By William C. Tracy Editorial note: This is the second in a two-part series from William C. Tracy. Part 1 focused on publishing and release costs, comparing traditional and indie publishing. Part 2 will present marketing resources, including a Google Sheets template, to help authors calculate their book costs.   Welcome back! If you read last month’s article, you know about the costs associated with publishing a book. Now, let’s figure out if you’re making money! Assume your book’s been out for 3–6 months, but you want to keep selling it. Maybe you want to try selling your book by hand? H ..read more

By Gunnar De Winter Much has been said and—obviously—written about the writer’s voice. But what if that voice speaks in a language that is not your native one? While a writer’s voice is, by definition, hard to define, it lives and thrives through idiosyncrasy. Your voice as a writer is the collection of verbal quirks, (subconscious) stylistic preferences, and choice of metaphors that shape your words and sentences, a fingerprint written in cursive, as unique as you are. The voice of some writers is distinct and rings a bell. For others, it’s a more subtle touch that nevertheless worms its way ..read more

James A. Moore (03 September 1965 – 27 March 2024) was a prolific, versatile, and award-winning horror, dark fantasy, comic, and game writer. He crafted a diverse set of multi-media and beloved works over three decades, from his debut novel Hell-Storm through his Tides of War and Seven Forges series and including Bram Stoker Award finalists, Serenity Falls and Bloodstained Oz, co-written with Christopher Golden. He was an editor on The Twisted Book of Shadows, a winner of the Shirley Jackson Award. Moore really loved writing, telling stories, and worldbuilding, and developing characters with f ..read more

In Memoriam: Vernor Vinge Vernor Vinge (02 October 1944 – 20 March 2024) was a five-time Hugo Award winning author, credited for introducing the technological singularity. He won Hugo Awards for his breakout novel, A Fire Upon the Deep, as well as A Deepness in the Sky, Rainbows End, Fast Times at Fairmont High, and The Cookie Monster. Vinge popularized the idea of a technological “singularity” in 1983, by suggesting a point of no return in which humans could not turn back from the decisions of their created intelligences. For decades through today, humanity has continued to debate this point ..read more

Welcome to the April edition of the SFWA Market Report. Please note: Inclusion of any venue in this report does not indicate an official endorsement by SFWA. Those markets included on this list pay at least $0.08/word USD in at least one category of fiction. This compilation is not exhaustive of all publication opportunities that pay our recommended minimum professional rate. Additionally, SFWA adheres to our DEI Policy when making selections for this report. We strongly encourage writers to closely review all contracts and consult our resources on best contract practi ..read more

by Diana M. Pho This essay is the third of eight in the Publishing Taught Me: A SFWA Anthology Project. Introduction The role of an editor in book publishing is shrouded in mystery. Perhaps it’s because our job faces dualistic scrutiny by writers. Editors are creative guides but also gatekeepers preventing you from getting published. Editors wield brilliant insights that strengthen the story, and they fight all of your artistic choices. Editors are your biggest advocates inside the publishing house, and they are blamed if a book flops financially or critically for failing to do their job. Face ..read more

by Georgina Kamsika Have you ever read something that you knew was incorrect? Sometimes, research has fallen short of convincing people who know better, even though other readers might not notice anything wrong. For those who know, it can be jarring and pull them out of the story. How would you feel if that error was about your life? Your personal history? Your family’s history? Or something intrinsic to who you are? Sensitivity readers exist as a consultancy resource to offer an authentic perspective regarding how marginalization affects characters, settings, and worldbuilding, and to provide ..read more

Locus magazine has a long history in our field; from a one-page zine founded to support a Worldcon bid, it has grown to become the premier industry magazine for science fiction and fantasy publishing. For decades, they’ve covered the news from authors signing with agents to sales of books to multi-page spreads for award ceremonies. There are many online and print venues where one can find interviews with authors and editors, discussions about where the genre is going, and reviews of fiction both short and long. Locus, however, manages to do all that and more — such as presenting the annual Loc ..read more

by Austin Conrad Fantasy’s enduring appeal stems from our imaginative exploration of the impossible. Each branch of speculative fiction asks the question “What if?” in their settings and stories. Many flowers on these branches portray a world which is plausible—outlandish and beautiful, but similar in nature to our own. In contrast, fantasy’s flowers enable us to imagine worlds whose fundamental nature would never have been possible within the rules of our own. We humans are built from atoms—but what about elves? In philosophy, the “fundamental nature” of the world is called metaphysics. Coine ..read more

by William C. Tracy Editorial note: This is the first in a two-part series from William C. Tracy. Part 1 will focus on publishing and release costs, comparing traditional and indie publishing. Part 2 will present marketing resources, including a Google Sheets template, to help authors calculate their book costs. How much do you make from a book? Depending on the method of publication, answers will vary. With traditional publishing, you might get an advance, and then, depending on how the book sells, might wait awhile (even years) to see more money. If you don’t get an advance, as with a small ..read more