R. Jean Bell
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rjbell.bsky.social
R. Jean Bell
@rjbell.bsky.social
460 followers 210 following 1.5K posts
aka bex. she/her. Reader, writer, poet, editor-ish. Socially awkward. My sense of humor is broken and I tend to hermit. Disabled (chronic pain). US native living abroad. Submissions Editor at Apex Mag.

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rjbell.bsky.social
R. Jean Bell @rjbell.bsky.social · Jan 14
I never got around to doing a 2024 wrap-up even though I had two things published I am REALLY proud of. First, "Remember Me" appeared in Eye to the Telescope, Issue 52. (36 lines, 190 words)

eyetothetelescope.com/archives/052...
Eye to the Telescope
Eye to the Telescope, the quarterly online journal of SFPA, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, an international organization of speculative poets.
eyetothetelescope.com
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
jasonsanford.bsky.social
Less than 24 hours left in the Apex Magazine Kickstarter. If they get a few thousand dollars more the world gets to read a special issue of Apex focused on unpublished authors!
apexmag.bsky.social Apex Magazine and Book Company @apexmag.bsky.social · 16d
Our Kickstarter ends in just 24 HOURS! This is your LAST CHANCE to shop our catalogue of new ebooks, author critiques, and exclusive merch before it's gone for good. Check the 🧵 to see our full selection!

Thank you all for supporting another year of Apex. 🖤👽

www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Cow piloting a UFO. "Kickstarter Countdown: T-Minus 24 HOURS Next Stretch Goal: $1,294 Click the link in our bio to help us fund the next year of Alex Magazine!"
October 30, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
thecosmicbgr.bsky.social
Hellllooooo from the static! It is fundraising season for many spec mags out there. We are doing things a little differently with a small gofundme to help us into 2026.

We are already at $2 and just need a little boost to help us to our goal of $2400 👻

www.gofundme.com/f/support-th...
Donate to Support The Cosmic Background's Diverse Voices, organized by Sam Asher
For two years, The Cosmic Background has been the world's premier venue for f… Sam Asher needs your support for Support The Cosmic Background's Diverse Voices
www.gofundme.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
apexmag.bsky.social
"It was one of the many fossil houses of dry bones and cured scales that served generations, and still stood in clusters in Old Dodoma, a land of dryness that was once an ocean." 🦴🐟

New ECO24 excerpt by @genni.bsky.social: "The Water Runner"

Read it here: www.apexbookcompany.com/a/blog/apex-...
"Excerpt from ECO24: THE YEAR'S BEST SPECULATIVE ECOFICTION — "The Water Runner" by Eugen Bacon. Apex Magazine, Issue 151." Cover of "ECO24: The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction. Edited by Marissa van Uden"
October 30, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
authorizedmusings.bsky.social
want to buy my ENTIRE DIGITAL CATALOG?

well you can do that AND benefit Apex! It's an add-on!
apexmag.bsky.social Apex Magazine and Book Company @apexmag.bsky.social · 16d
Our Kickstarter ends in just 24 HOURS! This is your LAST CHANCE to shop our catalogue of new ebooks, author critiques, and exclusive merch before it's gone for good. Check the 🧵 to see our full selection!

Thank you all for supporting another year of Apex. 🖤👽

www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Cow piloting a UFO. "Kickstarter Countdown: T-Minus 24 HOURS Next Stretch Goal: $1,294 Click the link in our bio to help us fund the next year of Alex Magazine!"
October 30, 2025 at 3:31 PM
rjbell.bsky.social
Are you remembering to stretch? With 53 hours to go as of this post, @apexmag.bsky.social has lots of stretch goals yet to unlock. Like a 5th issue dedicated to previously unpublished authors, since Apex loves to support those debuts.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Apex Magazine 2026
An award-winning digital literary magazine of science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror.
www.kickstarter.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:34 AM
rjbell.bsky.social
Knowing that Apex Magazine will still exist next year brightens my day. As an extra bonus, I get to go to the library today.
October 28, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
katharinetyndall.bsky.social
If you're a procrastinator like me time is running out :) just pledged!!
October 27, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
cjtavares.bsky.social
Friends, I am currently under the weather, very behind on work, fighting SAD--my heart, it cannot take this. Please, give and get @apexmag.bsky.social to their goal so I can save my dwindling supply of tissues for my nose and not my tears.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Screenshot of the Apex 2026 Kickstarter meter that shows they have $19,039 toward their $20,000 goal with 379 backers and 4 days left to give.
October 27, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
othersidespec.bsky.social
We're officially at 48 hours remaining in our Kickstarter campaign?! This has gone by so fast!! There are still some rewards left:

🎲 play a TTRPG with the co-founders!
📝 short story and query letter critiques—AND we dropped the poetry critique price!!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/hyb...
OTHERSIDE 2026: A New Magazine of Queer SFF!
A new queer-led literary magazine devoted to speculative fiction, poetry, and art by 2SLGBTQIA+ authors and artists.
www.kickstarter.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
authorizedmusings.bsky.social
Apex is at $19,669 (nice) out of their base goal of $20,000 🎉🎉🎉

LET'S DO THIS

www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Apex Magazine 2026
An award-winning digital literary magazine of science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror.
www.kickstarter.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
jasonsanford.bsky.social
The Kickstarter for @apexmag.bsky.social is only a few hundred dollars from hitting their funding goal. Help push them over the top!

As a reminder, among the add-ons are signed copies of Plague Birds and We Who Hunt Alexanders. www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Apex Magazine 2026
An award-winning digital literary magazine of science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror.
www.kickstarter.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:27 PM
rjbell.bsky.social
Okay, I left my hermit cave and went out yo meet new people today. And actually had fun. But then it was a gathering of a specfic book club, so....
October 25, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
apexmag.bsky.social
There's only ONE WEEK LEFT to fund Apex Magazine in 2026, and we JUST unlocked our 70% reward!!

The Apex editors will host a live affirmation critique of the Internet's most beloved amateur horror stories! 📸🌲🥩

🎃 Help us reach our funding goal and donate TODAY! www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Cow getting sucked into UFO tractor beam. "Kickstarter Countdown: T-Minus 7 DAYS Needed for Liftoff: $5,669 $14,331/$20,000 Click the link in our bio to help us fund the next year of Alex Magazine!" 70% UNLOCKED! Lesley and Rebecca will be reading CreepyPasta stories selected by our followers and doing a small affirmation critique of the story. This live event is sure to be hysterical!
October 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
lesleyconner.bsky.social
@retreasure.bsky.social and I are watching Night of the Demons over on the Apex Discord. If you're part of our Discord community, jump into the Apex Voice channel and join in the fun!
October 25, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
cjtavares.bsky.social
Okay, listen: @apexmag.bsky.social is SO CLOSE to their funding goal, but there are only 5 DAYS left. And I know we're all barely able to put food on the table, but whatever you have to give, please consider giving to Apex TODAY so there can be just one more light shining in the darkness in 2026.
Apex Magazine 2026
An award-winning digital literary magazine of science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror.
www.kickstarter.com
October 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
authorizedmusings.bsky.social
THEY HIT $17,000!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
apexmag.bsky.social Apex Magazine and Book Company @apexmag.bsky.social · 21d
There's only 5 DAYS LEFT to fund Apex Magazine for 2026, and we just unlocked our 80% goal! 🎉

@lesleyconner.bsky.social will host a LIVE READING of "The Monster Fucker Club" by @avgreenewrites.bsky.social!

Keep weird, wonderful fiction alive and donate TODAY 👽
www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
80% UNLOCKED! Lesley will be reading “The Monster Fucker Club” by A.V. Greene live on the Apex YouTube channel. “The Monster Fucker Club” was published in Apex Magazine issue 139 and was a finalist for the Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction in 2023. Cow getting sucked into UFO tractor beam. "Kickstarter Countdown: T-Minus 5 DAYS Needed for Liftoff: $3,085 $16,915/$20,000 Click the link in our bio to help us fund the next year of Alex Magazine!"
October 25, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
apexmag.bsky.social
There's only 5 DAYS LEFT to fund Apex Magazine for 2026, and we just unlocked our 80% goal! 🎉

@lesleyconner.bsky.social will host a LIVE READING of "The Monster Fucker Club" by @avgreenewrites.bsky.social!

Keep weird, wonderful fiction alive and donate TODAY 👽
www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
80% UNLOCKED! Lesley will be reading “The Monster Fucker Club” by A.V. Greene live on the Apex YouTube channel. “The Monster Fucker Club” was published in Apex Magazine issue 139 and was a finalist for the Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction in 2023. Cow getting sucked into UFO tractor beam. "Kickstarter Countdown: T-Minus 5 DAYS Needed for Liftoff: $3,085 $16,915/$20,000 Click the link in our bio to help us fund the next year of Alex Magazine!"
October 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
reasie.bsky.social
If you donate to the Apex Magazine kickstarter, you could get personal critique from top authors, or a character named after you by me!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Apex Magazine 2026
An award-winning digital literary magazine of science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror.
www.kickstarter.com
October 25, 2025 at 5:21 PM
rjbell.bsky.social
Please help.
jasonsanford.bsky.social Jason Sanford @jasonsanford.bsky.social · 26d
Support the 2026 @apexmag.bsky.social Kickstarter! Apex publishes amazing SF, dark fantasy, and horror and we need their stories now more than ever.

I'll give an Apex gift subscription and dedication to one random person who promotes this Kickstarter! 1/
www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Apex Magazine 2026
An award-winning digital literary magazine of science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror.
www.kickstarter.com
October 23, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
kojiadae.bsky.social
You don't have to read in your genre and you can absolutely make space to daydream about things not connected to your work-in-progress.
Rest and Restoration and Putting Away the Keyboard
You don't have to read in your genre and you can absolutely make space to daydream about things not connected to your work-in-progress.
kojiadae.ink
October 21, 2025 at 6:01 AM
rjbell.bsky.social
Sometimes the slush pile is so depressing--when I am on the no side of a piece that is awesome, that is exploring something about a marginalization that I'm sure will resonate with many others who share it... but when the piece just isn't a fit for the market I'm reading for. *much sad*
October 21, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
rjbell.bsky.social
I've really been struggling to cope the past few years. Both personally and because of world insanity. @apexmag.bsky.social has been one of the threads keeping me connected to myself and something resembling sanity. If you can, please help make sure they're still around next year for everyone.
October 16, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
sashabrown.bsky.social
Apex's Kickstarter is looking a little dodgy right now and listen, I know times are weird, but there's no magazine doing more at the bleeding edge of spec fiction than Apex; there's no one more important in this space. If you back one thing this year, it should be Apex.
October 20, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
dreamforgemagazine.bsky.social
Spreading awareness for a new magazine's Kickstarter - OTHERSIDE is a new queer-led magazine of speculative short fiction, poetry, and art by 2SLGBTQIA+ authors and artists. www.kickstarter.com/projects/hyb...
OTHERSIDE 2026: A New Magazine of Queer SFF!
A new queer-led literary magazine devoted to speculative fiction, poetry, and art by 2SLGBTQIA+ authors and artists.
www.kickstarter.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Reposted by R. Jean Bell
buyjupiter.bsky.social
Admittedly been waiting for next payday to check this out but I just had a look and Ohmygosh the add-ons are INCREDIBLE.
I am honestly so excited for Friday and deciding how I am going to support such an AMAZING magazine 😍
October 20, 2025 at 11:03 PM