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Guest Post: The Killer* in the Kitchen: Cooking the Books with Steven Brust
On the page and in the kitchen, author Steven Brust adds a dash of dramatic flair to his creations. To wit: his latest installment in the Vlad Taltos series, Tiassa; his collaboration with Skylar White, The Incrementalists; and the Hungarian…
Marketing, Sales, and Publicity. Part Two: Topics in Publicity
Is book publicity necessary? In my mind: yes. Do you need a publicist? It depends! I’ve long felt that authors are small business owners; what publicity means to an author is going to vary widely depending upon the resources available….
Norton Jury Deadline: April 3rd
Want to be a member of the Norton jury? Interested volunteers (see qualification requirements below) should contact the office of the vice president at vp@sfwa.org by April 3rd.
Launch Pad Astronomy Workshops: Now Accepting Applications
Launch Pad is an education/public outreach effort supplementing Mike Brotherton’s space-based astronomical research. Our primary goal is to teach writers, editors, and those with audiences of all types about modern science, specifically astronomy, and in turn reach their audiences….
Marketing, Sales, and Publicity–Part One: The Basics
Marketing is, and has been, a hot topic for authors these past few years. This two-part article seeks to remove the mysticism from the subject so you can make better decisions about your career.
Kickstarter: Is it right for you?
Many authors are using Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms to connect with fans and fund their work. But how can you tell if Kickstarter’s for you?
Author-Unfriendly Terms at Autharium
Over the past few weeks I’ve gotten a number of questions and alerts about author-unfriendly Terms and Conditions at Autharium, a new epublishing startup. So I thought I’d check into it myself.
Top Authors Contribute to Shared Worlds
Gene Wolfe, Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss and thirty more of the most imaginative writers, artists and editors from around the world have contributed to Shared Worlds’ “Hand in Hand” a webpage of advice written and photographed on the author’s hand,…
Great and Not-So-Great Astronomical Moments in Film
I love astronomy and I love to see it used in science fiction, whether it’s in books, movies, or TV. Movies and TV have the biggest audiences and clips are now easy to share with current technology. I want to…
For Those of You Who Are Wondering Why Someone Might Want to Launch a Class Action Lawsuit Against PublishAmerica
Here is an example of the sort of solicitation PublishAmerica authors receive daily (if not more often).
Baltimore Science Fiction Society Opens Amateur Writing Contest
The BSFS Amateur Writing Contest is now open to entries.
To promote the creation of quality genre literature in the state of Maryland, we are holding this contest and encouraging everyone who meets the qualifications to enter.
Solstice Awards
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America are pleased to announce Carl Sagan and Ginjer Buchanan as the recipients of the Solstice Awards for 2012. The Solstice Awards are granted to up to three persons, living or dead, who…
Random House Announces New Terms at Digital Imprints Hydra, Alibi, Loveswept, and Flirt
Yesterday afternoon, I had a cordial conversation with Allison Dobson, Director of Digital Imprints at Random House, about the the recent controversy over deal terms at Hydra, Alibi, Loveswept, and Flirt.
Another Class Action Suit Launched Against PublishAmerica
I wasn’t optimistic that I would ever be writing a post like this, after the class action filed last year against PublishAmerica was dismissed.
However, on January 31, 2013, the Maryland law firm Z Law and the New York law…
SFWA Response to Hydra Letter
Thank you for your letter regarding Random House and Hydra, and your interest in speaking with us.
Unfortunately, there is very little to discuss. SFWA has determined to its own satisfaction that Hydra does not meet our minimum standards for a…
SFWA De-Lists Hydra; Random House Responds
Following on my post last week about unattractive deal terms at Random House’s new digital-only imprint, Hydra, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has determined that Hydra will not be a qualifying market for SFWA membership.
Random House Imprint Hydra Not A Qualifying Market
SFWA has determined that works published by Random House’s electronic imprint Hydra can not be use as credentials for SFWA membership, and that Hydra is not an approved market. Hydra fails to pay authors an advance against royalties, as SFWA…
The DMCA Takedown Notice Demystified
Many writers have heard of the “DMCA takedown notice” but not everyone understands what it is. In this post, I’ll try to explain the basics and give you some ideas about how to use the tool to protect your rights…
Law Firm Investigates Author Solutions Inc.
The New York law firm of Giskan Solotaroff Anderson & Stewart LLP has opened an investigation of Author Solutions Inc. (ASI), alleging deceptive practices.
Authors using Author Solutions have complained of deceptive practices, including enticing authors to purchase promotional services that…
Call for Norton Jury Volunteers
Now that the 2013 nomination process has been completed, SFWA is looking for a Norton jury for the 2014 award.
The Norton Award is presented to young adult or middle grade science fiction and fantasy novels, collections, or anthologies. The Norton jury is charged…
Second-Class Contracts? Deal Terms at Random House’s Hydra Imprint
Over the past few years, more and more trade publishers have created digital-only imprints. Another new one just popped up in my newsfeed today: Little, Brown UK’s Blackfriars will be launching its first list this coming June.
Why Not to Register Copyright for Unpublished Work
If you have an unpublished manuscript that you’re shopping to agents and/or publishers, or considering self-publishing, there’s no need to register your copyright prior to publication.
Why?
Richard W. Gunn Memorial Lecture: Cory Doctorow
Author, journalist, technology activist, and Boing Boing co-editor Cory Doctorow presents this year’s Richard W. Gunn Memorial Lecture.
Solicitation Alert: Close-up TV News / Close-up Talk Radio
Writer Beware has received reports that authors are receiving phone solicitations from an outfit called Close-up TV News, which describes itself as “…a premiere news magazine TV program spotlighting the most successful businesses across America. ”