What is Bluesky?

I explained what Bluesky is in a previous post: Have You Heard About the Bluesky Social Media App? Since then, I’ve given away one invite code and regifted several codes donated by generous users.

This post will provide a few tips for navigation and feeds, as well as information that can be accessed without an account.

Remember that the site is still in beta, and new features are added regularly. Sometimes updates will introduce glitches, but they’re soon fixed by the smart people behind the scenes.

Going Public

I haven’t seen anything official, but speculation on the web suggests that the site may go public at the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024. If you join before then, you’ll already be a Bluesky whiz with a follower base.

The people there are friendly and helpful, so I invite you to try it while it’s in its infancy.

Invite Codes

Many users get in by adding themselves to a waiting list at Bsky.app.

Or users receive invite codes that allow them to invite other users. That’s how I joined.

According to Bluesky:

Note the phrase trustworthy participants. If you receive an invite code and post quality content, the person who invited you — and you — will receive more invite codes.

It took me ten days to receive my first code

You Can Add Another Account

I’m not keen on writers who have separate pages or accounts for every book they write. However, you might want to create separate accounts for hobbies and other interests.

If this feature interests you, go to Settings > Create a new account.

You can also set your domain as your handle (publicly available explanatory link — no need for a Bluesky account).

Interesting Feeds — in Descending Order of Popularity

Feeds are like channels, providing content of interest.

• BookSky
  A feed for anyone who likes reading and books. Share what you’re reading or promoting by using 💙📚 in your posts.

• Writing Community
  An active feed with lots of useful information. If you want your posts to show up here, insert the #WritingCommunity hashtag somewhere in your posts.

• Spec List
  A feed for the speculative literature world. Ask to be added or use one of the following tags to have posts included: #SpecLit, #SpecFic, #ScifiLit, #HorrorLit, #FantasyLit, #sff, #sffh.

• Writing and Books
  Casting a wide net to pick up as many writing and book related posts as possible.

• Litmags & Publishers
  A list of literary magazines, small presses, and other publishing accounts on Bluesky.

• Submission Calls
  Place the hashtag #SubmissionCall somewhere in your posts if you want them to appear in this feed.

• Authors & Writing
  Tracking the following hashtags: #Authors, #Writing, #WritingCommunity, #WriteLife, #WriterLife, #Indie, #SelfPub, #TradPub, #AmDrafting, #AmEditing, #AmRevising, #AmQuerying, #OnSub, #Published, #Debut, #CoverReveal, #BookBirthday, #WriteSky, #WriterSky

Find more feeds by searching Discover new feeds at https://bsky.app/feeds — or you can get to the same page by clicking on More feeds in the feed area of your page.

To tell Bluesky that you like a feed, which will drive it higher in the rankings, press the heart icon near the top right of the main feed page.

In My Feeds > Settings you can pin feeds to the top of your feeds area or send them to the trash.

Goodfeeds.co Also Helps to Find Feeds

Enter your criteria in the search bar, and it locates matches. As I update this post, there are 16,870 available feeds.

If you’re interested in creating your own feed, try the link at the bottom of the page, track.goodfeeds.co, and follow the instructions.

When You Need Help

Go to Bluesky’s ZenDesk. This FAQ and help area is available to everyone, no account needed.

Do You Have Tips or Questions?

Please leave a comment, and I’ll incorporate important tips or try to find answers to your questions.