Archive for the ‘The SFWA Blog’ Category

How semantics can help you! Part 2

Neural networks are really amazing things. In my last post I talked about how a word brings up all of its meanings simultaneously; today I’m going to talk about how that’s not all it brings up.

I’m talking about connotations and allusion.

PSA: Possible H1N1 at World Fantasy

There is at least one confirmed case of H1N1 coming out of World Fantasy. Australian editor, Jonathan Strahan, reports on his blog that he became ill immediately after the World Fantasy Convention and it has been diagnosed as the flu H1N1.

New Nebula Awards Commissioner

I’m very pleased to announce that SFWA has a new Nebula Awards Commissioner (NAC). Madeleine Robins has agreed to take on this role, and see us through the first year under the new rules.

Do You Know How to Sell Your Sword?

As an author, it’s important for you to know how to sell and market your book. Because there is no shortage of books and articles on the subject, I’d like to tackle the subject of marketing your book from a more metaphorical approach. (If you’ve ever heard me speak, you should know I’m pretty big on metaphors to help you better understand topics in a different way.) In your case, I feel that it’s not only important to understand how to sell, but also understand a little bit more about a typical sales cycle.

Rights and Copyright

Copyright, literally, is “the right to copy.” It guarantees the authors of creative works–including books, artworks, films, recordings, photographs–the exclusive right for a set period of time to allow other people to copy and distribute the work, by whatever means and in whatever media currently exist. It also prohibits copying and distributing without the author’s permission. You own copyright by law, automatically, as soon your work is fixed in tangible form–i.e., the minute you write down the words.