sf Writers' Resource Page

Resources for Beginning Writers

• List of "How to Write sf" Books
• sf Short Stories Checklist
  by editors of On Spec Magazine

Links to other sites

• Crawford Kilian's The Fiction Writer's Page is a collection of advice from his college course on commercial fiction writing. Excellent advice to the aspiring writer, and the basis of his book Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (International Self-Counsel Press).
• Robert J. Sawyer's "On Writing", advice column for new writers, reprinted from On Spec Magazine.) Also includes additional advice for more senior authors on how to get an agent, sell to the book club, and so on.
• The "Details" section of Steve George's web page provides a rare glimpse into real world of writing, with complete details on how long it took to write each book, advances, royalties, agents, editors and so on. "Authors are notoriously reluctant to reveal the gruesome details of their advances, their royalties, the print-runs of their novels, and that sort of thing. I'm usually that way myself. ... I'm hoping ... that you'll come away with a clear idea of what it's like (or was like) to be a mid-list genre author." Well worth a visit.

Resources for Established Writers

• List of Canadian sf Markets
  (& links to some international markets)

• List of agents
  "Ask us about an agent and we'll tell you if he or she has established a public record, and if we have had any negative reports on the agent's business practices. This service is free." The parent site also seems to have some useful info (Thanks to Sandra Kasturi for tip)
• Editors Association of Canada
• Source of Character names
• Dictionary of English Slang
  (again, thanks to Sandra Kasturi for tip)
• Public Lending Rights Commission
  Get cash for any of your titles carried by libraries in Canada.
• sf Canada
  Canada's national sf writers association
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
  The American sf writers association, but includes writers from many countries since many of them publish in the US even if they live in Canada or elsewhere. An important lobby group and source of professional legal advice, etc.
  • Canadian Regional Director: Cory Doctorow