Author | Lightnews

Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · 3d

Free writing competitions in November, list complied by Erica Verrillo. publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2025/10/52-w... #Author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #IndieAuthor #SelfPublished #WritingCompetitions #EricaVerrillo

52 Writing Contests in November 2025 - No entry fees

This November there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes ran...

publishedtodeath.blogspot.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · 3d

Erica Verrillo’s post on markets for writers with disabilities. publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2017/07/mark... #Author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #BleSky #BookSky #DisabilityCommunity #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #LiteraryCommunity

21 Literary Markets for Disabled Writers

Helen Keller Updated 10/15/25 Though most literary journals are more than happy to accept submissions from disabled writers, there are...

publishedtodeath.blogspot.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · 5d

Juxtaposition! A great article of the technique authors can use. One I will keep to hand. blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-write... #Author #Writer #Writers #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #WritersNetwork #WritingTips #WritingAndBooks #Juxtaposition

Juxtapositions Can Make Great Sentences

Contrast, or a juxtaposition, is one of the most powerful elements in storytelling and works just as well in a single sentence.

blog.bookbaby.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · 6d

Authors take control of their marketing. Cool idea of book vending machine. A model for writers groups to adopt? www.npr.org/2025/10/16/g... #Author #Writing #Writer #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #IndieAuthor #SelfPublished #BookVendingMachines

A book vending machine provides an outlet for D.C.-area authors after funding cuts

Washington, D.C.'s vending machine LitBox distributes books, with a serving of hope as local writers struggle with arts funding cuts.

www.npr.org

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · 11d

Bookstagram and BookTok to promote your novels. blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-promo... #Author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #Bookstagram #BookTok #BlueSky #BookSky #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #IndieAuthor #SelfPublished

How Authors Can Leverage TikTok & Instagram Reels to Promote Books

Learn how authors use TikTok and Instagram Reels to reach readers, create viral content, follow trends, use hashtags, and boost book discoverability.

blog.bookbaby.com

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Reposted by Iain Aire

William D. Prystauk @prystauk.bsky.social · 14d

#WritingCommunity #WritersCommunity #Writers #Authors

Literary Bulletin #WritingCommunity @literarybulletin.bsky.social · Oct 14

Literary Bulletin gives a free promotional boost to the #WritingCommunity by reposting book publication news, great reviews, poetry readings & book signings, and new work in journals & anthologies.
Also see:
@writingcommunity.bsky.social
@literarycommunity.bsky.social
@rodmannix.bsky.social

My accounts used to support the writing community:
@rodmannix.bsky.social
@writingcommunity.bsky.social
@literarycommunity.bsky.social
@literarybulletin.bsky.social
@literaryreport.bsky.social
@literaryhalcyon.bsky.social
@literaryretweet.bsky.social

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · 14d

A 1933 novel, ‘The Crooked Cross’ written by Sally Carson holds a mirror up to our present times, and is potent because of its immediacy. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... #Author #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #LiteraryCommunity #Fascism

A prophetic 1933 novel has found a surprising second life – it holds lessons for us all | Charlotte Higgins

Sally Carson’s Crooked Cross was written and set during the rise of nazism. It shows both how extremism takes hold, and the moral certainty needed to resist it, says the Guardian’s chief culture write...

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Iain Aire

Erica Verrillo @ericaverrillo.bsky.social · Sep 28

The October Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity newsletter is out! Literary Agents, Submission Calls (Paying markets!), Free Writing Contests, & more. (And it's free!) #writingtips #amwriting #publishing #writing #pubtip #WritingCommunity eocampaign1.com/web-version?...

October 2025 Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity Newsletter

Literary Agents, Free Writing Contests, Submission Calls & more

eocampaign1.com

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Reposted by Iain Aire

J.R. Bale @jrbale.bsky.social · Sep 3

September's issue of Inner Monologue (my author newsletter) is out!
Download it for free at bit.ly/InnerMonolog....
Please share.

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Reposted by Iain Aire

L. D. Lewis, Sea Witch Apologist 🍂 @ldlewiswrites.blacksky.app · Sep 27

Holy shit omg IT'S REAL???? WTF

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Reposted by Iain Aire

The Scares That Shaped Us @scaresshapedus.bsky.social · Sep 27

Weekend listeners, don't miss our chat with @raforall.bsky.social!

The Scares That Shaped Us @scaresshapedus.bsky.social · Sep 24

NEW EPISODE

Becky Spratford (@raforall.bsky.social) joins the show to talk about her new @sagapressbooks.bsky.social book of essays, WHY I LOVE HORROR, and we dive into the many horror elements of Shel Silverstein's WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS!

LISTEN NOW:

redcircle.com/shows/41a2d4...

Episode 48: Where the Sidewalk Ends with Becky Spratford

Listen to The Scares That Shaped Us on RedCircle

redcircle.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Sep 27

Venice floods in 2019 inspired photographer Patrizia Zelano to take on a desperate rescue mission to salvage historic rare books. www.bbc.com/culture/arti... #Author #Writer #WritingCommunity #HistoricBooks #BookSky #BlueSky #Venice #WritingAndBooks

The 100-year-old books salvaged from Venice's floods

In 2019, Venice was hit by its second-worst flood in history. Today, books saved from the water tell a story of loss and resistance.

www.bbc.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Sep 25

Science is catching up with Science Fiction. www.space.com/space-explor... #Author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #Science #SpaceExploration #ScienceFiction #SciFi #Robotics

AIs in Space: From partners in pioneering to the children of humanity (op-ed)

Rather than the fearsome enemies of movies like "The Terminator," as we move into the universe, AIs can be our partners, our children, and perhaps even us.

www.space.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Sep 16

Book royalties? The Authors Guild is running a free to register Zoom presentation on what authors should know on September 22nd. authorsguild.org/event/book-r... #Author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #BookRoyalities #TheAuthorsGuild #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #IndieAuthor #SelfPublished

Book Royalties: What Authors Should Know - The Authors Guild

Deciphering a royalty statement can seem difficult if you are unfamiliar with the jargon and accounting methods used in publishing. To help you understand how royalties work and how to read a statemen...

authorsguild.org

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Sep 14

A great way to think about meta data. It can tell your story. blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-self-... #Author #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #MetaData #IndieAuthor #SelfPublished

Tell your book's story with metadata

Your book metadata tells booksellers, libraries, and your potential readers everything they need to know about your book.

blog.bookbaby.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Sep 9

Space.com recognise the SciFi authors who dared to believe! www.space.com/42312-greate... #Author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #SciFi #SciAuthors #ScienceFiction #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #Dytopian

The 25 Greatest Spaceships of Science Fiction

Here’s our rundown of the greatest spaceships of science fiction.

www.space.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Sep 8

Surprise yourself when writing mystery plots! Think of the most obvious solution then reverse it? www.writersdigest.com/the-perfect-... #Author #Writing #Writer #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #MysteryNovels #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #IndieAuthor

The Perfect Puzzle: 7 Tips for Creating Fiendish Mystery Plots

Author Tom Mead pieces together seven tips for creating fiendish mystery plots that will keep readers turning pages late into the night.

www.writersdigest.com

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Reposted by Iain Aire

Rob Bignell, Editor/Author @inventingreality.bsky.social · Aug 29

How to Build Your Author's Website: Quick, Easy to Understand, Practical Tips #amwriting #writingcommunity #writingfeedback #indieauthor #indieauthors www.amazon.com/gp/product/194...

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Aug 28

Using AI as a research tool to validate ideas for science realism and create a reference bible. janefriedman.com/using-ai-to-... #Author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #AI #BlueSky #BookSky #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #IndieAuthor #SelfPublished #ScienceFiction #SciFi #AuthorResearch

Using AI to Explore Scientific Realism and Build Story Bibles for Fiction Writing | Jane Friedman

A sci-fi writer explores how AI can help keep her scenarios grounded in reality and maintain a story bible for world-building consistency.

janefriedman.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Aug 27

Reading for pleasure declined in US by 40% between 2003/2023. Survey indicates a steady decline of 3% per year. www.sciencealert.com/reading-for-... #author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #ReadingTrends #WritersNetwork #WritingAndBooks #ReadingAndBooks #IndieSuthor

Reading For Fun Is Plummeting in The US, And Experts Are Concerned

When's the last time you settled down with a good book, just because you enjoyed it? A new survey shows reading as a pastime is becoming dramatically less popular in the US, which correlates with an i...

www.sciencealert.com

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Reposted by Iain Aire

Dax, sapphic fantasy author @daxaeterna.ink · Aug 23

None of my books are in the Narratess Sale because I am a hot mess with no spoons right now but I do have some recommendations if you are looking for SFF books with sapphic / lesbian protagonists you can snag for less than $2.

Banner for the Narratess Indie Book Sale. A chonky dragon reads a book at the bottom, a pile of skulls with a candle and ghost sit on the left of the text, and a space ship flies by a planet on the right of the text.

Text: Indie Book Sale

indiebook.sale

Fantasy, Sci FI & Horror

August 23 - 25

Banner designed by Arden Powell

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Aug 23

Do any BlueSky users know about Creatorwood? They are in beta test for software that’s converts an authors story into a movie in a few minutes. make.creatorwood.tv #Author #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #MovieSky #WritersNetwork #WritingAndMovies #IndieAuthor #StoryBoard

Creatorwood

Turn your books into movies & shows with AI and make money selling your films directly to viewers.

make.creatorwood.tv

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Reposted by Iain Aire

Books R' Me @booksrme.bsky.social · Aug 18

Starting a story can feel like standing at the edge of a vast universe, ready to leap into the unknown. I find that letting a character's voice guide you or capturing a vivid moment can spark magic. Embrace those beginnings! 🌌✨ #

Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Aug 18

How do you start a story? I have one story that have at least four beginnings, different setting, characters that are the roots of the story and will integrate as part of the plot. janefriedman.com/plot-charact... #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #Author #BlueSky #BookSky #WritingTips #Books

Plot, Character, or Situation: Your Story’s Entry Point Determines Next Steps | Jane Friedman

Knowing which facet most drives the story you want to tell can help you determine next steps and avoid the most common manuscript missteps.

janefriedman.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Aug 18

How do you start a story? I have one story that have at least four beginnings, different setting, characters that are the roots of the story and will integrate as part of the plot. janefriedman.com/plot-charact... #Writers #Writing #WritingCommunity #Author #BlueSky #BookSky #WritingTips #Books

Plot, Character, or Situation: Your Story’s Entry Point Determines Next Steps | Jane Friedman

Knowing which facet most drives the story you want to tell can help you determine next steps and avoid the most common manuscript missteps.

janefriedman.com

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Iain Aire @iainaire.bsky.social · Aug 17

Scams are a plague on our lives. BookBaby discuss how authors can recognise and avoid them. We see them on BlueSky with conversations that simply say, ‘how are doing.’ blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-self-... #Author #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity #BlueSky #BookSky #Scams #WritersNetwork #IndieAuthor

How to Recognize and Avoid Book Scams

Learn to identify common book scams and protect yourself from fraud. Keep on reading for practical tips and advice to avoid publishing scams.

blog.bookbaby.com

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