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An Introduction to Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction, Part 1: Definitions
For writers who are interested in writing middle grade or young adult fantasy or science fiction, the first step is puzzling out what exactly those categories mean. Science fiction and fantasy, after all, has a long tradition of featuring young…
Guest Post: Scientific Accuracy in Literature:
The WAS Seal of Approval doesn’t get Mine
According to newflashes popping up around the web, the Washington Academy of Sciences has created a seal of approval for the scientific accuracy of novels.
Lifeboat To The Stars Award
The Lifeboat Foundation will present the “Lifeboat to the Stars” award along with $1,000 to the winner at the 2013 Campbell Conference.
Legal Tidbits
In 2008, following a bitter divorce, Iowan Scott Weier paid one of the Author Solutions Inc. imprints to publish his memoir, Mind, Body, and Soul. Subsequently, Weier’s ex-wife filed suit against Weier and ASI for libel, citing allegations in…
MFA Programs and You
MFA Programs and the efficacy or use thereof tend to come up in discussion periodically. For those of you interested, here is a run down of the types of programs and what to expect. I personally have an…
An Interview with Jennifer Brozek
Award-winning author and editor Jennifer Brozek has edited over ten anthologies (with more on the way in 2013). The creative director of Apocalypse Ink Productions, she also has won both the Origins and the ENnie awards for her work writing…
Baltimore Science Fiction Society Writing Workshop
The Baltimore Science Fiction Society, a 501(c)(3) located at 3310 East Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, is proud to announce more writing workshops for 2013 run by professional writers.
Venerable Vanity Publisher Vantage Press Closes Its Doors
You may have heard that Vantage Press, one of the USA’s oldest vanity publishers, closed its doors at the end of 2012.
Alert: UK Speaker Scam Targets Writers (and Others)
John Scalzi reported on this scam earlier this week, and his post was widely disseminated on Twitter–but since not everyone reads the same blogs, and the scam is a recurring one that isn’t limited to science fiction and fantasy writers,…
Guest Post: The difference between audience and market
You might have heard the advice, “Don’t chase the market.” That’s good advice, as a general idea, but many people misunderstand it and think that it means that you should not write for a specific audience. Here’s the thing… Your…
Global Talk Radio: How to Waste Money and Fail to Influence People
You’d think that dodgy publishers, publicists, and others would know better than to spam Writer Beware. But no. Disproving the frequent spammer claim that their email lists are carefully targeted, I get quite a substantial number of advertisements, press releases,…
Guest Post: Invisible Ink
When people speak of works that “have withstood the test of time” it’s worthwhile asking “Withstood for what?” and “Withstood for whom?” For instance, The Malleus Maleficarum is indeed an immortal work, but it’s not remembered for the reasons its…
2012: Year in Review
As we begin the new year (Writer Beware’s fifteenth–good heavens!), here’s a look back at some of Writer Beware’s most notable posts and warnings from 2012.
Baltimore Science Fiction Society Invites You to A Party!
On Saturday, January 12th, 2013 at 8PM, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS), located at 3310 East Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21224, will have a free, public party to celebrate 50 years of promoting science, science fiction and fantasy throughout…
Guest Post: Don’t Watch Your Work
I’ve just finished a story, and somewhere in the primitive part of my brain, I’m determined to milk it for all it’s worth.
Foxhole Pizza and Interstellar Quail: Cooking the Books with Joe and Gay Haldeman
In The Forever War, I had fun writing about cooking under primitive conditions. It’s easy to write about because you don’t have to explain things so much. People understand cooking over a fire. When you start to…
Happy Holidays!
Writer Beware is taking time off for the holidays. Unless there’s some especially major publishing news, look for us to be back after January 1.
I’ll still be answering emails. To contact me: beware [at] sfwa.org.
We wish all our readers…
2012 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master
Awarded to Gene Wolfe
SFWA has named Gene Wolfe as the 2012 recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award for his contributions to the literature of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Guest Blog Post: International Writing Scams and How to Protect Yourself
Today’s guest blog post, from journalist Mridu Khullar Relph, explores the world of writing schemes and scams from an international perspective–something that’s increasingly an issue for Western writers looking to find work overseas.
Video Pick: The Overview Effect
Some astronauts and cosmonauts have reported a cognitive shift in awareness during spaceflight–often while viewing the Earth from orbit or from the lunar surface. It has come to be known as The Overview Effect.
Book Promotion Giveaways: What Works?
As authors increasingly explore way to promote their work, one question that occurs when launching a book concerns giveaways, things like bookmarks, pens, postcards, or sometimes more complex or costly items, used to promote the book.
The Albee Agency: Book Publicity Faked
When I’m researching a website, I always vet the testimonials, because they can be, you know, fake. The very first Albee testimonial I checked caused warning bells to ring.
SFWA Pacific Northwest Reading Series for 2013
We have now nailed down the dates and hosts and some of the readers for all the SFWA Pacific Northwest Reading Series events in 2013, so mark your calendars:
Guest Post: Monster In the Laundry Basket —
Part III: What is Literary Success?
When my first novel came out – in 2000 – by all weights and measures, I had “made it” as a mid-list fiction writer. I’d secured a two book deal (the second: a collection of short stories, the most…