Alex Shvartsman's Speculative Fiction

I am going to be at Philcon this coming weekend. Here are the panels and a signing where you can see me. Or just come up and say hi!

https://schedule.philcon.org/?_gl=115xl117_gaMTcyMTM1MjEwMC4xNzIyNTI5MDE0_ga_D81PG2VY6F*MTczMjEyMzI5MC4zLjEuMTczMjEyMzI5NS4wLjAuMA..#part/22369

I’ll be at Philcon this weekend. Here’s my schedule:

Fri 7:00 PM in Plaza III (1 hour) GENRE PUBLICATIONS IN 2019
Fri 8:00 PM in Plaza II (1 hour) CREATING IDIOMS FOR FANTASY WORLDS
Sat 12:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour) ASK A SMALL PUBLISHER
Sat 3:00 PM in Plaza V (1 hour) JEWISH SCIENCE FICTION
Sun 10:00 AM in Executive Suite 623 (1 hour) READINGS: ANNA KASHINA, ALEX SHVARTSMAN, STEPHANIE BURKE
Sun 11:00 AM in Crystal Ballroom Promenade (1 hour) AUTOGRAPHS: ANNA KASHINA, ALEX SHVARTSMAN
#SFWAPro

I’ll be attending Philcon this weekend. Here’s where you can find me!

• • Fri 6:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Three—Creative Curses to Inflict on Your Characters (3083)

    Falling asleep for a hundred years is so passe. What are some fun, fresh, modern enchantments you can use to put your protagonists to the test?

Vikki Ciaffone (mod), Gordon Linzner, Nicholas MacDonald-Martell, Elektra Hammond, Alex Shvartsman

• • Sat 11:00 AM in Plaza II (Two)—Indie Pub 102: The Editing Process (3069)

    Beta-readers, developmental editors, copyeditors, proofreaders… What do I need, where do I find it, and how much will it cost?

Brenda W. Clough (mod), John Skylar, Ann Stolinsky, Alex Shvartsman, Ian Randal Strock, Michael Hanson

• • Sat 12:00 PM in Plaza II (Two)—Indie Pub 103: The Publishing Process (3070)

    From cover design to distribution options, where do you take your masterpiece?

Alex Shvartsman (mod), Aaron Rosenberg, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Paul Levinson, Ken Altabef, Tee Morris

• • Sat 5:00 PM in Plaza V (Five)—Crowdfunding for Fun and…What Do You Mean We LOST Money??? (3144)

    Just how does a “Kickstarter” work? Will Patreon’s recent changes impact your ability to attract and keep Patrons? Is it worth setting up a KoFi account?

Jazz Hiestand (mod), Philippa Ballantine, Alex Shvartsman, Alana Phelan, Glenn Hauman

• • Sat 8:00 PM in Plaza II (Two)—Meet the Editors! (3040)

    Magazine and small press editors discuss what goes into creating their publications, from the economics of staying viable in the electronic age to getting appropriate submissions.

Hildy Silverman (mod), Darrell Schweitzer, Joshua Palmatier, Alex Shvartsman, Neil Clarke, Ian Randal Strock

#SFWAPro

I’ll be at Philcon this weekend. Here’s my schedule:

Friday

6 pm – Plaza II –  Current Anthologies

7pm – Plaza III – Writing Workshops Worth Your Time (and Money)

Saturday

1pm – Plaza II – Meet the Editors!

Sunday

1pm – Plaza III – Finding a Good Editor

#SFWAPro

Today, I reached level 40.

That sounds way cooler than just saying “I turned forty years old,” you know. I celebrated with family and good friends. The best line of the evening, and I am not making this up, was “This is not a rabbi. It’s R2D2.” No context for you.

What better way to continue the celebration into the weekend than to attend a science fiction convention? I’ll be at Philcon starting tomorrow, and here’s where you can find me:

Fri 7:00 PM in Autograph Table (1 hour)
AUTOGRAPHS: JOSEPH BERENATO AND ALEX SHVARTSMAN (2361)

[Panelists: Joseph Berenato (mod), Alex Shvartsman]

Sat 1:00 PM in Plaza III (Three) (1 hour)
INCORPORATING NEW SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES INTO OUR WRITING (2138)

[Panelists: Alex Shvartsman (mod), Dr. H. Paul Shuch, David Walton,
Alexis Gilliland, Jon McGoran]

We now know modern humans have Neanderthal DNA. New planets are
being discovered almost on a daily basis. Technology is allowing us
to print organs. What recent discoveries are you putting into your
stories? And where will SF go now that the future is here

Sat 5:00 PM in Plaza II (Two) (1 hour)
THINGS YOU SHOULD READ (BUT DON’T KNOW ABOUT YET) (2226)

[Panelists: Fran Wilde (mod), Dena Heilik, Joseph Berenato, Alex
Shvartsman]

Not every amazing book is a best-seller. Whether it’s an unsung
classic or a recent author, come talk about the fiction you’ve found
that, strangely, nobody else seems to be talking about

Sun 11:00 AM in Crystal Ballroom Three (1 hour)
THE CHANGING FACE OF PUBLISHING (2123)

[Panelists: Sally Wiener Grotta (mod), Russ Colchamiro, Joseph
Berenato, Ian Randal Strock, Alex Shvartsman]

How is it moving away from the conventional New York publishing
scene? There are so many alternatives today (Crowd-sourcing, small
presses, independent publishers and non-print electronics) Will the
big publishers be left in the lurch

Sun 1:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Three (1 hour)
HOW TO SELL YOUR FICTION (2122)

[Panelists: Neil Clarke (mod), Alex Shvartsman, Barbara A. Barnett,
Hildy Silverman, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Robert E. Waters]

So you have a finally finished a story. What are the main markets?
Who do you want to avoid.

#SFWAPro

I’ll be at PhilCon this weekend, participating on a variety of panels. I’ll also have a reading and a signing. This is my schedule:

#SFWAPro

• Fri 7:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Three—“Ender’s Game”: The Book versus The Movie (1504)Just one week before Philcon 2013, Hollywood finally released a film version of the classic SF novel “Ender’s Game”. How did the movie differ from the book. Were the changes necessary, or did they change the tone and theme of the story? Did they do it right?

Andrew C. Murphy (mod), Andrew Breslin, Alex Shvartsman, Tim Souder

• Sat 11:00 AM in Autograph Table—Autograph: Neil Clarke, Alex Shvartsman (1671)

Neil Clarke (mod), Alex Shvartsman

• Sat 1:00 PM in Plaza III (Three)—Editing Anthologies: Beyond the Gimmick (1499)Anthologies are often sold on the basis of a gimmick or concept that connects the stories, such as “Killer Rutabagas from Space”. How do you get beyond the gimmick to a work of substance?

Elektra Hammond (mod), Brian Koscienski, Alex Shvartsman, Keith R.A. DeCandido

• Sat 6:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two—Becoming a Full Time Writer (1496)How do you become a full time writer? Is that a good idea for you?

Alyce Wilson (mod), Alex Shvartsman, David Sklar, D.L. Carter, Thomas Willeford

• Sun 11:00 AM in Executive Suite 623—Reading: Alex Shvartsman (1664)

Alex Shvartsman (mod)

• Sun 2:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two—Meet the Editors Panel (1535)Magazine and book editors discuss the current fiction markets.

Marvin Kaye (mod), Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Alex Shvartsman, Ian Randal Strock, Neal Levin, April Grey

I’ll be attending PhilCon in Cherry Hill, New Jersey next weekend, and the organizers just sent me my schedule. I will appear on 6 panels over the course of Saturday and Sunday, which are listed below. I want to meet *everyone* so if you want to hang out, e-mail me, Tweet at me, contact me on Facebook or just find me at the con!

Sat 10:00 AM in Plaza V (Five) (1 hour)
NON-US  SF AUTHORS

[Panelists: A.C. Wise (mod), David G. Hartwell, Andrew C. Murphy, Alex Shvartsman]

    There are a lot of great authors that just aren’t as popular in the
    US as in other countries.  Who are some of the writers that don’t
    get a lot of attention here that we should be reading

Sat 11:00 AM in Executive Suite C (1 hour)
GAME DESIGN FOR FUN AND (PROBABLY NOT A LOT OF ) PROFIT!

[Panelists: Alex Shvartsman (mod), Eric Avedissian, Joan Wendland, Peter Woodworth, Neal Levin]

What goes into designing a game?  What are some important things
    that many new games miss?  How much playtesting is needed

Sat 1:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour)
GETTING A (KICK)START(ER) ON THAT PROJECT!

[Panelists: Jonah Knight (mod), Eve Okupniak, Alex Shvartsman,  Patricia Wake, Aaron Rosenberg]

    Kickstarter, and other crowdfunding sites, have changed the
    landscape for fundraising to support various creative projects, from
    new games to films to other artistic endeavors.  But setting up a
    crowdfunding campaign can also lead to serious problems, from not
    following through on promised incentives, to not being able to
    complete the project, to serious financial difficulty.  Our
    panelists will talk about how to run a successful crowdfunding
    campaign, and how to avoid the pitfalls

Sat 2:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour)
BEST SF AND FANTASY OF 2012 (1120)

[Panelists: A.C. Wise (mod), Gardner Dozois, Lisa Padol, Alex Shvartsman]

    What are some of the great novels, novellas, and stories out there
    this year?  What is likely to be nominated for awards in the field
    and why

Sun 10:00 AM in Plaza IV (Four) (1 hour)
KILLING HITLER FOR FUN AND PROFIT

[Panelists: Andre Lieven (mod), KT Pinto, Michael F. Flynn, Alex Shvartsman, Glenn Hauman]

    How have various authors treated the idea of trying to change the
    past?  CAN you change the past, and if so, what are the consequences

Sun 2:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour)
IT CAME FROM THE SLUSHPILE

[Panelists: Ray Ridenour (mod), Neil Clarke, Neal Levin, Alex Shvartsman, Gordon Linzner]

    Editors describe really strange things they have received in
    unsolicited submissions.  Some are funny, some are awful, and some
    are just plain sad

 
If you have suggestions, anecdotes or requests for the discussion points on any of the above panels, please post them in the comments! I’m especially eager for some help on the time travel and best-of-2012 panels.