Preparing to take on even more challenges ahead.As you may know, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, (aka SFWA) had a membership vote and changed their membership criteria pretty drastically, admitting self-published and small press members to apply if they can prove they’re making an amount of money equivalent to the advance a writer would make from a traditional publisher and qualify for SFWA: three thousand dollars over the course of a year. The year does not need to be Jan-Dec, and it can be any period after January 1, 2013.
Income can come from crowdfunding, but in that case, the book must have been delivered to the funders in a timely fashion. You can combine advance and royalties, but they must fall in the same twelve months.
The income is net, not gross. If you spend ten thousand bucks printing books and then sell them for three thousand dollars, that would not count. Mainly this is there to keep people from faking their way in and I’m not too worried about small publishing expenses counting here, myself.
How do you prove income? Right now, we’ll look at whatever people think is reasonable. As the month progresses, we’ll start knowing what is and isn’t reasonable.
This is all very new, and I know we’ll be deciding many cases as we go along. I also expect there will be delays at first as we get the process working and people flowing through the pipeline.
You can find out more on the SFWA site. The application form is there. I apologize for the fact that it’s not entirely suited to self-pub apps so far – we’re working on that, and I’d be glad to hear your suggestions.
Got questions? I can answer them here if you like.
Note from a question that arose in this morning’s e-mail: Active members CAN qualify through self-published short fiction; that got left out of the official webpage and I’ve got a request in to add it.
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"(On the writing F&SF workshop) Wanted to crow and say thanks: the first story I wrote after taking your class was my very first sale. Coincidence? nah….thanks so much."
~K. Richardson
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So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
The Nebulas this year were an amazing, dazzling, staggering blur, and an overall splendid time. (I got a selfie with William Gibson plus shared french fries with an astronaut!). But there was one sad thing for me, which was that in all the shuffle and mistimings, I didn’t get a chance to deliver the speech I’d prepared.
I’ve been spending some time post-Nebulas thinking and reflecting on everything I’ve learned from the SFWA Presidency, and all the valuable things I’ve discovered and learned as a result of my time in office. Over the next few weeks, I’ll publish the blog posts I have been putting together, one dedicated to each year, and then a final recap. It seemed a logical thing to kick that series off by sharing that speech, which contains a number of things I wanted to say to the SFWA family at large. I hope this serves.
Six Nebulas ago, Steven Gould approached me. He needed someone who’d be willing to run for Vice President the following year, picking up a one year term as SFWA made the transition to staggering the terms of the Vice President and President. He promised me it would be only a one year obligation. Insert hollow laugh here.
July 1st will mark a big transition in my life: after five years on the SFWA board, spending one year as Vice President under Steven Gould, and then two terms as President. I have spent more time on the SFWA board than most people do getting their college degree, and that is an odd thought. General wisdom is that the SFWA Presidency eats a book a year; I have definitely found that true, and I suspect a large number of stories got consumed as well. I am looking forward to becoming actually productive again.
But there have been a multitude of compensations. A wealth of friendships. An abundance of moments that delighted my heart or that felt like tremendous victories. There is a tendency to label SFWA governance toxic, to imply that it destroys the soul and hollows one out. I am pleased to report that this is not actually the case, that I have found it, on the whole, a community that is welcoming and well-intentioned, though not always graceful in expressing it. I step down feeling the better for the five years in which I have learned and grown.
I have presided over both the first and the second all-female President/Vice President teams in SFWA history, the first time M.C.A. Hogarth and myself, the second time Erin Hartshorn and myself. I had thought that perhaps now handing the Presidency over to Mary Robinette Kowal represented another historic first, only to find this was not so. The first female to female SFWA Presidency exchange actually took place in 2003, when Sharon Lee handed the reins over to Catherine Asaro. I’m taking part in a panel tomorrow called “We Have Always Been Here,” about women in science fiction and this underscored that truth. We have indeed always been here, doing much of the work that drives this community.
Three women have been working with me side by side every moment of this remarkable journey, and all three remain with SFWA, for which you are all very lucky. I ask them to stand as I mention them, and for a round of applause at the end, because without them I could not have stayed the course.
The first is Sarah Pinsker, who agreed to come onto the board at the same time I did and who has remained a Director at Large whose thoughtful, considered presence has contributed enormously to discussions, as well as seeing through multiple projects, including but not limited to the Baltimore Book Festival and the Mentoring Program, and being a consistent voice for marginalized writers.
The second is Oz Drummond, who has been part of the financial team first under the inestimable Bud Sparhawk, and then under the equally awesome Nathan Lowell, and who has worked to learn more about how a nonprofit 501C3 works than anyone else I know. I have seen much of Oz’s surroundings during our weekly SFWA video calls, as well as her cats, the wild turkeys, and various backyard deer. I will greatly miss those conversations.
The third is Kate Baker, our Executive Director, with whom I have fought shoulder to shoulder against the forces of chaos, miscommunication, and random bad luck. I cannot say enough about Kate, or we would be here forever, but suffice it to say, any team she is on is lucky to have her. Not just love, but mad props to you, Kate, for the amazing job you’ve done during my five years on the board.
And finally, thank you to you all, not just the people in this room, but the SFWA members watching or reading from afar. Thank you for your trust, your advice, your support, and your friendship. Thank you for the many times you reached out to tell me I was doing a good job. And thank you to the ones who weren’t afraid to call me on it when you thought I wasn’t. I have tried to validate your trust and, like you, to be welcoming and well-intentioned, though not always graceful in expressing it. I hope these inadequate words meet with your approval. And congratulations to Mary Robinette again, with many thanks for being willing to run for the office.
End speech and then we would all go drink and listen to the Alternate Universe acceptance speeches, which is perhaps where this speech should have been delivered. 🙂
As I said up above, in coming weeks there will be posts recapping some of the highs and lows, occasionally drawing back the SFWA curtain.
As I’m composing them, I’m asking you for a favor. If there is some SFWA moment that has been particularly meaningful for you in the past five years, I’d love to hear about it. I’d also love to know if there is a SFWA volunteer or volunteers that have helped make your experiences with SFWA positive. This is YOUR chance to give them a shout-out; drop me an e-mail about it!
Swag bags assembled and awaiting distribution.I got back late last night, after a trip back that included a lost reservation, my luggage being overweight (how could that be? oh, look at all those books) so I had to repack a bit at the counter under the check-in agent’s impatient gaze, and the poor kid beside me throwing up steadily all the way from PIT to IAD. It’s always weird, the day after travel, because one feels as though you’ve been simultaneously on vacation and yet working harder than most days.
I cannot begin to enumerate all the ways that weekend was wonderful. It was a great joy to see months and months of planning finally bear fruit and now we can relax for at least a couple days before thinking about next year. The programming was, in my opinion, outstanding. My only quarrel would be that there was so much good stuff that I could not get to every panel I wanted to, and that I could not spend enough time with the fabulous SFWA events team of Kate Baker, Terra LeMay, and Steven H Silver, who are responsible for everything that was wonderful.
One of the challenges for the Programming Team, led by Mary Robinette Kowal, was making sure the programming had something for all writers, whether they were tradpub, small press, indie, or hybrid. There were so many terrific, in-depth panels, including a wealth of shadow programming additions and office hours with writers and other publishing professionals. It made me think back to a Nebula from several years when I was on a lackadaisical panel about writers block that was, I think, so much less useful than it could have been and realize just how far the Nebula Conference has come from the days of “let’s all get together in a hotel and hand out the awards and then drink a lot.”
Literally the busiest person at the conference: SFWA’s fabulous Executive Director Kate BakerSarah Pinsker did a great job with the mentoring program, which matched up literally dozens of folks for mentoring sessions that were, for a number of folks, a major highlight of the con. I am sure many of the relationships formed there will last long after this weekend; I know I picked up two of my mentee’s books and am looking forward to reading them.
The book depot structure, so adeptly administered by Sean Wallace, meant that everyone had a chance to have their books there. That had been an issue for a number of the indies last year and it was gratifying to see that problem addressed. I apologize for being one of the people who brought a stack of books in at the last minute; Sean was very patient with the number of us who did so.
I will not claim everything was perfect; I think I’m one of the people most acquainted with every behind-the-scene misstep and/or perceived slight that needed smoothing over. But so many of the small touches were stellar. The centerpieces on the banquet tables were charming robots assembled from vintage materials by artist Don L. Jones. There were plenty of chances for networking with partners and finding new and interesting opportunities. The gender-neutral bathroom was there, and usable, and in a place where people could find it. The Volunteer Breakfast on Sunday was lovely; we had a great turn-out and people liked the appreciation certificates and special SFWA temporary tattoos. (I still have a lot of these and am happy to mail them to SFWAns.) Toastmaster Kjell Lindgren was charming and smart and loves SF as much as any of us; he even showed us the books that drew him on his lifepath.
Speaking of reading, the swag bags were STUFFED with great stuff; I was making a number of happy noises while unpacking mine. I also enjoyed pointing people at the excess tables towards books that I knew were terrific, like Sarah Kuhn’s The Heroine Complex or Alaya Dawn Johnson’s Spirit Binders books.
I brought a robot home with me.I got to wear several of my more high-end thrift store finds from this year, and also learned how to pack garments that consist mainly of chainmail-like layers of sequins. I also learned that such things really end up being heavy when you accumulate a few in one suitcase. My banquet dress was a big hit; I’ve never been asked before “who were you wearing?”, which amuses me and may underscore the lengths to which I will go in SFWA’s service.
I did indeed announce that SFWA will be giving out a game-writing Nebula. Not an award with a separate name, like the Andre Norton or Ray Bradbury Award, but a Nebula. Why? Because game-writing deserves to be right up there in the ranks, not treated like a special case (no disrespect is intended there to either of the named awards). If you’re a gamewriter interested in providing feedback on how SFWA can help/serve gamewriters — or better yet, if you’re interested in helping make that happen by volunteering — I’d love to hear from you, and you can find my contact information here.
Next year’s Nebulas will again be in Pittsburgh and at the same hotel. Overall, they did a pretty solid job (with a few overwhelmed restaurant bobbles) and I know the manager and the events team sat down together on Sunday and went over everything that went wrong and how we can avoid them next year, down to details like marking the ramp’s edges with white tape so next time no one trips and has a bad fall over that invisible edge.
Selfie with SFWA’s CFO, Bud Sparhawk.The business meeting on Saturday went smoothly; I don’t think there were any real surprises for anyone. The officer election results were announced; thank you and welcome to incoming officers Curtis Chen, Andy Duncan, Jeffe Kennedy, and John P. Murphy, with special thanks again to Erin M. Hartshorn for agreeing to take up M.C.A. Hogarth’s sparkly war axe. The most contentious discussion was a member who felt that some members might prefer to write letters to the editor in the e-newsletter The Singularity in order to communicate with fellow members than use the discussion forums; the agreement was made that should anyone wish to write such a letter, we will include it in The Singularity. Afterwards we had a panel in the same room about all the stuff SFWA offers writers; the challenge was that we didn’t have enough time to cover it all.
I don’t often get to surprise Steven H Silver, and yet Kate and I managed to keep the fact that Walter Day had made one of his awesome trading cards for him secret until the banquet. Walter’s trading cards are so nifty; he’s up to over 200 of them now and they were one of the nifty features of the swag bags. He also presented Jane Yolen with a special blown-up version of her new one. Jane gave a lovely speech, finishing with her Sally Field moment, and just generally was awesome and generous with her time all throughout the weekend.
Liz Argall did an adorable cartoon about the weekend, and another based on my closing words, which I hope she’ll post at some point, but I will reiterate them. It was so lovely to see you all. You are my people and I appreciate the trust you’ve given me. I’ll keep trying to steer things in a reasonable direction, but you’re the ones powering the ship. Thank you.
Many thanks to the Future Affairs Administration for live tweeting the Nebulas — they had over 4.5 million page views, which is awesome. I hope to be in Chengdu this winter to meet some of those viewers.
I am sure I have left out so much, and I suspect I’ll be updating this post throughout the next couple days as things occur to me, but I wanted to get a post up so peeps who weren’t there got to see some of the pictures. Here’s a few more. Robots awaiting distribution to the banquet tables.With our fabulous Toastmaster.Walked into the SFWA office to find Seanan McGuire had built us a castle.
The Nebulas this year were an amazing, dazzling, staggering blur, and an overall splendid time. (I got a selfie with William Gibson plus shared french fries with an astronaut!). But there was one sad thing for me, which was that in all the shuffle and mistimings, I didn’t get a chance to deliver the speech I’d prepared. 
99 Responses
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
@Catrambo I’ve got a book coming out with a small press in a few months and I hope this is my SFWA year because of it. Thanks Cat!
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
@author_farren Apologies for the delay. Please see http://t.co/W8zVLMHpil and http://t.co/SZhcJE6Ewh
How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/19Kydnwlg8
EEeeeeek! I can apply to join the SFWA!… http://t.co/k9xwPvuGZV
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
Useful info for self-pub. RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/2F6jncWp0F
@Catrambo that 2013 and forward requirement is a mistake. But I bet you already know that.
@Catrambo @SFWAauthors Why not put that up on the SFWA blog?
Thinking about Lucy. I wonder what “In a timely fashion” means? -_-http://t.co/tosQNVQmbi
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
@Catrambo @sfwa Nice tweet, Cat.
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/mjGFzVpHy9 via @catrambo
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/YavXiJ2mWh
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/ypQEXnNfuv
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
Important info, genre writers! RT @Catrambo: Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/aiMXzh9Y92
RT @Catrambo: Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/ubIUDTIJXB
Are you independent? You can still get on with #SFWA http://t.co/fUS2N3QbNh
I have mixed feelings about this. Fellow authors, what say the rest of you?… http://t.co/90QzvcHCSR
How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/jQuw0v5OCF
RT @pdjeliclark: How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/jQuw0v5OCF
RT @pdjeliclark: How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/jQuw0v5OCF
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/utGXs7wmA9 via @CatRambo
RT @TammySalyer: How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/utGXs7wmA9 via @CatRambo
RT @Catrambo: Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/ORJH6VWhQB
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
RT @Catrambo: Applying for @sfwa membership with small press and selfpub credentials: http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials: http://t.co/7EXeszwQZX
@Catrambo @sfwa Question! Does a duology count as 1 work or 2? (Dratted 2013 cut-off; made more $ in 2012. Book 1’s at $2,822.94 for 2013.)
How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/6LvlGDXtO3
Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
.@Catrambo @sfwa Yay! 🙂
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @hopeclark: How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/ypQEXnNfuv
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
@Catrambo @sfwa Authors can qualify thru selfpub short fic. What about smallpress short fic that pays 6 cpw?
@Catrambo @sfwa Also, does the $60 min per sale still apply? Mentioned in market qual, but not in membership section.
@Catrambo @sfwa Very relevant to flash fiction authors who may get paid good word rates, but for shorter pieces.
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
RT @Catrambo: Applying to @sfwa with selfpublished or small press credentials – http://t.co/uliQR929IQ
How to Apply for SFWA Membership with Small Press or Self-Published Credentials http://t.co/w7KorGbYuA
A @sfwa agora já considera publicações independentes ou por pequenas editoras no processo de membership http://t.co/tGjIEng612
RT @anadefinisterra: A @sfwa agora já considera publicações independentes ou por pequenas editoras no processo de membership http://t.co/tG“¦
RT @anadefinisterra: A @sfwa agora já considera publicações independentes ou por pequenas editoras no processo de membership http://t.co/tG“¦
So here’s the two posts from this week about the SFWA smallpress/indiepub stuff: http://t.co/bMy5H5hn1Q
RT @Catrambo: So here’s the two posts from this week about the SFWA smallpress/indiepub stuff: http://t.co/bMy5H5hn1Q
RT @Catrambo: So here’s the two posts from this week about the SFWA smallpress/indiepub stuff: http://t.co/bMy5H5hn1Q
HEY #Indy #smallpress #selfpub Writers!
New SFWA guidelines for memebership qualifications http://t.co/YLDUcPrGNE
Straight from @Catrambo
SFWA for small press & self-pub’d authors — http://t.co/dVdHYn0ntx
RT @Catrambo: So here’s the two posts from this week about the SFWA smallpress/indiepub stuff: http://t.co/bMy5H5hn1Q
RT @Catrambo: So here’s the two posts from this week about the SFWA smallpress/indiepub stuff: http://t.co/bMy5H5hn1Q