Planetside: The Online Magazine of SFWA
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Creating Buzz Through Author Readings
by Brenda W. Clough. Here’s how to choose, prepare, and deliver engaging author readings. From selecting the right excerpt to mastering timing, presentation, and audience connection, learn how to make every live or online event memorable.
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2025 Planetside Reader Survey
Help us celebrate the writers for Planetside articles in 2025 and give us guidance with respect to how to keep growing this publication.
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How to Recover from Volunteer Burnout
by Priya Sridhar. A look at the emotional cost of volunteering, the disappointments that can follow, and the healing steps that help rebuild confidence and reconnect people with meaningful work.
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Artifacts of Alt-History: Mining Museum Objects for SFF Inspiration
by Sarah Karwisch. Historical artifacts can bring inspiration to speculative fiction. Here’s how you can use museum objects to drive plot turns in your stories, spark conflict, and shape your worldbuilding.
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Crafting a Cover: An Interview with SFF Illustrator and Designer Jeff Brown
by Misha Grifka Wander. In this interview, cover designer Jeff Brown reveals why genre-focused book covers matter, how to collaborate effectively with artists, and why investing in compelling design helps your publishing success.
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Handling Longer Projects Without Relying on a Plot Outline
by Adriana Kantcheva. Follow a pantser’s evolving process and see how giving ideas time to mature before drafting cut revision turmoil, clarified themes and character arcs, and made writing a novel less overwhelming.
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How to Hand-Sell Books for Fun and Profit
by Steven D. Brewer. Learn how to engage readers, create effective hooks, give compelling pitches, and sell books face‑to‑face at conventions and local events to build and grow your audience.
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STEM and Leaf: Writing Math and Science Poetry
by Ursula Whitcher. Learn how to craft STEM‑inspired poems by combining poetic and scientific techniques, guided by close readings of contemporary science‑inspired work.
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Beyond the Beauty: A Research Guide for Responsible SFF Worldbuilding
by Kemi Cole. Discover Lake Bunyonyi’s hidden past and learn practical methods for SFF worldbuilding grounded in cultural respect and meaningful engagement with the communities that could shape speculative worlds.
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