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The SFWA Blog
Jealousing Is the New Writing Exercise
When I get professionally jealous it’s often an exciting thing. “Wow! I never thought of doing that. That’s amazing!” But excitement can turn into sad feelings…
Anti-Harassment Resources For SFWA Writers
On July 2 John Scalzi, immediate past president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, announced his new Convention Harassment Policy. When my friends and fans go to conventions, I would like them not to have to worry, if…
Commemorative Stamps Petition
A letter from Chris M. Barkley to the science fiction and fantasy community:
Over a week ago, I started two online petition drives at Change.org and We the People, to gather support to establish a series of commemorative stamps honoring America’s…
An Exit Interview with John Scalzi
This June, John Scalzi stepped down as SFWA President. He took office in 2010—twelve years after beginning his wildly successful blog, Whatever, and five years after he published his first novel.
SFWA member Carrie Cuinn ventured into Scalzi’s lair (aka,…
On Confidentiality and Board Deliberations
The SFWA Board would like to thank members for their strong support and patience as we continue the investigation of recent complaints against one of our members.
Guest Post: Elusive Genius
Too often the burden of “genius” is placed on the fragile shoulders of individuals trying desperately to create, to live up to expectations, to outdo their own previous creations, and to essentially justify daring to call themselves artists (or writers,…
Change of Eastern Regional Director of SFWA
Catherynne M. Valente has announced her resignation as the Eastern Regional Director for SFWA. She said, “It was a rewarding and challenging experience to work with a group of dedicated, tireless advocates, but personal circumstances have brought me to the…
Bulletin Task Force Takes Next Steps
SFWA President Steven Gould announces that the organization has paid all contributors for material previously contracted for the Bulletin, which is currently on publication hiatus.
Writer Beware Blog on (Brief) Temporary Hiatus
I’ve got a book deadline coming up: July 31. This is a happy thing, in that my book has a home and my editor is waiting for it and in a month I’ll be done!
Bulletin Task Force–Survey Forthcoming
The Bulletin survey will be sent out to members soon, after extensive internal and task-force analysis. This will be an opportunity for members to express what they want out of the Bulletin.
Guest Post: There is no That
It’s 2130 on a Saturday night, and I’m alone in my apartment, in front of my laptop.
I can’t shake the feeling that there’s some amazing party, filled with fascinating people, somewhere nearby. Artists and intellectuals and adventurers, all mixing and…
Penguin and Author Solutions File for Dismissal of Class Action Lawsuit
In April, the law firm of Giskan Solotaroff Anderson & Stewart filed a class action lawsuit against Author Solutions Inc. and its parent, Penguin Group, on behalf of three plaintiffs, alleging breach of contract, unjust enrichment, various violations of the…
Andre Norton Award Committee Announced
The 2013 Andre Norton Award committee has been chosen, and will begin accepting books for consideration.
In Memoriam: Richard Matheson
Richard Matheson (b.1926) died on June 23. His varied career as an author began with his first published short story, the instantly classic “Born of Man and Woman,” which was published in the Spring 1950 issue of Fantasy and…
SFWA Twitter Feed Policy Updated
We’ll be restructuring the SFWA Twitter feeds a little bit. In the past, the use of the SFWA Twitter feed as a promotional tool has made it hard to distinguish between what we’re simply posting and what we’re endorsing.
In Memoriam: Parke Godwin
Harold Parke Godwin (b.1929) died of natural causes on June 19, 2013. Better known as Parke Godwin, the name under which he wrote, Godwin was known as “Pete” by his friends. His novella “The Fire When It Comes” won…
Author Concerns and Complaints at Crimson Romance
Recent data suggests that the astounding pace of ebook growth is starting to slow as the market begins to mature. However, that hasn’t affected the pac at which trade publishers are establishing digital imprints.
Often viewed as experiments, these digital-only…
Letter to Members on Board Activity
Many of you have contacted us recently about your concerns regarding the actions of a SFWA member, including the recent misuse of the sfwaauthors Twitter feed.
Police Investigate Pay-to-Play Publisher 2 Moon Press
Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware
Pay to play publisher 2 Moon Press, located in Olivet, Michigan, closed abruptly last month, after having been purchased earlier in 2013 by one of its…
Plan for Moving Ahead with the Bulletin
On the advice of the task force, and with the approval of the board, the president has authorized the following plan:
In Memoriam: Iain M. Banks
Scottish author Iain M. Banks (b.1954) died on June 9, a little over two months after announcing that he was suffering from late-stage gall bladder cancer.
Editor of SFWA Bulletin Resigns
Effective immediately, Jean Rabe, the editor of the SFWA Bulletin, has tendered her resignation and I have accepted it.
Guest Post: Working with the Obstacles in Your Path
et’s say you are sitting at your desk, with something to write, and you notice some anxiety, and an urge to go instead to one of your favorite distractions.
And let’s also say you decided to adopt my approach, the Obstacle…
SFWA at Book Expo America
SFWA was invited by Book Expo America to share a short presentation on the genre. Authors Laura Anne Gilman, Leanna Renee Hieber, Sarah Beth Durst and Jeri Smith-Ready took the stage to talk about SFWA and SF. The space was…