Planetside Full Archives
Planetside: The Online Magazine of SFWA
No post found!
The SFWA Blog
Massive Sci-Fi SFWA Space Bundle Launches
For a limited time, the largest storybundle SFWA has ever curated is now available.
The ArmadilloCon Writing Workshop to Offer a Limited Number of Sponsored Seats for Writers of Color
The ArmadilloCon Writing Workshop will take place at the Omni Southpark on Friday, August 3, 2018. This full-day workshop is presented in conjunction with ArmadilloCon 40, Austin’s literary science fiction and fantasy convention. The Workshop is ideal for new and emerging writers…
Contracts Committee Alert – “All Derivative Rights” Clauses
SFWA’s Contracts Committee has recently been seeing a proliferation of contracts from small magazines, and a very few established markets, that license all derivative rights in perpetuity. This is a red flag for a number of reasons, even if these…
Humble Bundle: Classic Sci Fi & Fantasy & Audiobooks
Check out Humble Bundle’s new bundle of goodness: “Classic Sci Fi & Fantasy & Audiobooks.”
Supporting Disability Amongst Writers
by Nick Wood
There are costs to illness and disability. This is not an uncommon scenario amongst writers–see my list of blogs below on writing through various disabilities.
SFWA Market Report for April
Welcome to the April edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any market in the report below does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA.
Finding Your Tribe
by Paul Jessup
I don’t think I could exist without a group of like-minded writers meeting and discussing things constantly online. Whether it’s the ad-hoc social networks cobbled together in various Twitter feeds and Facebook walls, or if it’s random secret…
Atomic Resonance at the SFWA Nebula Conference
by R J Theodore
I was unprepared for the wall of celebration, creativity, and acceptance I felt when I walked into the midst of a crowd of storytellers at my first SFWA Nebula Conference in 2017.
Workshop Scholarship Opportunity for SFWA Members
One member of SFWA will be awarded a full scholarship to “The Dark Side: A Fiction Workshop” taught by Elizabeth Hand.
The Egregious Practice of Charging Reading Fees
by John Walters
I am a hybrid author, which means that I self-publish books and also publish short stories in traditional venues. Last night I was engaged in what I call marketing. Several of my stories had come back unsold from…
What I’ve Learned about Convention Accessibility
by Kate Heartfield In early 2016, I contacted my local speculative-fiction convention and somewhat nervously offered my services as a volunteer coordinator for accessibility. Like many in the SFF community, I was angry and disheartened at the lack of accessibility…
Neal Stephenson to Receive the Robert A. Heinlein Award
Neal Stephenson, science fiction and futurist author, is the 2018 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award. The award is bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space. This award…
SFWA Market Report for March
Welcome to the March edition of the SFWA Market Report.
Building Worlds
by K. C. Norton
For the past three years, I have been working as a ghostwriter, writing coach, and English tutor. In my line of work, I almost invariably partner with people who are writing or editing their memoirs. For the…
Forming Practice from Passion
By Michael Michel
Regardless of where you end up on the journey known as being a writer, my guess is you want to enjoy the experience. Here’s my recommendation: focus more on the crafter than the craft. As the crafter, you…
Bragging Rights: A Comprehensive Look at SFWA Services
by Kate Baker
“Why SFWA?” and “What can it do for me?” These two questions have stumped many a SFWA board member, volunteer, and employee throughout our existence. The typical answer had always been, “Bragging rights and oh, the emergency medical…
SFWA Market Report For February
Welcome to the February edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any market in the report below does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA.
New Monthly SFWA Auction
Did you miss our charity auctions in December? Good news! SFWA will be auctioning off five new items every month on Ebay. This month, bidding will close at approx. 12:00 (Noon) Eastern on Monday, Feb 12th.
Building the Disabled World
by Sandra M. Odell
I love intricate, detailed worldbuilding; it’s the backbone of science fiction and fantasy stories, even those set in the modern era. Sadly, few things make me stop reading faster than the realization that a writer gave…
The Post Novel Blues
by Paul Jessup
It seems to happen every single time I work on something larger than a novella. The minute I finish it, it seems like all of my creativity for fiction dries up.
10 Reasons to Romanticize the Donkey
by Barbara E. Hill
Because of this diminutive rose-colored darling I learned a lot about life, relationships, and especially about writing.
“But… wait, what? Writing?” you ask. “A donkey taught you about writing?”
The Racial Rubber Stamp
by R.F. Kuang
What I’ve seen is that the lone POCs in largely white writing groups often become tokenized faux authorities. We’re consulted just enough to give other work a stamp of diversity approval, but brutally marginalized when their opinions become…
Statement from the SFWA Membership Credentials Committee
Recently, a science fiction writer made a very public announcement of his application to join SFWA. SFWA Bylaws section VI.1.c.i gives discretion to the membership credentials committee “regardless of qualifications.” Based on the behavior of and online statements by this writer…
SFWA eBay Auction Closing Soon
Check out SFWA’s latest charity auction on ebay.