Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist

@faythompsonauthor.bsky.social

4.8K followers 14K following 8.7K posts

I write Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror that is slightly bent, a bit fun and certain to be an adventure. I also art. I am currently illustrating chapter headers for "The Inspectors." Nevada! NO AI here. DMs closed!

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · Nov 26

Bug Mage Art - Destine bookmark in color. I will let it rest over thanksgiving to see if I need to touch it more. Enjoy!

18 28 400

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Thank you Denzeka!!!

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Thank you so much, Jen. I plan to hand out these promotions on Saturday for people to put together for themselves. :)

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

So, I printed on fabric sheets for my wings. This is the product. I noted a small amount of ink dirty but not enough to really matter for this project. I pre-coated the edges with Aleenes Stop Fraying. Let dry. Cut, peel, install. Worked!

#fabricprinting #wings #thebugmage #destine

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Prototype is done. :)

She has wings.

What do you think?

#thebugmage #destine #articulatedcharacter #promotions #writingcommunity #booksky

Destine from "The Bug Mage" with her wings.

4 13

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

This is what my sheet of wings 'sample' looks like this morning. They are dry from the fray stuff. Next up I cut them out and test them on the figure. Wish me luck!

#wings #fabricprinting #destine #writingcommunity #booksky

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Congratulations today to László Krasznahorkai for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature!!!

#Laszlokrasznahorkai #nobel #literature #writingcommunity #bluesky

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Be 100% certain your novel is well edited.

Don't cheap out or think some app or program can find all your typos and grammar issues. Plan to pay a good editor to go through your novel with a fine-toothed comb. You can't afford to publish crappy rough draft.

#writingcommunity #booksky #editors

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Making your novel look and feel right is all about the novel details and getting them right.

Your indie publisher may not be doing this work. You cannot shove it off on others. You need to be competent for yourself and give your novel the best shot on publication.

#writingcommunity #booksky

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Measure the comparable book.

Don't guess.

Measure the inside margins. Don't just accept what a template you downloaded wants to do to your book.

Ask your POD printer for 'paper samples' of the paper they use for novels. Compare these paper samples to your comp books.

#writingcommunity #booksky

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

In your book report:

* POV
* Top character's gender
* Headhopping?
* Tense
* Length of chapters
* How many crises?
* word count between crises?

All of these details are informing your future readers. This is what they already like and think is normal for the genre.

#writingcommunity #booksky

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Every Thursday I tell you to READ a comp.

I mean it.

This is ongoing over your career. Stay current within your favored genre.

Learn what is happening, what good covers look like, what good book formatting looks like for your exact genre. Learn.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

When you read comps you are doing 'due diligence' in the publishing and marketing of novels in your exact subgenre. You are self-educating about what works, what your future readers are currently reading. You need to find and please those readers.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #marketing

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

When you do your comps, you will be able to identify the artists who designed the covers.

You can contact those artists to price out having them do your cover too.

Remember I said to save money on Mondays? Yep, spending is easy. Be prepared.

#writingcommunity #booksky #bookcovers #artists

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

It doesn't matter if your book is traditionally or self published for you to stay current in your novel genre. The majority of new novel marketing falls on the author these days. You need to know. You need a plan. You need to be competent in your genre.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Check on the meta tags of each comp book you read.

Look up how to find the meta tag on a book. Or hire an IT person to find the list for you for each title.

Meta tags tell the browser where your book fits into searches. You need to match those readers today.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comparable

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

Put all of your comps on a Check on Me list.

Once a month visit amazon and search for your exact genre. See what the algorithm trends to the top of the screen. Notice what rises and what falls.

On your list - document next to each title. Sales info.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

For every comp novel you read (12 each year), locate the author, agent, editor on social media and friend or follow them. Listen to what they are saying and doing as this relates precisely to the readers you will share with them in your exact subgenre.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 4h

If your comp doesn't have a hardcover then you find the most expensive version of its paperback. Is the cover matte or shiny? Is the cover 'treated' to foil, raised surfaces, edge painting or any other treatment? Notice.

Paying attention is your best investment.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comps

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 5h

You need your new novel to:

* look right
* feel right
* smell right
* fit in with the top new novels in your genre today

You want to avoid anything that looks wrong to a browsing reader. You LEARN good novel formatting and know what to look for.

#writingcommunity #booksky #novels #formatting

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 5h

Capture an image of the whole (front/spine/back) cover. Notice the verbiage on the back cover. Notice the fonts used. Look in front matter for identity of the artist.

Measure the hardcover. This is the best version of the novel. This is their $ pitch.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 5h

Notice the choices made in your comp novel. This is the layout of the front matter. Do they use an author page? Dedication? Index of chapters? Acknowledgment page? Epilogue? Prologue? Artwork? Character studies? Glossary? Lead for next book with links?

#writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #read

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 5h

To find the agent of your comp book.

Look on the acknowledgments page. You will frequently find the agent, editor and publisher listed. For newly published books this is valuable information. These are ACTIVE people today.

#writingcommunity #booksky #agents #comps #editors

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 5h

To estimate word count:

Find a full normal page in the book.
Count the words in one random line.
Count the lines on the page.
Multiply by pages in the book.

You have estimated word count.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comps #bookdesign

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 5h

To find font size and leading use the AS-2A and AS-2B by Westcott. They are transparent plastic gauges you can buy for less that $10 online. You lay them on the pages and look through each gauge to identify what is similar.

You collect this info on all comps.

#writingcommunity #booksky #comps

Fay Thompson, Author/Artist @faythompsonauthor.bsky.social · 5h

You also need to collect publishing data from each hardcover comp novel.

* word count est.
* measure the margins
* identify font size and leading
* notice headers and footers
* notice paper color and feel
* notice serif or non-serif fonts
* is agent identified?

#writingcommunity #booksky #comps