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Melody Simpson

@melodysimpson.bsky.social
5.1K followers 508 following 137 posts

Writer. Founder of Melanin in YA (@melanininya.bsky.social), your source for all things Black in traditional young adult publishing. All things TV, movies, books, sci-fi, theatre, & theology. Los Angeles / Austin melodylsimpson.com

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Reposted by Melody Simpson
Samira Ahmed @samiraahmed.bsky.social · 1h
The Govt's Islamophobia is so overt and rampant that if you don't see it and aren't vehemently opposing it, either you're head is in a hole or you're just a bigot, too, and you should stop pretending you're anything else. *this is a post about the Democratic leadership
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Laekan Zea Kemp @laekanzeakemp.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
My Kidlit auction supporting @ginafortexas.bsky.social closes this Sunday & there are still 85 items with NO BIDS 🚨 This includes MG critique packages, PB critique packages, illustrator portfolio critiques & YA critique packages from authors & agents in trad pub. www.32auctions.com/organization...
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Locus Magazine @locusmag.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
2026 Ignyte Awards Winners locusmag.com/2026/10...
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Paramount has closed its $81 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating “Skydance”
apnews.com
Paramount and Warner Bros are now one Hollywood giant: Skydance. Here's how we got here
Skydance-owned Paramount has closed its $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday. The new Hollywood giant will have a shorter nametag: “Skydance.”
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EveryLibrary @everylibrary.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
IF YOU LIVE IN TEXAS AND WANT TO STOP BOOK BANS!! TAKE ACTION! Make your voice heard. Interim Hearing. October 7, 2026. Texas Capitol. Austin, TX. E1.028. Meeting starts at 8AM. buff.ly/3dLesWM
buff.ly
Share your SB 12 & SB 13 story with the Senate Education Committee.
Make your voice heard. Interim Hearing. October 7, 2026. Texas Capitol. Austin, TX. E1.028. Meeting starts at 8AM.
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Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 06/10/2026
Anti-Prime Day starts…NOW! 🥳 Today through midnight on 10/7, enjoy free shipping site-wide, all while supporting local, independent bookstores.
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
No truer words! Thanks for sharing!
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Lisa Krok @readonthebeach.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Narrators make or break a book for me. When you find ones you really like, look for them in other stories.
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Newly updated! Our comprehensive guide to Black Audiobook Narrators of traditionally published Black YA books (fiction & nonfiction). Helpful for audiobook listeners looking for their next fave narrator & authors creating shortlists for their future audiobooks! VISIT melanininya.com/narrators
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Mara Wilson @marawilson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
New favorite negative audiobook review: the woman who criticized the Transatlantic accent I did for the part of an aging 1940s starlet, because she thinks I’m British and making fun of Americans
“Loving every conversation (Ms Marple is a triumph), the setting, the line of characters (-Sylvia), the connections between them, motives, 1st person narrations. However the accent on Sylvia is offensive, no American says "Baby"like that. Do Brits think we have speech impairments? I listen to Brit mysteries daily and this is the worst American accent. I will have to skip her chapters entirely next listen. Love overall!”
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
🖤🖤🖤
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Keala Kendall @kealakendall.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
If you’ve ever used Melanin in YA, you know it’s an invaluable resource for Black creatives and readers. The founder has funded this out-of-pocket for years but they need the writing community's help to keep operations running and scale up. (1/2)
gofundme.com
Donate to Support Melanin in YA's Expansion, organized by Melody Simpson
Melanin in YA , your source for all things Black in traditional young adult publishin… Melody Simpson needs your support for Support Melanin in YA's Expansion
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Are you querying or will you soon be querying your YA novel? Looking for a Black Literary Agent? Here's a comprehensive list of Black Literary Agents who currently rep &/or are seeking YA Lit. Stay up to date on who they are, when they're open to queries & more! melanininya.com/agents
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Apologies if you're seeing this for the millionth time but please help support the work of this very necessary database in a time when Black literature is starting to become overlooked in the way that it was pre2020. We can't let that happen. Please support. Thanks! www.gofundme.com/f/support-me...
gofundme.com
Donate to Support Melanin in YA's Expansion, organized by Melody Simpson
Melanin in YA , your source for all things Black in traditional young adult publishin… Melody Simpson needs your support for Support Melanin in YA's Expansion
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Apologies if you're seeing this for the millionth time but please help support the work of this very necessary database in a time when Black literature is starting to become overlooked in the way that it was pre2020. We can't let that happen. Please support. Thanks! www.gofundme.com/f/support-me...
gofundme.com
Donate to Support Melanin in YA's Expansion, organized by Melody Simpson
Melanin in YA , your source for all things Black in traditional young adult publishin… Melody Simpson needs your support for Support Melanin in YA's Expansion
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Reposted by Melody Simpson
Writing Excuses @writingexcuses.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Join us tomorrow, on September 22nd, for a Q&A with Mary Robinette Kowal on Zoom via our Patreon. Free trial available for our Q&A tier!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Incredible!!!!!!!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Hi! My suggestion would be to describe the girl in the beginning to make her 3 dimensional. Other than that, great pitch!!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This is great!! So intriguing at the end! Good luck!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This sounds wonderful! Good luck!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This is fantastic!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
NOW THIS IS IT!!!! Yes!!!!! Talk about setting the scene and stakes! Amazing.
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Love this! I hope someone snatches this up!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This is great, it's so much fun, & you immediately know what the vibes are. As a sci-fi fan, if I were an agent, I'd definitely look at this. That said, for those who need a bit more, consider another pitch that gives us unique stakes that makes this stand out from other stories like this.
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This is fantastic! If I were an agent, I would want this in a heartbeat. That said, you've hooked who you've needed to initially but for those who may want a bit more, I'd suggest a second pitch that gives us more of an indication of what could unfold if the aliens are or aren't found. More stakes.
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This is SO intriguing! My suggestion would to be have a second pitch that starts with the dying man and is punchier and ends with the comp of A24 --> folk horror portion.
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This is great! My only suggestion would to be to have a second pitch that pulls out the stakes more and possibly includes comps (even if it's movie or TV comps and not a book comp).
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#DVpit - Diverse Voices Pitch @dvpit.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
ICYMI: UPDATED DATES! Due to a holiday on September 21st, we have expanded PreDV to be 2 days long! You can post your pitch practices on both September 21 & 22, 2026 from 8-5PM ET!
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#DVpit - Diverse Voices Pitch @dvpit.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
More amazing #PreDV volunteers who will help critique pitches on Sept 21-22! Thank you to: @melodysimpson.bsky.social @leslieadame.bsky.social @maxinegkaplan.bsky.social @amparoortiz.bsky.social @ltthompsonbooks.bsky.social @seanarcherx.bsky.social #dvpit
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Agented Writers! Are you on submission or will you soon be going on sub with a YA book? Looking to work with a Black Editor at a traditional publisher? Check out my guide of Black Editors accepting YA Lit. Stay up to date on who they are, what they are looking for & more! melanininya.com/editors
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
TAKE 2: I'm determined to expand Melanin in YA, your source for all things Black in traditional young adult publishing & I ain't too proud to beg! If you'd like to support THE ultimate resource for all things Black in YA, please share/donate. Thank you! NEW LINK: www.gofundme.com/f/support-me...
gofundme.com
Donate to Support Melanin in YA's Expansion, organized by Melody Simpson
Melanin in YA , your source for all things Black in traditional young adult publish… Melody Simpson needs your support for Support Melanin in YA's Expansion
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Did you know... Between 2015-2026 (to date), only 73 YA books by Black Authors appeared on the NYT Bestsellers List. 13 Black YA Authors debuted between 2015-2019. 29 debuted 2020-2026. That's 69% of Black YA Authors who debuted in or after 2020. More stats at melanininya.com/nyt-hardcover
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I’m the creator of Melanin in YA, a database dedicated to featuring all things Black in traditional YA publishing. I’m asking for your $ help, with a roadmap so that you can see the work that will continue to go into elevating Melanin in YA. See roadmap here: melanininya.com/2026/09/04/m...
melanininya.com
Melanin in YA: The Roadmap
Building the future of connection in Black young adult storytelling. Hello Friends, Where has the time gone? I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all had quite an interesting handful of …
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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 06/09/2026
Guidance from the @authorsguild.org on navigating the Anthropic settlement claims portal; they also offer guidance for authors of educational works, and why authors w/ rights reversions may be seeing publisher claims authorsguild.org/news/importa...
authorsguild.org
Important Information Regarding Anthropic Copyright Settlement Claim Notices
As part of the claims reconciliation process in the Anthropic copyright class action lawsuit, the settlement administrator sent out notices this week to all claimants summarizing each of their claims,...
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Thank you so much!!!! Much appreciated! Truly. 🖤
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Thank you for any and all support. Also, be sure to follow @melanininya.bsky.social as that account will come to life soon! Thank you!!! Happy reading!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
If you're an individual/org interested in financially supporting Melanin in YA, you can do so via ko-fi (ko-fi.com/melanininya) or email info@melanininya.com. A full pitch deck is available for those who support on the higher end. More on that at this link. Thanks! melanininya.com/our-vision-f...
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I’m the creator of Melanin in YA, a database dedicated to featuring all things Black in traditional YA publishing. I’m asking for your $ help, with a roadmap so that you can see the work that will continue to go into elevating Melanin in YA. See roadmap here: melanininya.com/2026/09/04/m...
melanininya.com
Melanin in YA: The Roadmap
Building the future of connection in Black young adult storytelling. Hello Friends, Where has the time gone? I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all had quite an interesting handful of …
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I’m asking publicly for support because traditional funding avenues have not been sustainable in regards to taking Melanin in YA to the next level. So what is the ask? Can you please share/like the next post or this whole thread to boost visibility? Thank you!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Bottom line, it’s been on pause because Melanin in YA needs to scale in order to be consistently maintained. I can't do it alone & I can no longer afford to pay temp volunteers. If you can share this with the hopes that someone with $ who values Black storytelling sees this, I would thrilled!
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The goal is and always will be doing what I can to help Black storytelling reach audiences at scale. I’ve heard from many people over the years regarding how much Melanin in YA has helped them, even during its hiatus. But I know it can do so much more. How can I get there, though?
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
If you don’t know, Melanin in YA (melanininya.com) is a growing database and media platform dedicated to increasing the visibility and discoverability of traditionally published Black YA authors/books and the whole Black young adult trad publishing ecosystem.
melanininya.com
Melanin in YA
Your resource for all things Black in YA
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Hello! Melanin in YA update! A lot of time has passed, a lot has changed but one constant is that Melanin in YA has survived! And continues to! Woo! You all have constantly reminded me that the value of Melanin in YA cannot be denied. And so we go!
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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 27/08/2025
Hey, I have had some questions about who is allowed to file. Here is the class certification:
1. The following LibGen & PiLiMi Pirated Books Class is CERTIFIED:
All beneficial or legal copyright owners of the exclusive right to reproduce copies of any book in the versions of LibGen or PiLiMi downloaded by Anthropic. "Book" refers to any work possessing an
ISBN or ASIN which was registered with the United States Copyright Office within five years of the work's publication and which was registered with the United States Copyright Office before being downloaded by Anthropic, or within three months of publication.
Excluded are the directors, officers and employees of Anthropic, personnel of federal agencies, and district court personnel.
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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 27/08/2025
Hi authors! Please remember to file a claim!
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Desiree S. Evans @literarydesiree.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
Today August 15th is the last day to cast your vote for the Ignyte Awards! Go here to vote: ignyteawards.fiyahlitmag.com/vote
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merr-itt came from outer space @merrittk.com · 03/08/2025
"i just use AI for-" say no more, i already think less of you
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Melody Simpson @melodysimpson.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Not my bro saying Oprah said “Look under you car, I’m putting life jackets there!” 💀💀💀
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