With fantasy especially, stereotypes and problematic tropes can pop up. @mollyrookwood.bsky.social has a great article about on antisemitism in fiction and fantasy, for instance: www.rookwoodediting.com/post/antisem... #StetChat #fictionediting

Antisemitism in Fantasy and Fairy Tales

I recently had the privilege of giving a presentation on antisemitism in fiction and fantasy, a topic I care about deeply. Antisemitism is ingrained in our stories and storytelling in ways we often do...

rookwoodediting.com

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 1h ago

Q4: What are some common mistakes that authors make with worldbuilding? For example: problematic elements, cultural appropriation, clichés, anachronisms, infodumping. #StetChat

Q7: I agree with others to not capitalize/italicize every new word that belongs to your world. That can make the story harder to read. I treat it as we would in English—keeping it consistent. Proper nouns and titles used to address someone are capitalized, but most others are lowercased. #StetChat

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 1h ago

Q7: How do you approach stylistic and grammatical worldbuilding decisions like capitalization, italics, spelling, etc.? #StetChat

Q6: Style sheets all the way! I have whole sections dedicated to characters (their age, their descriptions, their past, their pronouns, etc.) and to worldbuilding (types of creatures, currency, maps, etc.). They're really important for consistency, especially within series! #StetChat

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 1h ago

Q6: Consistency is a key part of worldbuilding. How do you track consistency in the manuscript you’re editing, like character details, timelines, units of measurement (time, currencies, distance), magical systems, and advanced technologies? #StetChat

Q5: A lot of repetition. If a character/concept hasn't been seen on the page for a while (100+ pages), it's good to provide some context again. But there are times when a character/concept would be reintroduced every single chapter. Trust the readers to remember, to make the connections. #StetChat

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 1h ago

Q5: When working with your clients, how do you suggest balancing complex information/explanations with trusting the reader? How does this show up in the type of material you work on? #StetChat

Q4: Infodumping comes up a lot. I tell authors that readers need the base knowledge of what's going on up front when a new concept is introduced—but not everything. It's better to slowly give the readers another piece of the puzzle throughout the whole story rather than all up front. #StetChat

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 1h ago

Q4: What are some common mistakes that authors make with worldbuilding? For example: problematic elements, cultural appropriation, clichés, anachronisms, infodumping. #StetChat

Q3: Great maps have the most important/most discussed places visible. They also have clear ways to show how the formation changes—where the mountains start, where the rivers round about, etc. The scale of how long it should take to get to one place to the next should also be clear. #StetChat

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 2h ago

Q3: If you’ve worked with maps in a project you’ve edited, what issues have you run into with them? What makes a map good? #StetChat

I think I'm with many others here in that I love a good map. A great detailed map can tell a lot about not only the country but the surrounding world and how everything coexists together. #StetChat

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 2h ago

Q2: What are some in-book elements, sections, or signifiers that you encourage authors to use to help readers understand the world? Think: maps, glossaries, character lists, charts/diagrams. #StetChat

Q1: There are so many book worlds that I feel like I’ve never left—including The Hunger Games, The Skinjacker Trilogy, the Catastrophe Incoming series, Sir Callie, and a ton more! I love when a story expands not just the present but into the past. Like the layers of history seen throughout THG.

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 2h ago

Q1: What’s an example of immersive worldbuilding in a book, movie, TV show, or game that enthralled you? #StetChat

Hey, StetChatters! I’m Robin! I’m a freelance fantasy and sci-fi editor—so I live and breathe in worldbuilding. It’s one of my favorite parts of the stories I edit. #StetChat

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 2h ago

StetChatters, please introduce yourself. Remember to use the hashtag #StetChat for all your answers today. #StetChat And remember, if you miss a question, you can see all the questions under the Media tab on our profile.

This book is up there as one of my favorite MG books of all time. 💜🥞 I'm so excited for it to be coming out into the world!

Ash 🐉 CHILD OF THE DRAGON@ashintheashes.bsky.social · 8h ago

Surprise!!! I get to write about werewolves now too!!! I so firmly believe in this book, and I'm SO thrilled to have found a home with Orange Blossom! I hope you're all ready to fall in love with a chronically ill werewolf, her nerdy best friend, and the shenanigans they get up to along the way!

I'm working on: ◽a fantasy developmental edit ◽a fantasy proofread ◽a dystopian copyedit

#StetChat@stetchat.com · last wk.

What's on your plate this week, #edibuddies?

Got to edit a fantasy novel outside this week with my editorial assistants. 💜

One of the best things you can do for an author is check their book out of the library. If your library doesn't have the title, requesting it is also great! Never apologize. The library bought the book! Sometimes more than one! Because of you!

Kevin M. Kruse@kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 2w ago

Never ever apologize for getting someone's book from the library. A lot of them were written by authors who themselves first read a lot of other books in a library

Not me getting excited when I see the first panel listed is ace and aro in SFF. 👀

Bookish & Queer@bookishandqueer.bsky.social · 2w ago

What can you look forward to hearing about during Bookish & Queer? Take a look at our panel line-up, with more (panels and guests) to come. #books #queerbooks #sff #queersff #booksky #writers #authors #lqbtqia #scifi #fantasy

Ingram has a link where you can opt out of letting your books be knowingly sold to AI companies for “training” (or lord knows what else). Story below followed by opt out link. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/... Opt out: www.ingramcontent.com/page/ai-opt-... Anyone know more about this?

Ingram Lets Publishers Opt Out of Book Sales to Tech Firms

In a note sent last week to client publishers, Ingram Content Group warned of the “growing trend” of AI companies purchasing and scanning print books to train their large language models, and said pub...

publishersweekly.com

Librarians, I love you, and I will hold your hand while I say this: Your Disability Pride Month booklists should not include books by nondisabled people about disabled people. We have a saying—it’s been around for a long time now: Nothing about us without us.

So excited for these! 🎉

Ash 🐉 CHILD OF THE DRAGON@ashintheashes.bsky.social · 4w ago

Acquisition announcement! I am thrilled to announce that @inkedingraypress.bsky.social is letting me write more Child of the Dragon books!! I can't believe I get to actually write more books! I cannot WAIT for everyone to return to this world with new and familiar friends and magics!

How do you like to receive feedback? 👀 Take a look at this sneak peek from the Check Your Bias: Reading and Editing Mindfully which will take place this Friday at 8pm ET! Panelists discuss when/how to give mindful feedback. To register for our free, virtual conference, go to 👉 www.writehivecon.org.

📣 Mark your calendars!!!📣 #QueerPit returns for its 4th pitch event on JULY 1ST, 2026 We are extending Pride Month 🌈 by one more day 🙌 to platform 2SLGBTQIA+ authors Check out our website to learn more ⬇️ Follow us for additional updates soon ✨️ share.google/XLm7u0jgjeyy...

🌈 Book Scavenger Hunt: Pride Edition! ❤️ Red: The First Bright Thing 🧡 Orange: Sir Callie and the Dragon's Roost 💛 Yellow: A Language of Dragons 💚 Green: The Sunbearer Trials 💙 Blue: Ellen Outside the Lines 💜 Purple: The Chase Begins #booksky

Amy Avery / Avery Ames@averyamesauthor.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🌈 Book scavenger hunt, Pride Edition! ❤️ Red: Carmilla 🧡 Orange: A Long Time Dead 💛 Yellow: Kushiel's Mercy 💚 Green: Direct Descendant 💙 Blue: Voyage of the Damned 💜 Purple: Tales From the Flat Earth: The Lords of Darkness

📣 Five days left 📣 to enter a giveaway for a free query edit! You can enter here: tally.so/r/pbvk4P #writingcommunity

Books and dragons. What more could I ask for? 🐉📚

I always point out a great well-written sentence, if a sentence makes me laugh, and if a concept in the story reminds me of anything. 💜 Positive feedback is just as important.

Rachel Lapidow@editrix-rachel.bsky.social · 2mo ago

My editorial promise: If you describe something in your manuscript that sounds cute or introduce an adorable animal, I'm going to leave a positive comment. What are your editorial promises? #AmEditing

I got to record two incredible panels for @writehive.bsky.social, ranging from conscious language to bending sci-fi and fantasy together. It was a blast, and we had such great discussions! ✨Free✨ tickets to the online writing conference are out today!

Impa has declared that "crumbled" shall now be spelled "```````````````crumpled." Not sure Merriam-Webster shall agree, but she was cute when she announced it. #stetpet

If you're putting together a list of queer SFF books, it NEEDS to include self-published authors.

Thinking of starting a trend where I just put queer/disabled books in free little libraries. 👀 This awesome one by @ashintheashes.bsky.social has asexual dragons. 🌈📚♠️ Ace. Dragons. 🌈📚 What more could you ask for? 📚♿ Leave your suggestions below. Bonus points if it’s from an indie/small press.

#StetChat Q9 This is more general but if you know/see and LGBTQ+ editor hosting a webinar on similar topics or posting blogs, follow them and read up! I find learning from others in the community and talking to them can be a good way to learn, on top of any nonfiction texts.

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 2mo ago

Q9: What #editing resources do you recommend for #editors who want to brush up on LGBTQ+ inclusive language? Think: newsletters, blogs, books, webinars, classes, social media accounts, etc. #StetChat

Q10: @rainbowcrate.bsky.social does a great job at getting books from a variety of LGBTQIA+ people. I love reading queer books from queer authors. My favorites so far are: ◽The Baker's Thief ◽The Sunbearer Trials And I have so many more in my to-read mountain! #StetChat

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 2mo ago

Q10: What books, TV shows, movies, music, content creators, and other media have expanded your understanding of inclusive language for #LGBTQ+ communities? #StetChat

Q9: I mentioned some earlier! lol ◽Conscious Language Toolkit for Editors — www.rabbitwitharedpen.com/conscious-la... ◽Conscious Style Guide — consciousstyleguide.com — There's a book, newsletter, and website! 👀 There are also so many articles I know. I'll link some of them below! /🧵 #StetChat

Conscious Language Toolkit for Editors — Rabbit with a Red Pen

The Conscious Language Toolkit for Editors is a practical guide that makes it easier for all editors to evaluate language and provide conscious language feedback to writers.

rabbitwitharedpen.com

#StetChat@stetchat.com · 2mo ago

Q9: What #editing resources do you recommend for #editors who want to brush up on LGBTQ+ inclusive language? Think: newsletters, blogs, books, webinars, classes, social media accounts, etc. #StetChat