Rachel E. Tell (is querying)
@racheletell.bsky.social
✨ goes by Rae, hi!
☕ 50% coffee 30% emotional turmoil 20% punctuation
🖋️ querying The Refinement: Mercury
📚 YA | fantasy | psych. horror | romance
☕ 50% coffee 30% emotional turmoil 20% punctuation
🖋️ querying The Refinement: Mercury
📚 YA | fantasy | psych. horror | romance
Pinned
Just posted my pitch for #writerpit @writerpit.bsky.social on Instagram! Here are the images if you want a peek. It's a YA dark fantasy for fans of A Study in Drowning who binge-watch cult documentaries, with a climax that's pure Jacob's-Ladder-but-make-it-Disney-Princess chaos.
#booksky #YAbooks
#booksky #YAbooks
Does anyone have some psychological horror recommendations (Shirley Jackon-esque), preferably with supernatural elements? If it's something published in the last 5 years that'd be amazing.
Caveat: Please no stories that include harming children.
Thanks #booksky 💙📚 !!!
Caveat: Please no stories that include harming children.
Thanks #booksky 💙📚 !!!
December 23, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Does anyone have some psychological horror recommendations (Shirley Jackon-esque), preferably with supernatural elements? If it's something published in the last 5 years that'd be amazing.
Caveat: Please no stories that include harming children.
Thanks #booksky 💙📚 !!!
Caveat: Please no stories that include harming children.
Thanks #booksky 💙📚 !!!
We talk a lot about jealousy in the querying trenches. But does anyone talk about fear of success?
Imagining the next step, like getting The Call, lights up my entire sympathetic nervous system.
Anyone else? How do you cope?
#booksky #authorsofbluesky #amquerying
Imagining the next step, like getting The Call, lights up my entire sympathetic nervous system.
Anyone else? How do you cope?
#booksky #authorsofbluesky #amquerying
December 22, 2025 at 1:14 AM
We talk a lot about jealousy in the querying trenches. But does anyone talk about fear of success?
Imagining the next step, like getting The Call, lights up my entire sympathetic nervous system.
Anyone else? How do you cope?
#booksky #authorsofbluesky #amquerying
Imagining the next step, like getting The Call, lights up my entire sympathetic nervous system.
Anyone else? How do you cope?
#booksky #authorsofbluesky #amquerying
Writer brain is so weird.
I was reading about publishing contracts, trying NOT to think about the book I'm querying, and suddenly I got a flash of knowledge that will help my fmc beat the Big Bad if I'm able to make it a trilogy. Plus it's foreshadowed in book 1 without needing any edits.
#booksky
I was reading about publishing contracts, trying NOT to think about the book I'm querying, and suddenly I got a flash of knowledge that will help my fmc beat the Big Bad if I'm able to make it a trilogy. Plus it's foreshadowed in book 1 without needing any edits.
#booksky
December 21, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Writer brain is so weird.
I was reading about publishing contracts, trying NOT to think about the book I'm querying, and suddenly I got a flash of knowledge that will help my fmc beat the Big Bad if I'm able to make it a trilogy. Plus it's foreshadowed in book 1 without needing any edits.
#booksky
I was reading about publishing contracts, trying NOT to think about the book I'm querying, and suddenly I got a flash of knowledge that will help my fmc beat the Big Bad if I'm able to make it a trilogy. Plus it's foreshadowed in book 1 without needing any edits.
#booksky
Unpopular opinion: I am overjoyed that my gray hairs are popping in curly.
My mom had curly hair and loved that mine was straight. Now mine gets to be a little more like hers was, if not quite the same. Mostly brown, now decorated with silver spiral tinsel.
#unapologeticaging
My mom had curly hair and loved that mine was straight. Now mine gets to be a little more like hers was, if not quite the same. Mostly brown, now decorated with silver spiral tinsel.
#unapologeticaging
December 20, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Unpopular opinion: I am overjoyed that my gray hairs are popping in curly.
My mom had curly hair and loved that mine was straight. Now mine gets to be a little more like hers was, if not quite the same. Mostly brown, now decorated with silver spiral tinsel.
#unapologeticaging
My mom had curly hair and loved that mine was straight. Now mine gets to be a little more like hers was, if not quite the same. Mostly brown, now decorated with silver spiral tinsel.
#unapologeticaging
I don't know what it is, but imposter syndrome hits me SO HARD when I try to outline.
This is why I'm a plantser. I need structure, or else my characters just hang out. But I can only come up with any halfway decent ideas while I'm doing the actual drafting and I'm deep in the characters' heads.
This is why I'm a plantser. I need structure, or else my characters just hang out. But I can only come up with any halfway decent ideas while I'm doing the actual drafting and I'm deep in the characters' heads.
December 19, 2025 at 2:10 AM
I don't know what it is, but imposter syndrome hits me SO HARD when I try to outline.
This is why I'm a plantser. I need structure, or else my characters just hang out. But I can only come up with any halfway decent ideas while I'm doing the actual drafting and I'm deep in the characters' heads.
This is why I'm a plantser. I need structure, or else my characters just hang out. But I can only come up with any halfway decent ideas while I'm doing the actual drafting and I'm deep in the characters' heads.
Does anyone else get weirdly productive when sick? It's like my brain is too tired to fight me on things.
I make more typos. If I talk out loud, I'll probably ramble about coffee, my inability to code-switch, or cough like I'm dying. But stressful emails? Gotcha covered. I knocked out 45 by lunch.
I make more typos. If I talk out loud, I'll probably ramble about coffee, my inability to code-switch, or cough like I'm dying. But stressful emails? Gotcha covered. I knocked out 45 by lunch.
December 17, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Does anyone else get weirdly productive when sick? It's like my brain is too tired to fight me on things.
I make more typos. If I talk out loud, I'll probably ramble about coffee, my inability to code-switch, or cough like I'm dying. But stressful emails? Gotcha covered. I knocked out 45 by lunch.
I make more typos. If I talk out loud, I'll probably ramble about coffee, my inability to code-switch, or cough like I'm dying. But stressful emails? Gotcha covered. I knocked out 45 by lunch.
Reposted by Rachel E. Tell (is querying)
my obsessive kid now wants to play an instrument
he woke up and chose violins
he woke up and chose violins
December 16, 2025 at 8:50 PM
my obsessive kid now wants to play an instrument
he woke up and chose violins
he woke up and chose violins
The feminine urge to go on a wild tangent about how my YA novel is secretly a Jungian alchemy thesis about self-acceptance, shadow work, and processing trauma and neurodivergence.
There’s also a cult, magic vines, monsters, and a ball pit. I will not be elaborating.
#booksky #amwriting
There’s also a cult, magic vines, monsters, and a ball pit. I will not be elaborating.
#booksky #amwriting
December 16, 2025 at 11:26 PM
The feminine urge to go on a wild tangent about how my YA novel is secretly a Jungian alchemy thesis about self-acceptance, shadow work, and processing trauma and neurodivergence.
There’s also a cult, magic vines, monsters, and a ball pit. I will not be elaborating.
#booksky #amwriting
There’s also a cult, magic vines, monsters, and a ball pit. I will not be elaborating.
#booksky #amwriting
Welp, I was supposed to be resting, but I accidentally started my book 2 outline because "resting" means "indulging in BookTube mini documentaries with my cat" and the idea mill started turning again.
#booksky #amwriting #ya #woops
#booksky #amwriting #ya #woops
December 16, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Welp, I was supposed to be resting, but I accidentally started my book 2 outline because "resting" means "indulging in BookTube mini documentaries with my cat" and the idea mill started turning again.
#booksky #amwriting #ya #woops
#booksky #amwriting #ya #woops
Absolutely vile.
#booksky
Court documents show not only did Meta torrent terabytes of pirated books to train AI models, employees wouldn't stop emailing each other about it: 'Torrenting from a corporate laptop doesn't feel right' www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indus...
#booksky
Court documents show not only did Meta torrent terabytes of pirated books to train AI models, employees wouldn't stop emailing each other about it: 'Torrenting from a corporate laptop doesn't feel right' www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indus...
Court documents show not only did Meta torrent terabytes of pirated books to train AI models, employees wouldn't stop emailing each other about it: 'Torrenting from a corporate laptop doesn't feel rig...
I wouldn't put that sort of thing in writing but I'm built different.
www.pcgamer.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Absolutely vile.
#booksky
Court documents show not only did Meta torrent terabytes of pirated books to train AI models, employees wouldn't stop emailing each other about it: 'Torrenting from a corporate laptop doesn't feel right' www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indus...
#booksky
Court documents show not only did Meta torrent terabytes of pirated books to train AI models, employees wouldn't stop emailing each other about it: 'Torrenting from a corporate laptop doesn't feel right' www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indus...
Reposted by Rachel E. Tell (is querying)
There's something wildly comforting in the fact that no story, not the one you're writing and not the one you read in school, is perfect.
Sure there are rules, grammar and syntax and methods to engage your reader and keep your prose tight. (1/2)
#booksky 💙📚 #amwriting
Sure there are rules, grammar and syntax and methods to engage your reader and keep your prose tight. (1/2)
#booksky 💙📚 #amwriting
December 12, 2025 at 4:50 AM
There's something wildly comforting in the fact that no story, not the one you're writing and not the one you read in school, is perfect.
Sure there are rules, grammar and syntax and methods to engage your reader and keep your prose tight. (1/2)
#booksky 💙📚 #amwriting
Sure there are rules, grammar and syntax and methods to engage your reader and keep your prose tight. (1/2)
#booksky 💙📚 #amwriting
Reposted by Rachel E. Tell (is querying)
At Xitter and Facebook, scammers claiming to offer “marketing services” to writers are rampant – and like vermin sneaking aboard a ship they're following us here. Let’s stop ‘em with this handy moderation list! #authorsky bsky.app/profile/inventingrea...
December 10, 2025 at 5:15 PM
At Xitter and Facebook, scammers claiming to offer “marketing services” to writers are rampant – and like vermin sneaking aboard a ship they're following us here. Let’s stop ‘em with this handy moderation list! #authorsky bsky.app/profile/inventingrea...
My son, after someone said "67" on a youtube video: "67 is all around us! You can't avoid it!"
Me: "I thought love was all around us. It's nearly Christmas, after all."
#momlife
Me: "I thought love was all around us. It's nearly Christmas, after all."
#momlife
December 10, 2025 at 1:17 PM
My son, after someone said "67" on a youtube video: "67 is all around us! You can't avoid it!"
Me: "I thought love was all around us. It's nearly Christmas, after all."
#momlife
Me: "I thought love was all around us. It's nearly Christmas, after all."
#momlife
Quiet week on here, but we finally got the lights on the tree last night! 😄 I'm head-down for December and taking a short querying break. Parenting, work, and holiday prep in full swing.
Also planning ahead for spring book events in Texas. They'll be my first ever, so I'm excited!
#booksky 💙📚
Also planning ahead for spring book events in Texas. They'll be my first ever, so I'm excited!
#booksky 💙📚
December 9, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Quiet week on here, but we finally got the lights on the tree last night! 😄 I'm head-down for December and taking a short querying break. Parenting, work, and holiday prep in full swing.
Also planning ahead for spring book events in Texas. They'll be my first ever, so I'm excited!
#booksky 💙📚
Also planning ahead for spring book events in Texas. They'll be my first ever, so I'm excited!
#booksky 💙📚
Me: "Your butt does not control people's minds!"
7yo: "It can actually K.O. people!"
Me: "What are you, Wario?"
7yo: *laughter and fart noises*
#momlife
7yo: "It can actually K.O. people!"
Me: "What are you, Wario?"
7yo: *laughter and fart noises*
#momlife
December 5, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Me: "Your butt does not control people's minds!"
7yo: "It can actually K.O. people!"
Me: "What are you, Wario?"
7yo: *laughter and fart noises*
#momlife
7yo: "It can actually K.O. people!"
Me: "What are you, Wario?"
7yo: *laughter and fart noises*
#momlife
Honestly, these days, I'd rather read a book on the shorter side. Mostly it's because my time is so limited. Between full-time work, parenting, spending time with my spouse, working on my own novel, health, chores, it took me ~6 months just to read Howl's Moving Castle.
#booksky 💙📚 #BookishQOTD 📖🦋
#booksky 💙📚 #BookishQOTD 📖🦋
— ★°•| December 4|•°★ —
This or That: Would you rather read a book longer or shorter than 400 pages?? What is your reasoning?
☆ Don't forget to include our hashtag, and make sure to use alt-text with any images!! ☆
[Tags: #booksky 💙📚 #BookishQOTD 📖🦋]
This or That: Would you rather read a book longer or shorter than 400 pages?? What is your reasoning?
☆ Don't forget to include our hashtag, and make sure to use alt-text with any images!! ☆
[Tags: #booksky 💙📚 #BookishQOTD 📖🦋]
December 5, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Honestly, these days, I'd rather read a book on the shorter side. Mostly it's because my time is so limited. Between full-time work, parenting, spending time with my spouse, working on my own novel, health, chores, it took me ~6 months just to read Howl's Moving Castle.
#booksky 💙📚 #BookishQOTD 📖🦋
#booksky 💙📚 #BookishQOTD 📖🦋
One of my dream agents just opened for queries!
Aaaand she doesn't rep my genre.
Gonna go pout in a corner for a bit, then dust myself off and get back to work. My Disney princess cult horror self-acceptance fever dream isn't gonna query itself.
#amquerying #justnotthatagent #BookSky 💙📚
Aaaand she doesn't rep my genre.
Gonna go pout in a corner for a bit, then dust myself off and get back to work. My Disney princess cult horror self-acceptance fever dream isn't gonna query itself.
#amquerying #justnotthatagent #BookSky 💙📚
December 3, 2025 at 11:19 PM
One of my dream agents just opened for queries!
Aaaand she doesn't rep my genre.
Gonna go pout in a corner for a bit, then dust myself off and get back to work. My Disney princess cult horror self-acceptance fever dream isn't gonna query itself.
#amquerying #justnotthatagent #BookSky 💙📚
Aaaand she doesn't rep my genre.
Gonna go pout in a corner for a bit, then dust myself off and get back to work. My Disney princess cult horror self-acceptance fever dream isn't gonna query itself.
#amquerying #justnotthatagent #BookSky 💙📚
Darn it! I’ve been really productive today.
Yesterday I took a full day off. I set one appointment for an errand after I found out I couldn’t go same-day, and spent the rest of the time relaxing.
So why on earth do I have PROOF that rest makes me more productive and energized? Not fair. 😅
Yesterday I took a full day off. I set one appointment for an errand after I found out I couldn’t go same-day, and spent the rest of the time relaxing.
So why on earth do I have PROOF that rest makes me more productive and energized? Not fair. 😅
December 3, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Darn it! I’ve been really productive today.
Yesterday I took a full day off. I set one appointment for an errand after I found out I couldn’t go same-day, and spent the rest of the time relaxing.
So why on earth do I have PROOF that rest makes me more productive and energized? Not fair. 😅
Yesterday I took a full day off. I set one appointment for an errand after I found out I couldn’t go same-day, and spent the rest of the time relaxing.
So why on earth do I have PROOF that rest makes me more productive and energized? Not fair. 😅
Your last saved meme is your moral philosophy
Oh no.
Oh no.
December 3, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Your last saved meme is your moral philosophy
Oh no.
Oh no.
Sharing an excerpt of a scene that was brutal to write. I had to be alone, in the dark, Akira Yamaoka in my ears, secrets hidden in the mist, dread and discomfort growing step by step. In The Refinement, silence is weaponized. This moment captures it best.
#YAFantasy #amquerying #BookSky 💙📚
#YAFantasy #amquerying #BookSky 💙📚
December 3, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Sharing an excerpt of a scene that was brutal to write. I had to be alone, in the dark, Akira Yamaoka in my ears, secrets hidden in the mist, dread and discomfort growing step by step. In The Refinement, silence is weaponized. This moment captures it best.
#YAFantasy #amquerying #BookSky 💙📚
#YAFantasy #amquerying #BookSky 💙📚
Introduce yourself with five books you’ve said more than once that you “really should read one day” but still haven’t:
Catch-22
The Screwtape Letters
Man and His Symbols
Slaughterhouse-Five
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
📚💙 #BookSky
Catch-22
The Screwtape Letters
Man and His Symbols
Slaughterhouse-Five
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
📚💙 #BookSky
Introduce yourself with five books you’ve said more than once that you “really should read one day” but still haven’t:
Crime and Punishment-Dostoevsky
Thinking Fast and Slow-Daniel Kahneman
Guns, Germs and Steel-Jared Diamond
The Jungle-Upton Sinclair
Gulag Archipelago-Alek Solzhenitsyn
📚💙 #BookSky
Crime and Punishment-Dostoevsky
Thinking Fast and Slow-Daniel Kahneman
Guns, Germs and Steel-Jared Diamond
The Jungle-Upton Sinclair
Gulag Archipelago-Alek Solzhenitsyn
📚💙 #BookSky
Introduce yourself with five books you’ve said more than once that you “really should read one day” but still haven’t:
-The Three Musketeers
-The Brothers Karamazov
-The Sound and the Fury
-Cane
-The Left Hand of Darkness
#BookSky #LiteratureSky
-The Three Musketeers
-The Brothers Karamazov
-The Sound and the Fury
-Cane
-The Left Hand of Darkness
#BookSky #LiteratureSky
December 2, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Introduce yourself with five books you’ve said more than once that you “really should read one day” but still haven’t:
Catch-22
The Screwtape Letters
Man and His Symbols
Slaughterhouse-Five
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
📚💙 #BookSky
Catch-22
The Screwtape Letters
Man and His Symbols
Slaughterhouse-Five
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
📚💙 #BookSky
OH MY GOSH rejection 8 was PERSONALIZED! I'm so happy I'm vibrating. She says my pitch is fun, and the academia setting is a fan favorite right now so I should keep querying. Eee!
I know you're not supposed to respond when an agent passes, but I am SO happy and grateful.
#booksky #hope #amquerying
I know you're not supposed to respond when an agent passes, but I am SO happy and grateful.
#booksky #hope #amquerying
December 2, 2025 at 1:45 PM
OH MY GOSH rejection 8 was PERSONALIZED! I'm so happy I'm vibrating. She says my pitch is fun, and the academia setting is a fan favorite right now so I should keep querying. Eee!
I know you're not supposed to respond when an agent passes, but I am SO happy and grateful.
#booksky #hope #amquerying
I know you're not supposed to respond when an agent passes, but I am SO happy and grateful.
#booksky #hope #amquerying
Ah, man. I think I just vastly improved my query letter after a YouTube video I watched during lunch about character motivations gave me an "aha" moment, and of course it's after 32 queries were sent out. Live and learn, right?
#woops #amquerying #booksky
#woops #amquerying #booksky
December 1, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Ah, man. I think I just vastly improved my query letter after a YouTube video I watched during lunch about character motivations gave me an "aha" moment, and of course it's after 32 queries were sent out. Live and learn, right?
#woops #amquerying #booksky
#woops #amquerying #booksky
You guys have any good querying music? I feel like it should be different from my writing music.
#booksky #amquerying #querytrenches #soundtrack
#booksky #amquerying #querytrenches #soundtrack
November 30, 2025 at 4:24 AM
You guys have any good querying music? I feel like it should be different from my writing music.
#booksky #amquerying #querytrenches #soundtrack
#booksky #amquerying #querytrenches #soundtrack