Interview with Michael J Sullivan
Hello all, I am back from my hiatus as I moved to Ohio. Now that I am settled, enjoying the weather in the southern part of the state, I will be able to post regularly. […]
The Artful Collector: Are Conventions Good Places to Find Art? (Part 2)
Once upon a time, science fiction and fantasy conventions were great places to find, and buy, original art – and, in time – reproductions of art created by the best professional illustrators in the field […]
Why I Don’t Like My Heroes
When I first started out as a published writer of science fiction in 1978 and sold my first novel in 1979, I started going to local and national science fiction conventions. Mostly I felt it […]
Books That Never Were – Farewell Atlantis
Taking a look at fiction within fiction: literary works that has appeared in books or movies, but never published in the real world.
Demystifying the Synopsis
A synopsis is a larger version of the book jacket blurb you see on the back of most paperbacks in the bookstore. You write a synopsis for the same reason: to sell a story idea […]
I am a Reader
Before I was a writer, I was a reader. My mother tells me I’ve been reading since I was four, and I accept that, because I don’t remember a time when I couldn’t read. By […]
The Artful Collector: Why isn’t There a More Active Market in What I Collect?
A common thread of discussion for collectors who buy art from me, and which runs through many sites dealing with collectibles, concerns the factors that make certain types of “X” (coins, stamps, comics, art, etc) […]
Trials and Tribulations of the Publishing Game
As I put the finishing touches and edits on my latest novel, I am charged with the task of also creating the cover art. I consider myself to be a good photographer but for some […]
The (Ongoing) Death and Transfiguration of Science Fiction Publishing
Lazy Literary Agents in Self-Publishing Money Grab Via Argo Navis Most of you who are reading these blogs here at Amazing Stories are probably well aware that publishing is changing. It has perhaps always been […]
Why You Want to Go To A Writer’s Convention
A short while ago I attended (and participated as panelist and guest author) at the World Fantasy Convention in Toronto. And I was all jazzed about it! Why?… Well, let me tell you why… If […]
Should You Judge a Book by its Cover?
Most readers—me included—will pick a book off the bookstore shelf because its cover interests us: the title intrigues; the cover illustration attracts; the author’s name is one we trust. If you don’t know the author […]
The Dreaded M-word
A recent conversation about self and independent publishing led to me voicing my thoughts on what to do once the book is released. This will also hold true even for the traditionally published, as the […]
Demystifying Contracts #2: Novels – Territories
This will be my third installment about contracts. For reference you can also refer to: Demystifying Contracts #1: Novels – Ownership vs Rights Transfer Pulling Back the Publishing Veil: Life of Copyright Terms As we […]
The Artful Collector: Price vs. Value
It’s an innocent question: What’s it worth? And I always answer: That depends on whether you’re buying or selling. An object’s “worth” can relate to price, or it can relate to value. These words are […]
To ISBN, or Not to ISBN?
I’ve been on the brink of buying a ten-pack of ISBN numbers a half-dozen times the last few weeks. The reason I haven’t just pinched my nose and stepped off into the deep end is, […]
How to Make a SciFi Feature Film for $500
In 2006, I created Borg War, an animated Star Trek feature film. Since I suspect that most writers would jump at the change to script a Star Trek film, I thought it might be of […]
The Artful Collector: Collecting Strategies Part 5 “Living Dangerously”
There is one strategy for collecting that I haven’t yet mentioned. It is not only potentially the most expensive, it is also the most dangerous. Buy What Everyone Else is Buying Pick any one of […]
Playing the Short Game: How to Sell Your Short Fiction (Part 9 in series)
Markets, Markets Everywhere: How to select the right market Welcome back. This is my ninth post on how to market and sell short fiction. This series is written in a very specific sequence, with each […]
Three is a Magic Number
Yes, I’m old enough to remember “Schoolhouse Rock” and that ditty, along with “Conjunction Junction,” still is taking up storage space for reasons I’m not 100% sure of. But I agree with creator David McCall […]
Better Than Oprah
Several years ago I interviewed an author whose book had been turned into a movie. The book had been a selection of Oprah Winfrey’s “Book Club” and he freely admitted that that selection had changed […]
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