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Mary Rosenblum
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Tonight we'll be chatting with
James Van Pelt, author in many genres.
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Welcome to all of you, and I
hope you've had a good week!
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James Van Pelt has published
short stories in many major genre markets, including Asimov's, Analog,
Weird Tales, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Realms of Fantasy, etc.
This year he had stories reprinted in The Year's Best Science Fiction, The
Year's Best Fantasy, and the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror.
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Tonight he'll be sharing tips
with us on how to rise through that slush pile
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and bring yourself to the
editor's attention, among other things!
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Welcome, Jim!
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We're glad to have you here!
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James Van Pelt
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Thanks, Mary. I'm glad you
invited me.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So, Jim, let's start from the
beginning here
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When and how did you begin
writing?
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James Van Pelt
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I really started writing in
elementary school. I wanted to be Ray Bradbury, and I was disappointed
later to find out that Ray Bradbury was an author and not a job title. But
I really didn’t get going with my writing until late in my 20s. I sold my
first work (a poem) in 1986 or so, my first short story in 1990, and then I
percolated along for a half dozen years selling one or two stories a year.
In 1996, though, things took off. I’ve sold 79 short stories now and have a
collection out (STRANGERS AND BEGGARS). Along the way I gathered a few
awards. This year I’m a finalist for the Nebula award for a short story,
“The Last of the O-Forms.”
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Mary Rosenblum
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And that is a powerful story.
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I read 'Last of the O Forms'
AND voted for it, by the way.
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I found it to be one of the
more disturbing SF stories around. Which impressed me.
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Takes a LOT to disturb me.
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James Van Pelt
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Thanks, Mary! I was afraid I'd
be the only one. It's heady to be a finalist for an award. There's always
the fear that you're not worthy.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I notice that you're writing in
more than one single genre. Are you most focused on SF?
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James Van Pelt
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I write the stories first and
market them second. I don’t have a preferred one, but I grew up reading
science fiction. I’m always happy when I put together something with
science fiction sensibilities.
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coway
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What is “Last of the O
Forms" about?
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Mary Rosenblum
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In 25 words or less? LOL...you
can take more than that!
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James Van Pelt
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It's an SF story about our
world after it has been struck by a plague of mutations. Nothing is born
looking like its parents.
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For long-lived species like
ourselves, that's a sad world to live in.
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I've written a sequel of a
sort to it which will be in Asimov's this year. It's called "The Ice
Cream Man."
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Mary Rosenblum
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I think what I liked about that
story...the strength, I felt...is that it's an extreme
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extrapolation of today's
genetic engineering issues. What's Ice Cream about?
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James Van Pelt
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"The Last of the O
Forms" is about 10 years into the plague. "Ice Cream" is
twenty-some years later. No children. An ice cream man has to find clients
some way.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Interesting.
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sweet_muse
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I have that fear a lot. I plug
along...but get easily discouraged and so far have been able to pick myself
up...What do you recommend for us to read?
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Besides Strangers and Beggars
and Last of the O Forms?
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James Van Pelt
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For SF, you can't go wrong
reading the Year's Best anthologies. I recommend that writers read
collections in the genre they love, or the authors they love.
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Those are your influences.
I've probably reread THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES fifty times.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I don't think I quite managed
fifty, but well over 20 I'll bet!
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sweet_muse
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Where can I find "The
Year's Best"?
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James Van Pelt
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Well, I teach the book too.
*g*
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My local big chain bookstores
all carry them. You can order them through Amazon too.
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Mary Rosenblum
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They stay in print forever.
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I'm still getting royalties on
some stories in past editions.
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What age level do you teach, by
the way?
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James Van Pelt
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Wow! They pay royalties? They
didn't tell me. *g*
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I teach high school, all
levels, and college classes.
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High school is the day job.
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Mary Rosenblum
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If I didn't know anything about
you, I’d have known you were a teacher after reading Strangers and Beggars.
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coway
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Is the Years Best a magazine?
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James Van Pelt
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Hi, coway. No, it's a huge
anthology.
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Well worth the money, too.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It really is. You get the best
of all the magazines and the anthologies and small press.
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I used to get the issue every
year.
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James Van Pelt
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There are several of them out
there: the Gardner Dozois one, also one from David Hartwell, and Ellen Datlow.
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Robert Silverberg did one last
year too.
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The Dozois and Datlow ones are
the most inclusive.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I have always liked Gardner's the best,
but I'm prejudiced.
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James Van Pelt
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If you like horror, Stephen
Jones does his Mammoth Book of Best New Horror in England each year.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And the Fantasy version is
Terry Windling's anthology still, isn't it?
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James Van Pelt
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That's Datlow and Windling
(horror and fantasy). Kelly Link and Gavin Grant have taken over Terry's
half of the anthology now. Terry's writing more.
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sweet_muse
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Thank you. I know where to find
Strangers and Beggars. Did you ever anticipate your work getting this much
great attention?
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James Van Pelt
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Hi, Sweet. Absolutely not. I
was afraid it would lose the publisher a bundle.
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Of course, I would have the
book in my hand, though, and it would be worth it. *g*
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Opening a box of your own
books for the first time is an amazing rush.
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Mary Rosenblum
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No kidding. But you know, your
work is accessible to people who are NOT hard core SF readers. You remind
me of Bradbury that way.
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James Van Pelt
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Thank you! I also have a
tendency to not go for the bleakest of endings, which seems to work for
some readers.
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roe
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What do you contribute to the
success you suddenly experienced, after percolating along?
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James Van Pelt
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That's a great question.
Another writer said she thought I had reached "critical mass."
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I figure I may have just worn
the editors down.
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Mary Rosenblum
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There you go...good reason to
keep sending those stories off, people!
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But more seriously, I think you
do accrue name recognition among readers.
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They start looking for your
work and telling their friends.
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At some point, it is a
noticeable interest.
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James Van Pelt
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A famous writer I know
suggested that a writer needs to keep his/her work in front of editors
constantly. He wrote a story a week to get started. YMMV on his school of
thought.
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Mary Rosenblum
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YMMV I don't know that one. :-)
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James Van Pelt
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YMMV = Your Mileage May
Vary. When I started selling a bunch of stories, though, I didn't have any
recognition at all among readers. It was weird when the acceptances started
pouring in.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And editors DO talk to each
other you know. At cons.
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They pass names around, no
kidding.
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James Van Pelt
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That could be. I know Daniel
Abraham, another SF writer, was talked about a lot before his first story
came out.
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coway
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Dumb question? Haven't you made
enough writing to write full time?
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James Van Pelt
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No, not a dumb question at
all. Short story pay ranges from .01 a word to .20 a word. The most I've
made on a story was Fifteen hundred dollars. I'd need to sell two of those
a month to be full time.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And even novels don't really
pay enough to live on unless you hit it big with huge sales
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Mary Rosenblum
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or you write several a year in
various genres.
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James Van Pelt
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STRANGERS AND BEGGARS has sold
about 2,500 copies, which is darned good for a single author collection by
a writer who hasn't published a novel. I've made several thousand dollars
from it.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That is VERY good for a
collection and one from a small press publisher.
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James Van Pelt
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The money I make takes my
family out to dinner more often than we would normally go. And it pays for
books and conventions.
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smeagol
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Greetings! Do you still write
poetry? Was your poetry SF/F or some other genre? I am taking a poetry
class right now and am finding that it is helping me with developing my
"show don't tell" skills.
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James Van Pelt
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I consider every story as a
poem, really. I know that sounds pretentious
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but it isn't. The attention to
language that poetry requires is vital to me when I write prose.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I think that is especially true
of short fiction.
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James Van Pelt
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When I teach an intro to
creative writing class that covers multiple genres, I always start with
poetry.
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paja
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Who published STRANGERS AND
BEGGARS? It's nice to talk with you. I came across your website last week.
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James Van Pelt
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Hi, paja. Fairwood Press did
S&B. Patrick Swenson is the the publisher. He also does Talebones, a
fine short story magazine. www.fairwoodpress.com
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Mary Rosenblum
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He was our guest here a few
weeks ago. :-)
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James Van Pelt
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I'm going to stay at his house
for the Nebulas in a few weeks.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Great. I'm looking forward to
meeting you in person there!
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sweet_muse
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I think small press publishers
are the wave of the future...I can see many more writers going this way for
at least some of their work. I know I will.
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Mary Rosenblum
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What do you think, Jim?
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James Van Pelt
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There is a lot of excitement
in the small press, that's for sure. There's some predatory behavior there
that is worth watching out for, though.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And there are some really nasty
scams, too. Any publisher is worth some research.
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coway
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What do you mean by predatory
behavior?
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James Van Pelt
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Harlan Ellison says it best
when he has rooms full of writer wannabes chant, "The natural flow of
money is toward the writer."
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Mary Rosenblum
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In other words. You don't PAY
to get published!!!
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James Van Pelt
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Tons of "publishers"
will take manuscripts and then ask the writer to pitch in to publish it.
The "pitching in" is a scam (even by well-intentioned publishers
who will deny it).
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smeagol
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Do you think it is a good idea
to enter contests like the Hubbard's "Writers of the Future"
contest?
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James Van Pelt
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Yes on the Hubbard one. No on
most others. If there is an entry fee, I wouldn't do it unless you think
it's a worthy cause to donate money to.
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There are a couple of huge
contests, like the Warner first novel contest, but most aren't worth the
time, and they won't advance your career.
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Mary Rosenblum
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That is the sad truth. Contests
may make you feel good, but they are not going to get a lot of notice from
editors.
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James Van Pelt
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"Writers of the
Future" has no fee, the prizes are huge, and the winners are published
in a nationally distributed book. THAT'S how a contest should be run.
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sweet_muse
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Are there sites you can check to
see if there are red flags over any publishers?
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James Van Pelt
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Yes, I think you can get to
Predators and Editors through the www.sfwa.org site, or a google search
will get you there.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I have several 'writer beware'
links posted on the website in Writing Craft, folks.
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paja
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What is the youngest age group
that you feel can enjoy SF?
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James Van Pelt
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Also, for SF/F/H, the
Speculations Rumor Mill has a topic devoted to it at www.speculations.com
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Oh, gosh, paja. I think the
sense of wonder that can be the root of SF is good for any age group. I
started reading it as soon as I could read.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I've seen some good YA for the
8 - 10 age group, Paja.
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James Van Pelt
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I haven't heard a slush pile
question for a bit. Does someone have one?
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speckledorf
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Mary said you would be sharing
tips to get noticed and out of the slush pile. I guess neon orange
envelopes and paper would not be a good way to get noticed.:-)
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ask and ye shall receive. LOL
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James Van Pelt
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LOL, speckle. Here's a note on
what not to do . . .
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This is a pretty long list,
but to boil it down, basically, don’t be a jerk. Don’t flame people on the
web. Don’t write nasty why-didn’t-you-publish-me letters to editors. Don’t
send manuscripts in Greco Roman Woodcut font on light pink paper (and
putting perfume on it won’t help either). Don’t query on your manuscript a
week after you’ve sent it. Don’t muti-submit your manuscripts. Don’t forget
to help writers who aren’t as far along as you. Don’t write scathing
letters about how a certain reviewer is an idiot. Don’t put one page of
your manuscript upside down to see if the editor is reading it. . . You get
the picture. Make sure you know what a submitted manuscript should look
like. Make sure you send the appropriate manuscripts to the appropriate
editors. Keep good records. Take criticism well.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And don't tell the editor why
she MUST buy the story in your cover letter!
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James Van Pelt
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Sure . . .
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James Van Pelt
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If the question is, "do I
need a killer cover letter," here’s an answer: No. The best a cover
letter can do most of the time is not hurt you. If you try to “sell” the
story (“This is the best manuscript since GONE WITH THE WIND), or do
anything else embarrassingly amateurish, it makes it easier to reject you.
A standard cover letter that just says, “Would you please consider the
enclosed story, “name of story,” for publication. If this does not fit your
publishing needs, please recycle it” works fine. If you have legitimate
publishing credit or some other relevant piece of information that could go
in the cover letter too. But a great cover letter won’t sell a poor
manuscript. A good manuscript will sell itself.
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coway
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Does that mean not to say that
you read their magazine and think your story would fit into it well?
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James Van Pelt
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I wouldn't say that. It should
be a given. Plus, it's the editor's job to decide if it fits. Let him or
her do the job.
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Mary Rosenblum
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It might be worthwhile here,
Jim, to make the difference between a short story cover letter and a query
letter to an agent or editor clear.
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James Van Pelt
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My cover letters just say,
"Would you consider the enclosed short story, "name of
story," for publication. If it does not fit your publishing needs,
please recyle it."
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A query on a book to an agent
is an entirely different matter. There's some good books on query letters.
I like Dwight Swain's TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER. Mike Resnick has a
book called I HAVE THIS NIFTY IDEA that shows how a dozen or so writers
sold their books, with query letters and synopses.
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arfelin
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Who's your favorite poet? Have
you ever read any Theodore Roethke poems?
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James Van Pelt
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Hi, arfelin. I have read Roethke.
My favorites are Dylan Thomas and Robert Frost. I like the Beats quite a
bit too, particularly Gary Snyder and Lew Welch.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Jim, you worked at breaking
in...you didn't sell five stories in the first month.
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What would you say is the most
important thing for novice writers
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to keep in mind when they start
sending ms out?
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James Van Pelt
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No. I sold my first story, as
I said, in '90, and I didn't sell another for two years .
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The most important things for
novice writers are perseverance and an adamantine sense that you have
something worth saying.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And perhaps that a rejection
does not mean that you are a bad writer?
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James Van Pelt
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I also think it's very
important to think of writing and publishing as a growth activity. You are
always striving to be better.
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Gosh, no, no rejection means
you're a bad writer.
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Well, it might, but how do you
know? If you love what you're writing, and you think it's worth showing to
other people, you keep writing.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And submitting!
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James Van Pelt
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The stories of folks who have
had great work multiply rejected are legendary. Rejection doesn't mean
much.
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coway
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Do editors take in consideration
that novice writer's improve?
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James Van Pelt
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Absolutely!
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I watched a panel where five
editors talked about that very thing. They were sorry when a particular
writer quit submitting.
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They'd seen real growth and
thought he was close to publishing with them, but he gave up.
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smeagol
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How important is it to attend
workshops, conferences, and take writing classes? Did you do this?
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James Van Pelt
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Yes, and I think they were
important to me.
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I learned so much at my first
convention. I got to meet editors/publishers/writers .
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It put a human face on the
entire process. They were just folks like me! I could sell them stuff!
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I also took a two year
sabbatical to get a masters degree in creative writing. Not everyone needs
to do that, but I loved all the work on my own stuff without interruption.
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arfelin
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Do you think editors take you
more seriously if they keep seeing your manuscripts on their desk and then
are more willing to take a chance on you?
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James Van Pelt
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Yes, arfelin. A writer who
keeps submitting can show both seriousness and growth .
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More than that, though, if you
really have a unique vision, you may need to carve out a niche for
yourself.
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Your writing may not look like
anyone else’s, and you'll have to let it grow on them.
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Ray Bradbury, when he started
submitting, wrote a science fiction unlike anyone else’s. He had to educate
the editors.
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smeagol
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Is there a special art to
networking? Or should you just be respectful, professional, but still relax
and be yourself?
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James Van Pelt
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Hi, smeagol. I'm a terrible
schmoozer. I get uptight in crowded rooms *g*. So, ‘relax and be yourself
is all I think you can offer.
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Just about anything else comes
off pushy and obnoxious.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I think that IS the art...be
yourself and relax.
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James Van Pelt
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If you have a genuine interest
in something a person you'd like to have know you is doing, then you have
an "in" .
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I watched a writer come up to
an agent, shake her hand and say, "I hear writers should introduce
themselves to agents. There, I've done it." Then he walked away. Don't
do it like that.
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Mary Rosenblum
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My eyes are rolling!
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smeagol
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Would you recommend getting an
MFA or a degree in creative writing? Or if you take enough writing classes
will that suffice without the expense of an MFA?
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James Van Pelt
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Tons of writers you read and
respect never earned an MFA or MA in creative writing. That's a path that
worked for me. If you have the time, inclination, and can find a program
that you think looks good, then I'd suggest doing it. But it's not a
requirement.
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Writing classes can be a trap
if you think you have to take a bunch of them before you begin writing.
Write while you take them. Don't wait.
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Mary Rosenblum
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But there may be some excellent
writing courses you can take locally without committing to a degree. And I
ditto the write first, take courses after!
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James Van Pelt
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If you find a good teacher,
hang on to every word.
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coway
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If you get a personal letter
back from an associate editor, with a question and wishing you luck on the
story, should you send the next story to that associate editor's attention?
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James Van Pelt
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That sounds like some good
feedback. That would be a good idea. You've made a connection.
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Remind the editor of your
previous correspondence when you send your next piece.
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Mary Rosenblum
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In my experience, any feedback
from the editor is worth pursuing.
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paja
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You are such an encouragement!
Simple cover letters and don't sweat college degrees. Thanks.
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James Van Pelt
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Editors see an extraordinary
amount of material. Any individual feedback means they think highly of what
you've done.
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They see something worth
pursuing.
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Thanks, paja. We're here to
serve *g*.
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coway
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The editor's question was about
hazel eyes looking blue, he thinks they are brown. So next submission I'm
saying: Just a tidbit of info...Hazel eyes do change color.
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James Van Pelt
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LOL! I don't think you need to
correct him. Thank him for the feedback on eye color, and say, "Would
you please consider this next piece . . ."
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roe
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What is the best way to remind
the editor of the previous correspondence?
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James Van Pelt
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Well, in coway's case, it
might be as simple as the first sentence of the cover letter that says,
"Thank you for the feedback on eye color in my last story, 'name of
story,' would you consider this new piece for publication?"
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All that does is remind the
editor that he took extra time with the last submission.
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It could be a way to begin a
correspondence.
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smeagol
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I had one editor keep asking me
to send more. He said he liked my stuff. This happened over a period of two
years. He never published any of it, but kept saying that he "loved
it." How long should a writer keep submitting to one particular editor
or mag before they should move on?
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James Van Pelt
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I exchanged letters like that
for years with George Scithers at Weird Tales before he bought a story from
me (he corrected a spelling in my first paragraph on my first submission)
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Never move on. Asimov's
magazine accepted a story from me two years ago. It was the 39th story I'd
sent them.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Editors don't string you along.
If one says he or she likes your work, that editor DOES.
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James Van Pelt
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Never give up on a story you
believe in either. I sold a story to the 49th market to see it several
years ago.
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That story ended up as an
honorable mention in the Year's Best SF anthology we talked about earlier.
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Mary Rosenblum
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There you go, folks! Write that
down and hang it on the wall above your monitor, please!
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babbles
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In the past year I have met a
variety of authors would it be crass of me to ask them to read some of my
work and get their opinion?
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James Van Pelt
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What I have hanging above my
monitor is what SF writer Connie Willis told me once, "Never forget
why you loved writing in the first place."
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Mary Rosenblum
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That's a good one. :-)
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James Van Pelt
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Hi, babbles. Well, probably.
If the writer asks to see your work, then go for it. Otherwise, that's
something writers get asked a lot, and they're too busy writing to do it.
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Show it to a writer's group if
you have one, or join one online.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Want to talk about writers
groups a bit? How do you feel about them
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as a tool for improving your
writing?
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James Van Pelt
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Writer's groups can be
incredibly useful if you have a good crowd and they all want each other to
succeed.
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The problem is that it's hard
to tell if a group will be good for you until you get involved.
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Some writers' groups can be
down right toxic, and those are the kinds to run away from.
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I've been involved with
writers' groups of one kind or another for fifteen years now. I quit one
that was meeting at my house when it went bad . . .
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Now I'm involved with an odd
one that meets on the phone (conference call), with two of the writers in Seattle, two in east
Colorado
and two in west Colorado. We e-mail stories before the meeting to each other.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I hope you have a good calling
plan! LOL
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smeagol
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What do you mean by "went
bad" and "toxic?" Any concrete examples?
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James Van Pelt
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Yes, if there are members of
the group who are not growing, or who like to score points by making others
feel terrible, or who get defensive about criticism, or who just don't get
your stuff, etc.
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What you want are
knowledgeable, honest, perceptive people who desperately want to see you
succeed.
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smeagol
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Is it a good idea to take
advantage of paid critiquing services if they are part of a professional organization,
like the SCBWI?
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James Van Pelt
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Argh! No, smeagol!!! Ooops,
did I say that out loud?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Ditto.
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James Van Pelt
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Ahem, I mean, I'd seriously
consider not investing your money that way. All you will be doing is paying
for an expensive, private writing lesson, and that's if they are any good.
Otherwise, it's a scam.
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Mary Rosenblum
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You know, this might be a good
time to talk about what slush is like.
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Numbers...quality.
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James Van Pelt
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All right, the numbers game:
Upwards of a 1,000 manuscripts a month at some short story markets, and
about that many novel manuscripts at some publishing houses. Some of those
manuscripts are coming from professional writers whose mortgages depend on
selling work. For most markets, there’s no “newbie” division. That’s why
it’s worth paying attention to the markets for new markets. The savvy
writer can get a manuscript in early to a new market before it is flooded.
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James Van Pelt
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That's 1,000 novel manuscripts
a year, not a month.
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Mary Rosenblum
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What about quality in general,
Jim? Do you have input on that?
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James Van Pelt
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The quality of slush is mostly
terrible. Here's an easy way to beat 50% of the competition: Actually,
beating ½ the slush pile is easier than you would think. If you just do the
following four things, you will be better than ½ of everything that is
submitted: 1) If you use action verbs in the first paragraph. 2) If you do not
use a cliché in the first paragraph. 3) If you do not use unneeded words in
the first paragraph. 4) If you name things specifically in the first
paragraph . . .
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This list might make you
better than 3/4 of many slush piles.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I was going to suggest better
than 3/4! I've seen some typical examples.
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James Van Pelt
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I read slush for two years. It
was mind numbing. I don't know how the editors who've been around for a
long time do it.
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I got so that if I read a
decent first paragraph, I'd stop strangers to read it out loud to them.
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Mary Rosenblum
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So how important is that first
paragraph, since you've read slush?
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James Van Pelt
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Someone once said that the
editor's job really is just to find a reason to reject the manuscript. So
the first paragraph can't have egregious missteps, the sort of thing that
announces to the editor, "amateur on board."
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Mary Rosenblum
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As in???
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James Van Pelt
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Badly handled passive voice. Clichés.
Stumbling sentences.
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There's a lot of those in the slush
.
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Choosing writing is a lot
like, I don't know, picking players on a walk-on tryout for a baseball team
.
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A coach only has to hit one
ground ball to the player to see if she/he knows how to field one. The
player doesn't even have to catch it. She/he just has to move correctly.
Writing can be like that. You can tell when you're in the hands of someone
who is in control of the language.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Why even deal with the slush
pile? Why not go Print on Demand where there IS no slush pile?
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James Van Pelt
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Ouch. This can be a tricky
question, and your mileage may vary here too. But, if you want to be
professional (as in make money and/or gain prestige in the writing field)
just about the only venue is through the editors. Going around the
editing/publishing process looks like you have a manuscript that CAN NOT
make it through. If you have a specialty project, of course, like a family
history or a cookbook or something where you know that you are only trying
to reach a small audience, then the nontraditional venues might be perfect.
However, publishing on your own, and then trumpeting to the world that you
are now published is not the way it works.
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And I know there are
exceptions to this.
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Mary Rosenblum
|
There are, but not many, I
think.
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babbles
|
Format is a very confusing thing
for me, put name on all pages, don't put name, page # goes where? Left or
right? I find different publishers seem to want it differently? Is that as
true as it seems?
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Mary Rosenblum
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Tips on format?
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James Van Pelt
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I think SFWA.ORG has a whole
article on format . . .
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In general, though, standard
format is one-inch margins, double-spaced, Courier 12 pt.
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name/title/page on every top
right after the first page.
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Mary Rosenblum
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Underline instead of italic
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James Van Pelt
|
If the publisher specifies
something different, go with that.
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Mary Rosenblum
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And some of the e-publishers DO
want specific formats.
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If they don't specify, use what
Jim described.
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smeagol
|
What do you think is the future
of speculative fiction? There are fewer and fewer magazines out now, and
the markets for short stories and pulp seem to be drying up a bit.
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James Van Pelt
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I compose in Times New Roman,
and I've submitted a ton of stories that way that have sold. Courier is
traditional, though.
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I think the perception that
the market is drying up for speculative fiction is false. www.ralan.com
lists over a hundred markets .
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Amazing Stories is coming
back, Argosy is brand new, and the big four (Asimov's, Analog, F&SF and
Realms of Fantasy) seem to be holding there own.
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babbles
|
Speculative fiction?
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James Van Pelt
|
Certainly the book stores have
huge sections for speculative fiction. SOMEONE is writing all those books.
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Hi, babbles. Science fiction,
fantasy, horror.
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sweet_muse
|
I like sci-fi, suspense, horror,
romance..? Besides sci-fi, what would be your next favorite genre to read
or to write in?
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James Van Pelt
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Fantasy, I think, sweet. I
dabble in horror imagery sometimes, but I'm not at heart a horror writer.
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sweet_muse
|
Where can I get "The Last
of The O Forms"?
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James Van Pelt
|
It's online at www.asimovs.com since it's a finalist
for the Nebula.
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They have posted all the Asimov’s
finalists. Read them all!
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Mary Rosenblum
|
I wanted to give you some time
to talk about what you have coming up, Jim.
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Didn't you say that you have a
novel and a collection on deck?
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James Van Pelt
|
Thanks, Mary. I have a story
in the next Year's Best from Asimov's. Also, I just sold a story to Brutarian.
Two other stories are on slate at Asimov's. STRANGERS AND BEGGARS is still
selling well. When the legs fall out from under it, we'll do a second
collection.
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Mary Rosenblum
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I don't think I know Brutarian.
What is that?
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James Van Pelt
|
It's an in-house publication
with Barnes and Noble.
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They do an eclectic mix of
stuff.
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Mary Rosenblum
|
I'll put a link to Fairwood
press in the transcript where Strangers and Beggars is published. www.fairwoodpress.com
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James Van Pelt
|
thanks!
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Mary Rosenblum
|
Any novels coming up?
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James Van Pelt
|
None! I actually have a bigish-name
agent who has been pestering me for a novel for two years! I keep writing
the short stories instead.
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Mary Rosenblum
|
Sigh...another short story
first person. That irritates my agent, too.
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Well, the collection is doing
just fine!
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James Van Pelt
|
Connie Willis told me once,
though, that the market for short stories will always be open because so
many fine story writers go for the big bucks of novels.
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Big bucks relatively speaking,
that is.
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Mary Rosenblum
|
Very relatively speaking, lol.
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Well, thank you Jim for coming
tonight.
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We really enjoyed the visit and
I really appreciate your time!
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James Van Pelt
|
Thank you very much for having
me. Good questions.
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Mary Rosenblum
|
You have been a great guest,
and I highly recommend Strangers and Beggars.
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Even if you're not a SF person,
the stories are very enjoyable.
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Thanks for coming all!
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Good night all!
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