Status Update

Dear Readers,

I am very sorry for being away so unexpectedly. I did not expect things in real life to suddenly get crazy. My schedule was all over the place, but I’m managing it better now, so I’m able to get back online, but there will be some changes going forward.

Let me give you the TL,DR short version up front. Due to a series of circumstances and decisions, my translation speed will be slowing down. I intend to continue translating all my current projects until there is no more Patreon support for my translations or until I completely run out of steam, whichever comes first, but updates will not be as frequent as before.

I understand that this is upsetting news for avid readers. I deeply apologize for that. If anyone is interested in taking over one or more of my translation projects, please let me know in a comment and we can talk about it. The one exception is DLYE, because this story is nearing the end, so I think it is best that I finish translating this project, as changing translators this late in the game might disrupt the flow of the story. But my other translation projects are up for adoption.

Moving forward, my plan is to finish translating DLYE first. After that I will put up a poll and you can decide which project you would like me to focus on next.

For those who are curious, I can tell you a little bit about what is going on, but I don’t want to get too detailed about private matters online. In short, when the elderly are in need of care, it is (not always, but) very often the women who are pressured into taking up the bulk of the responsibility of caregiving. I’ve also had to use my savings, so my finances aren’t looking so good lately.

I do have Patreon supporters for my translations and I am truly grateful for each and every one of you. But the amount I make on Patreon is not enough to cover the increased expenses and the support has been gradually dwindling over time.

Unfortunately, between a full-time job and caregiving, there’s not a lot of time, energy, or options left for side hustles. After thinking about it, I decided to try my hand at writing original stories. From my understanding, original stories are more valued than translations, so I’m hoping the monetary support for original stories will be greater than translated stories.

Writing is also more flexible for me than translating. I’m not fluent in Chinese, so I rely on MTL and the Internet to help me. That means I have to work on my desktop computer at home and I need to have multiple programs up at the same time while I translate. With writing, I just need a note-taking app on my phone or a pen and paper, so I’m not tied down to my desktop and I can write when I’m not home, such as in waiting rooms and on public transit.

As for the types of stories I will be writing, it will be BL and smut.

I will be posting my original stories here on vmnovels.com and likely on websites like Royal Road, Scribble Hub, and Tapas to get exposure to a larger audience. I will also create a separate Patreon page for my original stories where there will be advance chapters, early access, and uncensored NSFW content unavailable anywhere else.

Patreon will be the most comprehensive platform for my stories. Asides from needing Patreon to make money, it is also the only trustworthy website that I currently know of that doesn’t rely on ads for revenue, so I can upload smut on there without restrictions. Ad companies do not want their ads to be displayed alongside NSFW content, so they’ll make you take it down or restrict it somehow. And if you want the ad revenue, you have to comply with their rules. So even if I wanted to post smut elsewhere, I can’t do it freely.

Yes, I want money and would greatly appreciate any financial support, but I understand if you can’t or don’t want to as we all have our own personal problems to handle. Please consider your own financial stability first. I just want to explain why I have to make these changes. If you would like to offer me non-financial support, then sharing my stories with your friends or leaving a review for my stories on Royal Road, Scribble Hub, and Tapas will be helpful as it drives up engagement. If you decide to support me in any way, shape, or form, you have my utmost gratitude.

If you’ve read all that, thank you for your patience and for your understanding of my changing circumstances. My readers have always been the kindest people ever, and you have left me many nice comments over the years. Without you, I would have given up on translating a long time ago. From here on out, I hope I can continue to bring you entertainment with my original stories.

Yours,

Vanilla Muse

 

P.S. The next update for DLYE should be posted in three days time. As for my original story, I would like to get that out a.s.a.p. but I’ll need some time to outline the plot and write the story. I hope to have something out by September of this year.