by Megan Leigh
When it comes to equal representation in fiction, women have a long way to go. There simply aren’t enough female characters in books and that’s counting those that appear only as romantic interests, victims to be saved, or someone’s mother. Is it really so much to ask for an equal number and variety of well-written, three-dimensional female characters?
Welcome to the Junec Market Report for SF/F.
Deadlines and Closures to Note:
Pro anthology Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation is open to submissions of fiction and poetry until June 4 and submissions of line art and coloring pages until June 30, 2016.
Info about the organization’s new member experience, game writer criteria, the state of SFWA finances, volunteer opportunities, Worldcon plans, the 2017 Nebulas, awards for anthologies, what they’re reading, and more.
by Aidan Doyle
Text expansion tools are a way to save time by using shortcuts for text you commonly type. For example, on my computer I type -em and it’s automatically replaced by my email address. When submitting short stories I have a standard cover letter template. I type -pubs and modify the template according to the market. If you’re an editor sending many similar emails, text expansion tools can save you a lot of time.
News from the Libertarian Futurist Society: Alex + Ada, a graphic novel by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn, has been given a Special Award.
by Kate Heartfield
A few distinct kinds of reading come with the job of being a writer: research, market research, reading for awards ballots and contest juries, reading for sheer pleasure.
And then there’s beta reading or critiquing.
Welcome to the May Market Report for SF/F.
by Leo Babauta
I’m not always a fan of deadlines and goals, but it’s good to be able to use whatever works best for you. If you’re working great without deadlines and goals, then by all means, keep going. But if you’re struggling to push a project forward (or a learning project like language lessons), then you might try a self-imposed deadline.
Dragon Con bills itself as the largest popular culture convention in the universe. As part of their 30th anniversary, they have announced the creation of the Dragon Awards.
The SFWA Contracts Committee believes there are serious problems for writers with the non-compete and option clauses in many science fiction and fantasy publishers’ contracts. The non-compete language in these contracts often overreaches and limits authors’ career options in unacceptable ways.
An ancient Roman temple terraforming Mars. An android longing for his human wife. Will their epic clash bring Earth to its knees? Publishers Weekly calls it “a must-read for sci-fi fans.”
Martin Cahill has published short fiction in numerous venues and currently works at Erewhon Books, lives just outside New York City. Visit him on the web at https://martintcahill.wordpress.com/.
