Dariusz Targański 💙💛
@darekt.bsky.social
MA Creative Writing. BA English&American Studies/Modern Japan. Freelance writer, translator, teacher, editor. I write SFF, horror, and graphic fiction (if you can call drawing panels with stick figures "writing"). 🇵🇱🇩🇪🇬🇧🇺🇸🇯🇵🇪🇸🇵🇹🇺🇦
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Another egregious and exploitative licensing clause that no one in their right mind needs to review content for publication.
They very clearly tell you they're taking your copyright & your 'pay' is they considered you for publication.
Madness. You don't need people's rights to slush read.
They very clearly tell you they're taking your copyright & your 'pay' is they considered you for publication.
Madness. You don't need people's rights to slush read.
Red Ogre (@ogre.red) gets rights to your work upon *submission*.
And those rights are ridiculous. They can change your work, not credit you, use your work for advertising, or put it in an anthology.
Don't submit to this one, folks.
And those rights are ridiculous. They can change your work, not credit you, use your work for advertising, or put it in an anthology.
Don't submit to this one, folks.
February 5, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Another egregious and exploitative licensing clause that no one in their right mind needs to review content for publication.
They very clearly tell you they're taking your copyright & your 'pay' is they considered you for publication.
Madness. You don't need people's rights to slush read.
They very clearly tell you they're taking your copyright & your 'pay' is they considered you for publication.
Madness. You don't need people's rights to slush read.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
At this point, I think the entire publishing industry needs to have a serious conversation about the degree to which the last 15 years have increasingly seen book promo become an online venture, and what that means now that entire social media and digital platforms are getting torched overnight. 🧵
The WaPo cuts are devastating. And to cut the Books section entirely makes the already bleak critical landscape even more bare. This was all preventable but Bezos, who could find the post I perpetuity without noticing it, is hellbent on destroying the Post. And for what?
February 5, 2026 at 6:02 AM
At this point, I think the entire publishing industry needs to have a serious conversation about the degree to which the last 15 years have increasingly seen book promo become an online venture, and what that means now that entire social media and digital platforms are getting torched overnight. 🧵
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
i know that this is an unpopular take, but everyone starting their own newsletter as a revenue stream is not a sustainable model for writing and reporting or for people who love and want to pay for media.
A lot of people cannot just start a paid newsletter or become freelancers to sustain their careers. The sports, metro, and international desks did work that requires *team* resources, like legal checks, documents, access to archives, and long-term beat experience.
February 4, 2026 at 2:50 PM
i know that this is an unpopular take, but everyone starting their own newsletter as a revenue stream is not a sustainable model for writing and reporting or for people who love and want to pay for media.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Spendet bitte unbedingt für die Ukraine. Jeder Euro hilft! Die Menschen dort harren bei -20 Grad. Bravery e.V. besorgt u.a. Generatoren.
bravery.berlin
bravery.berlin
February 3, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Spendet bitte unbedingt für die Ukraine. Jeder Euro hilft! Die Menschen dort harren bei -20 Grad. Bravery e.V. besorgt u.a. Generatoren.
bravery.berlin
bravery.berlin
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Hey funny story!
Remember how for like 20 years we said if you tell people to only study STEM that job market would tank & also no one would be able to think critically about rhetoric or ethics, know what happened at any point in history or value much but money?
Man, I love that one. Cracks me up.
Remember how for like 20 years we said if you tell people to only study STEM that job market would tank & also no one would be able to think critically about rhetoric or ethics, know what happened at any point in history or value much but money?
Man, I love that one. Cracks me up.
February 2, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Hey funny story!
Remember how for like 20 years we said if you tell people to only study STEM that job market would tank & also no one would be able to think critically about rhetoric or ethics, know what happened at any point in history or value much but money?
Man, I love that one. Cracks me up.
Remember how for like 20 years we said if you tell people to only study STEM that job market would tank & also no one would be able to think critically about rhetoric or ethics, know what happened at any point in history or value much but money?
Man, I love that one. Cracks me up.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Wenn ihr das Geld erübrigen könnt (man kann auch zusammenlegen). Jedes Kit hilft!
Ukraine2Power hat ein Überlebenskit für 80€ (Gaskocher, Heizdecken, Hand/Fusswärmer, Thermoskanne, Powerbank) zusammengestellt.
Konto: We Aid gGmbH
IBAN: DE 52370205000001838801
Kennwort: Ukraine2Power
Danke 🙏
Ukraine2Power hat ein Überlebenskit für 80€ (Gaskocher, Heizdecken, Hand/Fusswärmer, Thermoskanne, Powerbank) zusammengestellt.
Konto: We Aid gGmbH
IBAN: DE 52370205000001838801
Kennwort: Ukraine2Power
Danke 🙏
January 26, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Wenn ihr das Geld erübrigen könnt (man kann auch zusammenlegen). Jedes Kit hilft!
Ukraine2Power hat ein Überlebenskit für 80€ (Gaskocher, Heizdecken, Hand/Fusswärmer, Thermoskanne, Powerbank) zusammengestellt.
Konto: We Aid gGmbH
IBAN: DE 52370205000001838801
Kennwort: Ukraine2Power
Danke 🙏
Ukraine2Power hat ein Überlebenskit für 80€ (Gaskocher, Heizdecken, Hand/Fusswärmer, Thermoskanne, Powerbank) zusammengestellt.
Konto: We Aid gGmbH
IBAN: DE 52370205000001838801
Kennwort: Ukraine2Power
Danke 🙏
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Die Menschen frieren in der Ukraine, weil Putin das so will. Nur 80 Euro kostet ein Überlebenskit für den eiskalten Winter. Bitte jetzt spenden, am besten direkt über We aid.
👉 www.we-aid.org/de/project-d...
👉 www.we-aid.org/de/project-d...
January 25, 2026 at 11:07 AM
Die Menschen frieren in der Ukraine, weil Putin das so will. Nur 80 Euro kostet ein Überlebenskit für den eiskalten Winter. Bitte jetzt spenden, am besten direkt über We aid.
👉 www.we-aid.org/de/project-d...
👉 www.we-aid.org/de/project-d...
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
So important. What they say is not the story. That is never the story. What happened is the story. Write what happened.
Media: do not lead with the false government framing of what happened
January 25, 2026 at 12:05 AM
So important. What they say is not the story. That is never the story. What happened is the story. Write what happened.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
November 13, 2024 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
This is a fantastic article with a lot of simple explanations in it of everyday counterintuitive bullshit, just as you’d expect from Cory Doctorow.
Yeah AI is a bubble. But what sort of bubble? Who puffed it up? And what do we do?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Yeah AI is a bubble. But what sort of bubble? Who puffed it up? And what do we do?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage | Cory Doctorow
AI is asbestos in the walls of our tech society, stuffed there by monopolists run amok. A serious fight against it must strike at its roots
www.theguardian.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:02 AM
This is a fantastic article with a lot of simple explanations in it of everyday counterintuitive bullshit, just as you’d expect from Cory Doctorow.
Yeah AI is a bubble. But what sort of bubble? Who puffed it up? And what do we do?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Yeah AI is a bubble. But what sort of bubble? Who puffed it up? And what do we do?
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Throughout a career in publishing, the commonest problem I’ve found in authors trying to break into the business is their fear of taking themselves seriously. If that’s you, try this. (Little thread follows.)
1. Remove “aspiring” or “would-be writer” from your bio. Replace it with “writer.”
1. Remove “aspiring” or “would-be writer” from your bio. Replace it with “writer.”
January 20, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Throughout a career in publishing, the commonest problem I’ve found in authors trying to break into the business is their fear of taking themselves seriously. If that’s you, try this. (Little thread follows.)
1. Remove “aspiring” or “would-be writer” from your bio. Replace it with “writer.”
1. Remove “aspiring” or “would-be writer” from your bio. Replace it with “writer.”
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Golly gee I'm painting again (work in progress)
January 18, 2026 at 12:40 AM
Golly gee I'm painting again (work in progress)
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
LOVE IT
Go vote!
No AI in Search
Go vote!
No AI in Search
January 17, 2026 at 9:28 PM
LOVE IT
Go vote!
No AI in Search
Go vote!
No AI in Search
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Crunch is bad. Crunch ruins lives. Crunch kills. Don't ask for it. Don't do it. It's bad.
I can't believe I still have to say this after all these years.
I can't believe I still have to say this after all these years.
January 14, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Crunch is bad. Crunch ruins lives. Crunch kills. Don't ask for it. Don't do it. It's bad.
I can't believe I still have to say this after all these years.
I can't believe I still have to say this after all these years.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Perhaps the surest sign of AI not being super intelligent is the amount of tailored scams targeting the finances of authors, which is as rewarding as trying to mug a seagull.
January 12, 2026 at 11:51 AM
Perhaps the surest sign of AI not being super intelligent is the amount of tailored scams targeting the finances of authors, which is as rewarding as trying to mug a seagull.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Finished another DnD party illustration in December, for
@detectivelys.bsky.social and @darekt.bsky.social 's party. Loved the outfits and overall vibe. :3 Thank you! #dnd5e #dndcommission #originalcharacters #digitalartists #noai
@detectivelys.bsky.social and @darekt.bsky.social 's party. Loved the outfits and overall vibe. :3 Thank you! #dnd5e #dndcommission #originalcharacters #digitalartists #noai
January 11, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Finished another DnD party illustration in December, for
@detectivelys.bsky.social and @darekt.bsky.social 's party. Loved the outfits and overall vibe. :3 Thank you! #dnd5e #dndcommission #originalcharacters #digitalartists #noai
@detectivelys.bsky.social and @darekt.bsky.social 's party. Loved the outfits and overall vibe. :3 Thank you! #dnd5e #dndcommission #originalcharacters #digitalartists #noai
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
"Die dänische Ministerpräsidentin Mette Frederiksen hat derweil gewarnt, dass eine amerikanische Übernahme Grönlands das Ende der Nato bedeuten würde. Außenpolitiker Armin Laschet sieht es ähnlich."
🇪🇺 muss sich zu den Vereinigte Staaten von Europa entwickeln oder es wird geopolitisch zerquetscht.
🇪🇺 muss sich zu den Vereinigte Staaten von Europa entwickeln oder es wird geopolitisch zerquetscht.
January 10, 2026 at 9:32 AM
"Die dänische Ministerpräsidentin Mette Frederiksen hat derweil gewarnt, dass eine amerikanische Übernahme Grönlands das Ende der Nato bedeuten würde. Außenpolitiker Armin Laschet sieht es ähnlich."
🇪🇺 muss sich zu den Vereinigte Staaten von Europa entwickeln oder es wird geopolitisch zerquetscht.
🇪🇺 muss sich zu den Vereinigte Staaten von Europa entwickeln oder es wird geopolitisch zerquetscht.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
Sometimes all you can do is make the world 0.0000000000001% less awful by being a good person and it feels very meaningless but it’s also the only thing that really matters
January 7, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Sometimes all you can do is make the world 0.0000000000001% less awful by being a good person and it feels very meaningless but it’s also the only thing that really matters
I'm reading my first Lovecraft short story, The Dunwich Horror, and I'm sorry, but as a European, it's absolutely hilarious that the village is being described as "ridiculously old" because it was built before 1700.
January 7, 2026 at 5:49 PM
I'm reading my first Lovecraft short story, The Dunwich Horror, and I'm sorry, but as a European, it's absolutely hilarious that the village is being described as "ridiculously old" because it was built before 1700.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
This set of observations is produced by my scrolling Reddit and otherwise listening to people talk about "how to write."
A) there is no requirement that any of your characters has any sort of "arc" let alone a redemption.
B) there is also no requirement that your fiction has a plot.
A) there is no requirement that any of your characters has any sort of "arc" let alone a redemption.
B) there is also no requirement that your fiction has a plot.
December 31, 2025 at 4:47 PM
This set of observations is produced by my scrolling Reddit and otherwise listening to people talk about "how to write."
A) there is no requirement that any of your characters has any sort of "arc" let alone a redemption.
B) there is also no requirement that your fiction has a plot.
A) there is no requirement that any of your characters has any sort of "arc" let alone a redemption.
B) there is also no requirement that your fiction has a plot.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
“Write to the market.”
You’ll never catch the market. By the time you’ve written it, the market is gone. Write what you’re on fire to write, and sometimes the market shows up.
You’ll never catch the market. By the time you’ve written it, the market is gone. Write what you’re on fire to write, and sometimes the market shows up.
what is your least favorite piece of writing advice and why? 👀
December 23, 2025 at 10:29 PM
“Write to the market.”
You’ll never catch the market. By the time you’ve written it, the market is gone. Write what you’re on fire to write, and sometimes the market shows up.
You’ll never catch the market. By the time you’ve written it, the market is gone. Write what you’re on fire to write, and sometimes the market shows up.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
It is more important to create than submit work
to submit work than worry about being published
to publish at all than be too precious about where or when
to have work read than get awards
to be nominated at all than win—
And it is more important to make what you love than never risk failing.
to submit work than worry about being published
to publish at all than be too precious about where or when
to have work read than get awards
to be nominated at all than win—
And it is more important to make what you love than never risk failing.
December 23, 2025 at 10:23 PM
It is more important to create than submit work
to submit work than worry about being published
to publish at all than be too precious about where or when
to have work read than get awards
to be nominated at all than win—
And it is more important to make what you love than never risk failing.
to submit work than worry about being published
to publish at all than be too precious about where or when
to have work read than get awards
to be nominated at all than win—
And it is more important to make what you love than never risk failing.
Reposted by Dariusz Targański 💙💛
There's Discourse about using genAI for writing research, and I want to add that every time I've done research (reading books, emailing the library, talking directly to experts, etc) I always stumble across something that inspires a new direction or adds depth that wouldn't have been there before.
December 20, 2025 at 11:23 PM
There's Discourse about using genAI for writing research, and I want to add that every time I've done research (reading books, emailing the library, talking directly to experts, etc) I always stumble across something that inspires a new direction or adds depth that wouldn't have been there before.