Guides
Long-form guides for readers and translators — genre histories, trope explainers, reading lists and practical advice.
For readers
What Is Steampunk? A Reader's Guide to the Genre
Where steampunk came from, its sub-genres (gaslamp, dieselpunk, silkpunk), the classics that inspired it, and the best books to start with.
Reading guideSteampunk vs Gaslamp Fantasy vs Gothic: What's the Difference?
Three genres that share corsets and fog but not much else. How to tell steampunk, gaslamp fantasy and gothic fiction apart — with reading lists.
Reading guideM/M Romance: A Beginner's Guide to the Genre
What M/M romance is, where it came from, the sub-genres and tropes readers love, heat levels, key terms, and where to find the best books.
Reading guideParanormal Romance vs Urban Fantasy: How to Tell Them Apart
Vampires and werewolves appear in both — so what's the difference? A practical guide to paranormal romance and urban fantasy, with reading lists.
Reading guideRomance Heat Levels Explained: From Sweet to Scorching
Closed door, fade to black, open door, explicit: what romance heat levels mean, how they're labelled, and how to find books at the level you want.
Reading guideFree Gothic Classics to Read (and Hear) Today
The founding gothic novels and ghost stories — Otranto, Udolpho, Frankenstein, Carmilla, Dracula and more — free to read on Project Gutenberg and listen to on LibriVox.
Reading guideQueer Classics in the Public Domain
LGBTQ+ classics you can read free: Carmilla, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Orlando, The Well of Loneliness and more — with context on why they matter.
Reading guideThe Complete Guide to Romance Tropes
Every major romance trope explained — enemies to lovers, slow burn, fake dating, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine and more — with books for each.
Reading guideRomance Reader Glossary: HEA, HFN, DNF, TBR and More
What romance readers mean by HEA, HFN, DNF, TBR, ARC, POV, MMC, KU, closed door, slow burn and other bookish abbreviations.
Reading guideHow Long Does It Take to Read a Book?
Average reading speed, words per page and typical lengths of novels, novellas and romance books — plus a calculator for your own reading time.
For translators
How to Become a Literary Translator
A practical path into literary translation: languages, training, samples, finding publishers and indie authors, contracts, rates and professional associations.
Translation guideHow Translators Price Their Work: Per Word, Page, Line or Hour
Per-word, per-page (cartella), per-line (Normzeile) and hourly translation rates explained, what affects price, typical ranges by language group, and a cost calculator.
Translation guideText Expansion in Translation: Why Translations Get Longer
How much longer (or shorter) text becomes in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and other languages — and what it means for books, subtitles and UI.
Translation guideTranslating Romance Novels: Voice, Heat and Culture
What makes romance translation hard: forms of address, endearments, love scenes, humour, idioms and series consistency — practical advice for translators and authors.