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The SFWA Blog
To Vlog or Not To Vlog
by Alethea Kontis
Luckily, there are many other outlets for writers to alternately channel their particular brand of creativity: Blogging, podcasting, memes, fan fiction…in this day and age, the possibilities are endless.
SFWA at Dragon Con
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America will be participating at Dragon Con again! Our table will be located in the Hyatt, outside the Comics and Artists Alley.
Endeavour Awards Finalists
News from the Endeavour Awards:
Four novels and a single-author collection of stories are finalists for the Endeavour Award. The 2014 Award will be the sixteenth year for the Endeavour, which comes with an honorarium of $1,000.00. The winner…
The Scientist Next Door: Or How to Approach Experts with Research Questions
by William Ledbetter
The email was short and straightforward. I identified myself as a science fiction writer who was curious about one aspect of their paper.
Central Oregon Writers’ Guild’s 7th Annual Writing Contest
Entries for the Central Oregon Writers’ Guild’s 7th annual writing contest are closing on September 1st!
Clarion 2012 Releases Fundraiser Antho
The Red Volume is a collection of stories largely written and revised during the Clarion Foundation’s fundraising write-a-thon, which runs concurrently with the workshop. The anthology will be available this September on a pay-what-you-can basis. Readers can snag a copy…
SFWA Spotlight on Pro Markets: Interfictions
Interfictions: A Journal of Interstitial Arts is an extension of the anthology series. It’s a bi-annual, online publication featuring interstitial fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and art.
Backstory Secrets
Backstory is tricky to interweave into your story effectively. Sometimes, it is introduced too soon, or all at once in one large info-dump. At other times, its power is undercut by giving it away for free before the reader has…
Museum of Science Fiction and DC Public Library Partner to Host Film Festival and Use Science Fiction to Raise Child Literacy
The Museum of Science Fiction, the world’s first comprehensive science fiction museum, and the District of Columbia Public Library, today announced a partnership to enhance science fiction literacy and project-based learning within the community.
Guest Post: Where’s the Diversity, Hollywood?
As fans clamor for the latest cinematic thrills, we decided to focus our next Diversity Gap study on the level of racial and gender representation in these ever-popular genres that consistently rake in the big bucks for movie studios.
Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop: A Reflection
Two weeks ago, a group of writers descended upon the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming for the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop.
2014 World Fantasy Award Nominees and Life Achievement Award Winners
The 2014 World Fantasy Awards Ballot has been announced.
Life Achievement Winners
Ellen Datlow
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Caren Gussoff and the Birthday Problem
In an industry where success is difficult to quantify, there are certain writing benchmarks that denote achievement and validate your work to your peers and your readers. Becoming SFWA-qualified is one of them.
Prometheus Award Winners Announced
The Libertarian Futurist Society has announced its Prometheus Award winners for 2014.
The Prometheus Award, sponsored by the Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS), was established in 1979, making it one of the most enduring awards after the Nebula and Hugo awards, and…
Support the SFWA Emergency Medical Fund with a Great Deal on Awesome SF!
Pay what you want. Support charity. Get exceptional titles. Last year, the Humble Book Bundle raised over $55,000 for the SFWA Emergency Medical Fund. Offering pay-what-you-want pricing, you could receive the following titles…
Overcoming Self-Doubt as a Writer
by Matthew Kressel
It’s become a cliché, the tortured writer beset by periods of crippling self-doubt. But things become clichés simply because they have been true for so many. Writing, for most people I know, is an experience of few victories…
Guest Post: Yog’s Law and Self-Publishing
by John Scalzi
Many years ago, writer Jim Macdonald postulated “Yog’s Law,” a handy rule of thumb for writers about the direction money is meant to flow in publishing:
“Money flows toward the writer.”
New Board Members at SFWA
On July 1st, 2014, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers welcome Cat Rambo as the new Vice President and Sarah Pinsker as incoming Director at Large (elected from the Eastern Region*).
SFWA Policy on Self-Publishing: Comments Welcome.
The SFWA Board of Directors is asking members to share their opinions of self-publishing over the summer.
Philip K. Dick in Orange County
“Philip K. Dick in Orange County” website has launched with the following background provided by SFWA member, Dr. David Sandner: In 1972, Philip K. Dick moved to Fullerton, California, in Orange County, at the behest of Dr. Willis McNelly, Professor of English…
Sunburst Award Society Announces The 2014 Shortlists
The Sunburst Award Society has announced the short-lists for this year’s awards.
Guest Post: Cooking the Books with Ann Leckie
by Fran Wilde
In ANCILLARY JUSTICE, tea is sometimes a staple, sometimes a luxury item – for instance, citizens relying on the baseline free supplies from the Radchaai don’t get tea, or not very good tea. Can you talk about the…
You Talkin’ ‘Bout Me?: Finding Replacements for Google Alerts
by Caren Gussoff
I wanted to find services that acted like Google Alerts did in its healthy heyday: rounding up every mention across the web, without guessing that mention’s possible relevance, and sending to me on a regular basis.
Six ways to win the Andre Norton Award
by Katie Sparrow
In 2013 I had the pleasure of being on the wonderful Andre Norton jury and getting to read a metric ton of young adult and middle grade books (there were vampires! Zombies! And multi-world theory adventures, sometimes with…