So it turns out that (at least according to this little gizmo) I read 43% faster than the average reader…which is pathetic. Because I’m a SUPER SLOW READER, and that means that a lot of you out there should really be ashamed of yourselves…
Here–have a go and see how you compare:
So I don’t know quite where its been all my life, but I’ve recently discovered the website io9, and I highly recommend it for all things geek and chic.
One of the most interesting articles I’ve seen there recently is a list of the most successful self-published sci-fi and fantasy authors.
You’ll note that for most of these books we’re not talking New York Times Bestseller kind of numbers: most of the figures–though impressive and in the hundreds of thousands–are cumulative. When you breakdown the individual sales of these authors books they could probably be realistically considered mid-list authors or lower. But considering they’re doing this on their own and without the infrastructure of a traditional publisher its nothing to sneeze at. Likewise, when you consider the much higher royalty rate that they would be making off these copies than what they would make from a traditional publishing contract’s share of e-book sales then they might even be coming out even with a lot of mid-list authors with traditional books.
And why would people choose to self-publish, despite the statistically likely chances of limited (or zero) success?
You can see Cory Doctorow’s photo of the (terrifying) Tor slush pile here. If you scroll down you’ll see an exchange between a commenter and Teresa Nielsen Hayden, one of the editors at Tor. She’s quite right that most self-published authors will never sell many copies of their books, and rarely beyond their circle of friends and family (kind of like selling only to those in attendance at your book launch, which tend to be friends and family anyway). If you want a real, physical book that’s widely available at bookstores then you need a traditional publisher and the sales force and distribution system that go along with a traditional publisher.
And that’s what I want, more than almost anything–a traditional publishing deal.
And yet.
And yet if you listen to most successful authors it seems to take, on average, about ten years of trying to become an overnight success and get a book publishing deal. That’s usually a lot of novels written, rewritten, and then abandoned and shoved in a bottom drawer (or trunk), never to be seen again.
So it brings me some comfort to know that if it takes me ten years to succeed–and I feel like I’m committed to that marathon, if that’s what it takes–then at least in that time, should no agent or editor be interested in novel after novel that I write until I write The One that gets me representation or a book deal, then I can at least be posting my developmental novels in the meantime in hopes of perhaps building some kind of following–a built-in audience that will anxiously rush out and buy (or more likely order from Amazon) my first ‘real’ novel from a traditional publisher once its available.
Or I can hope that lightning strikes and I become the next Amanda Hocking. You know–one of the two.
My friend (and an excellent writer) Michael Andre McPherson has a great blog about his online self-publishing efforts that you should all check out–Beyond the Slush Pile. He’s out there in the brave new world, plying his wares, and his insights are always interesting. Check out ‘Beyond the Slush Pile’ here.
– S.
This is WAAAAY better than any commencement speech I ever got.
Neil Gaiman recently received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Philadelphia’s University of the Arts and io9 has a video of the commencement address he delivered to the graduating class. And its awesome, as you’d probably expect from Mr. Neil.
I’m very pleased to announce that “Saturn in G Minor”–which won the Writers of the Future Grand Prize–has been selected for inclusion in Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound, due out this September from EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. The Tesseracts series is the storied annual anthology of Canadian speculative fiction, and I’m thrilled to be making my second appearance in the series (my story “Citius, Altius, Fortius” was published in Tesseracts Eleven)
The theme for Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound is speculative fiction inspired by literature, music, art and culture. The collection is subtitled for Mount Parnassus, which in Greek mythology was a mountain sacred to Apollo–god of music and poetry–and the home to the Muses. Consequently, Parnassus became known as the home of poetry, music, and learning.
And get this! I’m in the collection with not only Robert J. Sawyer and Kevin J. Anderson–both friends and mentors–but with Neil Peart! Yeah–the drummer from Rush. THAT Neil Peart! How cool is that!?! And not only do I love the cover, but it gives it added significance–it looks like a prog rock album cover!
This is going to be a fun anthology to be part of!
I’m sure there will be signings and events to launch the book later this year–watch here for updates!
– S.
Did you know that the Earth was up to 10C (18F) warmer in the Mesozoic Era? Well, scientists do. And some enterprising scientists have just published results in the journal Current Biology that may suggest why the Earth was so much warmer then.
Dinosaur farts.
Yup, you read that right.
These scientists have calculated the (ahem) “methane output” of sauropods (think Brontosaurus) as 520 million tonnes of gas annually. They based this on the dinosaurs’ estimated total population and used a scale that links biomass to methane output for modern day cattle (which produce somewhere around 50-100 million tonnes of, uh, flatus per year). They suggest the methane produced by veggie-loving dinos could have been a key factor in the warm climate 150 million years ago.
Science is awesome.
It occurs to me that dinosaurs seem determined to warm the Earth’s climate at any cost and across all time and space: first they fart their way to tropical temperatures 150 million years ago and now they’ve tricked us into burning their liquified bones (petroleum) and heating the atmosphere again. Sneaky dinosaurs…
– S.
I’ve previously reported findings that suggest fiction is good for the brain–turns out avid fiction readers have better people skills. I’ve also mused here about my occasional crisis of confidence that what I do–write what is essentially escapist fiction–may not have any redeeming social value.
Once again, science is proving that it has tonnes. SCIENCE!
As reported recently in the Boston Globe (and available on a mirror site here) psychological and broad-based literary analysis is finally proving that fiction does mold us, and for the better.
The more engrossing the story, the more potent its influence. In fact, fiction seems to be more effective at changing beliefs than nonfiction. We are critical and skeptical when we read nonfiction, when we read argument and evidence. But a fictional tale that absorbs us makes us drop our guard.
It turns out that in this malleable state fiction enhances our ability to understand other people; it promotes a deep morality that cuts across religious and political creeds. Fiction’s happy endings warp our sense of reality: they make us believe that the world is more just than it actually is.
Virtually all storytelling, regardless of genre, increases society’s fund of empathy and reinforces an ethic of decency that is deeper than politics. Heavy fiction readers outperformed heavy nonfiction readers on tests of empathy, even after they controlled for the possibility that people who already had high empathy might naturally gravitate to fiction. As one of the researchers put it, fiction serves the function of “making the world a better place by improving interpersonal understanding.”
Yeah. That’s what I do. I’ll take that.
– S.
Hello all –
Wanted to direct your attention to the blog my writer’s group has set up: The Stop-Watch Gang Blog. You can find it here.
This is a site where you can learn more about the various members of the Stop-Watch Gang, as well as our successes. We’re a group of Toronto and Southwestern Ontario writers of the fantastic, and our line up is pretty impressive: dozens of professional publications, award winning authors, and no less than five Aurora Award finalists. Each week one member (usually Suzanne, but the rest of us are trying!) post something about writing, publishing, self-promotion as an author, etc. for your reading enjoyment. And as I say, you’ll likely be hearing a lot about our successes up there as well (probably less about our failures…)
My post today is the “Overheard at the Stop-Watch Gang Meeting” feature I’ve been posting here from time to time. Seems like the Stop-Watch Gang blog is the better place for them. Pop over and have a look.
Best,
– S.
Just in time for this weekend’s Ad Astra convention in Toronto, the 2012 Prix Aurora Award nominations have been announced!
An especially HUGE congratulations go out to two members of The Stop-Watch Gang who got nominated this year! Suzanne Church is nominated for her short story “The Needle’s Eye” in Chilling Tales: Evil Did I Dwell; Lewd Did I Live (EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing)–you can read the story free on Suzanne’s website–and to Costi Gurgu, a fine writer who has been nominated for his other life as a graphic designer! Costi has been nominated in the Best Artist category for his work on the cover art for Outer Diverse by Nina Munteanu (Starfire World Syndicate)–you can see the cover on the author’s website here.
The full list follows below, and special congratulations also go out to my friends Ryan Oakley and Robert J. Sawyer, both nominated in the Best Novel – English category, Ryan for his debut novel Technicolor Ultra Mall (EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing), and Rob for Wake, the final volume in his WWW Trilogy.
“I’m writing a novel. I have the page numbers done, just have to finish the rest.”
– Stephen Wright
Okay, okay. I know. I’ve said this before. But in the immortal words of Bullwinkle J. Moose: “This time for sure!”
I’m writing The Novel.
I have characters. A plot. Even a title. And you’re not allowed to know anything about any of them, for now.
Hello all –
At this time of year it’s not only award season in Hollywood but in the SFnal world as well! That’s right–it’s time to think about your Hugo, Nebula, and Aurora Award voting for the 2012 science fiction award season.
Normally I’d post my stories for people to read online…but for contractual reasons it looks like I probably can’t. So, for anyone who might be nominating or voting for the Hugo, Nebula, or Canada’s Aurora Award please SEND ME AN E-MAIL and I’m happy to provide you with a copy in your preferred e-format for your consideration.
So, what do I have eligible for awards this year?
NEBULA AWARD – Nominations due by Wednesday, February 15th, 2012, 11:59pm PST
Novelette category:
HUGO AWARD – Nominations due by Sunday, March 11, 2012, 11:59pm PDT
Novelette category:
Kotowych, Stephen. “Under the Shield.” InterGalactic Medicine Show, Issue 24, August 2011
Short story category:
Kotowych, Stephen. “A Time for Raven.” Interzone #236, September/October 2011
PRIX AURORA AWARD – Nominations due Saturday, March 31, 2012, 11:59:59 PM PST
Best Short Fiction – English:
– S.
