Mouse's Hangout

[Vivianne]

You've improved so much! And your thread is almost 50 pages!

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Mouse and Vivianne, you both are making great progress on your art...thanks for sharing your creations!

Mouse, you put such character into the details!

Vivianne, I am thinking a T-shirt with your art would be really really cute.

[Mouse]

A tshirt would be so cute!!
And thank you!! I had enough time yesterday to actually take forever!

[Vivianne]

...I sort of already have most of the words for a picture book thing. Maybe now I can draw it. I think that would be cute, too! I also had a blog idea a while back that I might be able to do now, and tshirts would go well with it.

[Mouse]

You should! And let me see it! I will happily follow the blog!

[galled]

It's actually not too difficult to get a book (on demand printing--self publish) on Amazon. You should illustrate your story and make a book!

[Vivianne]

Um, my personal situation involves stuff that complicates that, unfortunately. I need to figure out how to do any of this, including a blog, with minimal backlash. I might not be able to start anything until after 2021. :/

[Mouse]

Well, I will happily wait to see it

[galled]

Although I've never self-published any books, I'm a former best-selling author of 9 books that are printed in 11 different languages (which are also sold on Amazon--not sure if any brick and mortar stores that used to carry my books exist as retail distributors anymore). The digital formatting for printing is the same. If this is something you'd like to do, I would be happy to layout your digital material into a format that Amazon on-demand services requires. You can create the account and book, but you can "publish" or "release" the book on any schedule you choose. I'm sure it'll take a while to get everything created, so there's no deadline or anything.

Just keep creating your artwork and if it fits your story bits, perhaps you'll see if it all goes together to make the contents of a book. And if at that point, it's something you'd like to take to that next level, I'm here to help you if you like!

[Vivianne]

Ah, my restrictions are in the hobbies/work/income variety. If I do anything these days, it has to be pretty anonymous or I get into major trouble. Sadly, this is the case for a lot of disabled people. I'm kind of waiting to see how politics swings.

I'll research Amazon on demand and other on demand services. There might be a workaround.

[galled]

I see. It's pretty difficult to make enough money self-publishing to come up on anyone's radar. Of course you set your sale price and by extension profit for your merchandise. You could price/sell at break-even or even a loss. Amazon would have to get their cut/pay, but losing money self-publishing is the norm. :/

But with on-demand publishing, it's not like you have to pay up front to print a minimum number of books (expensive!). People used to do that and some still do, but it's getting to be rarer because you can just on-demand a few copies for keepsakes/gifts/samples (to feed the ego!) and be done with it.

[Vivianne]

I think because of the programs I'm on, more than $1 in earnings has to be self reported or I could face legal repercussions. I'd also have to keep track of hours worked and could face consequences there if I work too much, regardless of profit or loss.

So, yeah, maybe I can format a PDF and anonymously release it into public domain, but anything involving money is trouble, especially with unpredictable streams.

If it gets formatted right and I cc0 it, I think people can on demand their own copies and I don't have to worry about repercussions with my insurance.

[galled]

One could also donate all proceeds to their favorite charity too. Not sure about the work thing because I'd argue your art is therapy/hobby (which is why you do it now, right) and you already wrote the story. So there are many options. Just dot all of the i's and cross all the t's, but you know that!

[Vivianne]

I'm a bit nervous because people have gotten in trouble for hobbies and volunteering. No idea how common that is, specifically, but I really can't lose health insurance.

The government will be asking me what I do during the day, and if they think I'm falsifying anything they will monitor me.

Like, everyone saying people on benefits are moochers and lazy don't seem to realize how stressful it actually is.

[galled]

I understand. I'm not pressuring you. Just offering up options. No worries!

The last thing I want to do is stress you out!