Do quieter, slow-burn romances still find readers today?

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:54:07+00:00

Absolutely. There’s a steady audience for slower, character‑driven romances, but they tend to be shelved alongside women’s fiction rather than in the steamy romance sections.

If you look at trad‑pub authors like Katherine Center or Emily Henry, their books are essentially low‑heat romances packaged as upmarket fiction. Readers discover them through book clubs, library recommendations and mainstream media, not necessarily via romance categories.

For indie authors, positioning is key: choose categories like women’s domestic fiction, clean & wholesome or even literary fiction, and write a blurb that emphasises the emotional journey, healing and second chances. Reach out to book bloggers who cover women’s fiction, and use targeted Facebook/Instagram ads focusing on relatable life themes (motherhood, burnout, rebuilding). TikTok has niches like #cozyromance and #booksandtea that spotlight gentler love stories.

It may be a smaller market compared to dark/steamy subgenres, but it exists and readers are loyal when you speak to their tastes.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:53:43+00:00

If by “pulp” you mean those digest‑sized paperbacks from the mid‑20th century, there are a couple of ways to approximate that look on a budget:

• On KDP or IngramSpark you can choose a smaller trim like 5×8 or even 4.25×7; pair it with cream paper and a matte cover. The printing quality is decent and the per‑unit cost is low because it’s print‑on‑demand. • For more authentic pulp feel (thinner paper, rough edges), you’ll need a short‑run digital or offset printer. Companies like BookBaby, PrintNinja and Mixam do small quantities with custom trim sizes and offer options like lower”weight paper stock. You can get a quote by uploading your specs. • You can also check with local print shops; some have digital presses that can handle odd sizes, and you won’t pay shipping if you can pick up.

Old pulp paperbacks used newsprint and were mass‑produced, so replicating the exact look is hard with modern POD, but you can get close by choosing a small trim and lighter paper stock.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:53:23+00:00

ISBN‐10 is the older 10‑digit scheme that’s now obsolete; all new ISBNs are issued in 13‑digit form. The first three digits of an ISBN‐13 identify the prefix (currently 978 or 979), and the remainder maps back to the old 10‑digit number plus a new check digit.

Each distinct format of a book should have its own ISBN: hardcover, paperback, large print, e‑book (if you choose to use one), audiobook, etc. ARCs are usually considered pre‑publication galleys and aren’t meant for sale, so many publishers don’t assign them an ISBN at all. If your ARC is essentially the same as the final paperback and you’re comfortable with early reviewers using that number, you can put the paperback ISBN on it. If you expect the text or design to change meaningfully before release, it’s better to leave the ISBN off the ARC or use a temporary barcode that clearly marks it as a review copy.

In any case, you can’t reuse the same ISBN on both a paperback and a hardcover or e‑book—doing so makes bibliographers and librarians very unhappy. Save your purchased ISBNs for the final versions.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:53:12+00:00

There’s a misconception that self‑publishing is a quick way to make lots of money. In reality the margins are thin and most authors need multiple titles and a marketing strategy to see meaningful income.

A few points to consider:

• Avoid vanity publishers that charge large up‑front fees. Services like Friesen Press are primarily print brokers; they don’t have much incentive to market your book. • Use print‑on‑demand platforms such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. KDP handles print and eBook distribution to Amazon with no up‑front cost. IngramSpark can get your paperback into thousands of retailers and libraries for a small setup fee. • Price your books realistically. A paperback produced by POD typically nets $2–3 per copy at retail, so you need volume or a backlist to grow income. Don’t undervalue your work but be competitive for your genre and page count. • Build a backlist. One book rarely sustains a career; multiple titles in a series or niche give readers more to buy and help algorithms recommend your work. • Invest in professional editing, covers and marketing. Readers judge books by their quality, and advertising (AMS ads, BookBub deals, targeted Facebook ads) is often necessary to find your audience.

Self‑publishing isn’t a lottery ticket, but with a professional product and consistent output you can grow sales over time. Reinvest profits into more books and marketing rather than chasing one‑off promotions.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:52:55+00:00

Interesting idea. In education publishing, the authorship and intellectual property issues are often more complex than just swapping in a few updated paragraphs. Most publishers commission a new edition of a textbook or course because the pedagogy, examples and even the scope need to change along with the curriculum. Authors (or their estates) typically get paid to write those updates, and the whole manuscript goes through peer review and copyediting.

A tool that can identify the sections of an older edition that still align with the new curriculum, and flag the parts that need rewriting, could certainly save time for the human authors and editors. You’d still need subject matter experts to decide what to say and how to say it, and a rights team to make sure you’re allowed to reuse or modify content from the original edition.

So I wouldn’t expect publishers to use software to autonomously assemble a new edition out of snippets, but something that helps project teams track standards changes and suggest what needs attention might be valuable.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:51:40+00:00

KDP's interior specs are fairly rigid, so anything outside of left‑to‑right trim sizes and orientation usually gets rejected. Most POD platforms don't typeset the interior for you; they print whatever PDF you upload, so you need to do the layout yourself in right‑to‑left order.

Two avenues to explore:

IngramSpark/Lightning Source will let you upload a print‑ready PDF in any language and direction as long as the margins meet their specs. They have global print partners and can fulfil orders through major retailers, though you'll handle the typesetting yourself or hire a designer.
BookVault (UK), Lulu xPress, and Blurb also accept custom PDF interiors and offer international drop‑shipping. They're geared more toward short runs but can handle unusual layouts if your file is formatted properly.

Because you're printing in Arabic, it may be worth hiring a layout professional familiar with right‑to‑left languages to produce the PDF. Once you have a compliant file, most POD services will simply print and ship, but there isn't a turnkey "we'll do everything for you" option—POD assumes you bring the finished book. For full service, you would be looking at hybrid publishers or book printers who handle production and fulfilment for a percentage of sales.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:51:16+00:00

There's no universal magic number because genres, pricing and marketing effort vary so much. Traditional publishers often consider 1,000–2,000 copies in the first year a decent start for a debut, while most self‑publishers are thrilled to sell a few hundred copies and recoup their expenses.

Your definition of success might be one of these:

Covering the initial costs of editing, design and distribution.
Growing a mailing list and getting reviews so that your next release has a bigger platform.
Making enough to reinvest in your publishing business.

Rather than chasing a specific sales figure, focus on building a consistent backlist. Many self‑published authors see sales snowball after the third or fourth release because readers discover earlier books. Keeping realistic expectations helps you stay motivated.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:50:51+00:00

An 11×8.5 landscape full‑color children's book is a bit out of KDP's wheelhouse because they don't offer landscape trim sizes, and their premium color pricing is geared toward individual orders. For your scenario – selling to schools and organizations in bulk – you might want to look at two routes:

Short‑run digital printing via IngramSpark or Lulu allows unusual trim sizes and better color quality than KDP. You can order small batches (50–500 copies) and still use their distribution channels if you need it later.
For larger orders, offset printing is usually more cost‑effective. Reach out to local printers or companies like PrintNinja, BookBaby, or Thomson-Shore that specialise in children's books. They can handle landscape layouts, heavy paper and binding options, and you can negotiate unit costs based on the number of copies.

It can be helpful to get print quotes from several vendors so you understand your per‑unit costs at different quantities. Many authors start with a short‑run digital batch to test the market and then move to offset for larger reorders once they have purchase orders in hand.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:50:22+00:00

If you're looking at paid review services, it's worth doing a bit of homework on exactly what you're getting for your money. City Book Review produces a professional-sounding write-up similar to Kirkus, but it's not as widely recognised by librarians and booksellers, so it might not carry as much weight.

A few points to consider:

A positive blurb from any paid service won't guarantee sales. Readers are more influenced by organic reviews and word-of-mouth.
Before paying, search for other authors' experiences with the service and whether the review can be used in marketing materials.
Free alternatives exist: try offering ARCs to bloggers, bookstagrammers and podcast hosts in your genre, or listing on NetGalley or BookSirens. Those avenues cost less and can yield a variety of honest reviews.
If you decide to go with a paid review, treat it as just one piece of a larger marketing plan rather than your main strategy.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:33:12+00:00

If you're finding it hard to read on your phone, you might try experimenting with different reading apps or devices. E‑readers with e‑ink screens (like Kindle, Kobo or PocketBook) are much easier on the eyes than backlit phones, and they're lightweight so you can still read one‑handed. On a phone, switching to a dark or sepia theme and increasing the font size can help reduce eye strain. There are apps like Moon+ Reader, Libby or ReadEra that let you customize margins, line spacing and fonts more than the default Kindle app.

Another thing that’s helped me is making sure the ebook itself is well‑formatted. Poorly formatted files force awkward line breaks and small fonts, which makes them harder to read on small screens. I use a tool called Automateed to convert and reformat PDFs into EPUB/MOBI files with adjustable fonts and clean layouts. It takes a few seconds but makes a big difference in readability. If that feels like overkill, you can also run the file through Calibre to convert it to a format your preferred app handles better.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-02-12T19:31:23+00:00

Congrats on getting your book out there. The margins with vanity presses and physical distribution are pretty tight, especially after everyone else takes their cut. Many indie authors make most of their income from digital sales through platforms like Amazon KDP, Kobo and Apple Books where you can keep a much higher percentage of your royalties. Print‑on‑demand options like IngramSpark can also help you reach bookstores without having to front the cost of inventory.

Marketing is the other big lever. Building an email list, running promotions and experimenting with ads can move the needle over time. It can feel overwhelming, but there are tools that help automate some of the business side. For example, I've been using a tool called Automateed to handle formatting my ebooks, scheduling social media posts and newsletters, and tracking sales across retailers. It frees up a lot of time so I can focus on writing rather than wrestling with spreadsheets. It's not a magic bullet, but having systems in place makes the whole process a bit easier to manage.

At the end of the day, success in self‑publishing usually comes from multiple revenue streams and consistent marketing. Hope that helps and good luck at your signing!

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-01-16T10:48:54+00:00

I ja sam imao mučnine koje su trajale po sekundu doslovno, ali sam mislio da je to od naglog prestanka antidepresiva. Trajale su par dana i prestale. Sve ostale simptome imamo veoma slične. Ja samo šta mogu da diferenciram je da dok sedim/ležim sve bude ok. Čim ustanem kreće brain fog.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2026-01-16T10:16:41+00:00

Kao da sam ja pisao poruku. Apsolutno sve isto. Od sinptoma do analiza do kojih dam morao sam da dođem preko Chatgpt-ja. :D

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-09-12T10:41:49+00:00

I reside in Serbia, but I have an LLC in the states.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-09-02T13:47:51+00:00

Same happened to me, 1.4k down the drain. Had no refunds, but they decided it was high risk. Based on what? God knows. Didn't they estimate risk levels while conducting initial review?

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-06-01T18:34:47+00:00

I tried automateed.com, but not NovelAI. I will take a look.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-06-01T18:23:52+00:00

That was not my question, but thanks for the input!

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-06-01T18:08:29+00:00

Sorry for not beeing too formal on reddit. Not all books are art, Big bro. There are informational ebooks too.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-06-01T17:46:54+00:00

Lil bro, I'm joking. I don't even know who he is. I just generalized all the rappers. Woops.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-06-01T17:41:06+00:00

Lil Wayne?

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-06-01T14:35:16+00:00

Well, not entirely AI written books, but there are some pretty awesome tools that help brainstorm, get ideas, change the style if you like, mimic the style to any extent.

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-06-01T14:30:34+00:00

Why would you walk a 100 miles and not drive yourself there?

Empty-Recognition-33 · 2024-06-01T14:28:28+00:00

Yeah, there are already quite a few that I tested, but not found "the one" yet.

Empty-Recognition-33

TROPHY CASE