ashleyspencer

ashleyspencer, 6 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic Bookshop is live!
I'm sharing with all of you first. 🙂

Autistic Bookshop is the first self-publishing bookshop made for #ActuallyAutistic authors.

Authors keep their publishing rights and get 70% of the profit on every book they sell.

Autistic authors can self-publish:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Comic Book
• Cookbook
• Photo Book
• Coloring Book
• Magazine
• Calendar
• Planner
• Journal
• eBook
• Audiobook
• Children's Book

https://autisticbookshop.com

@actuallyautistic @bookstodon

ashleyspencer, 8 months ago to animals

Any time I have trouble sleeping, she comes and lays against my face and I pass out instantly. She’s like having trouble falling asleep here I come help. Then I’m out within a min or less. She’s a sweet little girl.

#CatsOfMastodon

ashleyspencer, 25 days ago (edited 25 days ago) to random

I made my first infographic. :)

Since I’m going through a bad autistic burnout myself, seems like a good topic to make a graphic about. Might be relatable for someone.

:RainbowInfinity:

#ActuallyAutistic

ashleyspencer, 1 month ago to random

In the spirit of our autism holiday, check out the authors and artists published in Autistic Bookshop to show your support.

When you purchase a book from Autistic Bookshop, 70% of the profit goes to the author.

The other 30% goes to store base costs and employing the book-loving assistant who supports the authors and markets the authors books.

Check out https://autisticbookshop.com to see fiction books, children’s books, coloring books, and more by autistic authors and artists. :pri: :AuLife:

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to actuallyautistic

These are some graphics I made to post to all the business social media accounts. People seemed to like them.

5 Autistic Love Languages :RedHearts:

1/2

#ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

Shared Special Interests: We may show love and feel loved through talking about or engaging in a shared special interest with a loved one. Especially if we enjoy the interest with the same intensity.
Respecting Sensory Needs: Having our sensory needs, or needs to stim, respected, and accommodated can make us feel loved.
Quality Time: Spending quality time with a loved one by enjoying each other’s company while each of you does your own thing. Quality time could be sitting in silence together or having conversations while doing separate things.

ashleyspencer, 6 months ago to animals

Dinah stole all the blankets.

#CatsOfMastodon

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to ADHD

Relatable 😆

#ADHD #AuDHD @adhd

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to actuallyautistic

I made these graphics about stimming. :RedHearts: :RainbowInfinity:

#ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

Clothing Stims: Zipping and unzipping the zippers on hoodies and jackets. Biting or chewing on sleeves, hoodie strings, Adjusting shirts, pants, jackets, etc. Pulling on sleeves or putting them over your hands.
Food & Drink Stims: Enjoying the sensory feeling of eating or drinking. Taste of food or drink as a stim. Motions of eating or drinking as a comforting stim. Consuming one type of food or drink the most (sweet, salty, spicy).
Other Stims: Scrolling phone or tablet. Typing on computers. Playing computer or mobile games. Singing. Talking to yourself. And many more…

ashleyspencer, 9 months ago to random

So #ActuallyAutistic authors…

Would having your print books and ebooks in a bookshop for autistics be something that interests you? Like an Autistic KDP. Books only get printed when they are ordered so no need to have inventory. You’d make a higher percentage of profit than I will.

I already have experience with POD books selling planners, journals, and such in my autistic store. I have fancy software too that formats books.

What do you think? I bought the domain AutisticBookshop.com

ashleyspencer, 9 months ago to actuallyautistic

Saw this on Facebook.

@actuallyautistic

ashleyspencer, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

I don’t use this place for advertising and only talk about the behind the scenes stuff of running my business. However, it was suggested here that I share my store links, so here they are:

The Autistic Innovator - an online store for autistic people. :RainbowInfinity:
https://shop.autisticinnovator.com

I Love Plushies - 100% plushie store for plushie lovers.
https://iloveplushies.com

Both of my stores are a labor of love. :RedHearts:

@actuallyautistic

ashleyspencer, 24 days ago to random

I made a part 2 to my Autistic Burnout infographic. :RainbowInfinity:

#ActuallyAutistic

ashleyspencer, 6 months ago to animals

Good morning from Dinah!

#CatsOfMastodon #caturday

ashleyspencer, 5 months ago to random

Nikita in the glow of the Christmas tree lights.

#CatsOfMastodon

ashleyspencer, 6 months ago (edited 6 months ago) to actuallyautistic

Autistic Bookshop has it's first self-published #ActuallyAutistic author!

This author has written many books, and 5 of them went live today! And more to come!

Check out @UnCoveredMyths ebooks and paperbacks here under the pen names Gail Brown and Abby Brown:

https://autisticbookshop.com/collections/all

If you are an #autistic author and interested in self-publishing with Autistic Bookshop, please fill out the Author Submissions form and I'll reach out to you.

@actuallyautistic

ashleyspencer, 11 months ago to random

My partner got denied for long term care life insurance because he’s diagnosed autistic.

The broker was horrified when his company rejected my partner for that reason.

ashleyspencer, 7 months ago to random

This is what I see in the mirror every day while I do my bedtime routine.

Dinah just sits on the laundry hamper she tore up staring at the mirror watching me.

When I’m done we get in bed and it’s Dinah cuddle time.

#CatsOfMastodon

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to writing

Can I get some advice from the #WritingCommunity?

I’ve been putting off writing more of my book for a while now, but have recently become more motivated to write it. I got on Atticus and wrote a few sentences today, but then my cat distracted me and I stopped.

How often do you work on your writing? Sentences a day, paragraph a day, section/chapters? Or a few times per week? What keeps you writing?

It’s a non-fiction book. If that makes a difference.

@writing

ashleyspencer, 27 days ago (edited 27 days ago) to random

I've been fighting my brain trying to make it faster for years, but I think I have to accept this slowed down brain is just how it is.

I think the times where I'm full of energy, can work all day, and get so much done, those days were likely just hypomania.

Being autistic + ADHD + brain injury means that my brain is going to have it's limits, as much as my pride wants to think I can always be a machine.

Nothing else I can do, but just do my best to work within my limitations.

ashleyspencer, 20 days ago to random

I think the biggest sign I’m autistic when I was a kid is that I didn’t know what a lie was until I was 10 years old.

My dad asked me and my friend if we finished our homework and she said yes, but we didn’t. I was so shocked and didn’t understand what happened so I didn’t say anything.

After she left my dad had to sit me down and explain what a lie was, and by not speaking the truth that is also lying. I had a hard time understanding.

To me, all that existed was the truth.

#ActuallyAutistic

ashleyspencer, 14 days ago to random

I did a lot of thinking and Autistic Bookshop needs to diversify it's income sources.

30% profit at an average of $1.97 on book sales means the store will never pay for itself.

So I created a merch collection to help.

I had some reading and writing themed designs already, so will add more later.

Google should eventually bring people to this once the store has built up some authority, which is mainly how a merch collection will help.

https://autisticbookshop.com/collections/merch

ashleyspencer, 14 days ago to actuallyautistic

Any autistic artists who are also book lovers want to create some t-shirt designs for me?

Book loving and writing themes.

It’s for Autistic Bookshop.

30% from the authors book sales alone is nowhere near enough to break even (need 500 books sold a month), so added merch.

Example below.

#ActuallyAutistic
@actuallyautistic

All I need is my cat and a good book t-shirt in a pink color
I am always writing a story in my head t-shirt in a navy color

ashleyspencer, 9 days ago (edited 8 days ago) to actuallyautistic

For AuDHD:

Which terms do you prefer to use?

Do you use ‘have’ or ‘I am’ to describe your autism and ADHD?

Personally, I’m the first one and use ‘I am’ to describe both.

Just curious to see how common each one is. 🙂

#AuDHD

@actuallyautistic
@audhd

ashleyspencer, 2 days ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic burnout + untreated ADHD =

impulse control issues + inability to force yourself to do anything + drained by no ability to function

Lots of walking pass a mess unable to make yourself clean it, then blame yourself for it.

Distracted, can't focus enough to do fun things and/or take care of yourself.

Forgetting everything. So burned out you can't remember important things + made worse by ADHD.

1/3

@actuallyautistic
#AuDHD

ashleyspencer, 16 days ago (edited 16 days ago) to random

I read a post elsewhere where someone said ND people can be brilliant entrepreneurs, scientists, etc and function well in society. And if someone struggles to function means they are disordered and have a developmental disability. Said it as if its either or.

Which is very strange because I’m an entrepreneur and I don’t function well in society.

Am I supposed to be a “brilliant entrepreneur” only and not struggle to function?

And since I struggle it means I’m developmentally disabled? What?