Search found 25 matches
- Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:09 am
- Forum: Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Topic: NPR's "Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy books" of all time
- Replies: 79
- Views: 34147
Re: NPR's "Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy books" of all time
Quality is more objective. Then define it. Objectively, without being circular or otherwise self-referential. If you have a better objective definition than "conformance to requirements", I would be glad to hear it. But other than that one, I haven't heard a definition in ten years that d...
- Wed Aug 31, 2011 11:02 am
- Forum: Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Topic: NPR's "Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy books" of all time
- Replies: 79
- Views: 34147
Re: NPR's "Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy books" of all time
Some of you are going to argue with me. You're going to tell me how awful the writing is. You're going to tell me about the choppy chapters. You're going to point out the logical and historical inconsistencies. You're going to tell me about the cliched characters. It's interesting to me that you me...
- Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:43 am
- Forum: Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Topic: NPR's "Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy books" of all time
- Replies: 79
- Views: 34147
Re: NPR's "Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy books" of all time
I can't comment specifically on The Da Vinci Code , as it's one of the books I deliberately haven't read, so as to avoid having to argue with people who like it ( Twilight is in the same category). Hah! See, I read books like The Da Vinci Code and Twilight specifically to enhance my ability to argu...
- Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:58 am
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Stephen Ramey, one of the editors for the Triangulation: Last Contact anthology, has been posting teasers on his blog: http://stephenvramey.wordpress.com/ . He posted a teaser for my story "A Claw from the Western Paradise" yesterday. Looks like it's shaping up to be a neat collection of s...
- Fri May 27, 2011 5:31 pm
- Forum: Problems and Troubleshooting
- Topic: Spammers
- Replies: 5
- Views: 4353
Re: Spammers
Thanks, Fearless Leader!
- Wed May 25, 2011 5:20 am
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Congrats, Annie! Joni said in an email to me that yes, they have to be qualifying markets, which makes sense since anybody with a wad of cash can start a new market and pay pro rates. Also, similar to SFWA qualification, you must get paid a minimum of $50 per sale and a total amount of at least $250...
- Fri May 20, 2011 8:37 am
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Congrats Martin! And a belated congratulations to Grayson, too!
Kyle's right -- it's not a qualifying sale yet, but if they stick around long enough and jump through all the hoops, the stories they published in their first year will be retconned into qualifying sales.
Kyle's right -- it's not a qualifying sale yet, but if they stick around long enough and jump through all the hoops, the stories they published in their first year will be retconned into qualifying sales.
- Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:47 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Thanks for the review, Aaron! It wasn't modesty so much as forgetfulness -- had a crazy couple of weeks at work, and wasn't keeping up my usual levels of shameless self-promotion. 

- Sat Mar 26, 2011 5:18 am
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
There was a thought-provoking article in a recent Newsweek magazine pointing out that it's very common (though not scientifically certain) that for many major quakes on one corner of the Pacific tectonic plate, there soon follows another mirror image quake on the opposite corner. In the last year, ...
- Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:37 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Oh man, I've fallen behind on my congratulationses! Would you people stop being so awesome please? 

- Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:28 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Thanks, everybody. I'm still a bit giddy about the whole thing, to be honest.
- Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:23 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!
- Replies: 3024
- Views: 707519
Re: NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!
i was wondering if it would be easier to publish a book that's been reviewed by some people and if so, where do you have people review your prospective book? In short, I don't think so. An editor or agent would only care if your book was reviewed by a well-known professional reviewer, and a person ...
- Tue Mar 01, 2011 6:57 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Something over on http://clarkesworldmagazine.com looks oddly familiar...
Oh, yeah -- that's 'cuz I wrote it!
Oh, yeah -- that's 'cuz I wrote it!

- Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:20 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!
- Replies: 3024
- Views: 707519
Re: NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!
WFABZDNLDBT, To be more specific, the first round of results usually takes ~3 months, and then the finalists wait another couple weeks after that before the winners are announced. So for the 4th Quarter in 2010 (submissions received July 1-Sept 31), the honorable mentions, semi-finalists, and finali...
- Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:32 am
- Forum: Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Topic: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books You Enjoy?
- Replies: 193
- Views: 102868
Re: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books You Enjoy?
It's like, "Hmmmm, shall we honor this highly literary, richly-etched, multi-layered novel, or just toss some props in the direction of a writer who pens novels about an alternate-reality WWII fought with dragons?" I'm guessing you're referring to Naomi Novik here, which is an odd choice,...
- Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:05 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
My understanding is that it's acceptable to submit prior to your #4 pub date, even if you know you're going to pro out before the quarter closes. So if I pro-out on April 19th, I can still be eligible for Q3 so long as I submit on, say, April 3rd, but not if I submit on April 30th. Don't worry, folk...
- Wed Feb 16, 2011 12:34 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Thanks, everyone!
Jordan -- those are the guidelines I'm working with. I have two SFWA-qualifying sales already published, and I have signed contracts for another two, one of which will be out in April and the other of which I don't know an estimated pub date for yet.
Jordan -- those are the guidelines I'm working with. I have two SFWA-qualifying sales already published, and I have signed contracts for another two, one of which will be out in April and the other of which I don't know an estimated pub date for yet.
- Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:58 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
My ticket has been punched! I don't know all the deets yet, but I've now signed contracts for the stories that will disqualify me from the contest. Looks like Q2 will likely be my last submission to WotF. Something of a bittersweet victory, one might say.
- Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:34 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Brad R. Torgersen wrote:The key is, you keep coming back no matter how many times it happens.
Isn't that one definition of insanity? Performing the same action over and over again and expecting different results?

- Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:09 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!
- Replies: 3024
- Views: 707519
Re: NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!
Welcome, Rubeline! As someone who publishes under a pen name of sorts (my legal name first and middle, sans the surname), my experience is that it does generate a certain amount of confusion with editors and such. So unless you feel strongly about it, I'd suggest publishing under your real name, esp...
- Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:04 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!
- Replies: 3024
- Views: 707519
Re: NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!
Not to turn this into an SG thread, but I was actually rather enjoying SG:U for most of the season... and then came that episode where they killed off two female supporting characters in one blow, and I was like "OMFG! They turned my favorite supporting character into a Woman in the Refrigerato...
- Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:37 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
someone can truly be born with a tallent for ideas, Indeed. Idea-generation is something that my hindbrain does pretty much all the time -- I think as a result of spending lots of conscious attention on reading and writing -- and the hard part is figuring out how to turn the idea-soup provided by m...
- Sun Nov 07, 2010 8:52 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Most people trained in the sciences can't write fiction very well. I think it would be more accurate to say that most people trained in the sciences don't have the time or inclination to learn how to write well. I started an SF book club at my university because a friend of mine is the program coor...
- Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:04 pm
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
Thanks, guys!
Now I get to exchange my "I'll never be good enough to sell professionally" neurosis to an "I'll never write something that good again" neurosis.
Now I get to exchange my "I'll never be good enough to sell professionally" neurosis to an "I'll never write something that good again" neurosis.
- Thu Nov 04, 2010 8:43 am
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Success!
- Replies: 4285
- Views: 1161735
Re: Success!
The January issue of Asimov's is out (at least to subscribers -- I think it hits newsstands next week) with my story "Ashes on the Water" in it!
*bounce bounce bounce*
The part that really boggles the mind is sharing magazine space with writers like Kris Rusch and Elizabeth Bear.
*bounce bounce bounce*
The part that really boggles the mind is sharing magazine space with writers like Kris Rusch and Elizabeth Bear.