#Printful Review

[bpily]

Printful Review: Is It the Best Print-On-Demand Service in 2024?

Are you looking for a hassle-free way to run an online store? In the fast-paced world of eCommerce, running a business efficiently is key. Many entrepreneurs find it essential to avoid the burden of inventory management and fulfillment. This is where Printful, a leading print-on-demand service, steps in. You can create custom products with Printful. This service is for both seasoned online…

[my-path-to-business]

My Path to a Print-On-Demand Business

Finding the Right Print-On-Demand Service: Why I Chose Printful Over Printify

Hey everyone,

As I embarked on my journey to start a print-on-demand (POD) business, one of the first and most crucial decisions I had to make was choosing the right POD service. After extensive research and consideration, I decided to go with Printful over Printify. Here’s a rundown of my experience and why I believe Printful is the more user-friendly option, especially for beginners.

The Search for the Perfect POD Service

When I first started exploring POD services, I felt like a kid in a candy store 🍭, except the candy was replaced with endless options for printing custom designs. I needed a platform that was easy to use, offered a wide range of products, and provided excellent customer service. After reading numerous reviews and comparing different platforms, I narrowed my choices down to two: Printful and Printify.

Why Printful Stood Out

Beginner-Friendly: As someone new to the world of POD, I found Printful to be incredibly beginner-friendly. The platform provides extensive tutorials, guides, and resources that made my transition into this new venture smooth and enjoyable. It's like having a knowledgeable friend guiding you every step of the way 🛠️.

User-Friendly Interface: One of the first things that attracted me to Printful was its intuitive and user-friendly interface. As an IT project manager, I appreciate well-designed software, and Printful’s platform is clean, easy to navigate, and straightforward. It's like the IKEA of POD services – without the missing screws 🛋️!

Wide Range of Mockups: Printful offers a vast array of mockups, which is fantastic for showcasing products in a professional and appealing manner. These mockups are a great tool for marketing and help bring the designs to life 📸.

Wide Range of Products: Printful offers an extensive range of products, from apparel to home decor, which aligns perfectly with my goal to expand beyond just pillows in the future. This flexibility is a significant advantage for anyone looking to grow their POD business. Plus, who doesn't want to print their face on a pair of socks? 🧦

Integration Options: Printful seamlessly integrates with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce. This makes it easier to manage my store and sync orders automatically, saving me time and effort. No more copy-pasting like it’s the 90s ⏳!

No Monthly Fees: Printful doesn’t charge any monthly fees, which is great for someone just starting out. You only pay for the products when an order is placed, making it a cost-effective choice for new entrepreneurs. My wallet heaved a sigh of relief 💸.

Pros and Cons: Printful vs. Printify

Printful Pros:

Beginner-Friendly: Extensive tutorials and resources to help you get started 🏁.

User-friendly interface and intuitive design tools. It’s like they read my mind 💡.

Wide range of products, including unique items like custom pillows. You can even print your cat's face on a pillow – if that's your thing 🐱.

Extensive array of mockups for professional and appealing product presentations 🖼️.

Seamless integration with major e-commerce platforms. Automation, baby! 🤖

No monthly fees; pay-as-you-go model. Only pay when you make money – sounds like a dream, right? 💭

Printful Cons:

Higher base prices compared to some competitors, including Printify. Quality comes at a price, but it's worth it! 💰

Limited customization options for certain products. Sometimes, simplicity is key 🗝️.

Printify Pros:

Competitive pricing with lower base costs for products. Your wallet will thank you 💲.

Access to a network of print providers, offering a variety of printing options and locations. Options, options, options! 🌐

Flexibility in choosing print providers based on price and location. Play it smart, choose your printer! 🎯

More product options than Printful, giving you a wider selection to choose from for your store 🛍️.

Printify Cons:

The interface is less intuitive compared to Printful. A bit like navigating a maze without a map 🗺️.

Some users report issues with customer service response times. Patience is a virtue, they say ⏳.

Final Thoughts

While both Printful and Printify have their strengths, Printful’s beginner-friendly approach, user-friendly interface, extensive product range, wide array of mockups, and seamless integrations ultimately made it the better choice for me. The decision came down to ease of use and the ability to manage my store efficiently, both of which are critical when managing a new business inspired by a personal passion. Plus, who doesn't love a platform that feels like it was designed just for you? 🎨

For anyone considering starting a POD business, I recommend weighing the pros and cons based on your specific needs and goals. Both platforms offer unique advantages, and what works for one person might not be the best for another.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I look forward to sharing more about my experiences, the creative process behind my designs, and maybe a few more jokes along the way 😂.

Warm regards, Ivo

[leavingsunsets]

Idia going on his first date with his partner and we just take him to a picnic in the middle of the woods behind the school building.

this sounds ominous... like u just take him... to the middle of the woods.... and on the first date... next thing u know its late at night and ortho cant find his brother... but yes i love picnics !!! :D srry if its a little OOC

"𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗃𝗈 𝗌𝖼𝖾𝗇𝖾?"

[ᴵᵈⁱᵃ ˢʰʳᵒᵘᵈ ˣ ᵍⁿ!ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ]

"Uh, no."

"Oh, boooo. Why not?" You lean on the multitude of pillows on his bed. One of them was a plushie of you, requested by yours truly. Head all round like ball. You squish it.

"Because, really, out in nature? Me?" Idia lowers his Nintendo, looking at you incredulously. "You're asking the introverted tech guy if he wants to go and eat out in the forest?"

You roll your eyes. "Oh, come on, it's not as if I'm asking you out on a hike."

He sticks his face back in the screen. "Same point, I'm not going out to the woods just for lunch when I can have it here."

A sigh. This was a real struggle sometimes, especially with a boyfriend who's not so willing to entertain such cheesy ideas, let alone even imagine doing it.

"Come on, pleaseeee? It'd be really romantic."

"What, you gonna lead me there with a blindfold too?" He snorts while pressing away at the buttons. You throw a pillow at his head. It hits him but he only snickers and lets it fall.

"No. Its not like it's some sorta secret spot anyways. You can literally see the school from there."

He hums, tilting his head as a victory flashes across his screen. "Mmmmmaybe...."

"What, Idia. What series do you want me to binge with you now."

An excited grin stretches on his face. "Attack On Titan, full 4 seasons marathon. And-" he rolls his chair near the edge of the bed where you lay, "gaming session. My game of choice this time, since you always pick Mario Kart because I KNOW you searched up the cheats for that."

"Proof?" You ask smugly with your head resting on your palm.

"Stop using my tablet to google 'Mario Kart glitch hack combo'."

You click your tongue. "Fine. Deal."

"WHOOOOOO!" Idia cheers, pumping his fist.

. . .

It's quiet. Here you both sat, food and drinks alike between you as you're sat at opposite edges of the picnic blanket. You squint your eyes at the stark contrast between the food he brought and yours.

"....I brought Doritos and monster cans because I thought you'd want them," you whisper, looking at the nice weaved basket beside him.

You grip your 7-Eleven plastic bag in shame.

"Wha- Do you think I'm some sorta junkie??" Idia sputters, gaping at you. "And I baked this all for you, you jerk!"

"Well, you were just so against this! So I wanted to make you more comfy! Er, ease you in the vibe, you know?"

"What am I, some sort of screen addict? It's not like I don't know how to be outside, I just don't like to!" It's like there were metaphorical tears streaming down his face. "What sort of ipad kid do you think I am for you to pull this environment adjustment move on me?"

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry, Idia. It was a little insensitive of me."

"Ortho even hyped me up. He said you were probably going to surprise me with cute kitty cupcakes." Idia says, staring off in the distance with blank disappointment.

You groan loudly. "Ughhh baabeeee, I said I'm sooorryyy!"

"Don't 'babe' me! I made you a nice batch of food in this aesthetic cottagecore basket and you waltz in with two cans and a Dorito!" Grumbling, he crosses his arms, turning to the side. "I'm kicking your plushie out of my bed tonight."

At this point, you just sprawl across his lap, and he still doesn't look at you. "Don't do it, pleaasee," you beg muffledly, "I'll make it up to youuu."

"It's gonna take a lot more than just some sorries for this offense."

"...I'll move my minecraft bed beside yours this time."

"I take it back. Apology accepted."

You lift your head, deadpanning. "So you were still mad about about that?"

"Heheha, yeah I was," he giggled. "So, uh, wanna eat? I think it's cooled by now."

"Oh, yeah," you get up off him, fingers eagerly reaching for the basket. Taking it in your arms, you flip it open, only to pause when you see the contents inside.

"...cute kitty cupcakes?" you mutter in wonder.

"Yeah." Idia mumbles, fiddling with his jacket strings in an attempt to act nonchalant about his growing embarrassment.

It's quiet, and before long, you can't stop the cheeky smile creeping up your face.

"Who surprised who now, huh?"

"You're still on thin ice."

"Okay, okay, I'm eating."

[maxdurden]

i figured out my order of the penguins embroidery pattern!!!

it took a lot of tweaking and experimentation, but i think i'm happy with it now lol. i've also finally decided on my color scheme for the project!

ᵃˡˢᵒ ᶦ ᶠᶦᵍᵘʳᵉᵈ ᵒᵘᵗ ʷʰᵃᵗ ʷᵃˢ ʷʳᵒⁿᵍ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᵐʸ ᵖʳᶦⁿᵗᵉʳ ˢᵒ ᵗʰᵃᵗ'ˢ ʰᵘᵍᵉ

warning: bad embroidery and rambling under the cut

i did have a reference photo for what the medals looked like,,, but they were carved on the bottom of a tin can over a hundred years ago so

if anyone has thoughts on what the words are here, pleeaassse let me know,, max van rysselberghe made the medals, so i'd assume they'd be in french, but one of the only clear words here is Ølsen??

i took artistic liberties obviously lol (some of which were inspired by the medal of the knights of the order of leopold), and chose to do the carving of "Speed! Deprivation!" in french bc i thought it'd be lame to have it in english lol

i originally envisioned it with a different font, but the font just didn't translate well to being embroidered the size i wanted things

i did some 'doodling' to see what worked best border

i used colors i was fine with wasting for this lol, but i'm gonna make multiple changes in the final product. i tried satin stitches with six strands of floss in the head of the cross, but didn't really like how it looked so i tried again on the right with three strands.

in the final project i'm gonna cut out the blue entirely and instead do the entire 'medal' in grey, and outline the penguins in grey as well. then i'll use the red for the cross and berries, and green for the leaves/stems.

i also think i'm going to change the outer medal outline from a chain stitch to a split stitch

ᵃˡˢᵒ ᶦᶠ ᵃⁿʸᵒⁿᵉ ʷᵃⁿᵗˢ ᵃ ᶜᵒᵖʸ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᵖᵃᵗᵗᵉʳⁿ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᶜᵒˡᵒʳˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ˢᵗᶦᵗᶜʰᵉˢ ˡᵃᵇᵉˡᵉᵈ, ˡᵐᵏ. ᶦ ᶜᵃⁿ ᵐᵃᵏᵉ ᵒⁿᵉ,, ᶦ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᶠᶦᵍᵘʳᵉᵈ ⁿᵒ ᵒⁿᵉ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᶦᵗ ˢᵒ ᶦ ᵈᶦᵈⁿ'ᵗ ᵖᵘᵗ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵉᶠᶠᵒʳᵗ :³

this man simply will not let me have peace

[oacest]

B-Side Magazine #50 May/June 95 (credit to @all-rock-and-roll-is-homosexual for the original scans)

[kirby-the-gorb]

[taylor-titmouse]

Coming in late on this one, but if you're saying you're not planning on your work being piblished... but isnt there a graphic novel coming out soon? There was a link to pre-order it at least via bookshop or barnes and noble (can't remember which off the top of my head). Were you able to get your blook distributed to them as a self-piblished creator? Or was the graphic novel trad-pub and you're just saying you can't see your prose writing/books getting published?

what a funny thing to gotcha me on

yes, i do have a traditionally published graphic novel coming out. under a different name. in a different genre. for a different audience. it's not relevant for me to bring it up every time somebody asks me here if my work will ever be physically printed because it's not the work they're asking about.

so yeah. the last thing you said.

[oacest]

Melody Maker, May 11 1996 - Review of Maine Road

[c-kiddo]

a big ol bone i have to pick with the jester origins comic, is despite the respectful, positive depiction of marion as a sex worker, there's also just kink shaming as part of a punchline and point of shame. like lord sharpe's flaw is that he's a slimy misogynist who feels entitled to marion and also yasha without caring much for their feelings. but then the comic has it so part of the joke when jester tricks him and traps him on the balcony is that he's wearing womens underwear? ?? like thats too close to straight up queerphobic bigotry to me, that is a 2005 ass joke. its so weird there are so many other things to make fun of about this man like in the show but the comic writer added that ? man cmon

[japanne]

Small Run Printing for Explicit Comics, a review of Ready Comics!

I know that the future of smutty publishing is real sketch in America right now, so I just wanted to put down info in case it's helpful for anyone at the moment or is perhaps relevant in the future.

At the end of last year, 2024, I was ready to self-publish a small run of my Critical Role wizard comic anthology, Who Else But You. There are many options for self-publishing comics, but the issue is that the middle one is entirely explicit, so I needed someone more specialized. I was running sales as a pre-order so I went into the purchase process without knowing how many copies I was actually going to need.

Thus my requirements were 18+ content, small run. And I found 2 printers in America who fit that requirement: Greko Printing, now known as Comix Wellspring and Ready Comics

Comix Wellspring: The slightly cheaper option, has a 25 volume moq, will not take custom sized books, but they have a lot (but not all) of available sizes. Their faq states that they will take adult material.

Ready Comics: Their moq is 10, they do custom sizes, they are slightly more expensive per book, but they also have a lot of fancy cover options. I had to message them, but they are fine with explicit material.

For a price comparison, I put in numbers for 8.5 x 11, 100 interior pages, all color, 100# for cover, 60# for interior, and that came out to be 11.44 for Greko, and 13.50 for Ready Comics. Printed proofs are $40 for greko, and $35 for Ready Comics but will vary based on book size.

In the end, I went with Ready Comics because WEBY was a weird size and I didn't want to do the extra work to make all the pages compliant with a new size, and I honestly was not sure I would hit the necessary 25 moq.

The Process

I've only done true POD printing before, upload a file get a book. Ready Comics was a much more hands on process.

I started asking for samples of their papers. There is a reserved page for ordering free samples, but it doesn't have anything on it. I had to tell them "what I was interested in" rather than there being an already put together package, which was weird. So I guessed at some things I might like. Their cover stock drop down was extensive. When I made my guesses, the ordering person told me that not all of the options were good for cover stock and recommended to me the best ones. (so why are those options all listed???) This sample pack was put together and shipped quickly.

I was getting a custom size, so I could not simply add something to the cart, I had to have it input special. This took MULTIPLE days. It was a little frustrating how long it took to make an invoice. I guess in reality it was probably 3 or 4, but I was IMPATIENT to start. However, I was allowed to only order a proof and not have a number for the final run beyond 10, their minimum, which was extremely helpful.

Once the invoice is placed, files can be uploaded. Weirdly, the files are put in as JPG, individual pages. You then deal with the layout person Alex. Alex was a delight. They were excited for some gay D&D content and were hugely helpful and patient. I was hoping to do a full wrap around cover of a solid piece of art, but because of the file set up process it can be difficult to make the wrap around completely line up so I ended up doing a solid spine. (I also think their spine calculator is a little off, overestimating the width).

I was absolutely getting a proof because I wanted these to be beautiful. It shipped a few days after the initial estimate. The colors were VIBRANT. I was flabbergasted. I did not expect it would print that well. (below, just look at them!)

HOWEVER, there were some issues. There was persistent banding throughout (top two images), and there was a weird line on the screen-toned pages at exactly the same place (bottom two images). It wasn't on EVERY screen-toned page, but it was present on many of them.

I contacted Alex who apologized and rushed a second proof.

The second proof arrived in about a week. It was also free. So this was some top tier service far as I was concerned. The banding disappeared, but the screen-tone line never fully vanished (top book is 1st proof, bottom book is second). Alex had the printers do testing on their end to see if they could get rid of it, and it was persistent. It was not a huge enough issue that I felt like I wanted to abandon the toning or this printer, but if I knew I were going to print toned stuff I would try a different printer just in case. Alex was prepared to do more testing but I also didn't want to run much further with the production timeline so we moved on. I will reiterate that all this work was done for a run of books that was, on paper, still listed at their minimum 10. So their customer service in this regard is amazing.

Also In the second proof, the colors on the cover were identical, it was lovely. HOWEVER, the colors on the inside were noticeably different. (top book is 1st proof, bottom book is 2nd).

I asked about it and was told that they were transitioning to a new kind of printer that made things more high quality but less vibrant. And the second proof and full run were . . . good! Like these bottom images are still legitimately lovely. I just kind of wish I hadn't seen the color possibilities in the first proof because I loved them SO MUCH.

Final run: The run printed and shipped on time. I was invoiced for the full run more quickly than the initial run. The packaging was stellar. small wrapped batches of books inside boxes with styrafoam peanuts, inside a bigger box with more peanuts. The outer covers protected with a thick piece of paper so you can safely cut through the plastic. One book of the 30 had a small scratch on the cover when it arrived. And there's quite a few books that have a little wrinkle on the first page in the corner near the spine. Overall, the customer service here was top-notch, and I am pleased with my final book product.

Final thoughts: I looked further into pricing, and if you are getting a long book, the price differential between CW and RC gets LARGE. The customer service was good, even for a run that was on paper going to be 10 books. The product at the end was good, as long as you don't do screen tones. If you have a small to mid-sized book, say up to 150 pages or so, and need only 10 copies instead of 25, or have a weird size RC is am excellent option. I haven't tried CW printing at all, but I will be aiming for it when I have something longer to print, and as such will be making sure it fits one of their sizes out of the gate. (If you are looking for a larger run, that puts Keness into the run as well.)

Here's to hoping these will both still be options in the future. If you have any good or bad things to share about either company, let me know!

[iamamythologicalcreature]

2024 Round-Up and Review

2024, aka The Year I Discovered I Love Drawing Baz With Long Hair.

But also.

Honestly?

(Yeah, I'm going to be honest. Yeah, it's going to be a long post. Buuuut it's my blog, so here we go!)

This past year was rough. Really rough. In many ways as difficult as 2020, and in some ways, even harder than that. I lost my specialized medical care after 2023, and my health tanked in 2024. Medication changes, chronic illness/pain, and the hardest thing of all was... this idea I seemed to have that if I could just fake it enough, I could make it. Like I could deny my disability into non-existence. Pretend it away.

Instead, I ended up pushing myself past the breaking point, with the worst possible timing ever.

And THEN (when I desperately needed to stop and rest), I packed up my life and moved across a continent. (I hadn't moved since college. So I thought I'd move and it'd be done. That was wrong. Ahem. I'm still moving in...)

But the GOOD that happened last year came in the form of friendship. That's not just a line. My friends were my lifeline. To those friends who stuck it out with me even when things were far from easy, thank you. You are the most incredible people I know, and your friendship has given me reasons and opportunities to feel joy and hope where I might not otherwise have done.

Okay. So. The ROUND-UP is... *drum roll*... Under the cut!

At first I was a bit bummed to see I'd only finished 9 pieces of art during the entire year. But since I am being honest... I know I did my best, and so clearly the best I could do last year was nine pieces of art. So many of those pieces were attached to amazing projects, though! I got to do several collaborations with some truly amazing human beings, and I also got to run my very first fest for the fandom! So I'm calling it good.

Now, finally, the art links:

(I won't be including works in progress on this list, as I still hope to finish them at some point XD)

January: Oh my God, January. I didn't finish anything in January, but I worked on a lot.

February:

Tis better to give than to receive - This was my contribution to Erotic Grope Fest, and it was my first time doing anything NSFW. It's pretty tame, all things considered, but I think it still fit the mission. Also ended up posting a high-res version of this on AO3. Because. I mean. Come on. XD

March:

Three lost boys (found) - I started out as a beta reader for @mooncello's inspired take on Neverland, but by the time I received chapter 2 I was very nearly begging to be able to illustrate it. I'd had this particular image in my mind after reading the matching scene in chapter one, but had tried to suppress the inspiration. Silly me. I'm so glad I gave in. This is a favorite of mine.

April:

Keeping Neverland - (Technically posted on Tumblr in May, but on AO3 in April, so...) Illustrating @mooncello's writing again, and this one was a challenge! But one I wholeheartedly embraced. I wanted to echo Baz's journey as an artist with my illustrations, so where I used pencil sketching for the chapter one illustration, I went for a finished charcoal drawing, here. Digital charcoal, it turns out, can be just as difficult as the real deal. Slightly less messy, though. (I'm very proud of this finished piece.) Also where I continued my exploration of Baz's long hair. XD

May:

A rough sketch for a rough night - It feels a little off to be posting this sketch in my art round-up, considering the emotional inspiration, but truth be told I ended up liking this sketch quite a lot. I also learned a couple things, from both the events of that night (not my finest moment) and the drawing of the sketch (hey putting my feelings into art is a good idea). So I think ultimately this little sketch deserves to be included on this list.

June:

Teenage Dream - I posted this on Tumblr in June, for my birthday, but I actually did the art at the beginning of the year for the Valentine's Day exchange on the Carry On server. I rarely finish anything to this degree, and am immensely proud of it. That said, I ended up using it for so many things last year, I'd be okay to not look at it again for awhile. (I called it "Teenage Dream" because it made me think of a daydream Baz might have had as a teenager - now made real with Simon by his side. Cause I'm a sucker for their romance >.> )

Illustration from The Eternal Life of Baz Pitch - So I'm not sure how I got lucky enough to earn a special preview of @monbons's story, but I knew I couldn't read it in pieces. So she let me read the whole thing. It was very cool. I read it all at once I think? And when I was done I crashed Monica's DMs to yell at her about it. But then I drew this picture. (While I was chatting with her, even, and casually asking her about cherry blossoms so I could draw them the way she imagined them. It was very fun.) Now we're friends. XD (Check out the fic - now posted in entirety!)

July: Uh. Migraines. Just migraines. I had to pull back from the fandom a lot, and stopped participating in a lot of online activities. Boo.

August: Sketched concepts for CORB, and packed.

September: I moved over 4000 miles.

October: Everything I worked on in October ended up debuting in...

November:

Carry On Through the Ages! Okay, as stressed and sick as I was, I have no regrets about taking on COTTA. It was AMAZING. So much wonderful content! It was SO GOOD to contribute to the fandom, and to do that with history geeking? Dream come true. I also dipped into my previous area of expertise (picture manipulation) and did some cursed paintings to promote it. Mona Baz, Stormchaser Gothic, Mademoiselle Wellbelove, and Iconic Icon Simon.

A Prophesied Rivalry - Another dream come true was collaborating with @monbons for COTTA! I loved talking ideas with her, and she was so supportive when I hit road blocks, too. I love Ancient Egyptian art, and this was as much a love letter to that ancient art style as it was to my beloved Snowbaz. (I did a ridiculous amount of research to do this piece.) (And now I have Egyptian Baz and Simon in my new apartment. Extreme Bonus.)

Snow on Ice Illustration - Getting paired with @leithillustration for CORB was like winning the creative collaboration lottery. Not only did they grasp my concept from the get-go, but they've taken it in a creative and exciting direction. Also, we've become good friends, which is the very best possible outcome for a collaboration. (You should check out their story if you haven't already!)

(Snow-kitty also got very sick at the end of November, which halted a lot of my progress on some WIPs. It was scary for a bit, but I am so happy to say he has fully recovered.)

December:

Snowflake Exchange presents More Than a Footnote - I kind of love that I started the year illustrating one of @mooncello's stories, and ended it with an illustration from another! I was so excited to pull Heath's name from the proverbial hat for the exchange. I'd wanted to draw something from More Than a Footnote since the first time Heath told me about it. I completely love Dev and Niall at this point, so I hope to play with them some more in the future! (BTW Heath I think you're one of my muses hope that's okay XD)

SO. Yeah, the year was often a hard one, but a lot of good happened in spite of all the bad. The good was even more valuable for daring to happen in the midst of so much blah. (And boy howdy, did I get a lot of material to learn from.)

In 2025, I think I'm going to focus more on accepting my limits. Like, I can still work on improving my health and functionality, but I really need to try and determine when I need to stop. That has its own learning curve, but I have to start somewhere! I'm also working on vision therapy, which I'm doing on my own since I can't afford the out-of-pocket expense. Still... So far, so good. Fingers crossed!

Creatively, I think 2025 will be the year where I get to work on projects I started in 2023 and 2024, and I find that quite exciting because those are ideas I genuinely loved. I also hope to bring some other ideas I've had for a very long time to life. (Finally.) I hope, hope, hope! And hey, if I get to do more collabs? That would be awesome, too. (Carry On Through the Ages will be returning, as well!)

Thank you to these lovely people for tagging me in on this round-up, and for remembering me despite my frequent absence!

@emeryhall, @rimeswithpurple, @prettygoododds, @artsyunderstudy, @noblecorgi, @alexalexinii, @best--dress, @j-nipper-95, @roomwithanopenfire, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @imagineacoolusername, @mooncello, @whatevertheweather, @thewholelemon, @youarenevertooold, @monbons

And to everyone who is still tagging me on wipsday posts, other things, commented, any of that! Thank you. It means a lot to me. Hello's and How-Do's and general well-wishes to:

@drowninginships, @aristocratic-otter, @that-disabled-princess, @leithillustration, @bookish-bogwitch, @theimpossibledemon, @fiend-for-culture, @bazzybelle, @ic3-que3n, @blackberrysummerblog, @run-for-chamo-miles, @shrekgogurt, @confused-bi-queer, @hushed-chorus, @cutestkilla, @skeedelvee, @carryonsimoncarryonbaz, @wellbelesbian, @facewithoutheart, @ileadacharmedlife,, @raenestee, @supercutedinosaurs, @fatalfangirl, @palimpsessed, @martsonmars, @brilla-brilla-estrellita, @theearlgreymage

And anyone else who actually read my extremely long post. XD

[eddiegayass]

New favourite shirt just arrived 💖

[oacest]

The Phoenix, Feb 2007

[predoom]

pretty incisive review from august 2009

[duckprintspress]

Become an Advance Reader for Duck Prints Press!

Reviews are essential for showing prospective readers that we’re publishing awesome books that they want to buy and read. We’re looking to recruit an active group of people who post reviews of our work, and to do that we need your help! For the first time, we’re offering Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of one of our projects: Aether Beyond the Binary, our most recent anthology, featuring 17 stories of characters outside the gender binary exploring modern-esque aetherpunk worlds.

How it works: You see this post. You think, oh, I love reading! I love leaving reviews! I want to join the Duck Prints Press Reviewer Program! Then, you go and read the rules for our Reviewer Program. And, if everything there sounds like something you can do, you fill out the form, and – we’ll be in touch! Even better: this program isn’t only for Aether Beyond the Binary, and isn’t only for “advance” titles. Our reviewers are encouraged to claim titles that are currently released, too, to help build up a robust collection of reviews of Duck Prints Press titles!

Requirements:

You must be over 18 years old.

You must be prepared to post reviews on Goodreads and/or Storygraph.

You must also post the review on the appropriate listing on the Duck Prints Press webstore (for advance titles, you’ll have to wait ’til we list them there).

Upon acceptance to the program, you must join the Duck Prints Press Book Lover’s Server.

Reviews must be at least 100 words long must and engage with the actual content of the work being reviewed.

Reviews must be left within 6 months of claiming a title, or you will be removed from the program.

What isn’t Required:

That the reviews be positive. Reviews are for readers. We require that reviews be honest to your own experience of the work, not that they be glowing.

That you post the reviews to social media. Doing so is definitely a bonus, but you don’t have to.

That you associate yourself publicly with the review-leaving (beyond using a valid Goodreads and/or Storygraph account). As in, you don’t have to say, “I, (your name here), reviewed this book” or link your book website accounts with your existing social media presence or anything like that, nor do we request any demographic information beyond confirmation of your age.

That you purchase anything. Absolutely no purchase necessary!

What You Get:

A e-book copy (ePub and/or PDF) of the work you’re reviewing. We do not provide physical ARCs.

After you post your first review, you’ll get a coupon for 10% off a purchase from the Duck Prints Press webstore!

For every ten reviews you post, you can claim a freebie sticker from among our sticker offerings, if you want. (You’ll have to provide a snail mail address to get this, of course.)

A community of fun book-lovers to hang out with! (You can get that even without joining the ARC program, though – our Book Lover’s Discord is open to everyone.)

We’re accepting applicants for claiming Aether Beyond the Binary ARCs through April 10th, 2024. On the 11th, we’ll randomly select 25 of applicants to receive ARC copies of Aether Beyond the Binary. Everyone else will still be entirely welcome in the program and invited to start with a different, back-catalog book or story to review. We’ll make another pool of Aether Beyond the Binary ARCs available in May.

So… those are the basics. Interested? Go read the full rules, then apply to be a Duck Prints Press ARC reader TODAY!

[jusiri]

Selecting a new phone based only on whether it has the Most Vital of Features (headphone jack)