Kickstarter posted a series of brief Creator Basics videos on their YouTube channel, where Lisa Lucas, Daniel Jose Older, Farai Chideya and yours truly get to dispense some wisdom about preparing to launch a Kickstarter project in publishing and journalism fields.
This is pretty basic information (as advertised in the series’ title!) but if you are relatively new to Kickstarter and are thinking of creating a campaign, it’s a good start-off point.
#SFWAPro
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
I recently participated on the live panel at Kickstarter HQ about paying writers for their work.
You can now watch the panel in its entirety, posted at the Kickstarter blog:
https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/talking-shop-how-to-pay-your-writers?ref=email
#SFWAPro
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
Harvard campus
I’m back after my trip to Boston, which was awesome. Vericon was held on Harvard campus and most attendees were students. They were a pleasure to talk to, bright, driven and inquisitive. It’s as if Harvard strives to select the best and the brightest, or something! I got to hang out with old friends, meet new ones, participate in panels, read from my work, and listen to some very intelligent ideas presented by other panelists.
Ken Liu was the guest of honor at this event and he delivered a brilliant lecture on fiction translation. The caption on the screen behind Ken reads “Traduttore traditore,” an Italian pun meaning “To translate is to betray.” I really hope Ken writes the lecture down because I think the community would benefit greatly from his wisdom. He made me reevaluate some of my memories of living in the former USSR and our perception of Western culture and literature.
Ken Liu delivers the Guest of Honor speech at Vericon
I’m getting back into the swing of things now, and today I will be spending a chunk of my day answering questions on Reddit. This is my first time doing an AMA, so if you’re a Redditor (or even if you aren’t) come hang out in that thread and ask a question or two. I could use some friendly faces! 🙂
Click here to visit the AMA thread.
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
This weekend I’ll be attending Vericon — Harvard University’s annual science fiction convention. This is a small affair with only a dozen or so guests and a handful of panels, but their other guests are top notch: this year’s roster includes Patrick and Teresa Nielsen-Hayden, Mary Robinette Kowal, Jo Walton, Will McIntosh and a plethora of other fine authors and editors. Ken Liu is the guest of honor (and also happens to be an alum).
I’m very excited to re-visit Boston, to visit Harvard for the first time, and to get to speak, participate on panels, and even do a reading there. I will stick around all weekend long, but these are the panels/functions I’m currently scheduled for, so come by and hear me (and people much smarter than me) speak, should you be so inclined:
Friday
7pm – Editing and Translating Genre Fiction (KL, AL, AS, PNH)Â – Sever Hall 113
8pm – Diversity, Intersectionality, and Variety (DJO, KL, MRK, AS, JW) – Sever Hall 113
Saturday
7pm – Alex Shvartsman Reading – Sever Hall 102
8pm – Milk & Cookies – Story Reading & Snacks – Lowell Lecture Hall Basement
Sunday
11am – The Joys and Perils of Writing Short (MRK, KL, WM, GG, PNH, AS) – Sever Hall 111
#SFWAPro
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
I’m PhilCon-bound this weekend and here’s my event schedule:
Fri 7:00 PM in Plaza III (Three) (1 hour)
SETTING UP A CROWDFUNDING PROJECT (1826)
[Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail (mod), Rob Balder, Neil Clarke, Gil Cnaan, Alex Shvartsman, Alyce Wilson]
Panelists discuss what worked, what didn’t and why. How can you promote one to make sure it is a success
Fri 8:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour)
DEFYING THE SQUARE CUBE LAW (1796)
[Panelists: Alex Shvartsman (mod), Bob Eggleton, Lawrence Kramer, James Prego]
Consider really huge monsters. Sure we like ’em big and capable of stomping cities, but is there any way to make a Godzilla or Chthulhu plausible
Sat 10:00 AM in Autograph Table (1 hour)
AUTOGRAPHS – NEIL CLARKE, ALEX SHVARTSMAN (2022)
[Panelists: Alex Shvartsman (mod), Neil Clarke]
Sat 3:00 PM in Plaza V (Five) (1 hour)
DOES SCIENCE FICTION NEED TO LIGHTEN UP? (1771)
[Panelists: Alex Shvartsman (mod), Brian Thomas, Berakha Lana Guggenheim, Steve Miller, Robert C Roman, Lee Gilliland]
Has the genre become too serious and pretentious in recent years? Do too many writers feel they are philosophers and teachers?
Sat 6:00 PM in Executive Suite 623 (1 hour)
READING – APRIL GREY, ALEX SHVARTSMAN (2006)
[Panelists: April Grey (mod), Alex Shvartsman]
Sat 9:00 PM in Plaza II (Two) (1 hour)
ELLO FACEBOOK, GET OUT OF MYSPACE. (1728)
[Panelists: Rock Robertson (mod), Gil Cnaan, Muriel Hykes, Suzanne Rosin, Alex Shvartsman]
Well, here we go again. Another social network rears its ugly head and everyone contemplates jumping ship. Discuss as former GEnie members nod wisely.
Sat 10:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour)
FUNNY HORROR STORIES (1769)
[Panelists: Brian Koscienski (mod), Darrell Schweitzer, Alex Shvartsman, Robert Corry, Brian Thomas, April Grey]
There is a fine line between horror and humor. How do the successful examples of this work
#SFWAPro
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
I won! Eeeee!
OK, now that I got that out of my system, let’s try again:
This Saturday, at the award ceremony held at Capclave, I won the WSFA Small Press Award for Short Fiction. I won it for “Explaining Cthulhu to Grandma,” which also makes this a win for Intergalactic Medicine Show, its editor Edmund Schubert and his staff, because they accepted and published this story!
Small Press means everybody but the major publishers. So while Tor.com may be out, it still includes top-notch markets like Clarkesworld and Lightspeed (both of which had stories represented this year). The stories the board considers are also read blind, so the author’s name won’t sway them–which makes it more likely the award finalists would be selected on merit rather than popularity.
I was very excited to be nominated but didn’t seriously expect to win. I mean, humorous short stories don’t win award any more often than comedies win the Oscars. I’m incredibly thrilled and very thankful to the WSFA members who proved me wrong and voted for my story.
I was already having a great time at Capclave, which is rapidly becoming my favorite convention. It is relatively small and laser-focused on fiction (it doesn’t really have an anime track or a costuming track or much gaming, things that go hand-in-hand with science fiction conventions at most cons). Instead, you get a very distilled group of fans and professionals who love genre fiction. Not that fiction is the only subject of merit. This past weekend I got to talk psychology with Lawrence Schoen, geopolitical implications of the Russia/Ukraine conflict with Chuck Gannon, and whether it is sin or virtue that hypothetically makes a soul more attractive to Satan with Max Gladstone (true story!). There were many other conversations like this, and seeing old friends, and making new ones. But, you can imagine, how I was having even more fun, clutching at the award!
When I got the nomination it took me about a week to come down. There’s no telling how long it will take now. That’s why I’m rambling incoherently in this blog post, instead of employing the level of snark you’re normally accustomed to. Seriously, I’m elated, and exhausted, and still a little sleep-deprived. But I wanted to post something before too long, and here it is.
I should also add that “Explaining Cthulhu to Grandma” can still be read for free at IGMS, so if you haven’t read it yet, check it out!
#SFWAPro
2 Comments | Event Appearances | Tagged: Award, CapClave, IGMS, WSFA | Permalink
Posted by Alex Shvartsman
I’m back from the Baltimore Book Festival, but Capclave is right around the corner! Here are the panels, signings and other cool things where you can find me during this wonderful convention. If you are able to attend it, you really should.
Seems like I will have a very busy Friday and Saturday followed by a very relaxed Sunday. 🙂
Friday, 5pm – Rockville/Potomac
Humorous SF (Ends at: 5:55 pm)
Panelists: John Ashmead (M), Norm Sherman, Alex Shvartsman, Jean Marie Ward
It’s easy to name the funny fantasy books, but what about the funny SF books and short stories? For instance, Unidentified Funny Objects was an entire anthology of funny SF.
Friday, 9pm – Rockville/Potomac
Ending Stories – Bang or Whimper? (Ends at: 9:55 pm)
Panelists: Scott Edelman, Pamela K. Kinney, Dina Leacock, Alex Shvartsman, Ian Randal Strock, Allen Wold (M)
So many short stories start out well but end abruptly or just trail off, leaving the reader to wonder, what’s the point. Why does this happen and how can writers avoid this fate? How do you determine your endings? Is a twist ending a cheat?
Saturday, 11am – Rockville/Potomac
Anthology Builder (Ends at: 11:55 am)
Panelists: Neil Clarke, Ron Garner (M), Robert Greenberger, David G. Hartwell, Mike McPhail, Alex Shvartsman
So you want to edit and publish an anthology. How do the stories get picked? How do you come up with a theme? What sells and what doesn’t? How do authors produce readable fiction in the straitjacket of an original themed anthology? How do you properly curate your anthology?
Saturday, 1pm – Frederick
Crowdfunding Dos and Don’ts (Ends at: 1:55 pm)
Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Bill Campbell, Neil Clarke, Jonah Knight, Alex Shvartsman (M), Lawrence Watt-Evans
So you have a fabulous idea or product and a shortage of funds – what do you do. Panelists will discuss successful and unsuccessful crowdfunding campaigns, either their own or those of other people. Topics include how to set reward levels, how to budget how much money you need and the merits of various crowd funding sites such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo and Pozible.
Saturday, 4pm
Author Table Maxey / Shvartsman (Ends at: 4:55 pm)
Authors: James Maxey, Alex Shvartsman
Saturday, 5:30pm – Frederick
Reading
Saturday, 7:30pm – Salon A
Mass Signing (Ends at: 8:25 pm)
Participants: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Sarah Avery, Paolo Bacigalupi, Holly Black, Marilyn “Mattie” Brahen, Neil Clarke, Tom Doyle, Andy Duncan, Scott Edelman, Jim Freund, Charles E. Gannon, Max Gladstone, David G. Hartwell, Alma Katsu, Pamela K. Kinney, Barbara Krasnoff, Dina Leacock, James Maxey, Will McIntosh, Mike McPhail, Sunny Moraine, James Morrow, Sarah Pinsker, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Lawrence M. Schoen, Darrell Schweitzer, Alex Shvartsman, Jon Skovron, Alan Smale, Bud Sparhawk, Janine Spendlove, Genevieve Valentine, Michael A. Ventrella, Lawrence Watt-Evans
The Saturday evening mass autographing session.
Saturday, 8:30pm – Salon A
Awards Reception and Presentation (Ends at: 9:55 pm)
The WSFA Small Press Award winner will be announced. The Guest of Honor Gifts will also be presented.
#SFWAPro
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
I will be attending the Baltimore Book Festival this weekend. There will be panels, a reading, and lots and lots of signing (or, at a minimum, sitting around hoping to sign something). Here’s my schedule:
Friday 2:00-3:00 Writing about social justice in science fiction and fantasy.
Join our panel to talk about science fiction that revolves around issues of social justice here on Earth–and elsewhere. From Ursula Le Guin’s tour de force novel The Dispossessed to the works of MacArthur Fellow Octavia Butler through a plethora of other writers, science fiction and fantasy authors have never shied away from stories that tackled issues of social justice. Talk with our panelists about their favorite examples and yours.
Panelists: Anne K. Gray, Alma Katsu, Sunny Moraine, Alex Shvartsman, Fran Wilde
Friday 3:00-4:00 Signing
Saturday 1:00-2:00 Signing
Saturday 3:00-4:00. Short stories: What’s trending and who are the hot new authors in science fiction and fantasy?
The title says it all! Join our panel of writers to hear about the field of short fiction in SF and fantasy. Science fiction and fantasy have a rich history of short fiction and more ways than ever for readers to find stories.
Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Brenda Clough, Jim Johnson, John Maclay, Alex Shvartsman
Sunday 2:00-3:00 Signing
Sunday 4:00-6:00 Reading
(Note: I won’t be reading for 2 hours. There will be four authors, each reading for 30 minutes.)
Saturday 5:30 -7:00 Reception and Meet & Greet with authors, music, and food
Join the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America at our reception, autographing session, and Meet and Greet with our program participants at the Baltimore Book Festival.
Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jeanne Adams, Jill Archer, Catherine Asaro, Jack Clemons, Brenda Clough, Scott Edelman, Charles Gannon, Ronald Garner, Em Garner, Herb Gilliland, Anne K Gray, Elektra Hammond, Justina Ireland, Jim Johnson, Alma Katsu, Cheryl Klam, L. Jagi Lamplighter, John Maclay, Marrisa Meyer, Sunny Moraine, Christine Norris, Ellen Oh, Sarah Pinsker, Caroline Richmond, Don Sakers, Karen Sandler, Peggy Rae Sapienza, Rori Shay, Alex Shvartsman, Dawnyell Snyder, Bud Sparhawk, John Tilden, Mike Underwood, Jean Marie Ward, Fran Wilde, Ilene Wong, Karlo Yeager #SFWAPro
All of these events will be taking place in or near the SFWA tent. If you plan on attending the festival, please stop by and say hello!
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
Last week I participated on the editor panel hosted at the Kickstarter HQ. It was moderated by Margot Atwell and featured five editors. Neil Clarke (Clarkesworld Magazine), Brian White (Fireside Magazine), Rose Fox and Daniel Jose Older (Long Hidden anthology), and me. It was a really fun event, and lots of intelligent things were said (mostly by the other participants!). The entire panel is now up on YouTube.
It’s an hour long, and it felt very much like a panel at a science fiction convention. If you don’t know what that’s like (or if you do, and enjoy those panels), you should watch the video.
#SFWAPro
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
Are you in the NYC area? Would you like to visit Kickstarter headquarters in Brooklyn and hear me and several other SF/F editors speak live in a FREE event?
Join us for a panel followed by some socializing and drinks this coming Thursday. Here are the details of this event:
Kickstarter Presents: New Trends In Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Thursday August 7 | 7 to 9:30pm
58 Kent Street
Brooklyn NY 11222
The line-up is:
Neil Clarke, editor of Clarkesworld magazine
Rose Fox and Daniel José Older, editors of the Long Hidden anthology
Alex Shvartsman, editor of the Unidentified Funny Objects anthology series
Brian White, editor of Fireside magazine
Margot Atwell (moderator), publishing community manager at Kickstarter
This is a FREE event, however there is limited seating available, so RSVP now to reserve a spot!
www.eventbrite.com/e/kickstarter-presents-new-trends-in-sci-fi-fantasy-fiction-tickets-12452635167
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Posted by Alex Shvartsman
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Alex Shvartsman's Speculative Fiction 