May Market Report
Welcome to the May Market Report for SF/F.
Welcome to the May Market Report for SF/F.
by Leo Babauta
I’m not always a fan of deadlines and goals, but it’s good to be able to use whatever works best for you. If you’re working great without deadlines and goals, then by all means, keep going. But if you’re struggling to push a project forward (or a learning project like language lessons), then you might try a self-imposed deadline.
The SFWA Contracts Committee believes there are serious problems for writers with the non-compete and option clauses in many science fiction and fantasy publishers’ contracts. The non-compete language in these contracts often overreaches and limits authors’ career options in unacceptable ways.
by Curtis C. Chen
Okay. You wrote a novel. That was the easy part.
Now you need to write a synopsis.
by Theodora Goss
I keep reading blog posts that basically all make the same point: anyone can find time to write. You’ve probably read them too. The message is, if you want to be a writer, you can find the time. Get up early and write before work. Write on your lunch break. Write on your commute home. Write after everyone else is asleep. If you can write even a hundred words a day, eventually you’ll have a novel.
It’s not a bad message, but it’s aimed toward aspiring writers. And aspiring writers, I would argue, are very different from working writers, who are different, again, from professional writers.
Welcome to the April Market Report for SF/F. Deadlines and Closures to Note: Alfa Eridiani (Spain) has ceased publication. Gypsy Shadow Publishing, Unlikely Story, and Urban Fantasy Magazine are closed to new submissions until further notice. Hyperpulp (Brazil) has not released an issue since 2012. Intercom-SF (Italy) is currently not publishing. Jupiter Gardens Press is closed to […]
by Joan Marie Verba
Kindle Scout is a publishing option sponsored by Amazon.com. Writers can submit an unpublished manuscript of 50,000 words or more in the science fiction, fantasy, mystery, or romance genres.
by Jeffe Kennedy
Mystery readers expect to find out who done it. Suspense readers expect the big bad to be stopped. Romance readers want the romance to end with promise.
In previous posts, SFWA’s own “Tax Czarina” discussed some basic tax issues writers face, bartering, and the 1099 Misc. form. This week’s post focuses on how the IRS differentiates hobbies from businesses.
by Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
The popular advice for writers is to write your first draft for just one person and then to revise for the world. Your voice, they say, should be personal and true and deep but the story itself must have mass-market appeal. This is a rainbow I chased for a long time. Lately, though, I’m starting to question the simple assumption that success is measured by the number of readers.