This. Because I try to help a little where I can, people I know, then local organizations, then strangers on the internet someone has vouched for... and every day there's a new cry for help as my own belt tightens.

Agreed (and thank you). Redoing the covers would be $. But the thought had occurred to me, and then I saw that review. It made me wonder if I should consider this again!

The booster was worse. I planned it so I had the following day off.

Exactly.

Exactly. I'm not looking to be James Patterson. But I resent being forced out of business by the use of plagiarism/environment-destroying machines to generate inferior copies of my work. (Which is when the last time I was called petite bourgeoisie, for objecting to this)

Since they've already used the plagiarism/environment-destroying machine to generate these emails, I confess to saving the best bits in a folder to promote my own work because dang, sometimes they make me sound good.

This, ffs. I'd like the writing to pay its bills, and maybe someday pay other bills too. I want my work to be more than an expensive hobby.

Same. Without the MIL and party bit, but yeah. $$$ plumbing repairs in our future.

Fortunately my daily commute is a fraction of what it used to be!

Someone clearly put a recorder in my car...

OMG!