Planetside Full Archives
Planetside: The Online Magazine of SFWA
No post found!
The SFWA Blog
In Memoriam: andrew j. offutt
Former SFWA President andrew j. offutt (b.1934) died on April 30. Offutt began publishing in 1954 when his story “And Gone Tomorrow” was published in If. Although he had previously published novels under the house names J. X. Williams and John Cleve,…
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Author Solutions Inc.
Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware
In March, I wrote about New York law firm Giskan Solotaroff Anderson & Stewart LLP, which had opened an investigation of Author Solutions Inc. (ASI).
Well, now the other shoe has dropped. On April 26…
2013 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award Announced
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has awarded Michael H. Payne the 2013 Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award for his outstanding work on behalf of the organization.
New Website Design
There may be a few issues as we transition from the old to the new. To report troubles please use this link: http://www.sfwa.org/feedback/report-a-site-issue/
SF in SF – Science Fiction, San Francisco – A Perfect Fit
In conjunction with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of American, and the 48th Annual Nebula Awards Weekend, SF in SF presents:
GENE WOLFE and CONNIE WILLIS
Apple iBookstore to feature Nebula Winners
On Tuesday, April 30, the Apple iBookstore will feature past Nebula Award winning books in their North American bookstore.
Clarion West Receives $10,000 NEA Art Works Grant
The National Endowment for the Arts announced today that Clarion West will receive a $10,000 Art Works grant to support its six-week summer workshop and its one-day workshop series.
Tidbits
I’m still following the news (and answering email), so I can at least share with you the publishing stories that caught my eye over the past week or so.
Rejection and Reinvention
Since I can’t tell why, for sure, a story was rejected, I keep submitting to places that meet my minimum requirements. When I run out of places, I put the story in a folder that’s labeled ‘stories I still believe…
Finalists for Lifeboat to the Stars Announced
The “Lifeboat to the Stars” award honors the best work of science fiction of any length published in 2011 or 2012 contributing to an understanding of the benefits, means, and difficulties of interstellar travel.
Tools For Writers: Using Dragon Dictate
For a couple of months now, I’ve been experimenting with using Dragon Dictate for writing, both fiction and nonfiction. In fact, I’m using it to write this post.
She’s Geeky
She’s Geeky is hosting a gathering on Seattle on April 26 & 27, 2013 at the Lake Washington Rowing Club.
Northwest Writers Honor Octavia Butler
In celebration of the legacy of Octavia E. Butler, Pacific Northwest writers Vonda N. McIntyre, Nisi Shawl, Dennis Y. Ginoza, Erik Owomoyela, Caren Gussoff, and Rashida Smith will read work inspired by their relationships with Octavia Butler, or stories included…
Nebula Awards Toastmaster Announced
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have named Robert Silverberg as Toastmaster for the 48th Annual Nebula Awards Weekend, occurring May 17-19, 2013, in San Jose, California.
Skyhorse/Start Adjusts Terms
After continuing talks with Skyhorse/Start, SFWA is pleased that the companies have decided to adjust the royalty terms in their author agreement to be more in line with industry standards for Science Fiction and Fantasy
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…