By J. Dianne Dotson World-building takes many forms in genre fiction. Whether a story takes place on another planet, in a mystical land, or in a hellscape of horror, adding touches of realism enhances the world for its inhabitants. Using ecology is one way to achieve that realism. What Is Ecology? Ecology is the science […]
By Anthony W. Eichenlaub Whether it’s the one-two punch of a duology or the sprawling epic of multiple loosely connected trilogies, there is no doubt that science fiction and fantasy readers love series. For an author, series can be amazing. Good sales on the first book can lead to good sales on the second, third, […]
By Katherine Garcia Ley We’ve all seen them: the thirty pages of interview questions you should ask your characters. The analytical texts on astrological signs. The “ultimate of ultimate” tools offering twenty-some Enneagrams for character development. All these resources are fantastic. Heck, I use them, and they’re amazing. I’m a list-loving personality theory hoarder. These […]
Welcome to the October edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any market in the report below does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA. The markets included on this list all pay at least $0.08/word in at least one length-category of fiction. New Markets Artifice & Craft Dragonesque Game On! Never […]
By Kim Zarins When I was a child, I snuck out to the backyard, made a little circle of stones, and jumped inside the circle. The goal was to get to Narnia, which I loved intensely. But I have never pictured Narnia or its characters in my mind. I’m an aphant, that is, someone with […]
By Katie Gill In recent years, audio drama has made a comeback in the form of narrative podcasts, which have gone from relative niche to mainstream markets. Audio drama series have been adapted into successful books, seen financial success on crowdfunding sites like Patreon, and launched Netflix adaptations. Likewise, the pandemic-era growth in remote recording […]
by Kelly McClymer Your book is finally for sale after all your hard work getting it ready. You love your cover (or you don’t). But the sales aren’t where you thought they would be. Or your reviews mention the book didn’t meet their initial expectations. Now come the questions: Is my book bad? Is my […]
By Victoria Janssen Because the romance genre is based on plot structure, it can easily be merged with a speculative fiction setting. Magical secondary worlds, alien planets, and far future empires can all include romantic relationships as the primary or secondary plot. One of my favorite romantic sub-genres is beauty and the beast, a very […]
We’ve recently published a new set of webpages, the Safety Resources, on the SFWA website here. These resources contain useful information for creators maintaining an online presence and touch on safety considerations for in-person events for both attendees and event planners. Personal Safety Online includes checklists and safety tips for securing your online accounts, removing […]
By Cat Rambo I am here to say: Stop multitasking. Yes, I understand its appeal. Like many writers, I love the idea of multitasking, the notion that one can be doing two things at once, such as driving to work while dictating one’s novel, or answering e-mails while dialed into a Zoom call and listening […]
Adam and Kimberly Hall are enjoying a quiet suburban life when an emergency message flashes up on their phones—meteor impact imminent, seek immediate shelter. As the dust settles, horrific creatures come crawling out of the impact craters.
Jen Karner is an award-winning SFF & horror novelist who never attended college but still did the required reading. A book goblin she enjoys horror movies, D&D podcasts & yelling at video games & when not writing can be found online @Articulatedream.
