End-of-Year Writing Newsletter Stuff
Merry Christmas and happy holidays! My family celebrated the Longest Night yesterday. If you haven't sat in a dark room and read by candlelight recently, I recommend it. Very soothing! Even if you live with someone who insists on watching the football game at the same time...
For writers, with the holidays and the end of the year also comes award nomination season and the "Best of" collections.
Every writer who gets something published this year should make an awards eligibility post. It might sound like a big scary deal, but it really isn't. Make sure it says "awards eligibility post" and "2020." Then list the things you've had published this year, by category (short story, novelette, novella, novel) along with a link to read them. Bonus points for a quick, one-sentence description that might make a casual reader decide they want to read them! If they're behind a paywall, mention it.
Beyond that, the Bram Stoker Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award all require that works be submitted to be considered. The Nebula Award does not allow self-nomination, but it does allow you to submit your work for consideration to the SFWA readers/nominators.
Most "Best of" anthologies require you to submit your work that was published this year. By the way, many publication contracts give an exception to any exclusivity rules for the "Best of" anthologies! Due dates on these vary. Don't miss this chance! If you have something published this year that fits the requirements, submit it!
(There's a list of such things with due dates on the website version of this.)
What I've been up to lately, writing-wise:
My short story, "In Their Image," has been released as a stand-alone ebook by After Dinner Conversation. Religion, and the desire to find purpose, and often paramount to culture. In this work of philosophical short fiction, a priest from earth is sent to another planet to continue the mission work of her predecessor, only to discover the unsettling reason mission work has never succeeded there. This story, like all After Dinner Conversation stories, has suggested discussion questions at the end. Read: In Their Image: After Dinner Conversation Series
Since I was just talking about award season, I should add that "In Their Image" is not eligible for 2020 awards.
"The Dinosaur's Valentine," a story about love in a time of extinction, is my only award-eligible short story for 2020. I'm very proud of my tiny little story that could! It's available to read at Daily Science Fiction or to listen to at Centropic Oracle.
Full writing newsletter is here: http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/archive2020.html#122220
...This was the part where I realized I only had ONE short story published this year. Most of my effort was novel-related. And, well, keeping my head above water -related.
Originally posted at https://cloudscudding.dreamwidth.org/1135364.html on Dreamwidth.org.