Archive for the ‘The Business of Writing’ Category

THE INDIE FILES: Going Wide

by J. Scott Coatsworth Editor’s note: All recommendations in this article are the opinions of the author and do not reflect an approval or endorsement by SFWA. Two Paths to Indie Greatness As an indie author, you have two basic choices for distribution:  Go all-in on Amazon—eBooks, paperback, and Kindle Unlimited (KU). Or “go wide,” […]

The Do’s and Don’ts of Asking for Reviews

by Carien Ubink It’s important to get reviews, but if you ask in the wrong way, your request might be deleted right away. So here are some do’s and don’ts when asking a blogger or fellow author for a review. Do your research. This means you need to have a good look at the blog/site/profile […]

With Great Power

by Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Note: This article first appeared in The Bulletin #216 in October 2021. An editor does more than ensure that grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure are correct. Our job is to help writers craft stories that do more than occupy space on the page. We advocate for writers and partner with them to […]

So, you think your publication is working to advance equity in SFF?

by Sabrina Vourvoulias   First, a quick quiz: Did you read the headline, and automatically compile a mental checklist of the authors and staffers from underserved communities you’ve published or hired?  Congrats, but … you were gauging diversity.  Did you read the headline and start enumerating the kind of outreach you’ve done to ensure underserved […]

Author Advances: An Update for Your Expectations

by Alice Speilburg Nearly every summer, I bring on an intern for the agency, and each week we cover a different publishing topic, focusing on traditional publishing paths in the US. When we get to author payment structures—advances and royalties—I start with a theoretical explanation. An advance is intended to cover an author’s expenses while […]