iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 20h

Air flow is often critical for books. This may mean directed fans as well as humidity controls year round. If you value your books, try to save them. #writingcommunity #booksky #bookcases #savingbooks

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 20h

Don't buy more books if your current storage capability is full. You may need to downsize your collection in order to properly house your books. This means determining the best practices number and adhering to it. Read and release others. #writingcommunity #booksky #bookstorage #mold #mildew

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 20h

Older books have problems at an increasing rate. Making books 'look good' as decor is usually bad for the books. Think about your collection like an archivist would. Do you have direct sunlight on your books? Are your books foxing? Is there signs of moisture problems? #writingcommunity #booksky

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 20h

Have the right tools to clean and maintain your book collection. This may include: archival gloves, proper wipes, a vacuum and more. Keep your supplies in easy reach and schedule regular cleaning days each year to check on the condition of books. #writingcommunity #booksky #bookcases #books

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 20h

There are best practices when displaying and storing books. Avoid overcrowding. Create airspace. Dust regularly. Maintain proper environment (humidity). Take extra precautions if you have mold in the house. Here is some help: #writingcommunity #booksky #books ariellesbindery.com/2018/07/04/c...

ariellesbindery.com

Caring for Your Library (shelving & cleaning)

This blog post has been a long time in the making! I consulted several different articles, my bookbinding teacher, and the archival classes that I took during my MLIS degree. It’s not a stric…

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 20h

I suspect you have at least one bookcase in your home. Some of you have many. Let's talk about it. In a hoarded house there are serious issues of mold and dust against walls. Unfortunately, bookcases can contribute to these same issues in non-hoarded houses. #writingcommunity #booksky #bookcases

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 20h

Best way to get to know me is to read my posts. Thank you.

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 22h

Many other era writers were wholly dependent on patrons to fund their written works. Today, your only guardrails are those you impose on your own thinking.

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 22h

I don't do DMs here. You are welcome to comment on my posts.

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 22h

TALAS (a book binding company) put out a nifty video recently that I thought you might like. As book lovers, we all have dirty, filthy, grime-covered books. Tips on cleaning are always helpful. #writingcommunity #booksky #bookcleaning www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndl8...

youtube.com

How to Clean Old Books Safely | 3 Dry Cleaning Methods

YouTube video by TALAS

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 22h

John Steinbeck, a famous author, used as many as 60 cedar pencils a day. I often wonder about how writers of the last few centuries would have experienced computers and self publishing in particular. How did pencils change their works? #writingcommunity #booksky #pencils #writinglife #writers

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 22h

Remember to save your work frequently. Your autosave may fail. Use good habits to help yourself. It's just a click. A good habit is also a 3-part save routine. Send one in email to yourself. Save one to your computer and use a third external hard drive. #writingcommunity #booksky #saving #novels

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 22h

You will lose some of your writing. This can be simply an error. It will happen. Thing is, once you write something it exists in your brain so sit back down and go at it again. Your new version may be better than your first version. Stop yelling at yourself. #writingcommunity #booksky #writerlife

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 22h

I am doing some floor cleaning today and a bit of sorting in my garage. I need to do a bit each day until my help returns so that is my plan for the day. I also have Instacart coming in early evening. I order my groceries in at the moment. It helps. #busyday

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 22h

Good Morning Saturday Weekend Writers!!! Today is an excellent day to write on your novel. Shove chores aside and settle in for solving problems out in space or on distant planets. Or maybe you are chasing a murderer or riding the West. Have fun. PLAY!!! #writingcommunity #booksky #weekends #write

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I have the gas company coming by on Monday to light my furnace. We have a 20 degree drop warning for Sunday. There is light snow on the mountain. It's a warning. Today I enjoyed the quail horde that I feed every day, they are looking fat. :)

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Please do not spam my channel here. If you do so more than once I will block you.

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Take good notes and use systems to stay organized. You never want to send a story to the same market twice, that's embarrassing. On Friday's, check in with your business. Create a habit of checking all the details that like to fall into cracks. #writingcommunity #booksky #admin #business #stories

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

You may create market lists for short stories, poetry, nonfiction, foreign markets, anthologies and more. Set up each market list in a way that suits you the best. For each story use a story tracker so you know where you sent and when. #writingcommunity #booksky #marketlistings #shortstories

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

When you start writing shorts, poems, nonfiction you should create your market lists. You may have several. I use a spreadsheet, a very simple one, and put top paying markets at the top and then others in descending order. I will attach an old list here. #writingcommunity #booksky #markets

Sample of market list (note, this is OLD)

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Good Morning Friday Writers!!! Friday's are admin days. Mostly you should check in on all your submissions. Open your emails. Look for new contracts. Look for rejections. Send out rejected stories to the next market. Stay current on your business. #writingcommunity #booksky #admin #business

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I do not offer any audio versions at this time.

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I think there are both readers and listeners. I know that ONLY the books will give you book data which means you will be handling a book. Likely you can listen to an audio but you still need to do your book data with the book. #writingcommunity #booksky #audio #bookdata

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Likely you are in a process of refining your message to your readers. Most writers start off with a vague idea of what they really want to write. Over time, they bring these concepts into hardened focus. #writingcommunity #booksky

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I hope you can spend 2 hours today at your local library. Browse the stacks. Read the bulletin board. Sign up for upcoming events. Chat up the librarian. Check in on your books on order. Sit in their substandard lounge chairs and read a mag. People watch... #writingcommunity #booksky #libraries

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Teaching yourself to be current may not come easy. You may be circling back to older titles that you have read before that give you comfort. Reading as a fan is also not easy as you become more advanced as a writer. You will want to criticize. Don't. #writingcommunity #booksky #critique #reading

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Your agent is in the business of books, not films. You should have a reasonable idea what type of books in your genre are selling this year. You get this information by reading them yourself. There is no short cut here. Can you hold a good conversation about recent books? #writingcommunity #books

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Many new writers compare their novel to a movie. Let's say you note that your novel is a magical academy like in Harry Potter. This isn't a good comp. Harry Potter was published 30+ years ago and maybe you only saw the films and never read the books. #writingcommunity #booksky #harrypotter #comps

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Good Afternoon Thursday Writers!!! I encourage you to open Thursdays to reading, specifically your comp reading within your exact genre. You should be up to speed on who is writing what, how it reads, how it sells. With comps you limit your comp to 3 years - NEW. #writingcommunity #booksky #comps

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Translating that a bit...yes. In business terms we use ROI or return on investment to perceive attraction to your brand and your titles. Basically, when you do certain activities, something grows. #writingcommunity #booksky

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Look up short fiction markets. There are sites like Duotrope and many others to help you find markets suitable for what you write. #writingcommunity #booksky

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Deciding to do active promotion can be hard. Sort out your target audience, where you believe they find new titles and see how to fit into that opportunity. #writingcommunity #booksky

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

What is your fan-attracting process - to your writing?

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

attraction the action or power of drawing forth a response When writing you imbue your writing with your personal energy. This energy either attracts, repels or is neutral to others. What you want is to attract a positive response from other people. Practice. #writingcommunity #booksky #attract

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

You are trying to attract fans. Every online social media site offers opportunities to connect with new fans. Shape your writing efforts toward being attractive through your writing. * post frequently * interesting posts * fun posts * original posts #writingcommunity #booksky #attraction #energy

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Are you attractive? I don't mean physically, I mean online. As a writer you are literally in the business of attracting people to your writing. Online that is through posts you generate. How you shape your words, what you say, your tone and style are all important. #writingcommunity #booksky

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

the completion of my comment was by age 14. That is the percentage raped by age 14. In total or across adulthood I would guess the percentage to be higher although not using the 'rape' language, unwanted sexual assault would be a clearer standard.

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

this is the ongoing War on Women which escalated in 1963 when the birth control pill became available and women became empowered to say "NO" to men - since then rape culture has become fully visible and even more dangerous. Estimates say 87% of women have been sexually assaulted.

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Exactly. People are curious and may chase your data.

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

You won't become a good short story writer immediately. You need to write lots of them. Get comfortable. Change up your genre. Explore the wicked depths of your mind. Look for prompts and ideas. How good you get is 100% up to your efforts. Write one. #writingcommunity #booksky #shortstories

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Absolutely. A good short story will outlive its author and may also be optioned for films. #writingcommunity #booksky

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

When you release a self-published collection identify a print run for that book (including ebooks). You should have limitations on all works available. When you resell a story you identify in the contract where it currently exists and for how long or many. #writingcommunity #booksky #shortstories

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Some writers favor writing shorts that are connected. They can share a world or a theme, maybe a character. Doing this allows you to create your own collection later. You can reprint shorts after their rights return dates. You can resell ongoing. #writingcommunity #booksky #rightsreturns

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

To gain an approximate word count: count the number of words on an average full line of type. Count the number of lines on the page and multiply together. Count the number of pages and multiply again. This should give you a rough word count number. #writingcommunity #booksky #wordcount #writing

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

If you have never written a short story your first visit is to your local library. Find one or two short story collections, check them out and spend today reading them. They are short reads. Note the structure. Count the words and in particular note the landing. #writingcommunity #booksky #shorts

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Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Short stories are small engines that could. They continue to produce income years later as you sell them into different markets. Handled well, you should have a steady income from them monthly. But first, you must write them. Haven't written one??? #writingcommunity #booksky #shortstories #writer

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