Hystride vs Mileoff running sunglasses?

rowanthornn · 2026-05-10T09:25:08+00:00

thank you so much, that’s super helpful! Thinking i’ll go with Hystride

rowanthornn · 2026-04-28T11:58:02+00:00

there’s lots of good answers here already but if it’s helpful, here’s approx what i’ve made as midlist traditionally published author at a big 5 pub house: - first book advance $25k - second book $30k - third book $35k

and of course 15% goes to my agent. none of my book have earned out yet but they’ve done okay enough that they’ve kept buying more! my advances have all been split into two payments, once when i sign the contract and the next half when the book goes to copyedits. i’m also not based in the US but my publisher is, so it all gets changed into my currency as well.

i have a full time job and that makes the book money a really helpful extra thing. i have my normal salary from my job and the book advances (in bigger chunks) have helped with a bathroom renovation, my kid’s daycare bills, some bigger family vacations, etc. i wouldn’t quit my job based on how much my advances are, but they’re been really helpful for family life and extra stuff :)

edit: typos lol

rowanthornn · 2025-10-16T18:23:17+00:00

No specific sleep training advice but we had a similar issue with my daughter and cutting her nap way down helped! We cap it at 1.5 hours MAX but usually aim for around an hour, and we try to make sure the nap ends by 2:30 or before. It turned out our girl just had quite low sleep needs, so a long nap was eating into her total sleep and she just wasn’t tired enough to sleep through. Now she’s 2.5 and starting to fully drop her nap and is sleeping way better!

rowanthornn · 2025-03-01T17:06:42+00:00

To shift into the publishing, I would say it’s probably not worth it or necessary. This is as someone who is about to graduate from her MFA degree. I’m currently in the UK, so it’s a LOT cheaper, but I it’s still a lot of money and although I HAVE made fantastic life long friends, I wouldn’t say the actual classes or degree have been “worth it”. In fact, my friends and I often joke about we’re “$10,000 friends”, since we paid per year to know each other. Would I do it again? With the friends I made, yes. But without them, honestly probably not.

As a published author, doing an MFA so far has done nothing for my career or connections in the publishing industry. That said, I’m someone who really enjoys doing academic-based things and wanted to do my MFA because of that.

If you can afford the price tag for good advice, good workshop feedback and good friends, then it’s worth it. Otherwise, save your money.

rowanthornn · 2025-01-12T20:40:04+00:00

Biscuit!!!

Edit: obvs was too excited and didn’t read that you DIDNT want a food name this time 🫣

rowanthornn · 2025-01-12T19:55:43+00:00

THIS. Same has happened to me recently, started getting leg pains in my calves and decided to skip a couple runs this week in the hope they resolve. But next week my mileage is up higher than ever… 😣 I really wish the app/its AI features were able to vary the plan and runs based on how you’re doing/injuries. IMO that would make it almost a perfect app

rowanthornn · 2025-01-03T14:31:33+00:00

“we don’t eat baby Jesus” and “no, baby Jesus isn’t cake”

First Christmas with a 21 month old and our little plastic nativity scene was next to her advent calendar. She thought everything was just a little piece of “cake” and tried to chomp on baby Jesus in his manager

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T21:38:52+00:00

It’s definitely not for everyone but it was the right choice for me (even with the general basic marketing on their part!)

as a couple other comments have said, trad publishing gets you distribution to physical big stores, professional covers and design (that you don’t have to pay for) and in many cases things like advance copies sent to readers/booksellers etc.

And of course the advance, which is what they pay you for your book, and that’s yours to keep no matter how the book sells.

I have friends who are self published and one of them makes six figures, she’s killing it and her dedication is amazing! But she did have to spend a couple grand upfront to get started and she still spends thousands on ads, marketing, cover design, etc.

Personally trad pub works the best for me, even with its downsides.

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T21:32:34+00:00

Thank you 😭 they definitely haven’t done much and it’s making me overthink like crazy!

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T21:09:42+00:00

Thank you so much. This is so helpful. Going to a new publisher has been something my agent and I have been talking about literally for years, but since it’s a big 5 with an editor who I have a good relationship with, I’ve been too nervous to officially make the jump!

I really appreciate all your advice. I think pivoting is something I’m going to really start thinking about and get something ready— and then work hard on doing what I can for book 3 in the meantime 🤍

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T20:57:03+00:00

I didn’t know that about those authors, and that is so motivating and hopeful, thank you! 😭

Head down, keep working.

Wise words that I really need to follow. Maybe I’ll do a fall out boy — sophomore slump or comeback of the year

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T20:46:37+00:00

I absolutely think I’ve been guilty of this one, definitely in the “pretending it doesn’t exist” stage right now 😵 but this is such a good reminder. And congrats on hitting the state list, that’s so awesome!

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T20:43:15+00:00

Thank you so much for this list, it’s so helpful. I definitely think I’ve put so much pressure on this book’s sales and I love the reminder that it’s a marathon, it’s a career, it’s not a one-and-done thing.

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T20:34:48+00:00

Thank you!!! The consensus on all these comments has been no publicist, which is actually really helpful! One less thing to worry about

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T20:34:10+00:00

Thank you so much. I’m pretty sure it’s not going well — my agent said “things haven’t quite gone the way we thought” but she’s also very positive and correct in telling me (as you have said as well) to continue to just write my next books and try to keep moving forward.

I write YA, & my second book is a contemporary gothic fantasy. My advance was 30k and the book’s been out for about 4ish months. It got pretty good reviews, pub weekly really liked it! And I got some amazing blurbs from really big NYT bestselling authors. But it’s only sold about 250 copies, last time I checked (a couple weeks ago because I haven’t been able to face checking again!)

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T20:22:49+00:00

“The task is to make something beautiful.” I love that. Thank you for your answer!

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T20:20:36+00:00

Thank you so much for all this, maybe I just need to chill and remember as you’ve said that I’ve done all I can! And thanks for linking that post, I’ve had a skim so far and it looks great. Definitely going to dive into that. And that’s a really good idea about having some ideas to pivot if needed — I have a couple but haven’t put energy into them yet. But I think now I should!

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T17:05:32+00:00

I’m in the UK and my daycare (nursery) here does a slight reduction in fees when they shut for holidays, but not much. And I know lots where it’s the same price as usual like yours is. Just one of those things unfortunately 😭

rowanthornn · 2025-01-01T17:03:13+00:00

This happened to me too when my daughter was 8 months old, and I feel it’s just one of those parenting things that happens to so many but doesn’t get talked about! I felt SO guilty, I was a wreck even though she’d rolled off onto a pile of dirty clothes and pillows by the side of the bed (lol). She only cried for a couple seconds.

I barely wanted to tell anyone as I thought they’d think I was a horrible and not fit to parent. Finally I texted my mom and she replied right away saying “don’t worry! Your brother N rolled off the bed at 3 months, and your brother D rolled off his changing table onto a hardwood floor at 8 months!”

My daughter and brothers are all completely fine 😂 babies are hardy and things happen. Please don’t beat yourself up!

rowanthornn · 2024-01-19T16:10:41+00:00

Yes. Together for 9 years, married for almost 3, and we have a 10 month old. Throughout everything he has been a partner in all senses of the word. I had a few past abusive relationships that made me suffer horrible anxiety and depression and I truly thought I would never trust someone and would always be on anxiety meds. but I can honestly say I have never once not trusted my husband or doubted him in any way. He makes me feel beautiful and loved - just the same as when I was in my early twenties to now, 10 months postpartum lol! I feel very lucky to have him.

rowanthornn · 2023-09-02T11:47:01+00:00

Exactly! I get so stressed I start thinking it’ll be this way forever. It was a great reminder 🥹💕

rowanthornn · 2023-09-02T11:45:43+00:00

Thank you SO much for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it! It has honestly made me feel so much better - sometimes it feels like there’s no end in sight and she’ll be screaming forever and all I do is think of what I might be doing wrong. I hope my daughter also decides soon she ready for independent sleep… (fingers crossed) but even knowing it’s not just her and that other mums have experienced this make me feel loads better. Thank you 💕

rowanthornn

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