Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
@mbaileywriter.bsky.social
Independent author (superhero, fantasy, urban fantasy), stage combat director/instructor in the central MA area. Native Cape Codder. Shares a bed with one wife, two dogs, and three cats. He/him/his.
https://innsmouthlook.com
https://innsmouthlook.com
Pinned
Updated pinned post for anyone who wants to check out my work or maybe even buy some books.
WEBSITE: innsmouthlook.com
BOOKSHOP: bookshop.org/beta-search?...
AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL: www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/a...
FYI, you can order print editions through my website.
WEBSITE: innsmouthlook.com
BOOKSHOP: bookshop.org/beta-search?...
AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL: www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/a...
FYI, you can order print editions through my website.
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
Interesting discussion of publisher content marketplaces for AI rights. You may not agree, but it's an unusually detailed effort to engage w/ why trade publishing is a poor fit & how publishers might engage (as usual tho, little attention paid to authors) thenewpublishingstandard.com/2026/02/11/m...
Microsoft Launches Publisher Content Marketplace. Book Publishers Look The Other Way - The New Publishing Standard
Microsoft's AI content marketplace excludes book publishers. Why fiction and minor-language content could reshape AI licensing—if publishers act now.
thenewpublishingstandard.com
February 16, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Interesting discussion of publisher content marketplaces for AI rights. You may not agree, but it's an unusually detailed effort to engage w/ why trade publishing is a poor fit & how publishers might engage (as usual tho, little attention paid to authors) thenewpublishingstandard.com/2026/02/11/m...
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
Writing is thinking.
It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.
It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.
It’s easy to think writing is mainly the transcription of ideas you already have—that is, until you try to write something worthwhile, and you find what you thought were saying transform into something far more interesting in the process. This skips that last step, and that is *not* an improvement.
“We plan to hire an AI rewrite specialist to ingest the reporting by Hannah and others and use AI to convert it into stories.”
The editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said it will use AI to ‘write’ its articles.
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/10...
The editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said it will use AI to ‘write’ its articles.
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/10...
February 16, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Writing is thinking.
It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.
It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.
I had a scammer a couple of months ago that alternated between "pwetty pwease lemme promote your awesome book" and "fuck you, motherfucker, I am not a scam, eat shit."
The ironic twist: it wasn't even my book.
The ironic twist: it wasn't even my book.
Book club scams are now threatening authors who don't fall for their BS. In December, I received an email from Herry Sharp, so-called CEO of "Super Book Lover Curator" praising my novella We Who Hunt Alexanders.
Totally AI-generated and a scam so I didn't respond.
Now Herry is threatening me. 1/
Totally AI-generated and a scam so I didn't respond.
Now Herry is threatening me. 1/
February 16, 2026 at 5:47 PM
I had a scammer a couple of months ago that alternated between "pwetty pwease lemme promote your awesome book" and "fuck you, motherfucker, I am not a scam, eat shit."
The ironic twist: it wasn't even my book.
The ironic twist: it wasn't even my book.
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
The fact that these sentences always end with "... which we will cram with more work for them" and not "... so we moved to a four-day workweek" really illustrate the hollowness of some AI evangelists' promises that AI will deliver us to some kind of post-work utopia.
“By removing writing from reporters’ workloads, we’ve effectively freed up an extra workday for them each week” is such a strange sentence to read.
February 16, 2026 at 5:13 PM
The fact that these sentences always end with "... which we will cram with more work for them" and not "... so we moved to a four-day workweek" really illustrate the hollowness of some AI evangelists' promises that AI will deliver us to some kind of post-work utopia.
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
Hi. Are you buried in the horrors right now? Maybe you can take a break and recover some hit points while you read this charming history of the Easy Bake Oven.
How the Easy-Bake Oven, an Appliance That Allowed Kids to Heat Treats With a Light Bulb, Revolutionized the Toy Industry
The product, launched in 1963, became a staple in American households
www.smithsonianmag.com
February 15, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Hi. Are you buried in the horrors right now? Maybe you can take a break and recover some hit points while you read this charming history of the Easy Bake Oven.
This is going to be the new "bring back Firefly," isn't it?
Former Stranger Things actors are getting vocal about the series finale.
STRANGER THINGS Actor Did NOT Like Finale and Wants Ninth Episode
nerdist.com
February 16, 2026 at 12:25 PM
This is going to be the new "bring back Firefly," isn't it?
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
We sure don’t allow AI slop—and it shows in our fantastic reporting and writing. Follow @mississippifreepress.org and other real journalism on this list.
Today is a good day to follow news outlets that explicitly disallow Generative AI slop:
go.bsky.app/8cn1XfT
go.bsky.app/8cn1XfT
February 16, 2026 at 4:09 AM
We sure don’t allow AI slop—and it shows in our fantastic reporting and writing. Follow @mississippifreepress.org and other real journalism on this list.
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
Let me tell you a tale of how completely the normies have been mobilized. My 14 year-old niece has done School of Rock for the past 5 years; last summer she was part of their touring band, and the kids loved playing together so much that they decided to keep doing it. (1/?)
February 16, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Let me tell you a tale of how completely the normies have been mobilized. My 14 year-old niece has done School of Rock for the past 5 years; last summer she was part of their touring band, and the kids loved playing together so much that they decided to keep doing it. (1/?)
I know Coral Hart is the current popular (and deserving) target for getting dumped on due to her gAI grift and her boast that she's barfing out hundreds of #novels via gAI, but let's not forget, others have made similar boasts -- because they're taking away the wrong lesson about productivity. (1/)
February 16, 2026 at 12:06 PM
I know Coral Hart is the current popular (and deserving) target for getting dumped on due to her gAI grift and her boast that she's barfing out hundreds of #novels via gAI, but let's not forget, others have made similar boasts -- because they're taking away the wrong lesson about productivity. (1/)
Do your homework, #authors -- and always credit the artist doing your covers by name in your front matter.
I keep seeing authors getting duped by AI users pretending to be artists (and then sadly realising it when everyone calls their book AI slop).
These grifters are everywhere and I don't have a solution, but I have a few pointers:
These grifters are everywhere and I don't have a solution, but I have a few pointers:
February 16, 2026 at 11:23 AM
Do your homework, #authors -- and always credit the artist doing your covers by name in your front matter.
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
the thing is that there are lots of modest, tedious, repetitive tasks in many of our jobs and lives where we might be happy to pay a fee for an ethically developed standalone tool to do only that task. but we can’t have that because it won’t make people rich enough
Every time I try to question my kneejerk skepticism on LLMs because they seem like they might have some potentially interesting use cases, some company shoves them into a product I use all the time, and it absolutely sucks shit.
February 16, 2026 at 7:08 AM
the thing is that there are lots of modest, tedious, repetitive tasks in many of our jobs and lives where we might be happy to pay a fee for an ethically developed standalone tool to do only that task. but we can’t have that because it won’t make people rich enough
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
If I were a Democrat concerned about winning elections and was hearing that a significant number of voters wouldn’t support Gavin Newsom in 2028, I would simply stop pushing Gavin Newsom in 2026.
look if you want to freak out about people not voting newsom if he's the nominee a week before the 2028 general election, I kinda get it (but don't say you weren't warned). doing it now though is just a weird attempt to strong arm people into supporting him in the primary.
I think most (not all) of the "I will never vote for Gavin Newsom" people are communists who are mad that Americans don't like communism and want to destroy the Democratic party out of revenge. They don't care how many elections Republicans win or how many trans people die as long as the Dems fall.
February 15, 2026 at 9:50 PM
If I were a Democrat concerned about winning elections and was hearing that a significant number of voters wouldn’t support Gavin Newsom in 2028, I would simply stop pushing Gavin Newsom in 2026.
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
Every time she worriedly rushes to make sure you aren’t annoyed; every time she decides not to ask for what she needs; every time she’s relieved and grateful over common, coequal courtesy — that’s you benefitting from the violence of other men. That’s you being the hero over nothing.
February 15, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Every time she worriedly rushes to make sure you aren’t annoyed; every time she decides not to ask for what she needs; every time she’s relieved and grateful over common, coequal courtesy — that’s you benefitting from the violence of other men. That’s you being the hero over nothing.
Take off that Dropkick Murphys hoodie, you poser. They'd roast your ass.
I hadn't heard this shit until now and finding out Platner was all in on "black people don't tip" makes way too much sense. And it's a huge red flag for anyone who works in hospitality because it's not true. Everyone who's worked behind the stick knows who undertips and it's not the black community
February 15, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Take off that Dropkick Murphys hoodie, you poser. They'd roast your ass.
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
Dogs in the snow are awesome
February 15, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Dogs in the snow are awesome
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
Thrilled to announce that I have accepted a position on the Studio Theatre Worcester Board of Directors! Very excited to be working with these amazing artists.
www.studiotheatreworcester.org
www.studiotheatreworcester.org
Studio Theatre Worcester
Studio Theatre Worcester is committed to a differentiated, professional theatre experience that reflects the diversity and vibrancy of Worcester, Massachusetts communities. Our high quality, theatrica...
www.studiotheatreworcester.org
February 11, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Thrilled to announce that I have accepted a position on the Studio Theatre Worcester Board of Directors! Very excited to be working with these amazing artists.
www.studiotheatreworcester.org
www.studiotheatreworcester.org
Salem, MA has the Essex St. Pedestrian Mall, which is always teeming with activity, even in the non-Halloween seasons.
You don't need to-the-door auto access to have a successful business district.
You don't need to-the-door auto access to have a successful business district.
One of the most successful pedestrian streets in the world, the Strøget in Copenhagen, was filled with cars until a 2 year pedestrianization pilot project in 1962. The opposition argued “no cars means no business,” but the street has been a massive retail success, the city’s busiest shopping street.
February 15, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Salem, MA has the Essex St. Pedestrian Mall, which is always teeming with activity, even in the non-Halloween seasons.
You don't need to-the-door auto access to have a successful business district.
You don't need to-the-door auto access to have a successful business district.
No lie, I was told by Adam Kubert (yep, THAT Adam Kubert; I attended Joe's school back in the day) about the magic of writing off damn near anything for tax purposes.
Thank god I have a knowledgeable tax guy who knows when to claim those deductions and when to pump the brakes. Which is often.
Thank god I have a knowledgeable tax guy who knows when to claim those deductions and when to pump the brakes. Which is often.
I tried to argue that I should be able to deduct book purchases and streaming subscriptions as “research” because all my other writer friends do it. My accountant basically gave me the “and if all your friends jumped off a bridge” lecture
Social-media influencers learn to navigate the intricacies of the tax code. Just because it’s in a TikTok video doesn’t mean it’s a deduction. on.wsj.com/4alTj5O
February 15, 2026 at 5:57 PM
No lie, I was told by Adam Kubert (yep, THAT Adam Kubert; I attended Joe's school back in the day) about the magic of writing off damn near anything for tax purposes.
Thank god I have a knowledgeable tax guy who knows when to claim those deductions and when to pump the brakes. Which is often.
Thank god I have a knowledgeable tax guy who knows when to claim those deductions and when to pump the brakes. Which is often.
Today's gAI slop cover. Apparently the gAI decided to avoid rendering a mangled hand by just not giving the brunette character a hand at all.
February 15, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Today's gAI slop cover. Apparently the gAI decided to avoid rendering a mangled hand by just not giving the brunette character a hand at all.
"Fun" experience this morning while grocery shopping. The supermarket completely rearranged the H&B section -- changed the footprint, moved everything around, complete overhaul -- and it threw me off so much I experienced physical disorientation to the point of literal dizziness.
Do not recommend.
Do not recommend.
February 15, 2026 at 1:31 PM
"Fun" experience this morning while grocery shopping. The supermarket completely rearranged the H&B section -- changed the footprint, moved everything around, complete overhaul -- and it threw me off so much I experienced physical disorientation to the point of literal dizziness.
Do not recommend.
Do not recommend.
I've had to tell my coworkers more than once not to trust AI summaries on Google because they're so often wrong. Fortunately, they listen.
The customers we deal with, not so much.
The customers we deal with, not so much.
They're going to have to update the old chestnut to:
"There's lies, damn lies, and AI results"
"There's lies, damn lies, and AI results"
lol this is gonna burst so fucking hard
February 15, 2026 at 1:24 PM
I've had to tell my coworkers more than once not to trust AI summaries on Google because they're so often wrong. Fortunately, they listen.
The customers we deal with, not so much.
The customers we deal with, not so much.
Reposted by Michael C. Bailey - Indie Author, Stage Combat Guy
Hey, to anyone who needs to hear this, if you bring positivity to fandom, I consider that creating art. If you cheer on others, boost them. Have hope when cynics like me keep yapping. Fandom would be a worse place without y'all.
February 15, 2026 at 12:43 AM
Hey, to anyone who needs to hear this, if you bring positivity to fandom, I consider that creating art. If you cheer on others, boost them. Have hope when cynics like me keep yapping. Fandom would be a worse place without y'all.
I might have to give this a re-watch. I saw it in the theater and remember walking out unimpressed, but I've often gone into a movie expecting one thing and being disappointed when I got another.
So, yeah, might have to reassess my thoughts on this one.
So, yeah, might have to reassess my thoughts on this one.
No reason other than this song popped into my head and this scene is actually a good one for Valentine's Day. I guess it has spoilers but also the movie is 25 years old, so maybe the statute of limitations has run out on that (also see the film, it's delightful)
youtu.be/a2o2cQ7oNPM
youtu.be/a2o2cQ7oNPM
Josie and the Pussycats (2001) - Spin Around Scene (10/10) | Movieclips
YouTube video by Movieclips
youtu.be
February 15, 2026 at 1:22 PM
I might have to give this a re-watch. I saw it in the theater and remember walking out unimpressed, but I've often gone into a movie expecting one thing and being disappointed when I got another.
So, yeah, might have to reassess my thoughts on this one.
So, yeah, might have to reassess my thoughts on this one.
It's always a good time to block any dude who still employs "not all men" as a rejoinder/defense.
Demanding accountability for the trafficking, rape, and enslavement of children and adults should be YOUR fucking cause too. It’s all of our “cause.” Fuck you. Fuck you and your fellow men and your entitlement and what you excuse and enable and benefit from. Chiding me over semantics. Fuck you.
February 15, 2026 at 1:11 PM
It's always a good time to block any dude who still employs "not all men" as a rejoinder/defense.