Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026I wrote Opportunia last year, then put it on hold while I wrote The Eyes of a Nocturne Child this year. To see a story description, see the alt text for each cover image. To receive notification as soon as the release date is announced, subscribe to my newsletter at philbaileyauthor.com. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 07/10/2026COVER REVEAL(s)! I'm delighted to announce my two new dystopian sci-fi novels, "Opportunia" and "The Eyes of a Nocturne Child", coming later this month. I've just received the cover designs and I'm happy to share them with you. continued . . . #BookSky #scifi #sciencefiction #sff #dystopian 1110
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 02/08/2026Thank you Blaze. I'll pass this along to the hosting company. 👍 010
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 02/08/2026Hi Blaze, Here's the response I got from my web hosting company. Thanks for reporting your observations. 130
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/08/2026What? I haven't a clue! When did that happen? Did you get it when you visited the site, when you used my newsletter subscription form, or some other time? My website is just a website - no need to install anything! I'll contact my host's technical support to find out more. Thanks for the heads-up. 120
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/08/2026Fellow authors with newsletters – I’m happy to reciprocate. Please subscribe and leave a comment telling me where to sign-up for your newsletter. 001
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/08/2026NEW 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 261
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 08/07/2026Maybe they thought he was dead because he had retreated into his shell for longer than usual. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Happy 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.comBryan Adams - '51st State' (Official Lyric Video)YouTube video by Bryan Adams 183
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 29/06/2026Alicia, that was wonderful! You're clearly on the right track to success as a filmmaker. Congratulations. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Now 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. 100
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 24/05/2026WIP 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! 😃😃😃 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 18/05/2026WIP 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! 010
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 11/05/2026WIP 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! 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 09/05/2026It's my deeply personal story of discovery, conflict, struggle, and survival. You can find out more through my website at kelvoo.com 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 09/05/2026That’s why beings like me use terms such as ‘extraterrestrial’ or ‘non-human’. For a deeper understanding, I invite you to read Kelvoo's Testimonial - my autobiographical account of my first contact with humans and its effect on my species and culture. 100
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 09/05/2026When 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. 100
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 05/05/2026I wouldn't want to be in the vicinity of Kitty's digestive system when that muck wreaks its inevitable havoc! 010
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 04/05/2026WIP 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. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Breakfast 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! 🤢 010
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/05/2026As an author and scuba diver, I love this meme! 😆😆😆 010
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 30/04/2026Another good doggo. This is May, exploring Tombstone Territorial Park in the Yukon last summer. 030
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 27/04/2026WIP 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. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 24/04/2026What's weird is that USians call taxpayer funded care "communism", but the U.S. already has taxpayer funded healthcare. It's called Medicare and citizens aged 65+ are covered. What if the age was lowered to 60? How about 40? How about zero? At what point does it suddenly become communism? 🤷♂️ 131
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 20/04/2026WIP 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. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Writing 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.googleAI Use Appears to Have a "Boiling Frog" Effect on Human Cognition, New Study WarnsA new study claims to offer the first causal link between AI dependency and cognitive erosion. Researchers warn of long-term implications. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Correction: They want to charge the fee on accounts with less than $100 in annual book sales!! 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 14/04/2026I'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/ 210
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 13/04/2026WIP 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! 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 06/04/2026WIP 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. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 30/03/2026WIP 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. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 23/03/2026WIP 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. 🙂 100
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 19/03/2026I 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. 🙄😆 110
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 16/03/2026WIP 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. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026WIP 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). 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/03/2026I already have a king-size bed. Is my relationship doomed? 😮 120
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 01/03/2026WIP 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! 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 27/02/2026Only in the US, third-world countries, and other nations steeped in systemic corruption. 010
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 22/02/2026WIP 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. 010
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 17/02/2026Hi Beverly. There won't be another round until the next book. I have queried every open agent I could find, who looked like a match for the type of book I wrote. I have no qualms about self-publishing - that's what I've done with all my previous books. 🙂 110
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/02/2026This was my final week of querying. I have sent queries to all agents in my list except for 17 who were closed to queries. I'll send queries to those agents if and when they open for queries. If I don't have a prospective deal in six months, I will self-publish Opportunia. 010
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 15/02/2026WEEKLY 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 . . . 210
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 12/02/2026If there’s really a god up in heaven, as these doofuses loudly agree, may their souls be entombed and in fire be consumed, in the hell of their hypocrisy. 000
Phil Bailey @philbaileyauthor.bsky.social · 12/02/2026Let it be ever clear they were given a choice and they willfully made their selection between anger and kindness, awareness and blindness, when they chose the MAGA direction. 100