By Rachel Craft I’ve recently gotten hooked on writing “challenges,” multi-round contests that give participants a creative prompt and a tight deadline to write a short story. Sometimes it’s a week, sometimes it’s as little as 24 hours. If that sounds stressful and even somewhat insane, it is—but it’s also incredibly fun, and a valuable […]
By Hildy Silverman Sharing story creation and developmental duties with a writing partner might seem daunting, given that we authors tend to invest a certain amount of ego (to put it mildly) into our work. Writing alone, we can be possessive of our characters and staunch in our plans for their adventures. Yet co-authors must […]
Is Using Direct Sales the Right New Channel for Your Books? by Kelly McClymer Direct sales are a hot topic for indie authors right now and will only get hotter in 2024. The two main reasons are: Readers spoiled by the wide range of books available for purchase online are no longer hesitant to buy […]
by Jason P. Burnham Did you know that the human body has fewer human cells than it does microorganisms? Fortuitously, Dr. Scientist knew that—and they will be your teacher on this journey to incorporate microbiomes into your fiction. How can you portray Dr. Scientist’s very important microbiome research in your next story? Is our scientist […]
Welcome to the December edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any venue in this report does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA. Those markets included on this list pay at least $0.08/word USD in at least one category of fiction. This compilation is not exhaustive of all publication opportunities that pay […]
By Diana Pharaoh Francis Writers can have great success when indie publishing, but many feel underqualified or underprepared to handle all the dimensions of self-publishing. I did. While there are numerous specialists available to help you navigate the journey, they can get expensive, and the process can be overwhelming. Enter another option: A publishing co-op. […]
By Shawn Proctor Whether you enroll in a writing workshop or writer’s group, there is a premium placed on critique as the main path to improving your craft. Peer writers working on the same elements of character, plot, voice, and pacing are excellent partners for highlighting a story’s foibles and fumbles and offering suggestions to […]
by Steven Radecki During the more than a decade that I have been involved in indie publishing, I have worked with more than three hundred authors. One thing I have discovered is that, just as publishing is not a one-size-fits-all process, neither is how individual writers conceive of their success. Managing your own goals and […]
by Austin Conrad Editorial note: This is the first in a two-part series from Austin Conrad on acquiring illustrations for tabletop games. Part 1 will focus on working directly with an artist, and Part 2 will present additional options, such as using stock art, public domain art, and similar resources. In the tabletop games industry, […]
by Cat Rambo Writers are often told that they must go to conventions and conferences in order to network and move their careers forward. It’s good advice, but only if you approach your con experiences with some smart planning. You’ll also find that the costs add up fast. Here are some suggestions for making the […]
A science-fantasy-noir novel inspired by the Nebula-nominated “Tower of Mud and Straw.” Towers, politics, alternate worlds. Kirkus called it “mind-expanding” in a starred review; Daily Mail, “a towering achievement and a genre-busting tour de force.”
Michelle Knudsen is the New York Times bestselling author of 50 books for kids & teens, including the Trelian (MG) and Evil Librarian (YA) trilogies and the picture book Library Lion (one of Time magazine’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time).
