Customer Reviews

The Business of Science Fiction: Two Insiders Discuss Writing and Publishing

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This book is exactly what it purports to be and that is perfectly fine: a series of meaty discussions from two long-published and very experienced sci-fi authors on all parts of the publishing industry as relates to the past and the currents trends in Sci-Fi publishing and selling, including the awards and the magazines. For a lover of writing and a huge fan of sci-fi from the 50's to now, I was pleased to read as these guys covered all the bases. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am glad to own and keep it to refer back to.

As a fairly new science fiction writer with a handful of pro-credits, I've read a number of books on writing. There are "how-to" books and books on the writer's life, but none have been as helpful, as important, and as candid as Mike Resnick and Barry Malzberg's The Business of Science Fiction: Two Insiders Discuss Writing and Publishing. Reading the "dialogues" in this book (which originally appeared in the SFWA Bulletin, the organ of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) is like sitting between two seasoned veterans and listening them give you the kind of candid advice that no one else will give you about the business of science fiction writing. It is an absolute pleasure to read, and moreover, it gives potential authors the low-down on what to expect (not large advances and cocktail parties, for one thing). At times, the advice and insider stories of the publishing business can seem downright depressing, but if you take what Mike and Barry say, and balance it with your own experience in the genre, then what you find is that they are providing you with invaluable information to use when making important career decision.

This book contains the kind of information every would-be science fiction writer needs to hear, but few in the industry are willing to share or admit. It is a remarkable collection of discussions ranging from topics like agents and money to e-books and the Google settlement. It's a must-have for anyone serious about becoming a science fiction writer and I highly recommend it.