You’ve been writing stories. Some have appeared in magazines and anthologies. A few are still making the rounds. And a few more—possibly the best of the lot—don’t seem to be a good fit for the current markets. But one thing’s for sure. You’ve got enough for a collection.
So what do you do?
Next week, at 1:30 PDT on Friday, June 7, three panelists and I will be unpacking that question at the 59th Annual Nebula Conference, held this year at the Westin Pasadena. You can attend in person or online. Either way, I hope you’ll join us for what is sure to be a lively and informative discussion.
The Panelists
Alex Kingsley is a writer, comedian, audio producer, and game designer whose short story collection The Strange Garden and Other Weird Tales is currently available in audiobook, ebook, and hardcover from Strong Branch Press. Alex is also cohost of the podcast TableSlop, where they spend each hour-long segment creating a tabletop game from scratch. It’s clever stuff.
Rachael Kuintzle is a Denver-based author, editor, scientist, and labor & tenant organizer who is editor in chief of the short-story anthology Inner Space & Outer Thoughts – Speculative Fiction From Caltech and JPL Authors. Available in audiobook, ebook, and paperback, Inner Space features Rachael’s stories “The Bittersweet Magic of Neuroplasticity” and “Teaspoons”—both of which are available at her website.
Philip Fracassi’s story collections include No One is Safe!, Beneath a Pale Sky, and Behold the Void—all available in audio, ebook, and print from Lethe Press. Behold the Void was also released in numbered and lettered editions from Thunderstorm Books.
It’s sure to be an informative conversation.
What would you like to know?
Among the topics we plan to cover are:
- How does a writer get started writing and selling short stories in today’s market?
- What considerations determine the contents of a collection (foreword, introductions, story selection and order)?
- How does one secure a publisher and market a story collection?
But beyond those discussion points, we’re interested in knowing what questions you have about putting together a short story collection. To that end, we’ll be setting aside time during the presentation for questions from the audience. But there’s no need to wait until then. The comment box and social media buttons are open. If you have a question about story collections or advice you’d like to share, please drop us a note and we’ll endeavor to cover it during the panel. I’ll also endeavor to recap our responses at this blog shortly after the panel concludes.
Attending the Nebulas
This year’s conference will take place at The Westin Pasadena from June 6-9.
Can’t make it to Pasadena? No problem. You can also attend online at events.sfwa.org.
Either way, if you’re interested in learning more about putting together a short fiction collection or anything else related to the art, craft, and business of writing science fiction, I’ll hope to see you there.
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