Planetside Full Archives

By Holly Henderson As much as science fiction and fantasy writers love wandering the vast worlds that exist in our imaginations, the journey there can…

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) is now accepting poetry and translated fiction as qualifying works for membership in the organization. Interested individuals…

by Scott King Writing book descriptions sucks, but it doesn’t have to be hard. If you can write a whole dang novel, you have it…

Welcome to the August edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any venue in this report does not indicate an official endorsement by…

By Ursula Whitcher My first fictional love was tabletop role-playing games, from Dungeons & Dragons and ’90s classics like Vampire: The Masquerade to indie hits…

By Gareth L. Powell In 2020, I had the privilege of cowriting a science fiction novella called Light Chaser with Peter F. Hamilton, author of…

by the SFWA Safety Committee As social media becomes increasingly fractured, more authors are turning toward newsletters as a reliable form of direct marketing. Mailing…

by Jeremy Zentner Space operas often incorporate creative monarchy systems as part of their planet-spanning worldbuilding. And why not? Readers love a good monarchy! But…

(Kind of like the Star Trek Experience—lots of diversity that some accept, some fight, and others never see) by Elle Ire   Continuing Mission Our…

By Karawynn Long Note: This post does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and advice is intended for…

by the SFWA Safety Committee Small events can be some of the most rewarding experiences for an author. Signings, readings, classes, and panels offer an…

By Randee Dawn Dr. Erin Macdonald Whatever you think a science advisor for Star Trek TV shows should look like, Dr….

Effective July 1, 2023, the SFWA Board of Directors will be made up of the following members: Jeffe Kennedy, President  John Murphy, Vice President  Jasmine…

by Jelena Dunato When my publisher prepared the marketing strategy for my upcoming novel Dark Woods, Deep Water, one of the obvious labels proposed besides…

By Holly Henderson Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes, in its author’s words, explains how to write a kissing book. But that’s not all it…

by William C. Tracy Congrats! You’re an indie author! You’ve written a book, (hopefully) had critiques and edited it, put it all together, and thrown…

(Kind of like the Star Trek Experience—lots of diversity that some accept, some fight, and others never see) by Elle Ire Blog Series Mission To…

With just over a week left until our 2023 Nebula Conference, the SFWA Events Team and our many incredible volunteers have been busy putting the…

by Corrine Kumar One of the biggest challenges writers face is finding time to write amidst a busy life. For many years, my strategy to…

by Ryan Breadinc If you’re not artistically inclined and want to write solely for graphic novels, going into the comic industry can feel daunting. However,…

by Rachel A. Rosen It’s a good time to be Weird. There’s a plethora of new titles and an explosion of microgenres targeted to specific…

by the SFWA Safety Committee Many sites, subscriptions, and tools require a login to function, and in most cases (we’ll get to that later), those…

by Juliet Kemp As writers, we all have our own strengths – and our own shortcomings. At the start of your writing career, you’re working…

by May Haddad Fantastic noir is a subgenre that blends film noir or its literary inspiration and counterpart, hardboiled fiction and roman noir (respectively), with…

by J. Scott Coatsworth In the middle of 2022, I broke my arm. And not just a simple fracture—my orthopedic surgeon said it looked like…

By J.D. Harlock Introduction The “belly dancer” is one of the most prevalent tropes western media has of Middle Easterners, and it’s often used as…

by Emma Johanna Puranen It seems like everyone’s listening to things these days. Between the larger podcast boom and the rise of the audiobook, it…

A.J. Cunder As an editor, I’m tempted to say there’s a certain magic when it comes to submissions that catch my eye in the slush…

by Anthony W. Eichenlaub Your time has value. That’s it. That’s the lesson. If you’re looking to save a few minutes, you can skip the…

by the SFWA Safety Committee Numerous user-friendly options exist for authors to set up and manage their own websites, from single, static pages to actively…