Last Updated on November 30, 2022 by ThoughtsStained
Hello, lovelies! Welcome to another Bookish Breakdown installment, my monthly wrap-up post. In Bookish Breakdown, I discuss life generally for the past month. Also, I share last month’s reading, as well as life musings, blog hopping links and intention updates!
So, November happened. And thank all gods, old and new and not yet known, that it was better than October. Which was awful in many ways. But this month, it did have some highlights:
- I turned 30!
- Voted, obviously
- Took a week off of work and was reminded just how damn toxic my job is
- Celebrated my dad’s birthday
- Cooked with my partner
- Enjoyed a rare 60-degree weather day with my dog
- Wrote two chapters in my WIP (and now have to rewrite them)
- Continue to have extensional crisis about what I’m doing with my life 🙃
All in all, it wasn’t a bad month. Creatively, though? Eh…
Bookish Breakdown: Reading
What I Read
Honestly, I’m only about halfway through Emery Robin’s The Stars Undying. It was my most anticipated Sci-Fi release, tbh. But I don’t know if I’m just bouncing off sci-fi or what, but so far…well, lets hope I like it better as I finish it!
Reading Challenges Update
What: Yearly challenge tracked via StoryGraph of how my books I want to read.
Goal: 50 Books
Status: 32/50 Books
What: A personal challenge to read at least one antiracist book a month (or 12 a year).
Goal: 12 Books
Status: 3/12 Books
What: I want to do a better job that of reading books written by (or featuring protagonists) that aren’t the publishing “standard”, i.e, white, male, able-bodied, straight and based on Western cultures or Christian/Catholic religions.
Goal: More books that break away from that “standard” than books that do.
Status: 16/25
What: Hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight where you write and share your bookish discussion posts!
Goal: 24 Discussion Post (Chatty Kathy Level)
Status: 19/24 Posts
Posts:
- Let’s Talk Bookish: 2022 Reading Goals
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Blogger and Audience Relationship
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Changing Book Ratings
- Book Bloggers, Why Aren’t We Kinder to Ourselves?
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Maintaining A Blog Aesthetic
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Updating Old Content
- When A Reader Fights Reading
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Evolution of Book Blogging
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Book Blogging Joys and Pet Peeves
- The Importance of Commenting on Book Blogs
- Reading and Mental Health
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Rapid Fire Book Blogging Takes
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Book Blogging Friendships
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Tracking Your Reading
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Unhauling Books
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Blogging Balancing Act
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Tackling Your TBR
- Blogging Engagement: An Inspired Post
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Bookish Gatekeeping
Bookish Breakdown: Blogging
What I Posted
Ha, blogging was definitely sacrificed thanks to just trying to survive, as it was in October, too. And will be in December (yeah, small hiatus incoming…). But, I still managed to get a few posts in!
Read Around the Blogosphere
I am SO HAPPY to finally have a Bookish Breakdown post that actually includes other bloggers’ links. It was so nice to blog hop again (thank you, break from work!). Though I still am not fully caught up, I’ll take this small win.
Other Bloggers’ Posts I Loved
- Meredith @ M.A. Crosbie shared a wonderfully insightful post about the downfall of Twitter and just life being hard.
- Nicole @ Of Worlds Forgotten just started a book and writing blog! I hope you’ll go give her a follow, as she’s a gem and an amazing writer. And I’m so excited she’s now in the blogosphere!
- Sumedha @ The Wordy Habitat shares some great tips on writing wrap-up posts!
- Kate @ Your Tita Kate breaks down the issues with dark academia and yep, it checks out.
- Malka @ Paper Procrastinators discusses getting back into blogging, especially in relation to working full-time. Personally, I really connect with this struggle!
- I also really enjoyed reading a few opinion pieces about the current state of publishing: “Passion Doesn’t Pay the Bills” by Sophie Vershbow for Vulture and “Support the HarperCollins Union. Support the Stories You Want to See.” by Sara Danver on her newsletter
Looking Forward
Thanks for reading this month’s Bookish Breakdown! November wasn’t too shabby, all things considered. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed returning to the day job (and with my final looming over me for my course), but it’s three weeks. Three weeks to survive and perhaps things will be better after that! Hopefully? 😅
What about you? I hope life is being much kinder and you’re able to be kind to yourself, too. But, let me know what’s going on and how things are going!
🖤
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![Not me needing to repost this announcement because my first post had a typo. I promise I can actually edit! 😅
REPOST of original message below:
I've been thinking a lot about publishing and the barriers it places, particularly on traditionally underrepresented and marginalized writers. As an editor, I wanted to try and break down those barriers a bit.
So, going forward from now and forevermore, if you identity as a queer, BIPOC or disabled writer, you'll receive 10% any full manuscript edit. No need to self-disclose how you qualify. I will trust you at your word!
Another stigma (that's being broken!) that still exists is that self-published authors write at less quality than trad--pubbed writers. We all know this is bullshit! But, to help support my indie badasses, your first edit with me for a novel you plan to self publish will be 10% off.
**Please note these discounts are for full manuscript edits, including: developmental edits, copy edits and proofreading.**
Curious? DM me or email me through my website, linked below!
Link here: https://thoughtsstainedwithink.com/editorial
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#writing #writinghelp #editing #amediting #amrevising #edits #freelanceeditor #SFFWriters #fantasywriters #writingcommunity #writing #querying #amquerying #writersofinstagram #writersofig #WIP #editorial #developmentalediting #nowbooking #queerwriters #edits #CampNaNoWriMo #marginalizedwriters #BIPOCwriters](https://thoughtsstainedwithink.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
Hoping things calm down for you soon! You’re doing amazing, truly! <3
Thank you, my love! ♥
Aww Nicole, thank you for the shout out 😭 I hope things calm down for you also!! You’re the best!
Absolutely!! I am so jazzed about your blog and so excited to see what you do with it! 🥰