iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

NEW WEBSITE AND NEWSLETTER After five years of writing sci-fi, it's about time I created a newsletter for my readers! If you’re a sci-fi fan, please subscribe at philbaileyauthor.com/about. My first newsletter is coming next week, with details on TWO NEW NOVELS I’m publishing this fall. #booksky

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Happy Canada Day! Bryan Adams released a song today that celebrates Canada and our rejection of annexation. It's worth sharing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyyF...

youtube.com

Bryan Adams - '51st State' (Official Lyric Video)

YouTube video by Bryan Adams

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Now that I've completed the first draft of my next (5th) novel, I'm working on the back cover text. I'd be grateful for any feedback on my first attempt (in the accompanying image). Would it make you interested in reading the book? Do you see any ways to tighten it up? Any errors? Thank you.

An image of my proposed back cover text. Here is the text:

As a deportation officer, Theo Beaumont is proud to serve The Regime in its mission to rid the Earth of extraterrestrial immigrants.

With the world on the brink of economic collapse, The Regime cancels its costly deportations and starts hunting down and killing all remaining immigrants of the morphian, silverskin, and nocturne species.

Despite being haunted by the death of a nocturne child in his custody, Theo suppresses his doubts and continues to serve until he learns he has a hidden sister who was committed to a psychiatric institution for her illicit relationship with a morphian.

Theo transfers to The Regime’s Undercover Corps and infiltrates a group of rebels who assist extraterrestrials to escape Earth. Theo soon realizes rebels aren’t the bloodthirsty terrorists they were portrayed to be, leaving him with a stark choice: He can report the rebels to his superiors, resulting in their execution and his promotion, or he can face grave danger by joining the rebels to escape Earth along with his newfound sister and a desperate group of extraterrestrial fugitives.

The Eyes of a Nocturne Child is a gripping story of shifting perspectives, found family, and a flawed man’s quest for redemption in a world fraught with blind hate and ignorance.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 14 (FINAL!) 👍 Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 1,940 Word Count to Date: 57,204 Comment: FINISHED! This is my final weekly report for this book because my first draft is complete! 😃😃😃

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 13 Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 5,128 Word Count to Date: 55,264 Comment: Working on the final chapter. Hoping to finish the first draft this coming week!

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 12 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,135 Word Count to Date: 50,136 Comment: I've exceeded my goal of 50K words, but I'm just a chapter or two from finishing the story!

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

When you see me, or any other members of my species, please don't refer to us as "alien." We non-humans consider the word "alien" to be a derogatory slur. The word is often used to describe something that doesn’t belong—something strange and unwelcome or offensive or damaging.

Text, "I am an extraterrestrial. I am NOT an alien!", displayed above an image of Kelvoo, an extraterrestrial from Phil Bailey's book, Kelvoo's Testimonial.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 11 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,315 Word Count to Date: 46,001 Comment: Just one more chapter to write after the current one. Should be finished the first draft in a couple of weeks.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Breakfast this morning has inspired me so much, I am moved to compose poetry: When you eat your Raisin Bran, eat it fast. Don't savour it. Don't make it last. If you don't down it in a hurry, you'll have to down a brown bran slurry! 🤢

A nearly empty bowl with some remaining Raisin Bran and milk.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 10 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 5,560 Word Count to Date: 41,686 Comment: A good, productive week. Well into the tension-filled part of the plot, which makes the writing more enjoyable.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 9 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child (novella) Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 3,307 Word Count to Date: 36,126 Comment: Not a huge word count this week, but the story is at a pivotal point, so I'm taking my time to get it right.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Writing with generative AI is not just unethical, it'll rot your brain too! AI Use Appears to Have a "Boiling Frog" Effect on Human Cognition, New Study Warns share.google/OQwfyrbecfKR...

share.google

AI Use Appears to Have a "Boiling Frog" Effect on Human Cognition, New Study Warns

A new study claims to offer the first causal link between AI dependency and cognitive erosion. Researchers warn of long-term implications.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I've just learned that Draft2Digital has started charging a $20 fee for new accounts, and a $12 annual maintenance fee, payable by authors who earn less than $12 in royalties in a year. I've complained via their contact form and encourage other authors to do the same at: draft2digital.com/contact/

The top section of D2Ds contact form with "Suggestion" selected as the support category and my first book as the selected book title.

The contents of the "Message" prompt in D2Ds support form where I suggest D2D reverses its decision, which it announced on its blog and not via emailed notification. I expressed my regret at using their service, which I had hoped would help me cut ties with Amazon's Kindle Unlimited. I compared their greed with Amazon's and concluded with "Shame on you!"

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 8 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 6,871 Word Count to Date: 32,819 Comment: My post productive week yet - more than double last week's word count!

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 7 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 3,333 Word Count to Date: 25,948 Comment: Not a very productive week, but I should have more time in the coming days.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 6 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,152 Word Count to Date: 22,615 Comment: My story is starting to take on a life of its own. This is when the story is becoming really enjoyable to write.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 5 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 3,470 Word Count to Date: 18,463 Comment: The plot is well underway, so this story might become a novella instead of a full novel. We'll see how it goes. 🙂

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

I think author scammers are getting lazy. Here are two emails, sent 1 hour and 13 minutes apart. The first one starts, "Hi Info," probably because my email address starts with "info". In the second one, he addresses me by my last name. Also, his email address changed between message 1 and 2. 🙄😆

A screen shot of the first of two emails from a scammer, offering to feature my book in a broadcast.

A screen shot of the second of two emails from a scammer, offering to feature my book in a broadcast.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 4 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,066 Word Count to Date: 14,993 Comment: It looks as though I've settled into a pattern of writing about 3,500 - 4,500 words per week.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 3 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 3,927 Word Count to Date: 10,927 Comment: I would have written more, but this week, my elderly mother was admitted to hospital 45 minutes away (she's doing fine).

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 2 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 4,917 Word Count to Date: 7,000 Comment: My word count to date is not an approximation. It just happens to be exactly 7,000 at the moment!

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

WIP FIRST DRAFT WORD COUNT REPORT - Week 1 Working Title: The Eyes of a Nocturne Child Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian Word Count this Week: 2,083 Word Count to Date: 2,083 Comment: Not a huge word count, but I'm just getting started and this was only a partial week.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

WEEKLY DISPATCH FROM THE QUERY TRENCHES Novel: Opportunia, by Phil Bailey Week 6 (final report) --------- Queries Sent: 3 Replies: 4 Rejections: 4 To Date --------- Queries Sent: 82 Replies: 15 Rejections: 15 continued . . .

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Reposting the following to make a correction: A PRAYER FOR THE MAGA The MAGA are growing more anxious while their leaders are falling apart. For their fear starts to mount that they’ll have to account for the evil they help to impart.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

This amazing offer ENDS IN TWO DAYS. You can get 13 great alien sci-fi novels by 13 outstanding indie authors for just $25 (US)! My own debut novel, Kelvoo's Testimonial, is included in this bundle! Please have a look at: storybundle.com/aliens

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

WEEKLY DISPATCH FROM THE QUERY TRENCHES Novel: Opportunia, by Phil Bailey Week 5 --------- Queries Sent: 17 Replies: 2 Rejections: 2 To Date --------- Queries Sent: 79 Replies: 11 Rejections: 11

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

WEEKLY DISPATCH FROM THE QUERY TRENCHES Novel: Opportunia, by Phil Bailey Week 4 --------- Queries Sent: 16 Replies: 4 Rejections: 4 To Date --------- Queries Sent: 62 Replies: 9 Rejections: 9

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Here's what I saw on my morning dog walk! Location: Van Isle Marina, Sidney BC (Vancouver Island, Canada).

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Timeline cleanse: My dog, May, performing her latest trick - sitting and standing AT THE SAME TIME!!! Not much of a trick, but at least it's a momentary distraction.

My dog, sitting on a stairway landing with her hind legs, while her front legs are standing on the stair that's one step down.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

DISPATCH FROM THE QUERY TRENCHES Novel: Opportunia, by Phil Bailey Week 3 --------- Queries Sent: 15 Replies: 3 Rejections: 3 To Date -------- Queries Sent: 46 Replies: 5 Rejections: 5 #querytrenches

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Just a reminder that you can get 13 sci-fi ebooks, written by 13 talented indie authors, for as little as $25 (US)! As a bonus, my own Kelvoo's Testimonial novel is included! 😁 Please keep in mind that the offer ends on February 12th. Purchase/Download at: www.storybundle.com/aliens

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

I'm honored to have my book (Kelvoo's Testimonial) included in this amazing bundle!

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

DISPATCH FROM THE QUERY TRENCHES Novel: Opportunia, by Phil Bailey Week 2 --------- Queries Sent: 18 Replies: 2 Rejections: 2 To Date -------- Queries Sent: 31 Replies: 2 Rejections: 2 #querytrenches

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Interested in 13 quality sci-fi ebooks from 13 amazing indie authors? Offered through StoryBundle, you can get the three featured books for $5 or all 13 for $25 (US prices). I'm delighted to have my novel, Kelvoo's Testimonial, among the 10 bonus books. PURCHASE LINK: storybundle.com/alien…

An image of the covers of each book in the bundle. They are:

Featured Books:
The Gunn Files by M.G. Herron
Welcome to the Occupied States of America by Peter Cawdron
Shadows of Divinity by Luke Mitchess

Bonus Books:
Alien People by John Coon
Dissonance by Aaron Ryan
Kelvoo's Testimonial by Phil Bailey (me)
Contact US by Al Macy
Shadows of the Past by Eric Goebelbecker
Invasion by Joshua James
The World in My Hands by Nick Snape
Sleepers by Darcy Pattison
The Return of the Martians by Mark Hood
Eclipsing the Aurora by Peter J. Foote

An image of the covers of each book in the bundle, in a larger format than the other image.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

DISPATCH FROM THE QUERY TRENCHES Novel: Opportunia, by Phil Bailey Week 1 --------- Queries Sent: 13 Replies: 0 Rejections: 0 Remarks: Zero rejections! Woo-hoo (I guess). Stay tuned for weekly updates. #querytrenches

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

New year, new novel! My previous sci-fi novels were self-published. This time, I'm going to try to get my newest one, Opportunia, traditionally published. I have a list of 105 agents and I've just sent queries to the first two. Wish me luck! 🤞

A stack of paper containing a printed copy of each major version of the manuscript for my latest novel, Opportunia.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

One day at work, I jokingly said, "sometimes, I think my job is to take the blame for anything that goes wrong." "Yeah, said a co-worker. I blame Phil for my parents getting divorced." "That may be true," I replied, "but your mom was REALLY GOOD!"

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

FOLLOW ME 💙📚 All readers and writers and literary types; creators from far and close by. I beg thee to follow me, for I must lift my follower count to the sky . . .

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Can anyone (maybe @scifiscavenger.bsky.social) think of a recent sci-fi novel about a person who eagerly moves to a planet or place with little or no government, where corporations rule everything, only to find oppression and a miserable existence? continued . . .

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Another day, another book marketing scammer message. This time, I actually bothered to reply. BTW, what do you think of his email address? Seems to me like a legit handle for a book club curator! 😆

The message from the scammer:

Dear Kelvoo,

I’m David, curator of the Arlington Books and Wine Club. Our community gathers to explore books that spark reflection and meaningful conversation.

Your work has the rare quality of moving beyond the page, inviting readers into deeper thought and dialogue. We would be honored to share it with our members and feature it in our upcoming reading series.

Would you be interested in connecting with our club?

Warm regards,
David A. Martin
Curator | Arlington Books and Wine Club

My reply to the scammer:

Dear David,

As much as I value book clubs and a nice bottle of wine, I must decline your generous offer. You see, my book has been so successful, I just can't handle any further success, and I wouldn't want to be greedy by taking any more.

A notorious man once said, “We’re gonna win so much, you may even get tired of winning. And you’ll say, ‘Please, please. It’s too much winning. We can’t take it anymore."

Alas, that is where I find myself today.

P.S. Kelvoo is not my name. It's the name of my main character in three of my books, none of which you have identified in your message.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

Here's one of my favourite lines from my WIP, "Opportunia": "There's only a few who can write good an' talk proper."

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Rewrites are hard. A couple of months ago my beta readers reacted to my WIP, "Opportunia". While my main character is supposed to be unlikeable, most readers thought he is far TOO UNLIKEABLE for many people to read beyond part 1. Continued. . . 📚💙

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Reposted by Phil Bailey

Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Let us in. Hold ICE accountable. Tear down the fence. This is what we are demanding from the Broadview ICE facility, and nothing less. Our leaders can decide whether they stand with the people or with ICE. There is no middle ground.

355136214506

Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

I've just posted my three favourite reads of 2025 to shepherd.com, consisting of work by @pcawdron.bsky.social, @tktoppin.bsky.social, and Bonnie Garmus (who doesn't seem to be on BlueSky). Check out my reasons at the link below: shepherd.com/bboy/2025/f/...

shepherd.com

Want to know Phil Bailey's Top 3 Books of 2025?

Phil's top 3 reads of 2025 include The Oracle and two other amazing books. Discover what makes these books unmissable!

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

Congratulations to @pcawdron.bsky.social for another excellent first contact #sciencefiction novel. I enjoyed it immensely and heartily recommend it. You'll find the relevant details in this screen shot.

A written, five-star review of The Oracle by Peter Cawdron, from Goodreads. The full text is available at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8022273275

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A moment of zen in a crazy world. Sunrise over Sidney, BC

A glorious sunrise with pink and orange tinged clouds reflected on water. The leaves of a tree hang over the top of the image as ducks and geese swim on the water.

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

When I'm not working on my latest novel, I enjoy flying my drone to record scenic videos. I shot some wonderful sights on a recent road trip to the Yukon. I hope you enjoy this selection of some of the best clips, and I hope it brings you a little calm in this crazy world. youtu.be/rVlee0vE-Ik

youtu.be

Droning around Northern BC and the Yukon

YouTube video by Phil Bailey

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Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Apparently, Amazon's rules have changed, allowing those of us in Kindle Unlimited to make our e-books available to libraries! Here's a video from Draft2Digital with instructions on doing this through their platform. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv__...

youtube.com

D2D Answers: Getting Your Books into Libraries While Enrolled In Kindle Unlimited

YouTube video by Draft2Digital

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