diff --git a/orm/author.py b/orm/author.py
index f451e1b8..4bf79657 100644
--- a/orm/author.py
+++ b/orm/author.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import time
 
 from sqlalchemy import JSON, Boolean, Column, ForeignKey, Integer, String
-# from sqlalchemy_utils import TSVectorType
 
 from services.db import Base
 
+# from sqlalchemy_utils import TSVectorType
+
+
 
 class AuthorRating(Base):
     __tablename__ = "author_rating"
diff --git a/resolvers/__init__.py b/resolvers/__init__.py
index dbc3f35e..bff24eef 100644
--- a/resolvers/__init__.py
+++ b/resolvers/__init__.py
@@ -11,12 +11,7 @@ from resolvers.author import (  # search_authors,
 )
 from resolvers.community import get_communities_all, get_community
 from resolvers.editor import create_shout, delete_shout, update_shout
-from resolvers.follower import (
-    follow,
-    get_shout_followers,
-    get_topic_followers,
-    unfollow,
-)
+from resolvers.follower import follow, get_shout_followers, get_topic_followers, unfollow
 from resolvers.notifier import (
     load_notifications,
     notification_mark_seen,
@@ -40,12 +35,7 @@ from resolvers.reader import (
     load_shouts_search,
     load_shouts_unrated,
 )
-from resolvers.topic import (
-    get_topic,
-    get_topics_all,
-    get_topics_by_author,
-    get_topics_by_community,
-)
+from resolvers.topic import get_topic, get_topics_all, get_topics_by_author, get_topics_by_community
 from services.triggers import events_register
 
 events_register()
diff --git a/resolvers/author.py b/resolvers/author.py
index 08a30e4e..6da5dc23 100644
--- a/resolvers/author.py
+++ b/resolvers/author.py
@@ -315,10 +315,13 @@ async def get_author_followers(_, _info, slug: str):
             if isinstance(cached, str):
                 followers_cached = json.loads(cached)
                 if isinstance(followers_cached, list):
-                    logger.debug(f"@{slug} got {len(followers_cached)} followers cached")
+                    logger.debug(
+                        f"@{slug} got {len(followers_cached)} followers cached"
+                    )
                     for fc in followers_cached:
-                        if fc["id"] not in followers_ids:
+                        if fc["id"] not in followers_ids and fc["id"] != author_id:
                             followers.append(fc)
+                            followers_ids.append(fc["id"])
                 return followers
 
         author_follower_alias = aliased(AuthorFollower, name="af")
@@ -327,12 +330,16 @@ async def get_author_followers(_, _info, slug: str):
             and_(
                 author_follower_alias.author == author_id,
                 author_follower_alias.follower == Author.id,
+                Author.id != author_id,  # exclude the author from the followers
             ),
         )
         results = get_with_stat(q)
         if isinstance(results, list):
+            followers_ids = [r.id for r in results]
             for follower in results:
-                await cache_follow_author_change(follower.dict(), author.dict())
+                if follower.id not in followers_ids:
+                    await cache_follow_author_change(follower.dict(), author.dict())
+                followers_ids.append(follower.id)
             logger.debug(f"@{slug} cache updated with {len(results)} followers")
         return results
     except Exception as exc:
diff --git a/resolvers/editor.py b/resolvers/editor.py
index 1ec6c8c2..6e32d111 100644
--- a/resolvers/editor.py
+++ b/resolvers/editor.py
@@ -4,15 +4,15 @@ from sqlalchemy import and_, desc, select
 from sqlalchemy.orm import joinedload
 from sqlalchemy.sql.functions import coalesce
 
+from orm.author import Author
 from orm.rating import is_negative, is_positive
 from orm.reaction import Reaction, ReactionKind
 from orm.shout import Shout, ShoutAuthor, ShoutTopic
 from orm.topic import Topic
-from orm.author import Author
 from resolvers.follower import reactions_follow, reactions_unfollow
 from resolvers.stat import get_with_stat
 from services.auth import login_required
-from services.cache import cache_topic, cache_author
+from services.cache import cache_author, cache_topic
 from services.db import local_session
 from services.diff import apply_diff, get_diff
 from services.logger import root_logger as logger
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ async def get_shouts_drafts(_, info):
                 .group_by(Shout.id)
             )
             shouts = [shout for [shout] in session.execute(q).unique()]
-    return { "shouts": shouts }
+    return {"shouts": shouts}
 
 
 @mutation.field("create_shout")
diff --git a/resolvers/notifier.py b/resolvers/notifier.py
index 8ce824e3..8a3b9a91 100644
--- a/resolvers/notifier.py
+++ b/resolvers/notifier.py
@@ -8,12 +8,7 @@ from sqlalchemy.orm import aliased
 from sqlalchemy.sql import not_
 
 from orm.author import Author
-from orm.notification import (
-    Notification,
-    NotificationAction,
-    NotificationEntity,
-    NotificationSeen,
-)
+from orm.notification import Notification, NotificationAction, NotificationEntity, NotificationSeen
 from orm.shout import Shout
 from services.auth import login_required
 from services.db import local_session
diff --git a/server.py b/server.py
index ae8fabef..531a3b3c 100644
--- a/server.py
+++ b/server.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import subprocess
+
 from granian.constants import Interfaces
 from granian.server import Granian
-import subprocess
+
 from services.logger import root_logger as logger
 from settings import PORT
 
diff --git a/services/cache.py b/services/cache.py
index 273b666b..6638abc0 100644
--- a/services/cache.py
+++ b/services/cache.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import json
 
 from orm.topic import TopicFollower
+from services.db import local_session
 from services.encoders import CustomJSONEncoder
 from services.rediscache import redis
-from services.db import local_session
 
 DEFAULT_FOLLOWS = {
     "topics": [],
@@ -64,10 +64,9 @@ async def cache_author(author: dict):
             # author not found in the list, so add the new author with the updated stat field
             followed_author_followers.append(author)
             await redis.execute(
-                "SET", f"author:{author_id}:followers", json.dumps(
-                    followed_author_followers,
-                    cls=CustomJSONEncoder
-                )
+                "SET",
+                f"author:{author_id}:followers",
+                json.dumps(followed_author_followers, cls=CustomJSONEncoder),
             )
 
 
@@ -138,7 +137,6 @@ async def cache_follow_author_change(follower: dict, author: dict, is_insert=Tru
     return followers
 
 
-
 async def cache_topic(topic_dict: dict):
     # update stat all field for followers' caches in <topics> list
     followers = (
diff --git a/services/triggers.py b/services/triggers.py
index 0eace99a..76a5267e 100644
--- a/services/triggers.py
+++ b/services/triggers.py
@@ -30,8 +30,12 @@ async def handle_author_follower_change(
     [follower] = get_with_stat(follower_query)
     if follower and author:
         await cache_author(author.dict())
-        await cache_follows(follower.dict(), "author", author.dict(), is_insert) # cache_author(follower_dict) inside
-        await cache_follow_author_change(follower.dict(), author.dict(), is_insert) # cache_author(follower_dict) inside
+        await cache_follows(
+            follower.dict(), "author", author.dict(), is_insert
+        )  # cache_author(follower_dict) inside
+        await cache_follow_author_change(
+            follower.dict(), author.dict(), is_insert
+        )  # cache_author(follower_dict) inside
 
 
 async def handle_topic_follower_change(
diff --git a/services/viewed.py b/services/viewed.py
index f9540fe2..f04de2db 100644
--- a/services/viewed.py
+++ b/services/viewed.py
@@ -7,12 +7,7 @@ from typing import Dict
 
 # ga
 from google.analytics.data_v1beta import BetaAnalyticsDataClient
-from google.analytics.data_v1beta.types import (
-    DateRange,
-    Dimension,
-    Metric,
-    RunReportRequest,
-)
+from google.analytics.data_v1beta.types import DateRange, Dimension, Metric, RunReportRequest
 
 from orm.author import Author
 from orm.shout import Shout, ShoutAuthor, ShoutTopic