Author documents four pre-launch blockers for a 371-page FreeBSD book: a JetBrains Mono glyph defect, hidden cover PDF layers, KDP’s silent VAT pricing, and a Kindle review queue hold.
Key Takeaways
JetBrains Mono’s 8 glyph has an unclosed Bezier path in the lower counter; invisible on screen, it fills in on matte paper and reads as 0.
Fix: open glyph editor, close the path, re-export a custom 4-style subset as “JetBrains Mono Fixed”, recompile all code listings, regenerate every PDF.
KDP’s “list price” input means net price; European book VAT is added silently at checkout (DE 7%, NL 9%, FR 5.5%), so a €90 entry shows €96.30. Corrections propagate in 12-72 hours.
Cover PDF invisible adjustment layers survive every on-screen review, then print as density shifts on the first physical copy; fix is flatten-and-re-export, not retouching.
Direct-order via Voss’scher Verlag bypasses Amazon’s Kindle queue and KDP propagation delays entirely.
Hacker News Comment Review
Significant skepticism about authenticity: domain registered February 2026, minimal prior web history, and a previous domain use flagged by one commenter; the AI-slop question dominated early replies.
DRM is a clear blocker for a segment of the audience; the secured EPUB/PDF model and absence of an unencumbered format drew immediate pushback.
Multiple commenters independently got pulled into a Space Invaders-style game embedded in the site, spending more time on the game than the launch post.
Notable Comments
@CrociDB: flagged domain registered Feb 2026, near-zero pre-2026 web archive, and AI-slop signals in site design and cover.
@tonyoconnell: linked sample chapters at vivianvoss.net; notes they “presented a very clear argument to select FreeBSD over Linux.”
@big_toast: linked the public earnings page; notes Amazon’s Kindle revenue share was higher than expected.
