Archive for the ‘The Business of Writing’ Category

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 […]

On Grants

by Gillian Polack   It’s suddenly harder to make a living as a writer. It was never easy. Setsu Uzumé recently wrote on the possibility of obtaining grants from regional or local governments. This article will walk you through some of the steps to get a local or regional government grant. I am Australian, so […]

Navigating the Parallel but Uneven Ecosystems of Traditional Publishing and Self-Publishing 

by Evan Winter (This article originally appeared in The SFWA Bulletin #215.)   Not long ago, I was asked where traditional publishing spaces are failing self-published writers, and I think I may have an answer: everywhere. This is because traditional publishing spaces aren’t structured in form or objectives to value the needs of self-published writers and […]

Introducing the SFWA Legacy Kit!

We know what you’re thinking. As soon as you saw that scary word—legacy—your brain turned left at Albuquerque and kept going: “I’m too young to die!”[1] “I’ll think about that tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day.”[2] “Not now, Elaine. Not now! Can’t you see I’m talking to the Man?”[3] The Legacy Kit was created in […]

SF/F Magazines Wait Out The Great Pause—Part 2: Short- and Long-Term Prospects & the Post-COVID Landscape

by J. Scott Coatsworth This article continues J. Scott Coatsworth’s interviews and compilation of information examining how SF/F magazines are faring during the COVID-19 crisis. Amazing Stories, Analog, Asimov’s, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Clarkesworld, Escape Artists, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Fireside Magazine, Fiyah Lit Mag, and Strange Horizons responded to Coatsworth’s inquiries. Most of these responses […]