hi, cis folks! this is present day reality for UK trans folks. it’s outrageous someone should have to have taken this journey to live as themselves, participate in society, & be with who they love. hi, cis americans! this is a future trans americans see that starts with “we need to compromise.”

Me thinking of all the other businesses big and small who recognise that gender is a spectrum and ask for self-identification accordingly, and then this bullshit. 🙄 It ain’t hard to allow people to exist.

Today is the day authors are learning how many of their publishers straight up blew off registering copyright and I feel like that deserves a class action suit of its own if it costs everyone their settlement money from the Anthropic suit... 😒🤬

Ticketmaster can go fuck itself. Queues for two hours for #MCR tickets, only to be booted out because the website was processing orders faster than I could click. Hope the devs get thrush.

KENT PEOPLE: the Household Support Fund has just opened with first-come-first-served £90 food vouchers for people struggling with bills. Please repost or pass on to anyone you think might need it news.kent.gov.uk/articles/foo...

Babe, I’ve been doing that since 1988. #KeepCliftonvilleWeird

A publishing shout out - I'm running a panel for @write-mentor.bsky.social WOWCON about navigating the publishing industry as a neurodivergent person and I'd love to hear from ND-ers on the other side of the table; namely agents/publishers/etc. Please DM if you're interested!

So if kids can't look at screens then are you going to invest in public spaces where they can exist away from their parents? I'm assuming no.

Universal advice for everyone, never be friends with someone who cheats. If they are willing to deceive their partner, they are not above deceiving you.

You are cordially invited to our Anti-Prime Sale, where every purchase will financially support bookstores, NOT billionaires 🥳

My kid’s teacher used this as an example of an elevated sentence: “He lay motionless, writhing in agony.” Me & the kid: well which was it? The kid was incensed that it was being held up as a good example. #education #teacher #SATS

Not Another Wardrobe: Why Portal Fantasy Is a Tough Sell It’s a super common entry point into a fantasy novel: the protagonist steps through a portal or is somehow transported into another world. darlingaxe.com/blogs/news/p... #writingcommunity #amwriting #amwritingfantasy

It's the most magical time of the year - tax time! Here are the % of income streams for my writing in the last financial year: ALCS - 0.41% PLR - 0.23% Appearance Fees - 1.42% Editing Fees - 5.35% Mentoring - 25.96% Advances - 34.04% Writementor Day Job - 32.59% More below 🧵1/4

The perfect @amiberger.bsky.social content does not exi-

Speaking as a Londoner: Congrats, New York on your (hopefully) new muslim mayor. But also commiserations on the absolute S-tier flood of baseless racist shite you're going to get bombarded with from your family outside the city from now on. Ask us how we know.

PROVOKE AND PUBLICISE Tomorrow in the Houses of Parliament the transphobes will attempt a “Provoke & Publicise” action. Provoke and Publicise was originally developed as a tactic by racist segregationists in US states like Alabama & Oklahoma to try and stop the civil rights movement there… 1/7

Hello! I am working on a project with the Royal Institution about the Christmas Lectures, and would love to talk to people who grew up watching them on TV, or now watch them with their own kids (or, ideally, both). Please share 🤗

It’s 25° out, yet I’m sitting in the office covered in goosebumps, trying to decide if I can deal with amount of shit I’ll get from everyone if I get my pashmina out.

I will be causing Loki chaos and entertaining children this sunday at 4pm in Barnes, Kitson Hall. Come and help me lower the tone of a west london literary festival! #KidLitUK Tickets here: www.eventbrite.com/checkout-ext...

Just made myself lol cuz I mistyped “counter”. I’m such a child.

UNBOUND AUTHORS: The administrators are scheduling a second creditor meeting to address concerns brought forward over director conduct. If you would like to attend, YOU MUST FILL OUT THE ADMINISTRATORS PROOF OF DEBT FORM (it’s simple and not scary). DM me with your emIl to be forwarded it

Yael van der Wouden, who won last night’s @womensprize.bsky.social for Fiction, said she was intersex in her speech and had only got the right treatment because of “every trans person who’s fought for healthcare.” Say it again: Transphobia. Hurts. Everyone.

I'm a dad bringing up a family on their own. I have leaned this: hobbies are dominated by men because women are just too busy. If men did their fair share they'd be too busy to meet up and argue over whatever bullshit passion they have.

My eldest is watching #Lockwood&Co for the first time. Takes one look at Lockwood and murmurs “oh my god” in pure, unadulterated pre-teen longing. I really think the whole dressing-the-cut scene may end her.

Right, trying to acquire a new pair of jeans, and honestly it’s giving me an existential crisis. Why do I need ten metres of denim for one pair of jeans? They look like they’re wearing me!

If you are a disabled developer, professional or creator who wants to go to Develop this year, please apply for this! If your imposter syndrome says no - apply anyway. If you think you'll be an outsider (you won't, there's loads of us disabled folks gonna be there) - apply anyway. YOU GOT THIS!

Prize now open for: Stories of joy and resilience in the face of daily challenges Narratives of resistance, activism, and fighting against ableism in all its forms, Personal stories of triumph, solidarity, and empowerment within disabled communities Details in link. Please share :)

Amazing news! 🎉 We've been chosen as the first ever recipient of the David Tebbutt Internship Fund to support people from under-represented backgrounds to build a career in publishing! This paid internship will last 6 months! Find out more & apply by 30 June:  buff.ly/sqNAkm1

When the feedback from your mentor hits your inbox and you want to read it RIGHT NOW but you have to be a grown up and do ALL THE THINGS before you can sit down to read it 😫

Gentle reminder to anyone who needs it today: The more you use technology to replace the things you used to do for for yourself, the less you will be able to do them. That goes for writing, walking, thinking, communicating, making things, and all the things humans used to be pretty good at.

I would like to recommend this guidance on phoenix companies and recommend that authors make a complaint to the Insolvency Service about the director. www.gov.uk/government/p...

Oh and: it appears Sharma is pivoting to AI (see receipts at end of quoted thread above) so when you contact Boundless to inform them they no longer have rights to your book, also EXPLICITLY tell them they cannot use your copyrighted work in any AI training or generatiom

As an aside: DO NOT ORDER THE PAPERBACK. I notice they’re still saying it’ll be published by Unbound. It won’t. I got my rights back and will be finding a new home for it soon. If you’ve preordered, ask for a refund. amzn.eu/d/6l5Nfvy

📢 Calling all authors writing about Black Women's History 📢 Applications are now open for our Series Incubator! Finalists will have the opportunity to receive feedback on their WIP from series editors & other interlocutors in their field. Learn more and apply 👇 uncpress.org/black-womens...

I'm about to hit 5k followers. So how about a give away? Like and repost this, and I'll enter everyone who does into a draw to win a full set of my British Fantasy Award nominated Empire of Ruin series! Good luck - I'll do the draw this Friday afternoon :)

OhmygodOhmygodOhmygodOhmygodOhmygod The eldest is watching the original Twister. What if she doesn’t love it as much as me? What if she thinks it’s just meh?

I work for Scottish Book Trust and we’re running a survey for parents/teachers/kids book enthusiasts about how they find books for kids. I’d be enormously grateful if anyone can spare 5-10 mins to share their thoughts. #KidLitUK forms.office.com/e/EdVhWA0T0n

#mswl reminder: I am still on the hunt for standout trans/genderqueer voices, particularly in YA but also MG, from speculative to gorgeously written coming-of-age. My partner is trans/nb, I’m genderfluid, and I will never stop championing genderqueer authors

MCM Comic Con starts today!! Here is my schedule for tomorrow…

Want to read more Black fantasy, horror and science fiction? I have a list of over 250 books for kids and adults. Get your summer reading list going! #summerreading #booksky #blackbooksky bookshop.org/wishlists/3a...

Um… the eldest is reading my latest chapter and y’all… she’s giving me editorial feedback. She’s 10. (And what she’s giving me is valid)

My niece’s nightstand. @melliver.bsky.social’s book I bought her in lieu of an Easter egg, and @ellemcnicoll.bsky.social’s book was bought buy her mum* I’m so proud. *I took her to the launch where my not so inner nerd was horrifyingly present

Also, since I started out, I’ve noticed the disdain that other areas of publishing have for children’s literature. It irks the f**k out of me tbh. Where do you think your readers come from?? Children’s books need to be treated with the same gravitas as any “adult” book.

How queer is your sci-fi? 🏳️‍🌈👽 We are delighted to be joined by Lucy Lapinska, Oliver Langmead, & Cailean Steed for a discussion of the ways they each bring queerness to their SFF writing! www.waterstones.com/events/pride...

Are you an author with a finished manuscript, struggling to hook an agent’s attention? I am a published author offering editing services with 100+ happy clients. This summer I am offering 15% off ALL my services with code TOTHEDEATH - just quote when you email! melissawelliver.com/editorial-se...

Using BACKSTORY to its full potential, a thread 🧵 In our experience as dev editors, backstory often "goes wrong" in three ways: too much, too soon, and without necessity. We believe that anything can be done well, but here are some guidelines to follow. #writingcommunity

For anyone interested, Puffin books UK have a children’s Graphic Novel arm. 🙂 It’s really new and it’s running a competition for new and aspiring graphic novel creators. Hit the link below for more info. ☺️ www.penguin.co.uk/discover/chi...