diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/__init__.py
index c67c5dca..71658455 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import sys
 from .base_activity import ActivityEncoder, Signature, naive_parse
 from .base_activity import Link, Mention
 from .base_activity import ActivitySerializerError, resolve_remote_id
-from .image import Image
+from .image import Document
 from .note import Note, GeneratedNote, Article, Comment, Quotation
 from .note import Review, Rating
 from .note import Tombstone
diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/book.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/book.py
index 7e552b0a..7615adcf 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/book.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/book.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import List
 
 from .base_activity import ActivityObject
-from .image import Image
+from .image import Document
 
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class Book(ActivityObject):
     librarythingKey: str = ""
     goodreadsKey: str = ""
 
-    cover: Image = None
+    cover: Document = None
     type: str = "Book"
 
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/image.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/image.py
index 931de977..42598422 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/image.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/image.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from .base_activity import ActivityObject
 
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
-class Image(ActivityObject):
+class Document(ActivityObject):
     """ image block """
 
     url: str
diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/note.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/note.py
index a739eafa..e1a42958 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/note.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/note.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from typing import Dict, List
 from django.apps import apps
 
 from .base_activity import ActivityObject, Link
-from .image import Image
+from .image import Document
 
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class Note(ActivityObject):
     inReplyTo: str = ""
     summary: str = ""
     tag: List[Link] = field(default_factory=lambda: [])
-    attachment: List[Image] = field(default_factory=lambda: [])
+    attachment: List[Document] = field(default_factory=lambda: [])
     sensitive: bool = False
     type: str = "Note"
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/person.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/person.py
index 9231bd95..550fc7bd 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/person.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/person.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import Dict
 
 from .base_activity import ActivityObject
-from .image import Image
+from .image import Document
 
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class Person(ActivityObject):
     endpoints: Dict = None
     name: str = None
     summary: str = None
-    icon: Image = field(default_factory=lambda: {})
+    icon: Document = field(default_factory=lambda: {})
     bookwyrmUser: bool = False
     manuallyApprovesFollowers: str = False
     discoverable: str = False
diff --git a/bookwyrm/activitypub/verbs.py b/bookwyrm/activitypub/verbs.py
index c3c84ee5..23032a87 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/activitypub/verbs.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/activitypub/verbs.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-""" undo wrapper activity """
+""" activities that do things """
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import List
 from django.apps import apps
@@ -9,14 +9,13 @@ from .ordered_collection import CollectionItem
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
 class Verb(ActivityObject):
-    """generic fields for activities - maybe an unecessary level of
-    abstraction but w/e"""
+    """generic fields for activities """
 
     actor: str
     object: ActivityObject
 
     def action(self):
-        """ usually we just want to save, this can be overridden as needed """
+        """ usually we just want to update and save """
         self.object.to_model()
 
 
@@ -24,8 +23,8 @@ class Verb(ActivityObject):
 class Create(Verb):
     """ Create activity """
 
-    to: List
-    cc: List
+    to: List[str]
+    cc: List[str] = field(default_factory=lambda: [])
     signature: Signature = None
     type: str = "Create"
 
@@ -34,21 +33,23 @@ class Create(Verb):
 class Delete(Verb):
     """ Create activity """
 
-    to: List
-    cc: List
+    to: List[str]
+    cc: List[str] = field(default_factory=lambda: [])
     type: str = "Delete"
 
     def action(self):
         """ find and delete the activity object """
         obj = self.object.to_model(save=False, allow_create=False)
-        obj.delete()
+        if obj:
+            obj.delete()
+        # if we can't find it, we don't need to delete it because we don't have it
 
 
 @dataclass(init=False)
 class Update(Verb):
     """ Update activity """
 
-    to: List
+    to: List[str]
     type: str = "Update"
 
     def action(self):
diff --git a/bookwyrm/models/attachment.py b/bookwyrm/models/attachment.py
index 8d2238a1..eaeca11e 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/models/attachment.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/models/attachment.py
@@ -33,4 +33,4 @@ class Image(Attachment):
     )
     caption = fields.TextField(null=True, blank=True, activitypub_field="name")
 
-    activity_serializer = activitypub.Image
+    activity_serializer = activitypub.Document
diff --git a/bookwyrm/models/fields.py b/bookwyrm/models/fields.py
index e034d59e..2aefae51 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/models/fields.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/models/fields.py
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ def image_serializer(value, alt):
     else:
         return None
     url = "https://%s%s" % (DOMAIN, url)
-    return activitypub.Image(url=url, name=alt)
+    return activitypub.Document(url=url, name=alt)
 
 
 class ImageField(ActivitypubFieldMixin, models.ImageField):