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Vikki Patis

@vikkipatis.bsky.social

6.8K followers 730 following 1.2K posts

Author of queer dark novels, aka Victoria Hawthorne. Scottish with an English accent. Owned by golden retrievers. Views mine. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 she/her https://linktr.ee/vikkipatis

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Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · Jan 8

Hello, Bluesky! I thought I'd post this again since I've just had a sudden flurry of new followers. I've gone freelance since being made redundant, offering all of these services, and I'm now booking for March onwards.

www.vikkipatisauthor.com/services

A graphic displaying a list of services provided: websites, copyediting, proofreading, mentoring, regulatory compliance consulting. Shows an image of a person's hand writing in a notebook and holding a cup.

Reposted by Vikki Patis

Leona Scream @editor.scot · 1d

We need this in Scotland. It’s not even wishful or fanciful thinking: it’s financially astute. Our creative industries are absolutely vital

RTÉ News @news.rte.ie · 1d

The Basic Income for the Arts scheme will be put on a permanent footing in the Budget tomorrow

Budget 2026: Basic income for artists to become permanent

The Basic Income for the Arts scheme will be put on a permanent footing in the Budget tomorrow.

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 23h

🙏🙏🙏

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 1d

Fantastic news!

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 2d

I know what you mean! My wife prefers the wee brush thingies, and we also have a water flosser which is 🤌

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 2d

This, and FLOSS! My teeth have been the bane of my life. Genetics, upbringing, and coeliac disease really said 'fuck you' 🥲 I got veneers recently, genuinely life changing

Reposted by Vikki Patis

Alex Davis @alexdavis1981.bsky.social · 2d

WINTER HAUNTS returns for 2025 with a loaded line-up of interviews, panels and workshops - and here are just some of the awesome authors you'll be hearing from! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-hau...

Reposted by Vikki Patis

Alice Bell @abeewords.bsky.social · 5d

Anthropic didn't steal any of my books, and on the one hand that's very good, but on the other I am of course incensed

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 4d

'so I asked Chat GPT—'

Ben Affleck Smoking or Ben Affleck Cigarette is an image macro of a paparazzi photograph of actor Ben Affleck smoking a cigarette with a distressed look on his face wearing a blue sweater.

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 6d

Yes the individuals are amazing. The system, not so much!

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 6d

Yeah I think that does influence buyers, though I'm not sure how much. Publishers truly do let their midlist authors down by doing absolutely nothing to try to promote them, then blame the bookshops. They can't order books they don't know exist!?

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 6d

I feel like more authors (and agents) should be telling publishers that they don't care for their bad track nonsense. If the publisher fails to sell a book they've gambled on, that's their problem. The fact is that the celebrities and huge debuts get the lion's share of marketing money.

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 6d

Christ, what poor timing from that agent. It doesn't make sense how they tell us that authors often can't move the needle on sales, but it's also our fault if sales are bad? I refuse to take responsibility for a multimillion pound company failing to sell my book 😂

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 6d

So-called 'bad track' is complete and utter bollocks.

Frankly, this is absolute gaslighting of the worst kind. It’s like publishers have all agreed on the myth that if an author’s first book didn’t sell well, it’s because of the author’s name. Not perhaps the cover not being eye catching enough … certainly not their marketing efforts (heavens forbid the publisher be responsible)… or how they positioned the book, which perhaps caused the ‘miss’… or the amount of publicity that book was lucky to get (or not)… it’s not the fact that traction is hard for anyone to lasso, even huge publishers raking in millions … not the factors of luck and chance which btw are extremely real … (r u getting me here???)

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 7d

September reading wrap-up! A varied month packed with brilliant reads. I was glad to find Flat 401 on BorrowBox so I could finally read @kingsley-pearson.bsky.social's excellent debut!

VPatis's September 2025 reads:
CARELESS PEOPLE
COME CLOSER
59 MINUTES
BLUEBEARD'S EGG
FLAT 401
BRIDGE
JAMES
WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER
THE BLUE HOUR
PALAVER

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 10d

I parted ways with my agent last year and put something like 'I'm seeking new representation after parting ways with my previous agent' in my query letter. Nobody really cared, and I only gave the details to the new agent I ended up signing with. It happens a lot in this industry!

Reposted by Vikki Patis

Damian Barr @damianbarr.bsky.social · 14d

It’s a mistake to be discussing drugs we know to be safe. Time after time we take the bait of their provocations - their wild claims. We need to stop accepting their terms of debate - stop wasting our time trying to win their arguments. Instead, make real connections within and across communities.

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 14d

It's going about! I had it a few weeks ago 🫠 feel better soon!

Reposted by Vikki Patis

annethology 💫 @anchosays.bsky.social · 19d

when are the precedented times

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 20d

Just finished my third (?) rewatch of Better Call Saul and man, it just gets better every time.

The poster for Better Call Saul

Reposted by Vikki Patis

Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 23d

Some personal news:

I've been fired from the Washington Post in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Thread incoming.

substack.com/@karenattiah...

The Washington Post Fired Me — But My Voice Will Not Be Silenced.

I spoke out against hatred and violence in America — and it cost me my job.

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 23d

It's pissing it down just now, will have to get the dehumidifier out soon 😭

Vikki Patis @vikkipatis.bsky.social · 23d

We've been ill this week and I actually put the heating on for an hour. Such a difference from the hot summer!

Reposted by Vikki Patis

Arin Arcady @rnrkd.bsky.social · 25d

if you're reading this, you are gay, though. that much is true

Reposted by Vikki Patis

Roxane Gay @roxanegay.bsky.social · 26d

It’s an absolute shame that DC fired Gretchen Felker- Martin for exercising free speech and then @bsky.app suspended her account. Every writer here should be decrying this because we have to stand up for each other! This is ridiculous.

Reposted by Vikki Patis

molly conger @socialistdogmom.bsky.social · 27d

i’m not going to be lectured about political violence by people whose politics is violence