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Cislyn Smith

@cislyn.bsky.social
1.6K followers 971 following 2K posts

Writer, editor, crafty person. Frequently covered in cat hair, often wearing many hats. Dream Foundry, Flights of Foundry, Small Wonders Magazine

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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 1h
Saaaaame. It's such a thrill!
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 2h
I think it's a combo of trying to sound posh and trying to claim that they're Bigger And Better than anything that came before so they know best. Don't we want to go big? No, I'd rather go home, thanks.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 2h
I think they're really winging it. There's no master plan, just try to get away with as much as they can at any given moment and see what sticks. It's shit spaghetti thrown at a wall, but we're the wall, and it sucks.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 2h
It really is. It's exhausting trying to keep up with all the crap they pull, and I really do worry about folks who aren't as connected in the field being taken in by this nonsense and the excitement of making a sale.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 2h
I mean, gawsh, their lawyers are INTERNATIONAL and we're just so provincial about things, or something. Ugh. The WORST. These people, even if they do back pedal or offer better contracts, are not ones I'd EVER want to do business with. And it's a shame. I really wanted to get in their magazines.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 2h
What I don’t understand is the business sense behind these decisions. Ok, you want to be an IP farm? You still need subscribers and people submitting and a reputation that isn’t garbage. Also, don’t be an IIP farm ew what the actual fuck man.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 2h
It’s insultingly awful. They have gotten SO much feedback and patience and good will from this community and they’re still trotting out BS like this. Suuuuure your lawyers say it’s impossible. Everyone else has just been wrong forever huh? 🤔
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 2h
My understanding (and I’m not a SFWA member, just on the sidelines here) is that the contracts committee and MRM exchanged some emails, and MRM never agreed to a standard contract for everyone with no moral rights waivers. They got notes all right. And ignored them.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 2h
“…based on notes we received from SFWA’s contracts committee” is doing a lot of lying work here. MRM is using their correspondence with SFWA for reputation laundering and it’s gross.
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Small Wonders @smallwondersmag.com · 08/10/2026
A must read thread about Must Read Magazines (Asimov's, Analog, F&SF, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine). Authors, if you don't understand your contract: don't sign. Ask. Many folks in this community will help decipher legalese! These rights grabs are very bad.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Condolences 💜 My dad passed last year. If you want to talk or vent or anything, my dms are open. Thinking of you.
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Usman T. Malik @usmantm.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Elise Tobler, editor of the fabled SHIMMER magazine and now THE DEADLANDS is hospitalized after cancer and an infection. She made SFF an inclusive, interesting place and broke out many authors. Help if u can gofund.me/6ea1bf7a4
gofund.me
Donate to Help Support Elise While She Recovers, organized by Sean Markey
hello. friends if you're reading this, you're likely a Friend of The Deadl… Sean Markey needs your support for Help Support Elise While She Recovers
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I could, in fact, make this happen. Teaaaaaaaaaaa
screengrab of a menu featuring "Bucket Signature Milk Tea" "Hand-held bucket milk tea. Choice of sugar levels." with a picture of an absolutely normal not-bucket cup of tea next to it. It does come in a bucket, though. I've done this before.
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Small Wonders @smallwondersmag.com · 05/10/2026
We're starting out spooky month strong with "Mess" by Rose Maxwell! What if you could remove all the messy parts from yourself, literally? Would you see the appeal?
smallwondersmag.com
Mess - Small Wonders
Something about the procedure, the magic, keeps me conscious as she cuts. The pain grips my throat, makes me want to throw up even as it pins me in place.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I think maaaaybe both. I'm gonna order a fancy cupcake. <3
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I did a super hard adult thing today (got the CPA the documents I could manage for dad's final tax return - I at least managed to file the extension back in april, but geeeez). I hate this shit. But now I get a treat, right? That's how this works?
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I did MATH for this one 😂 (just to make sure I had enough of everything and cut the strips correctly)
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I’ll be using a cane for at least the next six months, and I refuse to be boring. Did you know they make duct tape in all kinds of colors? Now you do!
A fully ridiculous bedazzled cane, wrapped in silver holographic duct tape with spirals and rings of rainbow rhinestones. A helpful black cat sniffs the finished product.A look down the shaft of the cane, showing off the glittery duct tape, the rings of rhinestones, and two long lines of rhinestones down the back opposite the adjustable holes. Also visible: a gorgeous bright sunny day through porch screens
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Ooooo
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I asked! "I want to be sure I understand the injury - this is three fractures? That's what you said last time." NP: "Yes, it's three." I'm nearly four months into this and I can't get a straight answer about how many breaks there are in my ankle. What the heck?!
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Good news: my ankle is healing well! WTF news: it turns out that it's FOUR breaks, not three? Looking at the results from my latest x-ray it lists medial malleolar, posterior malleolar, and anterolateral tibial plafond fractures AND a nondisplaced fracture along the tip of the fibula.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Today’s moment of tiny wonder: moth wing
A ragged moth wing, yellow and brown, resting on a blue woven surface. The textures are all very evident.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I turned out ok. <3
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
One year today without dad. Feeling weird today, but mostly in an anxious and tense way (which is at least a familiar mode). He had an infectious smile. Miss that guy.
An older white guy in glasses, wearing a brown leather bomber jacket and a fedora hat. He's grinning at the camera.An older white guy in sunglasses, using a portable oxygen tank, seatbelted into a car. There's an ambulance in the background - he just got released from rehab and is grinning at the thought of going home.An older white guy wearing glasses, standing at a walker and wearing a portable oxygen tank in the parking lot of a medical marijuana store. He looks like he is giggling, and is absolutely tickled with himself for being able to get drugs.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
X-rays and a check-up on the broken ankle today and I am officially released from the boot! I still need to be bracing, but this is really great. Now I just need to build strength and stamina again. The tibial breaks are still healing up, but the medial malleolus break is nice and clean now.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
It was just a cute thing also in the package! Though carrying around a small skull to bust out with occasionally is definitely a thing I would (will) do
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Got some @peculiarityshop.bsky.social goodies today!
Cislyn, a white woman with blue and purple hair, modeling a tiny guillotine necklace with two red sparkly beads dangling from it. A ring with a deep blue stone in a silver textured settingA shiny skull sitting on a hand wearing two silver rings - one with a blue stone so dark it looks black, and the other a black enamel and cz band that is simply gorgeous
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Christine Beeton @christinebeeton.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This is not a hand-painted glass sculpture, it's a Namib sand gecko. So so cute. 📷Dorob National Park, #Namibia, April 2026 #Reptiles #Herps #CutestCritterAlive #Geckos #Wildlife #Nature #Photography #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography
This might be the cutest living critter ever. A little translucent gecko with pink webbed feet, a body that's pink, orange, blue, and yellow. The biggest yellow and black eyes, and a pink, orange and blue smiley faceThis might be the cutest living critter ever. A little translucent gecko with pink webbed feet, a body that's pink, orange, blue, and yellow. The biggest yellow and black eyes, and a pink, orange and blue smiley faceThis might be the cutest living critter ever. A little translucent gecko with pink webbed feet, a body that's pink, orange, blue, and yellow. The biggest yellow and black eyes, and a pink, orange and blue smiley faceThis might be the cutest living critter ever. A little translucent gecko with pink webbed feet, a body that's pink, orange, blue, and yellow. The biggest yellow and black eyes, and a pink, orange and blue smiley face
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Brian Jay Jones @brianjayjones.com · 24/09/2026
Jim Henson would have been 90 (yup, you read that right: NINETY) years old today. You can celebrate his life by celebrating creativity, diversity, peace, imagination, and silliness.
A tuxedoed Jim Henson sits in a sea of Muppets.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
💯 All my cats help keep me invisible. They won't move from my lap, so I can't go outside to be seen!
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Blizzara doing her best to help me be invisible again.
A mostly white tabby cat with brown spots in her hear and right ear is climbed up onto my shoulder, mostly obscuring my face. You can see my forehead and a little purple hair and a tiny bit of my glasses. All else is cat.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Oh it’s bisexual visibility day? Dang it I forgot people would be able to see me today. Gonna have to reschedule those heists for tomorrow.
A thoroughly visible white woman with purple and blue hair, wearing big round framed glasses and a maroon sweatshirt.
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Small Wonders @smallwondersmag.com · 23/09/2026
.Angel L🏳️‍⚧️ is back with a poem about a child learning about their coyote father from their mother, and about how they will always have a place with her. "You are not the mistake of my body. You are my only forgiveness of his touch."
smallwondersmag.com
Single Mothers and Coyote Fathers - Small Wonders
Mother: “Where night is full of hungry mouths, / I lost my dream. I gave it to a coyote passing."
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It is also the time of my traditional post-Flights cold. Only I can manage to get con crud from a virtual convention every year. (It's a post-adrenaline crash thing. Still sucks though.)
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Happy Hobbit Day (Bilbo's birthday), Happy Autumnal Equinox, Happy National Elephant Appreciation Day, Happy Car Free Day, Happy World Rhino Day. Now I want to write a story combining these in a meaningful way...
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Windhorse @windhorse.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Today, September 22, is Bilbo Baggins' birthday, known colloquially in the 4th Age as Hobbit Day. To celebrate properly I recommend a party outdoors with plenty of ale and Longbottom Leaf, followed by your local wizard performing a spectacular fireworks display. Speeches optional.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
It was a good convention. ❤️ See you next year, Flock and Squawk. (Nope, never giving up that Squawk thing. It's too good). Thank you for a marvelous 60 hours that were really more like 260ish. I can't count now, but it's something like that. Thank you for another great year.
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Flights of Foundry @flightsoffoundry.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Hey-o it's nearly the FINAL hour of the convention! Dun dun DUN! As in, we're nearly done done done. But you don't have to be! Get a ticket! Yes, to an event almost over. You'll thank me later. Because you can still go see all the amazing sessions! www.accelevents.com/e/flights-of...
accelevents.com
Flights of Foundry, Fri, Sep 18th, 2026 @ 11:59 AM Accelevents
The most expansive conference for speculative creatives is back!With round-the-clock programming, global attendance, and conversations covering every medium, you won't want to miss out on our seventh year of Flights of Foundry.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Yeah, I'm absolutely certain The Economy has a lot to do with things. It's just frustrating at times. Please, please do not take any of my hat in hand asking for money to at ALL mean that those free tier tickets aren't entirely sincere and THERE TO BE USED. Because they are. That's the point.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I mean, we raised more money when we were on WebEx, y'all. The platform that caused several volunteers and participants to swear they were never coming back if we used it again. You can see why I'm a little demoralized, yeah? 😅
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K.M. Veohongs @kmveohongs.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
yes, I have been to the big in-person cons and yet somehow FoF has the BEST programming in terms of breadth and depth that I’ve ever seen. Please donate!
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Thank you! The team this year is Jessica, Me, Rose Ciesla, Nick Davies, and Ellana ... I wasn't kidding when I said we were lean :D
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
❤️ Thank you!
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
❤️ Thank you! I hope to see you next year!
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Y'all, I want this. I want to blow our goals away. I want to see numbers that make it easy to do even better event next year. I want to see numbers that make Dream Foundry's executive director feel silly for worrying. Can we do that? I dunno. But there's my ask. flights-of-foundry.org/donate/
A teal background overwhich the Flights of Foundry logo is hovering in the middle. Gryphons are dancing all around it. Hoodini the barn owl gryphon at the top next to Toast the cockatiel gryphon. Barthlomew the harpy eagle gryphon and Swooperton the bald eagle grypon on the bottom. The word DONATE is in the middle.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
We're nowhere close currently. We're sitting at ~14k. 17k is where we stop sweating, because that at least reaches last year levels... 20k is where we start perking up. Me? I'd like to see so much more. I'll take it if we can just stop sweating. I'd love to perk up. Doing more though...
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I'm not saying FoF is imminently going away. I AM saying that it's a harsh and painful reality that we've gotta throw money at the things we value if we want them to stick around. And I am saying it's been harder and harder to meet targets. And I really want to blow away our goals this year.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I love Flights of Foundry. I want it to keep flying for many, many years to come. But if it's not an effective *fundraiser*, then the organization it's supporting truly won't be able to afford the time, effort, and cost of it. If you want more? Put money in. flights-of-foundry.org/donate/
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Flights of Foundry is a hard event to run, because we make so many intentional design decisions, and we take care and effort to get it as right as we can. It's also a little heart breaking when donation amounts go *down* year over year, when I think we're getting better and better. That stings.
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Cislyn Smith @cislyn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
If Flights of Foundry means something to you, if you've gotten something out of it - whether that's inspiration for a project or a friendship or good memories or the comfort of knowing someone out there is designing events like this... Put some money in, please. flights-of-foundry.org/donate/
flights-of-foundry.org
Donate – Flights of Foundry
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