by Alice Speilburg Nearly every summer, I bring on an intern for the agency, and each week we cover a different publishing topic, focusing on traditional publishing paths in the US. When we get to author payment structures—advances and royalties—I start with a theoretical explanation. An advance is intended to cover an author’s expenses while […]
by Matthew Broberg-Moffitt If you are a writer and an avid Twitter user, you may be familiar with the term #OwnVoices and pitch events such as #PitMad and #DVPit. There is some measure of controversy in the writing community regarding the use of the #OwnVoices qualifier. The term was originally coined by writer Corinne […]
Welcome to the May edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any market in the report below does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA. New Markets Friends Journal: Quaker Speculative Fiction Special Issue Inclusive Future Magazine The Deadlands Uncharted Magazine Currently Open Africa Risen Analog Science Fiction & Fact(Recently Opened) Apex […]
by J.D. Harlock Sometimes, outlining is a never-ending struggle. Too much? Too little? You can never really tell until you finally start writing that first draft. That may seem like a stretch, but keep in mind that for a good many writers, the outlining process stretches way past the planning stages and well into the […]
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in the SFWA Board elections. The results as certified by the Elections Committee and the Executive Director are as follows: President: Jeffe Kennedy Secretary: Adam Rakunas Director-at-Large through 2023 – 3 open positions (winning candidates listed alphabetically): José Pablo Iriarte Remy Nakamura Christine Taylor-Butler […]
by Andrew Hoe Human martial arts styles are biased: they’re specifically designed to fight other humans. Of course, watching Neo trade Kung Fu blows with Agent Smith is awesome, but perhaps our focus on human fighting systems in sci-fi affects our imagining of alien/robot bodies. Put simply, it makes composing fight scenes easier. By designing […]
by Holly Schofield As a published writer beginning to get some attention, I hear it over and over: How many books have you written? Are your short stories set in the world of your novel? When will you advance beyond short stories and level up to a novel? Don’t you want to be a real […]
Welcome to the April edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any market in the report below does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA. New Markets Africa Risen Blood Knife The Needle Drops… Anthology Series Currently Open Al Blanchard Award Analog Science Fiction & Fact Apex Magazine Asimov’s Science Fiction Beneath […]
by Melanie Ashford Choosing to include characters with disabilities in your speculative fiction is an excellent thing to do, but you’ll need to do your research. A poorly written hard of hearing character will do much more harm than good, and you run the risk of ostracizing a lot of your readership, whether they […]
by Aigner Loren Wilson Like many writers, when I first started out writing speculative fiction, I felt lost when it came to who to talk to or where to “hang out” with the other cool kids. I knew there were speculative fiction communities out there, ones that were even open and welcoming to little ol’ […]
Arthur has conquered the first floor of the Tower and with a new ally, he’s got a real chance of building his Clan. The problem is, their alliance hinges on one factor: speed. Survival is no longer the only goal—it’s a speed run to the top.
Pat Murphy is an acclaimed author of science fiction, fantasy, and science books for adults, teens, and children. She was the Activity Guru for the ed-tech startup Mystery Science and the Marketing Director for the Crucible, a school of fire arts.
