Archive for 2015

Steven Gould: A “Professional” Writers Organization

I am often asked what is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. My shorthand answer is that we are an organization of Professional Writers working and publishing in the SF & Fantasy field. But what is this thing “professional?” A Profession in its most formal sense is a trade/occupation that requires an extensive […]

Robert Greenberger: Final Thoughts

Working in Manhattan meant I was in the center of the universe. While working for DC Comics, I was a few blocks from Pocket Books where I was contributing to their Star Trek line of novels and a few blocks in the other direction was Random House where I did a job or three. Further […]

Barbara Krasnoff: SFWA: A close (if contentious) community

  In my freshman year in college, I made a serious mistake. I tried to workshop a science fiction story in my first creative writing class. I was completely addicted to science fiction and fantasy, having spent my childhood and adolescence devouring every SF novel I could find in my school and local libraries. I […]

M.C.A. Hogarth: Honey Badgers & SFWA

Daughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things–web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist–but is currently a full-time parent, artist, […]

Blair MacGregor: Decisions Made

  I suppose I wanted to be convinced. While at a convention last summer, I attended a panel of SFWA members there to discuss and answer questions about the organization. When the panelists mentioned it would be nice to hear from a writer who qualified for membership but had chosen not to apply, I put […]

The Ups and Downs of an Expatriate SFWA Member

Before I talk of the tribulations that accompany a writer’s life overseas, I want to emphasize that the experience is profoundly rewarding. One of the greatest benefits is the ability to step outside the cultural milieu of the United States and look back on everything you took for granted.

Josh Vogt: Beware…but Be Bold

Back in college, when I first set out to be a professional author, the biggest question I wanted answered upfront was: “What does being a pro author mean?” What were the qualifications? How did I set goals to become a professional so I could know if I’d attained that level? Lo and behold, as I […]

Erin M. Hartshorn: A Big Tent Philosophy

When I first qualified for SFWA, it had been going through yet another kerfuffle—which one almost certainly doesn’t matter; they tend to come up again and again. People were quitting, and there were questions about whether SFWA is still relevant. That’s why I knew I had to join. I believe in a big tent philosophy—that […]

In Memoriam: Tanith Lee

Tanith Lee (b.1947) died on May 24. She was nominated for the Nebula twice, once for her debut non-juvenile novel, Birthgrave, and later for the short story “Red As Blood.”