Electric Velocipede 27.

Here are the mini-interviews from our final issue, EV 27.

TOC here (for both issues 26 and 27). 

Goodbye, Electric Velocipede.

Electric Velocipede and Icarus Closing

Electric Velocipede has a story in the Year's Best SF, 31st edition.

Beneath Ceaseless Skies blogged about our final issue.  Locus has a long review of EV 27, which includes spoilers for some pieces (I like to read my short fiction without knowing anything about it, myself, but YMMV, of course).

"I’m unhappy to bid goodbye to Electric Velocipede, of which we have the last issue here. A loss to the field." - Lois Tilton
— Electric Velocipede (@EV_Mag) December 27, 2013

You can buy issue 27 as an ebook for Kindle or Nook.  All the poems and stories were posted 30-January-2013.  [Will link to second post presently.]

"The Soviet Union needs beasts... Is a beast what you want to be?” http://t.co/d1Imh8TZMW @sentencebender in @EV_Mag
— Lara Elena Donnelly (@larazontally) December 30, 2013

Come to ConFusion next month (17-19 January 2014) and help us remember Electric Velocipede!  And if you're in NYC during February 2014, they're throwing a party too.  Huzzah to Matt and Sam!

Electric Velocipede (@EV_Mag) final issue release party, Feb 28th at Bluestockings Books. http://t.co/chnxMkUamU
— Matthew Kressel (@mattkressel) December 23, 2013

But we're having a wake in Michigan.

I am particularly proud of this as it was somewhat my idea, you see.  And I wanted John to enjoy ConFusion 2014; what better way than a party?  Celebration and farewell.  Come raise a glass with us -- there will be door prizes and raffles and STUFF.  Really!

I loved working on EV.  I'm proud to have been part of the team for 2008-2013.  I'm grateful for the others who became part of the team too -- for a little while or a long time, depending on their lives.

I'm thankful for them all, every one:  Adam, Patrick, Damien, Jamie; and all our slushreaders and proofreaders and support staff and... you.  Thank you.  It's been a wonderful ride on Electric Velocipede.

I'm so glad I got to hitch a ride.  With John and with all of you.

Next stage on NSB and Sky/Start.

This all comes after the recent news for Night Shade Books and their authors.  There's lots of pertinent info for any writer, from the terms as discussed by agent Joshua Bilmes to the contract gone over by Michael Stackpole.

A Better Deal for Night Shade Books' Authors.

The SFWA also weighs in with a brief statement.

Tobias Buckell's roundup post has been added to, considerably.  If you haven't read it, I really recommend you do so.  If you read nothing else, read his post, because it gets the highlights of a LOT of this discussion.

He added author Kameron Hurley's post Deal/No Deal and posts [such as the initial post, The Embarrassment of the Night Shade/Skyhorse deal] by agent Andrew Zack.

I highly recommend Kameron's and Andrew's posts.  He's done several.


A Tweet from Electric Velocipede too.

2013: Night Shade Books.

What went wrong? at Night Shade Books.

A round-up post by Tobias Buckell with LOTS of fine links, including a few I've got here.  Really well worth it, because Toby is amazing and he always explains things very well.

Such as The Night Shade Writers of America by Joshua Bilmes

Details of the Skyhorse offer from Michael Stackpole.

Looking over at Absolute Write, I found more details there on Skyhorse, which don't sound good -- via the AW user Weirdmage.  Skyhorse is in the Bewares section, which is linked in Weirdmage's post, along with directions as to where the 2013 discussion starts.


I am not one of their authors.

FYI:  NSB's Eclipse Online is now closed.

Plot devices (and coupons).

There was a discussion about plot devices over at Daily Kos.  It's also stocked with many many handy links for writers and readers alike.

And if you haven't heard of plot devices, or plot coupons, then you need to read The Well-Tempered Plot Device.  Which is brilliant, clever, useful, and hilarious.  I shall never have any other nickname for LOTR than Nick's...

I think every sf/f reader should know about plot coupons.  And hey, the laughs help too. :D

Market news: Duotrope's 2013 change.

An author friend mentioned Duotrope's Digest to me -- and how they've chosen to close their listings to you unless you subscribe there.

Here's another author's take on why "free" isn't owed to users, which I found refreshing and pragmatic.


If you're seeking an alternative to Duotrope for market research, there's a variety to choose from, courtesy of Author Alden -- including the long-standing Ralan.com, of course.

Market listings:  Ralan, SFWA's Pro Market List, Spec Lit Foundation's List; submission trackers:  Sonar 3, Writer's Planner, The Writer's Database, LibreOffice; and market response statistics:  Black Holes, the Write 1/Sub 1 Forum at Absolute Write, The Rejections and Acceptances Log.

Two are new market listings:  Submitomancy and The Submission Grinder.  I've linked the Grinder in case you'd like to help them out; for all ten links, please see Author Alden, above.

Some tidbits from Twitter, and Worldcon.

I'm back from Worldcon/Chicon 7!  Had such a fantastic, brilliant, amazing and lovely time.

No InterWeb (even Twitter!) was harmed by me during the convention either.  Amtrak did not purchase wifi for Michigan trains; so I couldn't Tweet, which is likely a good thing, as I had a comfortable coze on Thursday with friends en route, and rested a bit on my Monday train returning. 

A few book & 'zine links

Books -- from paper to e-books...

On The Certain Economics Of Relegating Paper Books To The Margins Of The Business

And magazines:

Realms of Fantasy Déjà vu

I wonder if, some day, we will all look back and say, "What! Oh, e-books, remember when print was dying or dead?"

Piracy and e-books...

And as I've lately read The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes... here's a recent article about the Great Detective.

AZ summary: 2010

This used to be in the sidebar. I think I'll update my summary annually.

* During 2005-2007, I proofread for author Steven Brust. Then I copy edited his collaboration _A Pair of Bullets_ during 2007, which was briefly online (starting 5-Sept-2008).

* I became the copy editor for Locus Magazine in September 2007, right after becoming the then-junior copy editor for Shimmer Magazine.

* In July 2008, I began proofreading The New York Review of Science Fiction.

* In October 2008, I began proofreading Electric Velocipede.


I passed the torch and am not proofreading Locus anymore [since early 2010]. My duties increased at EV, to Shimmer's loss. I'm now the managing editor at EV.

When I went from two to four zines, I hadn't expected that two are perhaps the easier load -- but so it's proved. Particularly as I handle more books now than I did.

Honorables and...

Shimmer and Electric Velocipede both got honorable mentions in Ellen's new anthology, Best Horror of the Year 2.

Here's three Shimmery reviews. And isn't this a pretty cover for the new EV? :D


I'm going up to Penguicon in two weeks. P-con moved again, now it's at ConFusion's hotel, the Troy Marriott.

It's interesting to see how things change; I hadn't done panels much because I'd been involved in writing workshop coordination. Now the panels that interest me are about writing and/or publishing... a logical progression, but one I wouldn't have thought about a decade ago.

Mid-January -- right?

I haven't been reading any blogs except EV, so no other links today.

I delivered my January book, and now I'm on my smaller deadlines -- smaller as in lower word counts. So this week is all about 'zines. :> I sent in NYSRF already; time for Locus, Shimmer, and EV.

FYI: That book was about 98k, so one of my higher word counts.

I'll also be packing for my trip. I keep feeling like it's next week, or nearly next weekend, so I look at the calendar a lot. Nothing like living in the future a little too much!

ETA: Moonie on OW, or, the Dreaded Overwriter!

Closure... & nostalgia.

I was looking for that cartoon that Pat Rothfuss did earlier this year... and here's a link to other authors discussing that same issue.

Pretty sure I have another slant on this somewhere, might add that in here next. Or maybe not.

William talks about one pronoun's overuse. It's a bit funny in that I've noticed myself querying "it" and suggesting "that" lately. :>

Moonrat explains about sell-through and second printings.

Note that EV is temporarily closed to subs until May 2010. We really are full up until 2011.

And I've likely said it already, but I'm thinking about going back to MI for a visit next month, to Confusion, to visit, etc.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about 20 years ago, the days of BBSes and 300-baud modems. Before the Web. Mere years before I got on the 'Net, which was something used by college students, sf authors, and the military...

-- and now it's almost the year 2010! Yes: Brave new world indeed, O Miranda, that has such people in't.

Market roundup, WFC...

Jason Sanford talks about online 'zines, with notes about their websites.

Everyone's at World Fantasy! Well, okay -- I'm not, but lots of folks are. EV's up for the World Fantasy Award.

If you're there, go over to Johncon. :> Say hi to Beth and the rest of Shimmer -- and everyone at Locus, and NYRSF.

Halloween is almost here, but I'm thinking about Guy Fawkes Day. I know Kit Kindred likes to have a party that day... maybe I'll follow that tradition. Hmmm.

Books, 'zines, promotion...

From Moonrat, Your Pub Date, Minus... and Novice Authors Must Promote Themselves.

Shimmer's Issue 11, the Clockwork Jungle Book, is due out soon. So is Electric Velocipede 19. You can catch up with my editors -- Beth and John, respectively -- at the World Fantasy Convention in San Jose.

My friend's thoughts about e-books, from a discussion on Tor.com (Bells, Whistles, & Books) .

For anyone who wants to find print books a good home, and/or exchange books for other books, PaperBackSwap.com has the best selection and very nice users, while swaptree.com expedites swapping books, CDs, DVDs, and video games.

Last weekend's ConClave 34 was awesome: The Baen Barflies. Marcon's brownies. Travis Taylor's "Sex in Space" panel with M. Keaton. A really great workshop. The Great Lakes Gaylaxian's room party...

Running full slam...

This October is a little... busy.


Support Our 'Zines Day was 1-Oct-09. If you didn't know, do stop by your favorite and show your appreciation!

The SOZD progress report, by its creator, Damien G. Walter. Charles Tan lists a few more 'zines. I recommend Cheryl Morgan's post, with her link to Amanda Palmer, for anyone who thinks highly of the starving artiste motif.

The first World SF round table.

This weekend I'll be at ConClave. We'll be doing the writing workshop. Hope to see you there. :>

New job at EV

An editing position. :D

http://blog.electricvelocipede.com/2008/11/announcement-1-introducing-anne-zanoni.html

NYRSF

Last month I began helping out at The New York Review of Science Fiction.

Very cool. I never know what will come in, and it's very different from anything else I've worked on.

September (#241) is the retro issue, with Doc Savage and James Blish essays on the front page. August (#240) reviewed Lovecraft-inspired art, and featured various essays, one remembering Roger Zelazny, and another on Greye La Spina [a lady I had never heard of].

The New York Review of Science Fiction is a semiprozine which just reached its twenty-first year, and has twenty Hugo nominations; published monthly.

Their Dragon Press store opened this year.


This is a really good summer.

AZ Shea: Open for business

I hereby announce that I am hanging out my shingle as a copy editor and proofreader.

I work for two magazines, Shimmer and Locus.

• Locus is subtitled "The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field." I began copy editing for Locus during September 2007. Published monthly.

Locus is the trade journal for science fiction and fantasy.

Locus Magazine

• Shimmer seeks "speculative fiction for a miscreant world." I am one of two copy editors for Shimmer, and I began copy editing and proofreading there in September 2007. Published quarterly.

Recent Shimmer stories were listed (under "Summation 2006: Fantasy") in _The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007_.

Shimmer Magazine