Sunday, October 8, 2006
Online Poetry Reading

I spent much of September revising my novelThe Solar Sea for submission. I hope to complete my reflections on big press and small press soon. In the meantime, I wanted to mention that there's a very cool on-line Halloween Poetry Reading at: http://www.sfpoetry.com/halloween.html

Visit the site to hear (yes, hear!) Halloween-themed poems by Karen A. Romanko, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Michael A. Arnzen, C.A. Gardner and yours truly.

If you like what you hear and are interested in science fiction poetry, look around the site and learn about the Science Fiction Poetry Association.

Dave

Posted by David Summers 2006-10-08 11:32:02

Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Small Press vs. Big Press I - Writer's POV

Writing is one of the toughest, most competitive careers anyone could choose. All you have to do to see the truth of that statement is step into your favorite local bookstore and look at the bookshelves. Each of those books represents three distinct phases of competition. First, the books had to be selected by an editor for publication. Second, the books had to be selected by the bookstore for stocking. Finally, readers must choose to buy the book.

As a writer seeking publication, you are faced with a daunting task. You want to select a publisher who will give you the best odds of getting through all three steps and into the hands of as many readers as possible. Being a writer choosing a publisher is like being a miner during the California Gold Rush choosing a wife -- there are fewer of them than you and the good ones are going to be very picky. Continuing this metaphor, vanity or subsidy publishers are like prostitutes; all they care about is the money and once you've paid them, they don't care about you anymore. They are not a viable choice if you want to be successful. Enough said about them.

Like a good marriage, you want a publisher that will help and support you on your way to success. You can find numerous lists of good publishers in your local library or on the web including Writer's Market, The Writer's Handbook, and Ralan.com. I would define a "good" publisher as one that's picky enough at the outset to select the best books; will professionally edit the book; will work to get the book to its audience; and will pay the author his/her fair share of the book's income. Within this definition, there are lots of publishers from big to small that are "good."

Big presses are the ones you see in every bookstore. They became big presses because they are good at deciding which books will make them the most money in the least amount of time with the least investment. As a result, an author who has proven to have a good sales record will have a better chance with a big press than an unknown author and an author who needs little editing will have a better chance than an author who needs lots of editing. The advantages of going with a big press are that you are likely to get an advance on your royalties and you're very likely to have your book stocked by lots of bookstores. (Note: Reputable publishers, big or small, will not make you pay any of your advance back whether you earn it out or not.) However, if your book doesn't find its way into the hands of lots of readers, you will likely be dropped very quickly.

Small presses are often newer and have less money available. As a result, if they pay an advance at all, it will be small. Their staffs are often smaller than big publishers, which can present numerous challenges. Bookstores are less likely to stock books from a smaller press because they don't have the proven sales track record of the bigger presses. That said, a business-savvy small press will see each book they accept as an investment: they will invest in good quality editing and book packaging and they will stick with a book as long as they can to assure success. Where a writer might be a statistic in the eyes of a big press, they are more likely to be nurtured by a small press.

One thing I have heard in the small press vs. big press debate is that small press books are not well edited. Editing is a crucial step. It makes all the difference in how reviewers, bookstores, and readers ultimately perceive a book. Because small presses do have less money than big presses, many make the mistake of skimping on this step. However, not all do. The best small presses will devote as much time as necessary to polish their books to a shine. Remember, big presses spend as little money and time on a book as they possibly can. Though the editors are professional and highly competent, this can lead to rather embarrasing mistakes. For example, one big press book I read recently had its climax during the new moon, then two days later (book time) it was full moon. In another book, the heroine "upholsters" a gun. I'm not going to catalog the plethora of typos and similar gaffes I've seen in books from reputable presses ranging from Ace to Tor. Smaller presses goof, too. My point here is that this isn't a big press/small press problem at all. Everyone makes mistakes. Good presses, big or small, edit their books and do their best. Bad presses don't care.

As you can see, it's easy for a writer to get caught up in the big press/small press debate. However, I would argue that a good, determined small press that goes to bat for the author is every bit as good for the author -- and possibly better -- than a big press that's more intersted in fostering its bestsellers over its midlist. Ultimately, the decision to go with a big press or a small press is something of a courtship. You send your manuscript out and it's rejected multiple times until finally someone likes it enough to accept it. When that happens, you need to ask yourself whether the company that accepted it is right for you: Are they offering enough money? Will they edit the manuscript? Is the distribution potential strong enough? Will they respect you in the morning? If the answer to these questions is "yes," then you've probably got a winner whether the press has a big name or a small one.

Next time: Looking at the big press/small press debate from the reader's point of view.

For another point of view on big press/small press, take a look at B.T. Robertson's blog at: http://www.btrobertson.com

Posted by David Summers 2006-08-23 15:31:44

Tuesday, August 8, 2006
Science Fiction and Fantasy: One Genre or Two

Science fiction and fantasy writers and fans typically see a big difference between the two genres. However, bookstores often lump both genres on the same shelf and numerous magazines, including my own Tales of the Talisman, publish both genres side by side. I have met fantasy writers who declare adamantly that they do not write science fiction and, likewise, I have met science fiction fans who proclaim that even "soft" science fiction is too much like fantasy for their taste. Though "taste" is very individual and very specific, I would argue that science fiction is, in fact, a subset -- one flavor, if you will -- of the very broad genre of fantasy.

Turning to Webster's Dictionary, fantasy is defined as, "an imaginative poem, play, etc." I find this definition to be unsatisfactorily broad. Using it, I could argue that all fiction is fantasy. Here's Webster's own definition of fiction: "an imaginary statement, story, etc." A better definition of fantasy would be the one found in the American Heritage Dictionary: "Literary or dramatic fiction characterized by highly fanciful or supernatural elements." Accurate though this definition is, I don't think it completely characterizes the genre.

Though it is true that any fiction with a fanciful element might be called "fantasy," good fantasy does not allow the fanciful elements to roam unconstrained. For example, in a fantasy world with magic, the magic must follow a clearly observable set of rules. It's not acceptable for a spell to work one way near the beginning of the story and then work differently later, unless a good reason is presented. The way the magic system behaves must be consistent throughout the story. If we look at historic fantasy, the world must behave according to the constraints of the historical period during which the work is set. If we turn to dark fantasy with vampires, a vampire who only sucks a pint of blood a night in order to survive must not suddenly turn to killing for food unless a reason is given.

Allow me, then, to present the following modified definition of fantasy: Literary or dramatic fiction characterized by highly fanciful or supernatural elements contrained by a system of rules laid out by the author based on the period and circumstances of the story's setting. This may not be complete, but I believe it gets to the root of what most writers, editors and fans would regard as fantasy as it appears in magazines and on bookshelves. Without the constraints, the fiction becomes surrealism if handeled well or nonsense if handled poorly.

Now, allow me to turn to the American Heritage Dictionary's definition of science fiction which is one I believe most fans would consider palatable: "Fiction in which scientific discoveries and developments form an element of plot or background; especially a work of fiction based on prediction of future scientific possibilities." The emphasis in the definition is mine -- hold that thought.

The first part of the American Heritage Dictionary's definition is on the verge of being too vague. For example, you could define the Gene Kelly movie Singin' in the Rain as science fiction by this definition. It's a story in which the development of sound in motion pictures forms an integral part. As an aside, I've heard Ray Bradbury argue that Singin' in the Rain is science fiction on this very basis -- and perhaps he's right -- but I don't think most people look at the movie and immediately think science fiction. Be that as it may. If we now consider the "prediction of future scientific possibilities," we get much closer to how most people likely define science fiction.

Predicting the future is not really something science fiction writers do well. Though many people can point to authors such as Jules Verne and Arthur C. Clarke and note predictions that came true, it's possible to point to any number of science fiction writers and stories and find examples of predictions that did not come tue. Can anyone say hover cars?

Rather than base their fiction on a prediction of future scientific possibilities, science fiction writers use current knowledge of science as a means to constrain a highly fanciful story (i.e. one set in the future, on an alien world, or an alternate timeline). By this understanding, I would argue that science fiction is indeed another type of fantasy as defined above.

To conclude, I don't presume to tell anyone what to like. Some people will prefer their fantasy with warriors and wizards, others will prefer their fantasy with vampires and werewolves, and still others will prefer it with spaceships and aliens. As an editor and fan, I happen to like all of the above and for the time being, will place them all in my magazine and hope to find them together in one section of the bookstore.

For another take on this subject, visit B.T. Robertson's blog at: http://www.btrobertson.com

Dave

Posted by David Summers 2006-08-08 21:12:26

Sunday, August 6, 2006
Going back to where it started

About a dozen years ago, Kumie Wise, Bill Grother, and I started Hadrosaur Productions with an audio presentation of my first novel,The Pirates ofSufiro. A number of you reading this may well remember the original Pirates tapes or even have copies. As oftoday, Pirates is back where it all started -- on audio. The first five chapters are now available to download at http://www.podiobooks.com with the rest of the book coming soon. Podiobooks.com makes the audio edition available absolutely free of charge.

The Podiobooks.com edition of Pirates is an all new recording of the novel's current edition, so even if you do have the old Pirates tapes, this version is different.

Not only is Pirates available at Podiobooks.com, but a number of other very fine novels are there as well. It's a great site to visit if you like audiobooks and they're all free. If you listen and like what you hear, make a donation. It helps keep the site running and they split the proceeds with the authors.

Dave

Posted by David Summers 2006-08-06 20:10:58

Monday, June 19, 2006
Sci Fi Traveling Roadshow

Not too long ago, I learned about a geat new podcast calledThe SciFi Traveling Roadshow. It's hosted by Maggie Bonham (a.k.a. M.H. Bonham, author of TheProphecy of Swords,published by Yard Dog Press.) The show highlights the best works of the science fiction, fantasy, and horror small press and includes readings, interviews, and reviews. I think the show is fun and informative and well worth listening to.

If you want to listen in, here are the instructions: You can directly download the podcasts at skywarriror.libsyn.com

The rss feed is skywarrior.libsyn.com/rss if you have Itunes (www.apple.com) or juice (http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/) and you have an automatic feed.

In Itunes, go to the Podcasts Icons, then go tothe menu bar advanced options. From there, Subscribe to podcast. Enter skywarrior.libsyn.com/rss in the feed and you have it. Click on the Update button to download the episode. You can request other episodes by clicking the GET button next to them.

In Juice, it's even easier. Click on the circle with the plus sign below the menu bar and enter skywarrior.libsyn.com/rss as the feed. The feed will come up. You can select as many episodes through the check boxes and then click on the blue button with the down arrow on the same row as the plus sign and it will download.

I'm interviewed in this week's podcast and I did a reading for the first show. Melanie Fletcher did the reading this week and there are reviews of Gloria Oliver's In the Service of Samurai and Selina Rosen's Strange Robby.

Dave

Posted by David Summers 2006-06-19 10:29:10