According to the latest industry market research, launching a truly competitive independent book in 2026 isn’t just about hard work or raw talent—it has become a luxury sport.

If you want a book that can actually compete on today’s digital storefronts, the professional tollbooth hits you fast and hard. You can easily spend up to $5,000 for a slick, custom-illustrated cover, up to $5,000 for professional developmental and line editing, and up to $1,500 for an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) service just to secure early reviews. Before you spend a single dollar on the continuous paid advertisements required to stay relevant, launching just one book can easily cost $15,000 or more.

For established authors chasing the major bestseller lists, that number scales into a full-scale corporate production. Over a multi-book career, highly backed creators routinely spend $100,000+ on high-end PR agencies, marketing management, specialized formatting houses, and professional copywriters just to craft their book blurbs.

In wealthy countries with massive purchasing power, this is often casually dismissed as a “normal business expense.” It is exactly why you see certain privileged creators confidently telling beginners, “You have to financially earn your position to be a writer.” They are incredibly lucky to live in economic zones where saving thousands of dollars is a matter of a few paychecks. But they conveniently forget that Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, and other online bookstores worldwide are global platforms—open to the entire world, including brilliant creators living in countries where a $15,000 launch budget represents several years of a full-time professional salary.

The “DIY” Trap

When you point out this massive economic divide, critics love to counter with a classic piece of gatekeeping advice: “Just do it all yourself for free.”

But in practice, this is a complete trap.

We have all seen books where a well-meaning author tried to force themselves to be a graphic designer, cobbling together their own cover in Canva or Photoshop. Frankly, the results are often completely amateurish. The purists will loudly clap for it and feel proud because it is “100% human-made.” But out in the cold reality of the market, that rough cover almost guarantees the book gets completely buried by the storefront algorithms before a single reader opens the first page.

Expecting every single brilliant storyteller to also magically be a professional graphic designer, an expert interior formatter, and a high-conversion marketing copywriter is completely unrealistic. Telling a struggling international creator to just “work harder” ignores the fact that free time, high-speed computers, and expensive design software are themselves luxuries that require a baseline of financial stability.

Let’s be honest about the practical effect of this dynamic: it effectively pressures financially struggling authors into using bad covers and amateur formatting. It keeps the visual hierarchy intact. It ensures that the five-figure luxury launches stay at the top of the charts, while the budget-strapped authors stay safely at the bottom.

Dismantling the $100,000 Moat

This goes a long way in explaining why a vocal faction of the traditional publishing elite is in a state of absolute, unhinged panic over Artificial Intelligence.

It isn’t just about the cover, which now stands toe-to-toe with thousand-dollar custom human designs. AI is aggressively chipping away at the entire professional backend production loop, rendering it completely accessible.

But the disruption goes even deeper than slashing costs. AI democratizes the technical act of writing itself. For centuries, having a spectacular, world-building idea wasn’t enough; you had to have the luxury of years of free time to master the complex mechanics of prose just to type out a massive manuscript.

With advanced models, an everyday person with a brilliant imagination but little formal training can brainstorm, outline, and refine a massive epic. AI acts as the ultimate assistant to bring raw human imagination to life.

When premium packaging, professional editing, high-end marketing, and massive generation all become accessible for everyone, heavily funded authors risk losing their monopoly over the market. It is hard not to conclude that they are terrified of a truly level playing field—one where global books must finally compete on the pure quality of the story, rather than the size of the author’s bank account.

The Modern Samurai and the New Luddites

For many, this desperate backlash is far from a moral crusade. It follows a classic historical pattern of an entrenched elite fighting to save their collapsing privilege.

We are seeing echoes of the exact same behavior today that we saw with the Luddites and the Samurai.

The Luddites in the 19th century went around smashing automated weaving looms, claiming the machines lacked the “soul” of handmade cloth. In reality, cheap, automated manufacturing meant poor people could suddenly afford good clothing, destroying the weavers’ high-priced monopoly.

The Samurai class in Japan held immense social and political power because mastering the sword required a lifetime of wealthy, full-time training. When firearms were introduced, a poor peasant could be trained to use a gun in a few weeks and defeat an elite warrior. The Samurai fought modernization because the weapon leveled the playing field between the ultra-wealthy elite and the everyday citizen.

The most extreme modern anti-AI purists bear a striking resemblance to the Samurai. They cloak themselves in high-minded language about “dignity” and “protecting human art,” but their actions often expose a different agenda.

There is absolutely nothing dignified or “humanitarian” about launching coordinated review-bombing campaigns, leaving malicious one-star ratings, screaming extreme mockery online, boycotting anything using AI-assisted works, or sending literal death threats to independent creators for using these tools. When these specific bad actors engage in this behavior, it becomes blatantly obvious that they are not protecting humanity; they are protecting their own money, status, and geographic privilege.

A Global, Accessible Future

AI-assisted books and covers are completely LEGAL. If a consumer chooses not to buy an AI-assisted book, that is entirely their right and a completely legitimate choice to make.

But when disagreement crosses the line into systematic harassment, bullying, and intimidation, it must be aggressively reported to the authorities and platform policy teams. We need to stand together as a global community of authors and repel the attacks of these modern-day AI witch hunters.

AI is the digital firearm of our era. It gives the global peasant the tools of the publishing king. However, it looks like a subset of the elite simply cannot handle a fair fight. AI is tearing down the massive financial wall and making the global publishing world genuinely accessible to everyone with a dream, rather than leaving it as an exclusive playground for trust-fund kids and the privileged few.

The door is open. It’s time to walk through it.

We’re in a strange moment for online publishing.

For the past few weeks, a lot of writers on Substack have been quietly frustrated with Pangram. These tools were meant to protect readers and writers alike. In practice, using them started to feel less like protection and more like a constant, low-grade audit of my own writing.

So, I made a decision: I used regional digital privacy laws to opt my account out of AI detection entirely. Nobody can scan my work now—not Substack, not readers running it through a checker themselves.

Before I get into how I did that, here’s what led me there.

The Record: A Month of Green Checkmarks

For about a month, while Pangram was active on my account, I let it run. Every one of my Substack Notes over 100 words and all nine posts I published between July 21, 2026, and just a few hours ago, came back marked as fully human.

And yet even with a clean track record the whole way through, the process of maintaining it started to wear on me. Here’s what that actually looked like day to day, and why I eventually decided to step away from it.

When a Period Changes the Score

These detectors don’t evaluate meaning or voice—they look for statistical predictability. Which means that writing clearly, with precise vocabulary and logical structure, can sometimes work against you.

I tested this on a recent draft. It scored as fully human. Then I added two sentences—my own words, written the normal way I write.

The score flipped to flagging it as AI.

On another case, the phrase “100% human label” was the trigger—a combination of words that shows up often in datasets discussing AI detection itself, which apparently reads as machine-typical to the model. When I reworded it to “right label,” it scored as human again.

The stranger example: adding a single period to a draft was enough to shift the score, presumably by changing sentence-length and rhythm metrics. I told you about it below.

I also found myself sometimes swapping out em dashes for plain hyphens, just to see the number move back in the direction I wanted, just you can see below.

It’s an odd position to be in—adjusting your own punctuation constantly, rather than writing the way you’d naturally write.

The Subscribe Button Problem

On two recent articles, I ran into a smaller but telling issue: I couldn’t include Substack’s own built-in “Subscribe” button without it affecting the score. I told you about it here and on this particular Note.

Since that exact block of template text appears identically across countless newsletters, the detector reads it as highly predictable—and predictable gets flagged. So writers are left choosing between removing a growth tool built into the platform, or accepting a lower “human” score because of text they didn’t even write themselves.

Different Detectors, Different Answers

Switching tools does not necessarily solve the issue; I tested the same short passage across multiple detectors.

• Chatgpt: AI-assisted writing (15-25%)

  

• Pangram: 100% Human writing

  

When two tools built for the same job give opposite answers on identical text, it’s a reasonable sign that the underlying methods aren’t yet reliable. It’s not just newer writers running into this—there are widely shared examples of dense academic prose, and even public-domain texts like the Constitution, tripping these detectors too.

The Part That Bothers Me Most

Here’s the piece that sits with me: every time a writer runs their own draft through one of these tools to check (and often re-check) their score, they’re handing over high-quality writing to train that company’s system. Writers worried about AI use are, in a roundabout way, feeding the very models built on top of these tools.

I don’t think most people scanning their drafts realize that’s the trade they’re making.

What I Did About It

Eventually I decided I didn’t want to keep adjusting my writing for a tool I didn’t fully trust the accuracy of.

So I looked into my options and used my regional law to request an account-level opt-out from AI detection scanning, just like so many others have done before me.

The result: Pangram no longer has access to my account. If someone tries to scan my text directly, it’s blocked at the platform level.

I’ve gone back to writing the way I normally would—em dashes, full punctuation, subscribe buttons included. It’s a relief not to think about it anymore.

If you’re a writer feeling similarly worn down by Pangram, it might be worth looking into what data protection options are available in your region. You may have more control here than you think.

Best regards,

Rosa

P.S. There is a tool called Substack "Scan for AI Text" (Pangram) — Objection Letter Generator that makes the opt-out process very quick that you could access here and then you can send it via email to privacy@substackinc.com. I got mine processed by Substack team in just a few days.

Welcome to a paranoid era in the publishing world where reality can be falsely detected, and individuals can be judged on the conviction of others, without any real evidence!

The AI witch hunters, it appears, believe that my 40k novella, How to Run from The Billionaires, was produced entirely using AI technology, hence the two-star rating.

But I made the cover myself back in 2024 on Canva.

I only polished it a bit when submitted it on Amazon.

I also have written this book myself word by word in early 2024 for some local contest (check the five-star rating, which mentions the year: December 2024).

This demonstrates that the target of this witch hunt can't always be "AI slop." This book has been written by me purely, and the cover has been designed by me using Canva in 2024, way before the war against AI started in 2026. There are those AI purists who think that using Canva is fine, then why the hell the low rating?

It should be remembered that my previous book The Couture & Code Mysteries: Charity & Chaos in Paradise received a one-star rating too until it finally got its five-star rating (a verified purchase by an editor with the whole name).

Yes, the real person's piece of work can become a target of this AI witch hunt, so anyone can become a target, moreover if your cover looks somewhat AI-like. Maybe I should feel honored that my own design from Canva looks like it is done with AI. Unless the tech witch hunt stops, no one will be spared.

By the way, one of my articles on Substack doesn’t have a period.

You could read it below.

Because the moment I add a period, it gets labeled as AI. If you scan that article now using Pangram, it comes back 100% human (last I checked).

So, something gets labeled as AI just because of a period? Come on!

Even Substack’s own button templates are traps. If you look at one of my articles, the platform’s default subscribe button doesn’t have the usual preamble (”Thank you for reading Rosa Letha’s Library!”).

You could check for yourself on my article below.

Why? Because the moment I add that preamble, Pangram labels it as AI. So now even Substack’s own template can trigger a false positive?

The article is labeled 100% human now last time I checked it.

Not only that, but Pangram seems unable to accept that a human being can produce a flawless research list. Notice why my research list in one of my articles is a picture instead of body text?

Because the moment I paste it directly into the post, Pangram flags it as AI. I don’t have time to keep convincing it otherwise or reformatting it a thousand times.

Also, I have to continuesly revise my own words because even if I am typing the words myself, I briefly accused of AI.

So if you want to help a real product, written by a real author, that's been falsely accused of being “AI slop” in this blindly targeted attack by AI witch hunters, please leave an honest rating or review using your Kindle Unlimited account below.

Read it

Thank you for reading, and have a great weekend!

Right now, there is a loud, disruptive campaign taking place across the online literary community. From Substack’s notes to Tumblr’s dashboards, a self-declared elite has arisen: “The 100% Human Writing Groups That Have Zero AI Involvement, Yet Absolutely Despise Anyone Who Does.”

They brandish the flag of artistic integrity, protecting the humanity, heart, and soul from the infiltration of technology-driven authorship.

They will tell you that they are the protectors of humanity. But if you look at the way these “humanists” treat their fellow human beings, the truth could be much more terrifying underneath.

The “100% Pure” Authors’ Sabotage?

For a group claiming to occupy such morally superior ground, these “humanists” couldn’t be further removed from human empathy, as the evidence below clearly demonstrates. When an indie author, a hobbyist, or a non-native English speaker doesn’t meticulously conform to their rules—or is even just suspected of using technological assistance—the purists seem to directly launch an all-out attack, as mentioned below.

They form organized “AI slop” lists, networked across Goodreads, and use the platform, along with Amazon, as a weapon by performing coordinated review-bombing attacks—all simultaneously leaving 1-star reviews that obscure visibility, knock books off the algorithm, and ultimately attempt to cause real harm to a creator’s livelihood.

They harass users on Tumblr, screaming down anyone who offers a counter-argument, creating countless memes, posts, and notes just to deride legal tech-assisted work.

They Could Be the Bots They Hate

The core of the sheer hypocrisy in this whole “luddites” crusade lies in its one-sided nature. You do not see tech-assisted authors organizing into hate groups to demonize human authors. You do not see tech-driven creators assembling attack forces to bring down manually written books.

By hiding in organized, unthinking online echo chambers and spreading hate speech that is uniform and automated, these “traditionalists” are actually functioning like the very bots they pretend to despise. They have traded authentic compassion for automated attacks in an attempt to protect their markets and allay their fears of obsolescence; this looks like a financial panic disguised as an artistic crusade.

Where True Humanistic Allies Really Lie

When a movement claims to defend human art while in reality it actively attacks human creators, that movement has no moral authority. Authentic human art is built on connection, depth, and empathy—none of which is fostered through one-star attack campaigns or harassment online.

We can fight back with a strategy of quiet defiance and active support:

Support the Victims: Use your Goodreads and Amazon accounts to boost abused authors.

If you have Kindle Unlimited and one of the books is under attack there, you can read it and leave an honest, comprehensive review, exposing the automated 1-star bots for what they are—as one kind reader did for my book, The Couture & Code Mysteries: Charity & Chaos in Paradise that you can read below.

One of my books, How to Run from The Billionaires, is currently on the Kindle Unlimited and appears to have been targeted with 2-star ratings.

The funny thing is the book has a string of consistent 5-star reviews on other platforms as explained below.

You can help by reading it and submitting a real, objective review and/or rating here.

Reviewing some targeted books on Goodreads is also good way to start supporting authors with inexplicably low ratings from the “AI slop” category—some lists are available below.

List #1

List #2

List #3

List #4

List #5

Group

If you don’t yet have a Goodreads account, you can create a free one with your email and help vindicate authors immediately. Click “Want to Read” on Goodreads to give an abused author’s book a spot on your shelf and boost its visibility. Give an honest rating based on the book’s summary and cover art if it’s being review-bombed by unverified 1-star bots.

Report the Networks: Gather the links to these harassment groups and report their entire operation to Goodreads for violating community guidelines by clicking here and choose “report spam, abuse or feedback”. You can start by reporting the groups mentioned above.

Starve the Bullies of Attention: Adopt responsible social media practices. Mute, block, unsubscribe and/or unfollow creators who actively organize and support these harassment networks. Give them no attention in the form of likes, shares, or currency.

The Humanity Behind the Screen

The creative realm is wide enough to accommodate all kinds of storytellers. We actively choose to align ourselves with creators who build up communities rather than degrade them.

If you genuinely believe that we should only support completely human, manual art, then maybe you should re-evaluate the numbers. Nearly 97% of content creators worldwide are now utilizing AI according to recent surveys, while over 83% of people on Instagram interact with AI features as you can read below.

There are real people behind these technology-assisted endeavors who deserve to be supported.

Often, creators turn to technology because they can’t afford the thousands of dollars it costs for custom cover art, editing, formatting, and promotional ARC tours—all expenses that traditional writers with larger incomes already have access to in first-world countries.

Isn’t it better to lend your support to those most in need of it, rather than to those who are already comfortable and hold the advantage over others?

I would personally choose to buy from a street food vendor cooking from a cart over a five-star restaurant that claims to use “100% pure craft,” even if the cart using modern, electric tools for cooking. In the end, though, the philosophy behind a book ultimately comes down to the actions behind it.

Would you advocate for an organic milk producer who actively harasses a conventional producer for selling full-cream milk, while at the same time claiming their own product is “100% pure craft”? Full-cream milk is still legally sellable even though it doesn’t carry a luxury label like organic milk does.

I would rather conserve and protect my own money, attention, and resources for something that aligns with real ethics, rather than marketing claims of purity that mask a targeted attack against fellow, and even more vulnerable, creators.

Which side of the line are you on?

I stand on the side of humanity—one that embraces everything under global law and human morality without harming others simply to ensure survival—in stark contrast to the paranoid groups of witch-hunters mentioned above.

Best regards,

Rosa

Some people have recently labeled me as ‘unable to accept criticism’ and a ‘narcissist who only wants five-star reviews’ simply because two of my ebooks on Amazon Kindle seemed to be targeted with low-star ratings and I tried to protect their real worth. But let’s look at reality, as seen on this website below.

Look at the coordinated push by anti-AI groups to purposefully leave one-star reviews on whatever books they subjectively deem “AI slop,” relying entirely on their own self-approved verification methods.

You can hate technology-assisted books all you want. However, leaving fake ratings and reviews is a direct violation of both Amazon’s policies and American law. Meanwhile—as much as it hurts purists—publishing that so-called “AI slop” is completely legal. By organizing targeted fake reviews, these AI-haters are the ones officially breaking the rules and the law. They are in the wrong, not the authors who utilize technology to create.

Furthermore, it seems their definition of “slop” expands daily. They don’t just target fully AI-generated text; they attack any involvement of technology, including AI-assisted book covers and editing.

These purists want zero AI assistance in literature, and they are willing to go to any length to hurt independent creators to achieve that goal, even if it means crossing legal boundaries. This is not how a functional society operates. Unless purists can somehow ban AI usage across the entire planet, nothing will stop people from leveraging technology to publish their works.

The Self-Appointed Internet Police

This toxic behavior is heavily concentrated in specific corners of the literary community. Take a look at the various “AI slop” tracking groups on Goodreads.

If you read their descriptions, they smugly operate as if they are the police of the world, believing they have the right to dictate how people should create. You could read one of their manifestos here.

They state clearly that they target any and every involvement of AI in books. If you look at the books pinned to their lists, a massive number of them carry sudden, unexplained one-star ratings.

Is this a coincidence? Probably not. It most likely a calculated, targeted campaign designed to tank the visibility of independent authors.

When called out, the perceived actors dismiss the damage, saying things like, “People have accepted thousands of reviews, what’s one or two low-star ratings?” But they intentionally miss the point.

They aren’t targeting established bestsellers. They are targeting brand-new books with zero existing ratings, effectively trying to bury a project before readers ever get a chance to discover it.

Then, they play innocent, acting as if they are simply exercising some kind of “free speech”, while this behavior is seemingly driven by bad intent from the very start.

Freedom is Not a License to Harm

That is simply not how the world works. Even in America which is a free country, its legal system does not protect the kind of “freedom” that allows for targeted low-rating attacks. There is a vast legal and moral difference between personal expression and targeted harassment.

You are completely free to hate technology, and you are free to hate the books made with it. However, your freedom to hate does not give you the right to actively hurt the people you dislike. This is especially true when the individuals you are targeting are doing something completely legal. Dissent is protected; economic sabotage and targeted harassment are not.

The Modernization Reality: Lessons from the Samurai

Even if these purists genuinely believe they are protecting their craft or safeguarding their livelihoods, history proves they cannot stop the tide of progress. The samurai of feudal Japan fought numerous wars and rebellions to protect their centuries-old way of life, which they felt was threatened by rapid modernization. Their resistance changed nothing; it did not save them, and today, almost nobody is a samurai because the firearm fundamentally rewrote the rules of warfare.

Technology moves forward because it offers efficiency. Who truly wants to spend eight hours doing menial, repetitive tasks when they can achieve the same outcome in three minutes?

AI can assist at any stage of the book production process, and the books labeled “AI slop” might be not 100% AI-generated. Perhaps, the technology is solely used to help format text, edit grammar, or assist in designing a cover.

The harsh reality of indie publishing is that not everyone can afford to drop $2,000 on a custom cover design, $3,000 on professional structural editing, or $500 to run an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) program. Not every aspiring writer can successfully pull off a massive Kickstarter campaign, catch the eye of a traditional literary agent, or utilize the complicated tools that purists keep saying as the “only” proper way to publish.

AI is legal and highly accessible. If you personally choose not to use it, that is fine. But do not force others to abandon it under the threat of targeted review attacks.

An Attack on the Vulnerable

Behind these so-called “AI slop” books are real human beings. You never know who the author on the other side of the screen actually is. It might be a struggling mother or father, or a vulnerable individual just trying to find a bit of financial relief or creative escape from the profound hardships of their daily life.

Not everyone is financially secure, and not everyone is blessed with the resources of established authors. It is incredibly insensitive to try and ban these people from publishing altogether simply because they fail to generate the money needed in upfront, gatekept fees.

What If the Majority Fought Back?

To the tiny minority of aggressive AI-haters, I ask you this: What if the tables were turned?

According to various surveys, roughly 97% of content creators worldwide utilize or support technology-assisted workflows. Imagine if that massive global majority decided to label every book written by a traditionalist as “PURIST SLOP.” Imagine if creators formed many Goodreads “Purist Slop” tracking groups and launched massive, targeted low-star rating counter-attacks against traditional authors.

How would you like that?

It would quickly devolve into an all-out rating war, and you already know who holds the numbers. It would be just like the historic Boshin War—a clash between the old traditional guard and modernization—and we already know how that turned out, don’t we? Modernization won.

All this time, these luddites have acted under the imagination that they hold a monopoly on truth and artistic morality. But the reality remains: AI usage worldwide is completely legal. There is no legal or structural basis to stop people from using technology. You can hate the shift in the industry all you want, but your personal distaste is not a free pass to harass creators and break platform rules. Purists are not the ultimate moral authority on Earth, and if they continue to weaponize review platforms, they might just trigger a conflict they are vastly outnumbered to win.

A Message to Tech-Assisted Authors

To any technology-assisted authors reading this: you can now clearly see how these anti-AI groups can be. It is time to strike back.

We need to stand together as a community. If you see a fellow author being targeted by a low-rating attack, step in and support them. If you happen to see these coordinated “AI slop” groups or something like that, report them directly to the platform hosts whenever and wherever you find them. Push back against this harassment in comments, in social media posts, and across the internet.

We are THE MAJORITY. They are the minority. Under normal circumstances, a majority should protect a minority—but this vocal fringe has completely crossed the line into illegal harassment and attempted sabotage. We have every right to defend ourselves. Do not let a toxic minority dictate the future of authorship and creative freedom.

In late 19th-century Japan, a brutal, bloody transition was well underway. During the Boshin War and subsequent Satsuma Rebellion, the elite warrior class, the samurai, found themselves taking up arms against the rapid modernizations of the Meiji Restoration. For centuries, they believed only their age-old martial arts, their hand-forged swords, and their societal prestige held any real “soul” or “honor.”

They fought hard. They got decimated.

A peasant army wielding cheap, mass-produced Western rifles cut through the samurai lines, as the decades spent perfecting the warrior’s craft were rendered instantly obsolete — democratized — by technology. Although the samurai failed in their military campaign, their warrior’s code, Bushido, adapted and endured. The best and brightest among the warrior caste never swore against the new world.

Instead, they seamlessly integrated, filling the roles of the nation’s military officers, politicians, and business leaders.

Their samurai spirit adapted to the new tools of the time.

Today, on platforms like Substack, we’re seeing a modern version of the purist rebellion play out: an algorithm-driven witch hunt utilizing “AI police” such as Pangram in an attempt to shame anyone using artificial intelligence as a collaborator.

This particular script has already played out through human history with an unequivocal outcome. The future simply can’t be stopped:

*The Luddites on 19th-century England: Loom weavers smashed machines to defend their craft. Today, clothing costs virtually nothing across the globe.

*The Horse Carriage Monopoly on late 19th century: The car was met by outraged cries of “dangerous contraptions without souls.” Now, the planet runs on combustion engines.

The traditionalists who raged against the development of steamships, telegraph lines, and antibiotics failed to halt any of them.

The war today is already over. Ninety-seven percent of online content creators now use AI tools regularly, across multiple industry surveys. The purists aren’t fortifying a gate; they are building sandcastles facing the incoming tide.

The most critical mistake modern-day Luddites make is thinking that AI poses some existential threat, instead of merely offering a new type of bicycle for the mind. AI is not substituting the writer — it is the new rifle.

The creators who will triumph in this modern age will have a rock-solid command of their voice, their art, their editorials — but then leverage AI as a hyper-efficient, nearly invisible co-pilot to generate ideas, stress-test arguments, translate entire essays into dozens of languages in seconds, and debug complex code.

In the meantime, the purists will spend twenty hours formatting an essay while collaborative writers take thirty minutes to do the same, leaving them with the remaining nineteen-and-a-half hours for primary research, deep thinking, and original storytelling. Who do you suppose will win, based on quality and output?

What makes the current Substack discourse so obnoxious is the failure of its AI detection tools. Because of their algorithm-based reliance on detecting “clean” writing, these tools often punish precisely the most skilled human authors for having flawless punctuation, grammar, and syntax.

Many writers find that a single, well-placed em dash, a complex sentence structure, or even the platform’s native “Subscribe” button can send a post from “100% Human” to “100% AI” in seconds.

We have now entered the absurd phase where humans feel the need to intentionally inject errors, write poorly constructed sentences, and dumb down their punctuated prose in an effort to “authenticate” themselves according to flawed algorithms.

It is essentially an archaic reenactment of the Meiji government’s demand to the samurai that they would be allowed to retain their swords — provided that they first bent and softened them.

Should you sincerely believe that using technological tools to enhance and polish human intellect is a fundamentally sinful art, then by all means: follow your convictions to the end. Don’t limit your protest to demanding AI labels; turn off your computer, delete your Substack account, and throw your smartphone into the river. Ditch spellcheck and autocorrect, toss your digital dictionary, and swear off online searches of any kind.

You’re more than welcome to revert to the ways of the Stone Age.

Just cease demanding that the rest of us also dumb down our knowledge and sacrifice proper grammar on the altar of your fear of transition.

Let’s talk about modern creation practices, and the massive chasm that’s currently happening on Substack.

Recently, Substack pushed out some kind of AI detection tool, Pangram, in an effort to root out the much-suspected AI-users among us who, God forbid, are not hand-writing their every thought onto the digital parchment as if using an ancient typewriter. At face value, Pangram presents itself as some type of valiant crusade to preserve the sanctity of hand-crafted internet experiences. In practice? A poorly thought-out, algorithmic witch hunt that shames the very people the platform should be empowering.

To be a content creator today who is tasked with managing distribution, community, and brand messaging across dozens of channels, efficiency isn’t just good - it’s a matter of basic survival. The hours are long, the work is intense, and the deep emotional labor needs to be reserved for the creative backbone of everything: the narrative, the insights, the art.

When the workflow that previously required bleed-hours can now be achieved via smart assistance in minutes, it doesn’t just save individuals time - it allows them to produce vastly more content and revenue, independently.

Generative AI isn’t supplemental to your content engine; for those who have managed to embrace it, it acts as vital infrastructure allowing the independents the ability to output team-level volumes themselves.

And this is not the exception. It is the norm. Look at literally every data set on the creator and digital marketing ecosystems from 2023 to 2026, and the findings are identical.

Generative AI isn’t a tool anymore; it’s a digital Rosetta Stone that every serious professional and creator has become literate in at speeds we can barely comprehend yet. Today’s statistics show this reality without question

It’s not just about adoption. Generative AI is fundamentally enabling a better, more prolific, and more interconnected digital experience.

The numbers don’t lie. At least 70%, if not 90%, of the creators on a platform like Substack are using generative AI, if not weekly or daily - then at a minimum to brainstorm, to help format, to translate, or to assist with editing.

Now, by activating Pangram, Substack has clearly tied its platform identity to a vocal but incredibly small minority of purists who brag about their lack of technological tools, while punishing the vast, productive majority who absolutely do and always will use AI – just like they always have.

And make no mistake. It’s a punishment. Any AI machine will likely tell you to “ignore the stigma,” to be “proud,” but anyone with a real-world brand reputation knows that such a label just instantly injects a lack of trust.

Worst of all? Pangram’s detector is notoriously shit. A properly constructed and 100% human-verified article of my own could get flagged as 100% AI - just by adding in Substack’s own boilerplate “subscribe to my post” template button!

Beyond this completely random trigger-happy behavior, the core delusion of purists is the belief that they’ve somehow equated struggle and inconvenience with value. “The suffering was proof of concept, and makes it authentic!” That’s a terrible model for any productive output.

There are plenty of other platforms that get it. Medium allows any craft to truly shine by way of human curation. Platforms like Instagram (where 83% of users use AI!), X (formerly Twitter), and Threads have figured out it’s a whole lot more important that you’re creating something in the first place. No label. No stigma. No big AI sticker anywhere.

Substack has somehow decided that optimizing workflows is grounds for persecution. It chose the ideal of some 1990s typewriter fantasy that benefits approximately 1-3% of their active users over the opportunity to empower 97% of those same users with tools of modern expression and efficiency. Ultimately, rather than making their community safer or more robust, they will simply push the highest caliber and most consistent professionals onto platforms that don’t punish innovation, with the utmost efficiency of skill and output.

As for the 97%, perhaps it is time that many of them simply move on from Substack entirely. When one day Substack management staff looks around and finds itself completely alone and eventually becoming the next Myspace or Vine, they’ll understand what those 97% truly represented, but by then, the audience will already be gone…

It happens all the time and I am kind of bored of trying to explain it.

Every time this conversation arises — why some of us self-publish, why we use the tools that we can afford — someone chimes in, as if it’s the trump card that will definitively settle the issue:

“Just get an agent!”

They say this with a straight face, as if it’s a readily available option that anyone can access with the proper motivation. It’s not. Here’s what the statement “just get an agent” looks like in numbers.

Literary agents discard somewhere between 87% and 96% of all the proposals they get. According to the figures you find, between 1% and 4% of every query submitted will eventually land an agent. Many agencies only take up 1% of submitting authors into their client base out of thousands of proposals a year.

This isn’t a figure where effort brings rewards — rather, it’s like taking part in a lottery that has better odds of rain during a drought.

And just in case that’s not daunting enough, gaining representation isn’t the destination, but rather the beginning of an even more challenging stage, where the agent still needs to get your work published. Publishers, likewise, will probably reject manuscripts according to changing market trends and popularity, and will decide whether your genre is hot right now. Hence, even if you get representation, there’s no guarantee. All you get is another potential gatekeeper with connections, who is also pursuing book publishers to bring you to market — nothing solid in hand.

It takes months to hear back, and in some cases it’s radio silence that means “no.” Writers who want to be represented submit thousands of proposals just to get someone interested — and, of course, many fail.

Beyond the obvious statement lie numerous presumptions that people seldom make transparent:

• That you’re willing to lose months hoping for a response from an agent that’s very unlikely to happen, even when deadlines beckon for other obligations such as bills.

• That your manuscript happens to fall into a genre that’s currently “hot” with agents — a definition that keeps changing, since there’s no fixed quality meter.

• That your inability to find an agent suggests something faulty with your narrative, when in fact the overwhelming majority of people who write books never get represented, whether or not they’re talented.

• That you have life savings or the luxury of family support behind you, because it will be a long wait, and you’ll keep putting the odds in your favor until, by pure chance, one of the selected few takes notice of you.

For the vast majority of us, none of the above applies.

Self-publishing was created to give writers access, to ensure their work reaches the world, whether or not they’ve met the requirements to get traditionally published.

So when someone asks why an indie author can’t just casually hire a team to produce a high-quality book, and suggests they should “just go get an agent,” that’s not help. It’s an avoidance tactic, a way to distract from how impossible the bar actually is.

Yes, traditional publishing offers all those perks. It even pays an advance for your work and gives you free editing as well. It distributes your published books to all the large bookstores in your area, and if that’s not sufficient for you, it promotes your books for free in various magazines, along with all the other exhausting work that comes with it. When a book in this “fine” genre is loved by the public, it becomes a bestseller — the ultimate dream come true. But for most of us, there’s really no chance to hit the mainstream, and even when it happens, it’s a long and slow process to reach the bookstores.

However, the whole idea here isn’t to make a case against traditional publishers or the people who pursue them. It simply means that “just get an agent,” when said to the vast numbers of writers working in self-publishing, is often an empty statement. Most writers want traditional agents, but just because an agent hasn’t signed us doesn’t mean we’ve failed. It doesn’t mean we lack the dedication or commitment to bring real talent to our craft. No, not at all — and it certainly doesn’t mean we should lower our creativity just because others aren’t giving us a chance.

Best regards,

Rosa

An exclusive mindset is emerging in the publishing universe, perpetuated by individuals who claim that anyone who cannot afford professional editors, illustrators, formatters, and/or marketers has absolutely no right to publish a book. Writers who wisely exploit new technology are labeled “not enough of a writer.” For this “crime” alone, self-appointed “true writers” have chosen to impose a form of purgatory, actively targeting anyone who does not conform to their rules.

However, this is not just about technology; these narrow views fail to reflect global humanity. People in rich nations often enjoy the luxury of a fully financially backed starting point. They often advise creators to employ a high-end, proficient team, and then seek funding through crowdsourcing platforms like Kickstarter if need be.

In doing so, they completely overlook the necessity of a wealthy online network, an advertising budget, and the baseline banking access required to even meet a Kickstarter target. For a mother in a developing nation trying to make a living and feed her children through easily accessible digital tools, this advice is completely removed from reality.

When a writer who did zero advertising claims to have raised thousands of dollars in days on Kickstarter by “starting from zero,” the simple answer is that they were lucky. Not everyone shares that luck, and not all stories have the backing of millions of readers. Should a writer with only a few readers not be allowed to try their luck? A meager several hundred dollars can go a long way toward relieving financial hardship.

While a production budget of $1,000 to $2,000 is viewed as an ordinary business expense in rich countries, that same amount in a developing nation can equate to months of strenuous work or the entire living budget of a family. Enforcing this high standard effectively excludes less fortunate, but talented writers from sharing their voices.

Beyond that, how can anyone justify demanding that same amount of money from a father in a developing country who is trying to look after his family? Doing so forces him to risk his life savings long before he can even begin to make a profit. How is this acceptable?

Are these critics claiming that one can only sell Wagyu beef, and that more affordable options like corned beef should be harshly attacked because they are not luxuriously produced? The wealthy are welcome to buy the luxury products they prefer and move on; they do not need to spend their free time targeting people with different lifestyles.

Yet, some individuals actively hunt down technology-savvy writers. This behavior is nothing short of harassment, especially since technology-backed books are completely lawful.

The beauty of modern self-publishing global marketplaces is that they have opened the door to all nations, not just the rich, allowing us to reach readers around the world more easily than ever before. Prior to the availability of modern AI tools, many indie writers (myself included) spent hours learning Photoshop, Canva, and existing templates solely to publish our work. Is it a crime to be resourceful?

Using new technology is a necessity when writers from developing countries face insurmountable financial barriers. If a Kickstarter campaign fails, are these individuals to be forever excluded from publishing?

Most online bookshops around the world charge no upfront fees to publish a book, making the process entirely free. This is perfectly lawful, and there is no legal basis for harassing writers who produce technology-backed books. Critics should simply focus on their own work instead of forcing their standards on people from different financial backgrounds. Are vulnerable human beings supposed to give up writing entirely because they cannot pay a minimum “fee” to begin?

Let’s get real. Some individuals today may be fortunate enough to afford the entire publishing process or raise thousands through crowdfunding, but no one can predict the financial future. Tomorrow, it might be one of these wealthy writers who finds themselves unable to cover their publishing expenses. The financially fortunate are not the only people on this Earth. Turning your back on vulnerable writers today means destroying the very support networks you might need yourself in the future.

Writing comes from the heart, and readers will turn the pages for compelling storytelling and emotion, regardless of a writer’s wealth. A book’s impact is not measured by bank details before each chapter. The digital world should enable meaningful storytelling, not serve as yet another exclusive club.

Best regards,

Rosa

In today’s digital world, it seems that some wicked form of elitism has evolved into online bullies who claim that their own preferences override worldwide law and human collective morality. Writers and creators who make their books and content through modern tools and new methods are sometimes bombarded by these gatekeepers of self-pride. Even if the creators are releasing 100% legal and thoroughly examined books and content that have been verified, authorized, and accepted by well-established global and worldwide retailers such as Amazon and global online bookstores, they are not automatically safe from this targeted attack. Just because these creators are creating in a way that does not comply with this elitist group and they do not go along with what they believe the ‘right way to write’ is, they are being bullied.

This elitist group, who has developed an absolute sense of righteousness, is certain that their actions should not be penalized at all under whatever reason they believe in. They seem to be absolutely sure that they could bypass any law and morality checks. Oftentimes, their bullying is casually framed as posts and memes, with a strong conviction that popularity exceeds decency.

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However, ask any decent human out there: does this sound like a right way of life? Should a human be forced into an absolute submission just because the particular individual is doing a different thing but perfectly legal?

To get a better understanding, does a kebab stall have to be removed because the nearby burger stalls continuously bombard the new kebab stall with one-star rating, simply because the kebab stall sells different food? If people are not being stopped by this sick situation, then nobody will be safe from this witch hunt.

In their attempt to spread their ideology, they trample any form of kindness and human rights by destroying the concept of a decent society and of basic moral principles:

• Right to live peacefully: Everyone has the right not to let anyone take advantage, bully, interfere or sabotage another human’s different ways of life.

• Abuse of free speech rights: “Free speech” cannot be utilized as an excuse to inflict suffering or mistreat someone, for it gives legal authority to nobody that it can be used to harm and mistreat another.

• Self-righteous entitlement: Having the feeling of being born into freedom in a peaceful country does not provide one the right to disrespect others.

• Usage of algorithms to justify everything: The importance of human rights and morals should not be overshadowed just because using internet metrics and the quantity/frequency of likes and shares have become morally sufficient and correct for certain individuals.

And the funny thing here is: they want to dismiss all the human rights that give people self-preservation. Yelling or striking back is considered “unprofessional” in their minds, and humans simply need to be quiet and just absorb all of the mob’s bullying.

Isn’t this funny? Can an innocent person not punch right back when someone throws one on their face just to preserve some twisted version of “utmost dignity”?

The real reason why the above is an instance of red flag is clear and evident: these people care little about any real respect or manners; rather, it is because these people only want all the power to make their own self-important desires fulfilled without accepting any real consequences.

And that is a serious flaw of humanity. If this goes on, would you like to live in a world where global law was transformed into a wild west where anyone can hurt whomever and whatever they please simply because they despise something? Would this be your desired world of authorship that writers will have to endure? That people obey this lawless group who shows no respect to humanity at all?

The hilarious point on the recent event is simply this: globalization is currently in full effect. 97% of the people from 2026 surveys are said to utilize the newest technology in creating content. This means the luddites who want you to ignore modern technological advancements for 'our highly-proven best way,' are definitely not the majority. They are a desperate few.

They would throw tantrums and beg for people to obey them simply to put the brakes on the modernization of creative writing. If the majority of people continue to stand idly and let a loud minority of people terrorize them, then slowly but surely, they’ll be held hostage by this lawless minority, which no reasonable person will want.

Ironically, in a world which is proud of democracy where the majority’s will should rule, why do we now have to give a tyrannous and harsh minority the rights to howl and trample down others simply because they want to?

So now, it is the time to fight back. Or you’ll be next on the blacklist.

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PS: All of my works that I know of, are LEGAL. And I have every right to defend myself and unleash the actual facts from whatever misunderstandings are happening out there. Defending myself is not being narcissistic nor showing refusal to accept criticism; it’s simply that when I see something blatantly wrong with how things should be conducted, I have all the right in the world to explain things from my perspective. Harassment isn’t free speech: it’s abuse, and it can be reported directly to the authorities.

Let’s talk about the precarious position of indie authors in the digital age.

In recent weeks, it’s become rather obvious that the Kindle books I’ve authored are, most likely, the victims of a carefully executed, organized, and targeted low-star review attack. To an author who has poured their heart onto the page, seeing a rating plummet is not pleasant. After analyzing the situation, the glaring red flags that point to a bad-faith review-bomb attack become undeniably apparent.

If we, as a collective, turn a blind eye toward this kind of behavior, malicious individuals will only grow bolder. Anyone who dares not bend the knee to their demands will experience the same relentless bullying.

Here are the four absolute, undeniable red flags of an organized, coordinated review attack that directly apply to my current experience:

Red Flag 1: The $50 loophole within Amazon’s system

Did you know that a review-bombing attacker doesn’t need to purchase or even read a book on Amazon to crush its rating?

Anyone with a user account is free to give a rating or written review to any product on Amazon, provided they have spent a minimum of $50 on the platform using a valid card. Basically, it’s Amazon’s equivalent of an “all-free-review-pass.” You could read about it here.

Anyone can choose to remain completely anonymous, pass on actually reading the book altogether, and drop a one- or two-star rating without writing even a single word of justification.

This creates a significant loophole for someone with malicious intent: a “Verified Purchase” label is not required. It takes only an Amazon account and a grudge to harm an indie author’s visibility.

Red Flag 2: An editor versus the void of anonymity

When the first attack started, it brought my book to a one-star rating.

Later on, a colleague from Substack—an actual working American editor known for her expertise—read my novellette. Her verdict was overwhelmingly positive, declaring the book deserved nothing less than a six-star rating.

She even wrote a Substack post for this, blasted it to her 69K subscribers. You could read it here.

She proceeded to give the novellette five stars in Amazon Kindle too and added a written review justifying her rating.

Unlike the possible attacker, this editor isn’t a faceless person; she was transparent about her credentials, her professional expertise, and her validated purchase.

How can two judgments be on completely opposite ends of the spectrum? One side features verified reviews championing a well-received English novellette; the other has an invisible, 1-star drop. These numbers do not compute.

Red Flag 3: A dramatic reversal of history

Right after the first book was hit, a second one was targeted, bringing it to a 2-star rating. The process was identical: entirely anonymous with no written explanation for the abysmal rating.

Here’s where the whole ordeal falls apart: this exact same book has maintained an average 5-star rating for over two years (since 2024) on a different, localized platform. I wrote this book myself without AI, for certain 2024 writing contest. This platform’s reader community isn’t full of anonymous cowards; the readers have put their names on their reviews. The reasons for these honest, positive reviews are well-documented and were posted long before the term “Substack” was even on my radar.

Kino wrote that it was amongst “the best romance book I have ever read.”

Yuyun wrote a deeply-touching review: “Seriously… I’m halfway out of my body after reading this! For such an amazing novel, which might even come close to the ones the legendary Sidney Sheldon wrote, why are the numbers of likes and readers so low? (December 2024)

What is wrong with the readers?

After reading the first two chapters, I almost had no interest in continuing.

It just appeared like one of those poor humble girl falls in love with a super rich CEO plots I’ve been encountering in the millennial platforms. But because the writing of the author suits my palate, I went for it. Damn, I couldn’t take my eyes off this one until the epilogue ended on me.

Complex plot and lots of twists happened and the ending?

Truly unexpected..

I want to write more long of a review.. But keep this concise:If I were a judge I’d select this novel as the winner for the contest.”

It doesn’t make sense that a book would suddenly shift from a 5-star masterpiece into a 2-star train wreck just because it made the jump to Amazon Kindle.

Red Flag 4: The social media “free speech” red herring

After I reported this pattern on Tumblr, the post was flooded with over forty comments (with me replying each of them, it became 80 comments).

Most of these remarks revolved around one specific, insistent argument: that I should just ignore the attack in “the name of free speech.”

This particular argument is a complete red herring because:

• It misses the very real chance of fake or bot-generated reviews.

• It gives no consideration to the high likelihood that the rater is a troll.

• It doesn't want to acknowledge that fake reviews and fake ratings are punishable by American law, where Amazon currently resides, with fines that can exceed $50,000.

• It completely disregards common sense and basic human decency.

To simplify things, free speech allows you to express an opinion. It does not and should not extend to malicious, manipulative interference with product sales. A sci-fi fan should not be allowed to flood the romance charts with 1-star reviews just because the genre isn’t their thing. There is a very clear difference between constructive criticism and economic sabotage.

Complacency is a Trap: Your Books Could Be Next

Turning a blind eye to review-bombing sets a dangerous precedent for all indie authors. If we do nothing to address the issue now, fail to call out the people responsible, and refuse to demand protection from platforms like Amazon, such behavior will become completely commonplace. Today it is my books on the line; tomorrow it might be yours. No author is safe when anonymous trolling is weaponised.

Make Your Own Decision

The red flags are too loud to ignore. Even then, if there’s still any doubt regarding the credibility of this attack, examine the book for yourself.

Rosa Letha’s 40K novella, How to Run from The Billionaires, is available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited, free to read. If you don't have a Kindle Unlimited account, it's currently on a big sale for only $0.99, a massive 75% off just until July 26, 2026. That way, all of you can easily read it and decide for yourself if it honestly measures up as a 1- or 2-star product.

Read it

I trust readers, authors, or editors, but I don’t really trust bullying disguised as silence.

What are your experiences regarding Amazon’s system for unverified, anonymous ratings? Has an author you know experienced something similar? Let’s hear it in the comments! 😊

Sincerely yours,

Rosa

An unsettling trend is happening on Amazon right now. Out of nowhere, a completely silent, unhelpful two-star rating landed on my dark romance story, How to Run from The Billionaires.

There is no written text explaining the low score at all.

This feels like déjà vu. My cozy mystery book, The Couture & Code Mysteries: Charity and Chaos in Paradise, was hit with the exact same unearned, wordless low rating in the past.

Yet, when an actual industry professional like editor reviewed that exact same cozy mystery, she declared it deserved an incredible six stars.

It makes me wonder: is a single entity intentionally trying to damp down indie authors?

I am afraid that if we, as indie authors, don't support each other, whoever this is will keep targeting any authors who displease them, just because they are capable of commenting anywhere on Amazon.

And why are they anonymous? Maybe this person doesn't want their own works to face a backlash.

That is why you shouldn't easily trust anonymous reviewers, especially the ones leaving low ratings. They might just be cowardly haters.

If you are just silently watching now, your works could be targeted next! If we don’t support each other right now by standing up for authors who receive these targeted attacks, your books could be targeted as well—and it would be heartbreaking if no one stood by you.

A community of indie authors consistently supporting one another is the best way to ward off this kind of hateful entity, which seems to only seek to degrade any author who displeases it. Authors should not work to please these people, with low ratings left hanging over their heads as petty threats. We must not let their low ratings threaten us, since we don't write solely for them; instead, we should unite

Also, since I poured my heart into How to Run from The Billionaires, I firmly consider it the finest piece of fiction I have created so far. I penned every single word of this manuscript myself back in 2024 for a local writing contest—no artificial intelligence tools were used whatsoever. The community response during that contest proved that this story delivers high-tier entertainment.

Just look at the incredible feedback from unbiased local verified readers:

Kino stated directly that it was “the best romance book I have ever read.”

Yuyun wrote an intense review, saying: “I was half-dead with amazement after finishing this novel. For a book this great—almost on par with Sidney Sheldon's legendary novels—the number of likes and readers is incredibly low (December 2024). What's wrong with the readers? After reading the first two chapters, I almost had no interest in continuing. It seemed like the usual super-rich CEO falling for a poor, humble girl trope found on millennial platforms. But, because the writing style suited my taste, I kept reading. Damn, I couldn't put this novel down until the last word of the epilogue. The story became complex and full of plot twists. The final chapters were truly unexpected. I wanted to write a longer review. But I will keep it simple: if I were a judge, I would choose this novel as one of the competition winners.”

I refuse to let an unexplained, low-star click discourage potential readers from experiencing my proudest work. To make it effortless for you to investigate the book and form your own opinion, I have marked the price down significantly.

This 99-cent discount is a flash deal lasting just seven days, wrapping up on payday Sunday, July 26th. Secure your copy right now while the price cut stands, unpack the mystery, and let me know your honest thoughts.

📖 Dive in for FREE via Kindle Unlimited, or secure ownership for only $0.99 right here.

Read it NOW!

Want a taste of my narrative voice before spending a dime? I welcome the test. You can bypass the email registration wall entirely and grab my promotional anthology, Splash: Light Stories Compilation at no cost right here.

Grab it NOW!

If you don't have Google Play Books, Splash is also available for free on Smashwords, Kobo, Apple Books, Fable, Barnes & Noble, Streetlib, Vivlio, the Tolino network, and other major retailers worldwide.

And no, this is NOT a marketing gimmick of my own creation to recreate the unexpected "fame" of the The Couture & Code Mysteries: Charity & Chaos in Paradises one-star review saga. As you can clearly see from the countless legitimate promotions I have run during my three months on Substack, tanking my own scores just to force more exposure IS NOT MY STYLE. I currently have legitimate promotions running (up to 50% off) on Google Play Books and Smashwords.

Have a great week, and don't forget to tell me your opinion if you ever read the book! 😉

Regards,

Rosa

Dear Subscribers,

I am sharing a transparent update about my journey as an author. Recently, I made the decision to officially delete my profile and withdraw all of my books from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

As indie authors, our time, trust, and values are our most valuable assets. Unfortunately, LibraryThing’s recent policies and structural inconsistencies no longer align with how I choose to conduct my business.

The Breaking Point: Unpacking the Inconsistencies

Every observation I have brought up is backed by clear evidence, including screenshots of the LibraryThing dashboard and public listings.

1. The Inconsistency of Two-Book Limit Rule

LibraryThing management states that authors are strictly limited to two giveaways per month.

Yet, I have documented proof of other authors successfully submitting three, four, or five books per month without issue.

Furthermore, LibraryThing’s official guidelines, which I swore I read on their website, previously stated that every author is allowed up to five books per batch. That phrase has now mysteriously vanished from the site.

What’s even funnier is that, based on my research, none of the authors who submitted more than two books actually exceeded five. This perfectly matches the rule I thought I caught before it was deleted.

When I submitted my third title last month, the system allowed it without any warnings. A functional platform should enforce its rules through automated system blocks, rather than what appears to be an unannounced policy shift.

2. Missing Landing Pages & Retail Presence

The program claims that all eligible books must have a public landing page or retail presence on LibraryThing to qualify.

Despite this strict rule, multiple books on the 2026 giveaway lists—including last month’s batch (and my own ebook “Crown and Chronos”)—were accepted and promoted without any such pages existing.

3. Unpredictable Wrap-up Dates

According to the official schedule, LibraryThing batch wrap-ups are expected on the 25th of the month.

Last month, the batch was delayed and wrapped on the 28th.

While emergencies happen, authors manage tight marketing timelines. It is impossible to launch successfully when relying on a program with unpredictable dates.

Moving Forward

I am sharing this openly because I believe our author community deserves to know how these platforms operate behind the scenes. Moving forward, I am focusing my energy on platforms that respect author schedules and maintain systematic fairness.

Thank you all for your incredible, ongoing support of my books. While this might be my final goodbye to the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program, I believe it will be but an exciting, fresh beginning elsewhere.

Sincerely yours,

Rosa

Happy Independence Day!

To celebrate the 4th of July, I am hosting a massive holiday giveaway. For TWO DAYS ONLY (July 4-5, 2026), you can download my dark romance 40K novella HOW TO CONQUER THE BILLIONAIRES (Book #1 of The Billionaire Lessons series) completely FREE!

📖 About the Book: HOW TO CONQUER THE BILLIONAIRES

They rule the underworld. I stole their heir.

Five years ago, I did the impossible: I ran away with the ruthless, untouchable heir to the most feared syndicate in the world. To escape the deadly blood feud between our rival families, I fled into the shadows — leaving behind everything, and the only man I have ever loved.

I thought I covered my tracks. I thought my family was finally safe.

I was wrong.

Now the past has found me — and it brought company.

My family is dragging me back to an altar I never wanted. A dangerously delusional woman is parading a fake child across high society, claiming to be the true wife of my man. And highly-trained kill squads are hunting me across continents.

But my lethal, obsessively possessive billionaire? He’s furious. He’s heavily armed. And he is swearing to burn every enemy to the ground before he lets anyone take me from him again.

The only question is: can I trust the dark prince who once broke my heart? Or will the secrets we’ve buried finally bury us both?

🔥 What to Expect:

🖤 Possessive, Morally Gray Billionaire

🖤 Secret Babies (Wait... Twins?!)

🖤 “Touch Her and You Die” Energy

🖤 Unhinged / Delusional Other Woman Drama

🖤 Forced Marriage & Rival Families

🖤 High-Stakes Syndicate / Mafia Action

If you love addictive, high-angst dark romance, explosive drama, and a man who will literally set the world on fire for his woman — this is for you.

This entire giveaway vanishes in exactly 48 hours. Don’t wait—grab your free copies right now!

Claim it here

But wait… to complete your TBR, my exclusive anthology Splash: Light Stories Fireworks is also still 100% FREE!

📖 About the Book: SPLASH (LIGHT STORIES COMPILATION)

What kind of reader are you?

The one who fights Monday morning with cold coffee and sheer willpower? The one who would cross time itself to undo a single wrong? The one who watches the powerful fall and quietly says — finally?

Splash: Light Stories Compilation is a multi-genre fiction compilation — a quick read crafted for people who refuse to be boxed into a single genre. Contemporary fiction, science fiction, and gripping justice drama collide in one beautifully curated ebook that moves between worlds without ever losing its footing.

One moment you are in a buzzing city office navigating the beautiful chaos of modern working life. The next you are somewhere altogether different — where crowns carry consequences, time is not fixed, and karma has a very long memory.

Light enough to finish in one sitting. Layered enough to stay with you long after.

The perfect companion for BookTok and Bookstagram readers looking for something fresh, fast, and genuinely satisfying. If you love women’s fiction, workplace drama, science fiction, or stories where the underdog finally wins — this compilation was made for you.

Easy to love. Impossible to forget.

Claim the anthology NOW to complete your collection before it vanishes!😉

Read it here

📢 Spread the Word!

Do you have family group chats, bookish friends, BookTok besties, romance Discords, or book clubs? Please share this post with them!

Let your fellow book lovers know they can grab a free dark romance binge-read AND a free anthology this holiday weekend before the clock runs out! ⏱️✨

Have a safe and happy 4th of July, and happy reading!

Sincerely yours,

Rosa

☀️ The ultimate summer reading binge has officially arrived. I am thrilled to share four massive book collections perfect for your vacation playlist. Whether you crave absolute control, dark psychological games, or high-stakes drama across centuries, these bundles have you covered.

Even better? You can dive into these worlds entirely for free depending on how you choose to read! 😉

🔍 The Summer Lineup Breakdown

Here is exactly what you are getting in each standalone bundle:

1. The Billionaire Lessons: Collector’s Exclusive Edition

• The Scale: 3 complete stories (120k words, 601 pages).

• The Content: Features three of my earliest novellas from The Billionaire Lessons series—How to Conquer the Billionaires, How to Run from the Billionaires, and How to Chase the Billionaires.

• The Vibe: Terrifyingly powerful global dynasties, deep-seated debts, and obsessive alpha heroes across Norway and Hong Kong.

2. Love Through Time & Tension: A Romance Variety Box

• The Scale: 3 complete stories.

• The Content: Beautifully balanced with two contemporary/thriller romance novelettes and one historical romance novella.

• The Vibe: Atmospheric courtships, slow-burn tension, and deep emotional stakes that span across eras.

3. Gilded Sins: The Thriller & Psychological Box Set

• The Scale: 3 complete stories.

• The Content: Formatted with two intense psychological thriller stories and one high-stakes crime drama fiction.

• The Vibe: Power struggles, tactical deceptions, hidden family assets, and characters playing dangerous psychological mind games.

4. The Ultimate Master Collection

• The Scale: 9 complete stories (173k words, 702 pages).

• The Content: The ultimate compilation containing eight fast-paced novelettes and one comprehensive novella.

• The Vibe: A massive narrative journey moving flawlessly from clever, high-fashion cozy mysteries to the grand imperial courts of 14th-century Java, all the way to modern toxic power thrillers.

🌐 Where to Find Them & How to Read for Free

All four master bundles are officially live and widely distributed across major digital platforms:

• Worldwide Direct Access: You can instantly purchase or download all four box sets directly on Amazon Kindle and Google Play Book.

• The Free Reading Hack (Kobo Plus and BorrowBox): The Romance bundle (Love Through Time & Tension) and Thriller bundle (Gilded Sins) are fully cataloged on Kobo Plus and BorrowBox! Kobo Plus subscribers and library patrons can bypass buying entirely. Read all 115,000 words of premium content absolutely FREE using a BorrowBox account or a Kobo Plus trial/subscription!

• Expanded Digital Retail Networks: If you prefer platforms outside of Amazon, the Romance and Thriller box sets are also broadly available across the global indie web:

  • Discover them through international Tolino Network.

  • Grab it straight from Smashwords and Fable.

  • Order digital copies directly from curated community spaces like Barnes & Noble (10% discount until July 5, 2026) and Bookshop.org.

If you are looking to load up your tablet for a long flight, a lazy weekend pool session, or just want to lose yourself in an intricate mega-universe, choose your favorite platform and clear your weekend schedule! Hurry up, before their launching promo is over NEXT WEEK! 😆

Have a great 4th of July weekend,

Rosa

Happy Fourth of July weekend! With the holiday upon us and payday finally here, there is no better time to stock up your digital library.

Whether you’re waiting for the fireworks to start, enduring a long road trip, or just enjoying a quiet morning with iced coffee, I’ve put together a collection of my American-set stories to match the holiday mood. From high-stakes boardrooms in New York to the quiet tension of the Ohio suburbs, these titles will take you across the country without you ever having to leave your seat.

Subscribe now

Here is your payday weekend reading list:

1. The Heiress Chronicles: The Weight of Scales

She spent her twenties moving quietly through cities like Boston and New York, minding her own business. But when powerful people make the irreversible mistake of seeing Raihana as a threat, they’re about to learn the hard way that she’s not a problem to be solved.

2. The Princess of The World

Rolly Vance was built for greatness—a Harvard Law graduate with a mind for constitutional battles. So why is she scrubbing grease traps for $9.50 an hour? A gripping look at what happens when a curated life falls apart and the shadows start creeping in.

3. Serendipity

Sometimes the most unexpected encounters happen right in our own backyards. A fast-paced dive into the unpredictable twists of fate that can change a life in America.

4. 13 Ways to Die

Thirteen attempts to break her. Thirteen data points to prove them wrong. In Harlan Creek, Ohio, Arivia is a clinical anomaly—a brilliant corporate litigator in a family built on curated elegance and political favors. Now, she’s reading the patterns they tried to hide.

5. How to Lose a Decade: Married to My Nemesis

What happens when you wake up to find you’ve lost ten years of memory—and you’re married to the one person you swore to destroy? Dive into the ultimate amnesia enemies-to-lovers story, where the stakes are as high as the sparks flying between them.

6. Fake It Till You Break It

The American Dream has a dark side. When the pressure to succeed forces a dangerous bluff, the line between ambition and ruin gets razor-thin. How long can the facade hold before everything shatters?

7. The Phantom Paradise

Amelia Carter decoded the universe’s signs from her room—every caption, every photo pointing to a destined love. But what happens when the obsession requires crossing the world to meet a foreign rising star?

8. Just Another New York Monday

In the city that never sleeps, a single Monday can unravel everything. Fast-paced, gritty, and undeniably New York, this story captures the relentless pulse of the concrete jungle.

🎆 Grab the Ultimate Holiday Bundle

If you want to read them all, I have great news: right now, the absolute cheapest place to grab my ebooks is on Google Play Books during The Biggest Summer Sale 2026.

Even better? You don’t have to buy them one by one. Google Play now lets you bundle all the titles you want into a single cart. You can stack up 20+ books and get your entire summer reading list locked and loaded with just a single click at checkout.

Click below to shop the Google Play Books Summer Sale and build your bundle!

SHOP NOW

Treat yourself this weekend. Find a comfortable spot, grab a cold drink, and let these stories spark some fireworks of their own.

Happy reading, and happy July 4th!

Best regards,

Rosa

If you have scrolled through my catalog lately, you might think you’ve stumbled into one of the world’s eighth wonders.

With 35 titles live, it could turn such a genuine writing life into a dramatic plotline. While there are many theories regarding the mystery of 35 ebooks that inspired some other posts, I hate to break it to you, but there is no superpower involved behind the scenes.

If you are genuinely wondering how a human author ends up with over thirty active titles on digital shelves in a mere three months, let’s peel back the curtain. The strategy isn’t found in a tech lab—it’s found in a two-decade-long creative journey.

📖 Lesson 1: The Standalone Strategy

The biggest flaw in the internet’s math is assuming every single digital cover hides a massive, 400-page saga.

The reality is much simpler, and perfectly legal in modern publishing: the vast majority of my catalog consists of standalone short stories.

These are bite-sized literary escapes, not sprawling epics. They are built for modern readers who want immediate, satisfying storytelling. Great covers are not the gateway to a 1,000-page unbelievable adventure, contrary to what some people might think.

⏳ Lesson 2: Harnessing the Drafting Flow

For some creators, brief fiction is a grueling process that takes a lifetime to finish.

In my case, short stories flow naturally, allowing me to capture passing inspirations and quirky concepts without getting bogged down.

Because this specific format fits my rhythm so well, the pages accumulated naturally over time. What looks like a sudden explosion of content to an outsider is actually the steady collection of very prolific habits.

📂 Lesson 3: Unlocking a 20-Year Vault

You cannot judge a writer’s speed based on publication dates alone.

While my longer fictions are hitting platforms now, they were painstakingly written, edited, and completed across a twenty-year span.

Furthermore, those standalone short stories didn’t spring into existence last month. Many of them are being drawn directly from a physical archive of drafts I’ve built over two decades of writing. It's not a three-month sprint; you are looking at twenty years of dedication finally stepping into the light.

🎨 Lesson 4: Polishing for the Modern Eye

Every single project undergoes a writer’s eye editorial process. I am the one-woman show of everything, the main curator, and the final voice on every page.

The real work happening right now is taking those raw drafts from my deep personal vault and giving them a fresh breath of life. I am shaping them to meet today’s audience preferences.

🚀 The Next Chapter

Now that the air is clear and the mechanics are explained, I am closing the book on this matter. My energy belongs to the craft.

Moving forward, I am about to unleash so many more from my 20-year vast archive, and I will keep releasing these hidden gems for this generation of readers.

Thank you to everyone who values this kind of dedication. The best is yet to come! 🥂

Take care,

Rosa

If you’ve been watching me lately, you might have noticed I’ve been quietly busy on the surface. As a creator, I always let the writing speak for me—and recently, the writing has had a lot to say.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been orchestrating a massive wave of new releases. If you haven’t checked your Substack feeds, favorite retailer, or library app in a while, you have been missing out on 18 brand-new eBooks and highly anticipated audiobook launches.

Here is exactly what just landed in the catalog—including a massive, limited-time discount opportunity.

☀️ The Summer Sale Spotlight: Google Play Books Exclusive

Before we dive into the titles, let’s talk deals. While these books are available everywhere, you can currently snag a massive discount if you shop the Summer Sale on Google Play Books.

For a limited time, the pricing ladder has been slashed to give you the ultimate summer reading binge:

• Every short story & brand new audiobook: Just $0.99

• Everything else: A mere $1.99—and yes, that includes the 40k-word novellas!

📚 The Breakdown: What’s New on the Shelf?

To ensure there is a perfect entry point for every type of reader, the 18 new eBook additions feature distinct formats to match your reading mood:

• 6 Novelettes: Quick, intense escapes.

• 2 Novellas: Deeper, immersive reads (meaty 40k-word releases).

• 1 Poetry Chapbook: A stylistic shift for those looking for something beautifully different.

• Plus a variety of other short stories and full-length standalone works rounding out the 18-title drop!

✨ Spotlight Highlights

If you are wondering where to start among the 18 new titles, here are the absolute must-reads that are driving the most profile views and reader curiosity this season:

The Couture & Code Mysteries Series

This is the book everyone is talking about. It went from a one-star Amazon Kindle rating to a literally unbelievable six-star review from an editor!

Here is a deeper analysis of the review, straight from her Substack post.

If you love a high-stakes, gripping cozy mystery, these two novelettes are tailored for you! 🔎✨

📚 Formats: Paperback & eBook

🛒 Where to Find:

• Amazon Kindle (the origin of that so-called one-star rating!) 🌟

• Google Play Books (the cheapest deal out there for now! 🏷️)

• Kobo, Apple Books, & Barnes & Noble

• Fable & Bookshop.org

• International Stores: Vivlio, bol.com, or Tolino network.

• Global Library Apps: Hoopla, OverDrive/Libby, BorrowBox, Vivlio Library, and CloudLibrary.

The Billionaire Lessons Series

Several titles from this standalone dark romance collection are officially out in the wild! 🖤🔥

Whether you are picking up How to Chase the Billionaires or diving into How to Conquer the Billionaires, these releases are built for serious binge-reading. 📚🏎️

My absolute recommendation? Try How to Run from the Billionaires. It’s one of the best novellas I have ever written! 🏆✨

The best part? You don’t have to read the books in order, and it’s completely FREE on Kindle Unlimited! 🎧📲

• Formats: Paperback & eBook

• Where to Find:

  • eBook: Available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited (excluding How to Not Love the Billionaires). 📱

  • Paperback: Grab your copy today from Walmart, Amazon, or Books-A-Million! 🛒📚

Free Anthology

For the first time ever, I am giving away a story compilation that you can easily download on almost all major platforms worldwide! 🌍✨

Splash: Light Stories Compilation is available for FREE right now on:

• Google Play Books 📱

• Apple Books 🍏

• Barnes & Noble 📖

• Smashwords 🚀

• ...and many more!

Poetry Chapbook

Also, for the first time ever, I’ve published a poetry chapbook! 📝✨

This collection features dozens of poems I wrote after completing a training course at the California Institute of the Arts. Let's see if all that fancy training yields something beautiful in the field! 😁🏆

New Sci-fi Audiobook!

After months of waiting, I have finally resumed my audiobook project! 🎙️✨

The Watch of Destiny is the audiobook adaptation of my eBook, following the epic battles of machines fighting to protect everything they hold true. 🤖💥

To celebrate the return, it is currently available on Spotify, Kobo, Everand, and Barnes & Noble at a massive promotional price of just $0.99! 🏷️🎧

🌍 Read Anywhere, Listen Everywhere

I firmly believe that stories should be accessible no matter what ecosystem you prefer. 🌍✨

That is why this entire launch is distributed wide—you aren’t locked into a single storefront! 🔓📚

Grab steep discounts on Google Play Books, or find all 18 eBooks and the new audiobook across the globe:

🛍️ Retailers: Apple Books, Kobo, Amazon, Google Play, Fable, and more.

🎧 Streaming: Spotify, TuneIn, Everand, Bookbeat, and others.

🏛️ Libraries: Request the eBook or audiobook through your local library via OverDrive or Hoopla.

To see my full distribution networks, visit my link here. 🌐

For the complete summary of what you might have missed, read my full library list here or head directly to global bookstores at tiny.cc/rosalethalibby to catch up! 🚀

Thank you for being part of this incredible Substack community. Watching the engagement, the metrics, and the sheer number of you reading along has been the most rewarding part of this journey.

Don’t miss out on the summer reading rush! Head over to Google Play Books to lock in your sale prices, and let me know which trope you are diving into first!

Stay curious,

Rosa Letha

It started with an unexplainable one-star rating on my novelette, The Couture & Code Mysteries: Charity & Chaos in Paradise in Amazon Kindle several days ago.

As an indie author, seeing a one-star review pop up with zero explanation is a tough pill to swallow. You start questioning everything about your work. But then, something incredible happened. A remarkably kind woman on social media saw that rating and decided to buy the book simply to test the content for herself.

I was incredibly nervous. I honestly expected her to come back with a fair, middle-of-the-road 3 or 4 stars.

Instead, she gave me six stars.

Unbelievable! To say this review felt like an absolute dream would be an understatement. When I began this journey, I started with zero followers. I had no built-in support system, no established audience waiting in the wings, and no safety net. It was just me and my keyboard.

Moments like this are a beautiful reminder to never give up, even when the circumstances aren’t looking too good. That unexplained one-star rating could have easily derailed my confidence, but it ended up leading to one of the most validating reader interactions I’ve ever had.

This experience also inspired me to ask a favor of you, my readers: If you are ever capable of doing it, please help neutralize unexplainable bad ratings when you see them out in the wild. Whether it is my book or another indie author's, stepping up to test and review a book makes a massive difference. If this kind of behavior is normalized, there's no telling when others will have their hard work buried entirely because of fake sabotage. Reader support is the absolute best defense we have 💪

For anyone who might be curious about the book that caused all this commotion:

The Couture & Code Mysteries is a cozy mystery novelette that follows a brilliant young couple moonlighting as amateur detectives. They travel all over the world, unraveling complex puzzles and solving thrilling mystery and murder cases.

If you want to dive in, it is currently on a massive sale for just $1.99 here.

Want to test my writing first?

I completely understand wanting to get a feel for an author’s style before spending a dime! You can grab my free ebook, Splash, which is available everywhere. Because I believe in making my books accessible across all platforms, you can download it for free on Google Play Books, Apple Books, Kobo, B&N, Smashwords, Fable, and beyond. Go see for yourself what my writing capability looks like! 😉

As I’ve shared in previous post, storytelling is practically woven into my DNA. I have been writing since I was in the first grade, and I’ve never stopped. From my years working as a journalist and a content writer for various media outlets, all the way to publishing fiction today, the passion has remained the same.

Thank you all for being part of this journey, for taking a chance on indie authors, and for turning those 1-star days into 6-star dreams.

Happy reading and have a nice weekend 😊

Sincerely yours,

Rosa

We are officially at that perfect intersection of the month: it’s the 28th, payday just hit, the weekend is in full swing, and the glorious summer reading season has officially begun. There is absolutely no better time to treat yourself and load up your e-reader for the beach, the pool, or just a lazy Sunday on the couch.

If you missed out on my massive Amazon Prime Day blowout yesterday, you might be kicking yourself. But don’t worry—here’s your second chance! 😉

Welcome to my Biggest Summer Sale 2026, exclusively on Google Play Books!

💸 The Deals: Stock Your Digital Shelves

Because your summer TBR deserves to be overflowing, I am heavily discounting my entire catalog for the season. Here is exactly what you can grab right now:

• Every Single Short Story: Just $0.99

• Absolutely Everything Else: A mere $1.99

Yes, that $1.99 tier includes everything—including my brand-new 40k novella! If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to dive into my worlds or catch up on the latest releases, this is the most affordable way to do it.

🛒 Why Google Play Books is Your Best Friend Today

I chose to host this massive summer event on Google Play Books for a few very specific, reader-friendly reasons:

• The Ultimate Bulk Checkout: Want to buy 5, 10, or even 22 books at once? Google Play Books allows for massive bulk additions to your cart, meaning you can do one single, glorious checkout without the hassle of multiple transactions.

  

• Zero Payment Friction: You can seamlessly use the payment methods you already have linked and trust with your Google account. No inputting new card numbers or jumping through hoops.

• Massive Global Access: This sale isn’t restricted to just a few places. It is fully live and accessible in 66 countries around the world!

• Read Anywhere: Android is used by billions of people globally, meaning your new library is right in your pocket. (And if you’re on iOS or desktop, the Google Play Books app and browser reader work flawlessly, too).

🏖️ Your Summer Escape Awaits

Summer is here and your next adventure is calling. 📚 Click below to lock in your sunny-day reading lineup before the season slips away!

Click here

Happy reading, and enjoy the weekend! 😉

Sincerely yours,

Rosa