iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Yeah, I’ve been in this industry long enough that I’ve seen data to show this. Trauma books and issue books by marginalized authors sell an order of magnitude better than when those authors write, say, fantasy romance with characters of their identity.

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Mia Tsai says buy her books @itsamia.bsky.social · 8h

i would be over the moon if i never again got an "i learned so much from this book!" review.

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Mia Tsai says buy her books @itsamia.bsky.social · 8h

marketing bears this out: books marketed using identity sell more than books marketed without identity. i'm real tired of y'all picking books to make you feel good as opposed to having a genuine interest in what someone like me has to say.

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Mia Tsai says buy her books @itsamia.bsky.social · 8h

actual hot take: y'all, generally speaking, are not interested in supporting BIPOC and queer authors when they are not writing about Hurt and Trauma because it's not educational to you. even if the books have BIPOC and queer casts and are in new settings.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 18h

If there’s one thing I’m proud of MTBMW for, it’s that the book makes it damn clear the real problem trans people face stem from well-connected rich people and fair-weather allies in powerful institutions.

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Thomas Ha @thomasha.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

i should clarify, when i write people doing bad things, it's because i am bad. they are me. more importantly, when you read about those bad things, they also become you. that's how story works. in fact, you are going to think about murder before this skeet ends. how's that feel, sicko.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

game of thrones in the top ten is laughable

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about left-ish spaces, it’s that you need to learn to differentiate between the people who share your language and the people who share your values.

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Foz Meadows @fozmeadows.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

because if you trust someone, you SHOULD be able to safely disagree with them! that doesn't mean the act of disagreement is guaranteed to feel wonderful for either of you; it means you should trust each other enough to be able to ask questions or gently push back without immediate hostility

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Foz Meadows @fozmeadows.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

but actual good works are not free from discomfort or disagreement. even the best among us fuck up sometimes, and if you're not prepared to push back or ask questions about something a person you trust says, then I'd contend that you'll be ill-equipped to do so when an asshole comes along

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Gozu @gozufucker69.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

problematic rage gap. only one person in the dynamic is consumed by vengeance

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I’ve been out of contract (more or less) for my own writing for several years now and can I just say it’s the biggest relief and the best creative boost to think about storytelling without worrying about comp titles or being “relatable.”

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

For the weekend: trans art, completely free.

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Marlow Stern @marlownyc.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

‘The Matrix’ creator Lilly Wachowski on J.K. Rowling and the new ‘Harry Potter’ series: “She is funding trans genocide. J.K. Rowling funds trans genocide, full stop. So, if you support ‘Harry Potter,’ you’re supporting trans genocide.” variety.com/2026/tv/feat...

variety.com

Lilly Wachowski on Her New Studio Anarchists United, the Black Power Origins of ‘The Matrix’ and How ‘Harry Potter’ Fans Are ‘Supporting Trans Genocide’

‘The Matrix’ filmmaker Lilly Wachowski opens up about her new studio for marginalized voices Anarchists United, J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk.

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Diana M. Pho (she/her) 📚 🔊 @dianapho.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

ICYMI - my Hugo acceptance speech is now available on my website (video & transcript) dianampho.com/my-2026-hugo... Thank you so much for the many people who had reached out in response; I'm truly glad these words have truly resonated!

dianampho.com

My 2026 Hugo Award Speech

Hugo Speech. Clip from livestream. Video edit: Patrick Pho. Photos below credit: Locus Magazine and Viengsamai Fetters. Hugo speech transcript given LA WorldCon 2026 / the 84th WorldCon at the Anah…

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pmamtraveller.bsky.social @pmamtraveller.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Rob Gonsalves - "The Sun Sets Sail" (2001)

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Maddy "Boo!" Hare @mbhare.eurosky.social · 31/08/2026

if you think BlueSky is cool, go outside, look up, and check out the original. it's so big!!!

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rivers solomon @riverssolomon.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Sweet, strange uncitizens: ONCE I WAS MADE OF EARTH is here, an epic fantasy that's been ratling in my brain for years now and that I'm putting out into the world serially outside of the capitalist publishing apparatus. Share, and read, and comment. archiveofourown.org/works/91618061

The painting "The Moment" by James Warden, with the text "Once I Was Made of Earth" on it by Rivers Solomon. The painting is in the romantic style, quite dramatic and dark in tone if not colour, with a horse rearing with fear in its eyes as a snake launches to bite it, against a back drop of pink and blue mountains.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

This is just how trans people learn they made good art FYI

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M. Belanger @sethanikeem.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

“How will we ever replace them?” FUND. THE. ARTS.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Rocky Horror was a big part of my college life and coming out, as it was for many other queer theater kids. RIP to a legend.

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Ursula K. Le Guin Bot @leguinbot.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Fantasy as an assembly-line commodity leaves me cold.

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Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

My latest books cartoon for @theguardian.com

Title: On holiday with the compulsive browsers

Panel 1: Browsing in the airport bookstore despite already having bags filled with books

Panel 2: Browsing in a charming local bookshop despite not speaking a word of the language

Panel 3: Browsing in the Airbnb despite there being only four novels, the oven manual and a pizza menu

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

SILK FIRE is now free to read on Ao3! It’s still my favorite thing I’ve ever written, and if you enjoy queer epic fantasy about finding love and acceptance after trauma (and turning into a dragon) then check the tags and give it a try! archiveofourown.org/works/902807...

archiveofourown.org

Silk Fire - Chapter 1 - Opalline_Archive - Original Work [Archive of Our Own]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

A damn good essay, and one that ties in with my earlier thread about my complicated feelings re: MTBMW and my subsequent work, and how the industry discards marginalized authors who do not write “in the frame.”

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Alexis Ames @alexisames.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

And you should pre-order her book bc I'm bad at marketing: books2read.com/b/bwMZ99

books2read.com

Available now at your favorite digital store!

The Last Infinity by Alexis Ames

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Alexis Ames @alexisames.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Imagine you're a teenage girl who wakes up one day 500 years in the future. All your friends and family are dead, you're living on Mars, and the man who's supposed to look after you is incredibly pathetic and in love with a robot. Sounds far-fetched, but it happened to my very good friend Renata 👇

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

One thing I think of a lot is how very male-dominated Hollywood is. There’s plenty of outlets for cis men who want to write, including the cultural area that gets far more recognition and makes way more money than books.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Personally, I don’t think authors should hire a developmental editor before querying. Dev editors do a lot to improve the pacing and flow of a story, but these are issues I’m happy to work with my clients on.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I want writers to know it is perfectly normal to love your stories so much that shelving them is absolutely devastating, even though the industry says “just write the next book.” I still think about my shelved books every day.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

For what it’s worth, I really do view whatever success I’ve had as an author as 95% luck. Every book of mine that’s sold was either MTBMW or sold in the wake of MTBMW mildly exceeding publisher expectations. Right place, right time, right title.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Working through the query inbox, and I’ve swapped from reading the letter first to going right to the opening pages. I’m looking for writing that immediately pulls me in with voice and an emotional hook. The query letter is nowhere near as important as the opening pages of your manuscript.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I’ll be thinking for a good long while about how this film upholds Sinon’s manhood while simultaneously positioning it as the quality that allows Sinon to be sacrificed for a “greater good.”

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Shout out to my favorite character I ever wrote:

A young person with red eyes and scales.

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Linnea Peterson @lpetersonwrites.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Either is fine! Wanting to explore really different worldviews doesn't make you "unethical," and wanting to read books with explicit consent and equal power dynamics doesn't mean you're self-infantalizing or inherently pro-censorship. We can have both if we chill on the judgment!

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Linnea Peterson @lpetersonwrites.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Yeah! Reading about people whose moral compasses clash with "modern sensibilities" can be an interesting exercise in trying to understand drastically different points of view, including really different value systems. AND sometimes you want to know you're going to find explicit consent in a book.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

The issue isn’t curating a list of romantasy books with explicit consent; it’s the assumption that writing or reading about a certain dynamic is immoral.

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Alexis Ames @alexisames.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Pre-orders are live for THE LAST INFINITY! Pick up your copy of time traveling disaster gays today! Launch date: 8/18. #WritingCommunity www.amazon.com/Last-Infinit...

A graphic with the book cover for THE LAST INFINITY that reads: Pre-orders are live! Grab your ebook today! $5.99. Available 8/18!

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

There is a 5”2 drunk girl in this bar who is about to, somehow, stretch her arms to San Francisco and strangle the ref.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

One BIG piece of luck in publishing is the luck it takes to be passionate and excited about writing in a subgenre that is currently selling big numbers.

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hunter 🪚🥩 @fleshatronach.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

i drew a different wolf puppy for my last drawing but the short stubby legged original one still charmed me so i saved him on a different layer 💐

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

The investment in research here is so important. Most research into trans healthcare is based around proving it makes people happier long term—which is valuable—but we also need research into best practices around HRT dosage, surgical techniques, and recovery procedures.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

For context: I have over a thousand queries right now to go through. Please be patient!

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

It would be so funny if I started a “writing advice” social platform because every post would be like “figure out what works best for you and do that.”

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Worth sharing, I think: most successful writers, especially those from a marginalized background, also have privileges that allowed them to develop their skills. Author branding often emphasizes the difficulties overcome, not the structural support given.

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Zabé Ellor @zrellor.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

“Read books published by major imprints in your genre in the last two years” is good advice if you want a trad deal. “Read widely across genres and decades” is good advice to develop your craft.

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