From Dan Simmons’ forums, here are some interesting facts regarding the ongoing state of the publishing industry: Approximately 25,000 manuscripts are rejected for every book that gets published. In the United States, only about 500 authors are able to earn a living just by writing fiction. The rest of the…
Leave a CommentAuthor: JRVogt
If you like wizards and magic, but maybe aren’t such a huge fan of medieval fantasies, or other “old world” type settings, you ought to check out Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files series, featuring Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only wizard-for-hire, who delves into the nitty-gritty underworld (of both real life and…
Leave a CommentAnd the mail is in my hands. Shimmer magazine‘s contract and payment for “Even Songbirds are Kept in Cages” arrived today. That was a lot faster than I anticipated, not that I’m complaining. I guess I’ve just gotten used to the long response times one tends to get when working…
4 CommentsI want to encourage other people’s writing. I really do. This is why I put up a lot of these links, advice sights, etc. I share your desire to see the writing craft improved upon. For those of you who read this blog and don’t write…well, maybe you read, and…
Leave a CommentDavid Louis Edelman discusses a lot of the marketing techniques he used to spread word of his novel, Infoquake, which is turning into quite a critically acclaimed hit. In one of his blogs, he mentions that he tried to convince his publisher to sell advertisements in the novel itself. This…
4 CommentsQuick post today. I never realized anything could send me into fits of giggles anymore. And it’s probably sad that what sparked such uncontrollable mirth is a collection of badly written error messages and technical jargon. Am I a nerd or what? The link below tells the tale of a…
Leave a CommentAside from actually sign a book contract, there are plenty of other ways of getting your writing out and about. If you write short stories, obviously one way is to submit to magazines, which is another side of the industry altogether and deserves quite a few blogging posts to cover…
Leave a CommentI’ve been a martial arts practitioner for about five years now, though I did have to take a break when I came out to New York this summer. I just now found a branch of the school back in Denver that is also established out here, and so went to…
Leave a CommentDid you see the movie Mirrormask when it came out in theaters? If not, I highly recommend grabbing a DVD copy, and possibly a copy of the soundtrack as well. It is a gorgeous piece of art masquerading as a film, with a whimsical, yet slightly twisted story. Just how…
4 CommentsAs a reminder to those who need reminding (see how that works?) Speculative Fiction is that overarching genre label that draws Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural fiction, etc. under its very broad wings. Below these distinctions, one finds romantic fantasies, hard versus soft science fiction, urban/modern fantasy…and the list goes…
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