Pluralistic: 07 Oct 2021


Today's links

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Ignore Career Advice From Established Writers

We don’t know anything about breaking into today’s market

Screengrab of Judith Merril introducing Doctor Who on TVOntario, in the 1970s.

“Breaking In,” is my latest column for Locus Magazine; it’s both the story of how I broke into science fiction, and an explanation of why there’s so little to learn from that story.

When I was trying to sell my first stories, I obsessively sought career advice and memoirs from established writers. I sat in on countless science fiction convention panels in which bestselling writers explained how they’d butter up long-dead editors to sell to long-defunct publications.

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Raiders of the lost ARC

Arts and crafts and authorship.

Authors’ uncorrected galley for “Red Team Blues” (2021).

I have screen-burn. Before the pandemic, I spent an unhealthy amount of my time sitting in front of laptop, in ways that were harmful to my posture and eyesight and mental health — but now, nineteen months in a lockdown where my laptop is also how I get groceries, see friends, attend meetings and “travel” to conferences, I am heartily sick of it.

I switch it up. I take walks (though fewer now that I did at the lockdown’s start, alas), I make short trips to shops (masked and anxious), I’ve even been to a small, out-of-town conference where masks and proof of vaccination were required.

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Self-publishing

The hard problem of politics, religion, advertising and literature

Vintage Benson Barrett ad, “How to MAKE MONEY WRITING..short paragraphs! promising “No tedious study. Learn how to write to sell, right away.”

Publishing is doing great

Publishing is doing great. Despite panic at the start of the lockdown, book sales were actually up during lockdown, as people turned to books to pass the time, joining online bookclubs and finding ways to support their local indie booksellers.

But authorship? Not so great.

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Pluralistic: 23 Nov 2020


Today's links

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Pluralistic: 19 Nov 2020


Today's links

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Pluralistic: 19 Sep 2020


Today's links

  • Attack Surface vs Audible: My Publishers Weekly op-ed.
  • Foodcrime: The tech predators destroying America's restaurants.
  • We Are Beautiful: 3D printable anatomical models of real bodies.
  • Precursor: Andrew "bunnie" Huang's new open source hardware mobile platform.
  • Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming appearances, current writing projects, current reading

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Pluralistic: 17 Sep 2020


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Pluralistic: 15 Sep 2020


Today's links

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Pluralistic: 13 Sep 2020


Today's links

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