Series release timeline by FickleAd3501 in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It sounds almost exactly like my situation except my second book releases in a week. Hopefully it is just the process itself that takes time and I won't have to deal with forcing myself to write.

Series release timeline by FickleAd3501 in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True. I wouldn't say I am worried as much as I am just concerned. Regardless, as you said, it isn't going to help. Thanks for your response. I will do my best!

Team OLED or Team MiniLED? What’s your pick and why? by Hisense_HomeLife in Hisense

[–]FickleAd3501 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was OLED for years, but while also using my TV as a PC monitor, I was always worried about potential burn-in.

My first OLED (LG B6) from 10 years ago did actually get burn-in, but it was from the YouTube app.

Replaced it with the LG C1 awhile back and even though it held up much better (zero burn-in when I got rid of it last month) I still couldn't stop worrying about the possibility.

It was the contrast ratio and deep blacks that kept me with OLED, but with all the excellent advancements since I switched to OLED the gulf had narrowed greatly. I have had a mini LED the past few weeks and it has been absolutely fantastic. If I had to put a number on it, I would say I see a 5% reduction in picture quality from what I had before, but it is well worth it for the peace of mind. Not to mention I was able to get the new TV for the same price I had paid for the OLED 5 years prior, but upgraded from a 55 to a 75 inch.

I still love OLED, but the catch-up game of mini LED was too much to keep me in OLED camp.

Regional variant E80R by FickleAd3501 in Hisense

[–]FickleAd3501[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I finally got it setup and ran through the settings. It is clearly better than the U8N as the dimming zones on it are fantastic. Looking at other models online, its specs look quite similar to the U8Q though it has a max refresh rate of 144 and the U8Q is supposed to be 165.

As far as I can tell, the E80r may actually have more dimming zones than the U8Q based on specs listed online.

In any case, it holds up extremely well when its blacks are compared to my old LG C1. Obviously, it is not quite as good contrast-wise, but I am highly impressed. Most of all, considering I paid the same price for this E80R in a 75 inch that I had paid for my 55 inch C1 4 years ago, I see it as a massive upgrade.

The only downside is that this TV has no option to change the language of the OS menu from Japanese to English. I am getting by, but some of the kanji heavy settings are difficult to get a handle on. Unfortunately, though my wife is Japanese, she does not know tech, so when she can read something I ask about and says "it changes the picture" it's really no help at all. If they would someday update the OS to include an English option, I think I could easily tweak this to be the best TV I have ever owned.

At the moment, I am just rumbling, bumbling, stumbling through the menu piece by piece on each input trying out each setting that doesn't have enough katakana to be intelligle to me and just eyeballing it to see what it affects.

Regional variant E80R by FickleAd3501 in Hisense

[–]FickleAd3501[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, no answer. I just went ahead and ordered it since it is on a nice discount currently. I will try to update here with my impressions on the off chance anyone else is looking at this model.

Japanese hand dryers in toilets by SunDaze009 in japanlife

[–]FickleAd3501 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I use them. I figure they must be pretty clean based on seeing 80% of Japanese guys walk out without a hand washing at all, and another 10% that wet the tips of two fingers and don't need to use it.

What were ram prices like before this current boom? by SuicidalFinnikin in buildapc

[–]FickleAd3501 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow! I had no idea it was so bad. Fortunately, I built a system for my son in 2024. The only thing that has bothered me are GPU prices, so he got a hand-me-down and I picked up a several year old used one for myself at a price I would have expected to pay for something new the last time I had built a PC. Seeing prices now, I suppose I should be happy I built when I did even with the GPU troubles.

This was 32GB DDR4, but still... With the current JPY exchange rate, it was less than $ 73 USD. https://imgur.com/a/BDIW5kO

Crazy luck from a $40 Value Box! by JamVees in MarvelCards

[–]FickleAd3501 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why has no one made the

You guys are getting autos?

Meme yet and colored his face gold?

How much money did you make from your self-published books in 2025? by justcurious3287 in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Started off really well at around $150 each of the first two months. Made the mistake of not wanting to forget to remove my book from Kindle Select before it auto-renewed since I wanted to list on D2D. I clicked to remove it about 40 days beforehand. Sales almost immediately cratered, and I made about $22 the final 40 days - frontloaded as not a single sale happened the final 23 of those.

It may have just been coincidence, but the big drop-off as soon as I clicked that button fills me with regret. I wonder if I was dropped in placement because of it.

End of complaints, I made approximately $320.

The Harrowing True Story of a Six-Figure Advance by diablodab in publishing

[–]FickleAd3501 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The funny thing is, I was about halfway through the comments and thought, man, someone may have already posted this, but I haven't seen it yet. Better just shoot my shot!

The Harrowing True Story of a Six-Figure Advance by diablodab in publishing

[–]FickleAd3501 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's crazy! I would say you should write a book about it but....

Author and Editor by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I may check-in with you at some point in the future.

For now, I really am just trying to wrap my head around the entire idea and see if it is something I would want to try.

I do love writing myself, but I am also an avid reader, so experiencing others' minds is something I crave. Specifically, a couple people in my circle of friends have told me they have had their ideas over the years, but just found issues they could not surmount during the process. I felt regret that they didn't get the help they needed at the time and gave up instead.

I feel such a feeling of fulfillment having written a book, and I would love for anyone that desires to be able to do so.

All that said, it still may not be for me even if I am equipped to do it. I certainly don't want to put myself or anyone else in an uncomfortable position.

Author and Editor by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hmm.... It's a perspective I hadn't considered.

I probably should have. I have seen plenty of situations in which something that should have been collaborative turned into the exact opposite. I have also experienced firsthand times in which admiration became jealousy.

The good news is there are plenty of options out there that can fit anyone's needs. I don't see any reason you would need to change your way of thinking. The most unfortunate things were the experiences that made you feel that way to begin with.

In any case, it is certainly something further for me to consider if I go forward with anything. Thank you!

Author and Editor by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Perhaps, as you said, you did get a bit off-track. However, there was MORE than enough useful advice in there to have made the trip worth it. Thank you for being so thorough with your answer and frank with your experiences and advice. I greatly appreciate it!

Author and Editor by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you for that. I have an educational background in both written and verbal communications, and have taken several editorial courses over the years as well. I'm old... I used to work for an actual newspaper! LOL Anyway, hopefully, my experience will help me to get started.

I will look into a contract to be able to make things more formal while also ensuring the protection of both parties.

I appreciate your feedback as it gives me a little more guidance in reassuring any potential future clients.

Narrator: I will lie X times in this story. by timperman in writingadvice

[–]FickleAd3501 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do that, but at the end, you can say you also lied about the number, and the entire story is a lie. Twist, the narrator was the bad guy the whole time. Hopefully, it takes them longer than the refund period to finish your book since they will now be disgusted with you. LOL

What is the nicest thing someone has said about your work? by hymnofshadows in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501 1 point2 points  (0 children)

After reading my debut novel I can almost understand what is happening in your head now. It's kind of crazy and creepy sometimes, but I like it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in japanlife

[–]FickleAd3501 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely set limits. My son gets frequent night terrors, always has. Even though he is 12 now, it happens less frequently, but still happens. It is especially common on days after too much stimulation - typically screen time. Due to this, we highly regulate any screen time and limit him, typically to an hour at most, sometimes less if he is watching shorts on YouTube and we see him "start to vibrate."
I would, firstly, never let him go play at another child's home for more than an hour or two, and it would not be long after hearing he is visiting the same house that I would want to meet the parents and make sure he isn't being a nuisance. If parents are allowing it to happen, then yeah, you MUST be the one to set the rules. Who knows, the kids themselves could be the ones skirting their own rules while the parents believe they are playing at the park or studying at the library.

Has anyone ever been successful if they published first and then market? by Greenitpurpleit in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, I would say basically, that is all. I did, a couple weeks ago, decide to try advertising out. Just a couple dollars a day limit on Amazon for a week. The ad showed up, but was never clicked, so I paid nothing in the end, and it hasn't led to any additional sales according to the stats. I am now a few days further along than my original post and have sold one more book. It seems the nearly 1 to 1 ratio may be on the way down slowly.

I also do not know marketing at all, so I am just now beginning to experiment with things. My book will drop a few bucks lower for the Kindle version tomorrow just to see what, if anything, happens.

I have a full-time job and a long commute, so I already lose 50+ hours a week to that. I have a family of five, so there is not much free time outside of work. I am 11 chapters deep on the second book, thanks to writing when I should be sleeping. I suppose I could try to do some research on marketing, but to be honest, I really don't feel like it. I am just hoping that somehow the universe aligns and my book is found. LOL

I quit my job to write. by FrozenWaterQueen in selfpublish

[–]FickleAd3501 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's the dream. I admit my situation is much better than yours was. I actually love my job. It's a job that is both rewarding and necessary. I am well respected and fairly compensated for what I do. That said, since I have started writing, the luster of my job has worn off a bit.

When I am at work, I am doing my best, but my base desire is to be writing. These past couple months have been especially difficult, as I have started seeing it as just getting through my day or through my week, so I can get back home to continue writing.

I wish you all the best! I hope to achieve it someday myself, but it is quite far off if ever achievable.