[rocktis]

I hate how the term "triggered" has been watered down and basically turned into a meme term when it's something serious and getting triggered in my experience is not very fun.

[rocktis]

just a reminder:

a black girl character growing her hair out long breaks more stereotypes than a black girl character having short hair

a black girl character getting to be soft and fragile breaks more stereotypes than a black girl character being strong all the time

a black girl character being protected and comforted by others breaks more stereotypes than a black girl character having no one to look out for her but herself

a black girl character being considered pretty or cute by other characters breaks more stereotypes than a black girl character being considered unattractive

not everything that is empowering for white girls is empowering for black girls

the sexism we face overlaps, but it is not the same

[rocktis]

Hell is when book covers get redesigned with the actors of the show/movie that was made based on it.

[rocktis]

I think it would be really funny if you could get Wyll out of his pact by having Withers reclass him

Mizora over here pissed off because she didn’t anticipate Wyll being friends with the god of paperwork who would get him out of his devil contract for 100 gold, meanwhile he’s punching trees in half because he’s a monk now and giggling the whole time

[rocktis]

this is so so funny. just ignoring someone who's inside your mind and can read your every thought. it knows you can hear it just fine. it knows you're being obtuse on purpose. the pettiness

[rocktis]

I’m having a spirited debate and need a larger sample size

[rocktis]

tumblr is so beautiful because I can get 40 notifications and it’s all from the same person

[rocktis]

it's cause you're always going down down down to that damn river

[rocktis]

A companion piece

[rocktis]

this is a way better model... you'll still get transphobic & intersexist drs of course but i prefer this to male / female or even having separate questions for gender & sex.

[we can't see the full form, but i'd suggest having a "something else" option and dominant hormone question too.]

[rocktis]

"Would you say I became a hero?" -Zack Fair, The Unsung Hero.

Watched my husband finish his play through of Crisis Core: Reunion and I can't remember the last time I cried over a video game character this hard. I didn't cry, I SOBBED. My eyes are still puffy and my heart is scarred. I even knew what was gonna happen but I still was not prepared. 😭😭

Video of the process below (I actually remembered to record this time):

[rocktis]

Being a young adult is so strange. You enter a coffee shop. The 20 year old girl waiting behind you cried all night because she just came to a new city for university and she feels so alone. That 27 year old guy over there works a job he is overqualified for, he lives with his parents and wants to move out but doesn't know what to do about it. That one 24 year old dude already has a car, a house, and a job waiting for him once he graduates thanks to his dad's connections. The 26 year old barista couldn't complete his higher education because he has to work and take care of his family. The 28 year old girl sitting next to you has no friends to go out with so she is texting her mother. That couple (both 25 years old) are married and the girl is pregnant. The 29 year old writing something on her laptop has realized that she chose the wrong major so she is trying to start all over. We are not alone in this, but we are actually so alone. Do you feel me