From now until October 31, you can sign up on Goodreads to win a free copy of WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME!

TWO copies are up for grabs. They will be signed by yours truly, and mailed to lucky winners in the US or Canada.

Click here to enter for free!

I got back from GenCon last night. Instead of relaxing and decompressing, I ended up launching right into a game of Power Grid, which made for a nice transition home.

I spent most of the con at my booth, selling When the Hero Comes Home. If you purchased it this weekend, thank you! If you’ve read it and liked it, please consider posting a review on your blog, on Amazon or on Goodreads. Or at the very least, send me a comment and let me know!

The people around me made Author’s Avenue and the Writers Symposium a pleasure. I got to spend quality time with writers, editors and game designers. I bought shiny things. I made new friends, saw old friends, and got to meet some long-time friends in person. I got a couple exciting new opportunities, and I was able to open a few doors for others, as well. I gave writing advice. I got writing advice. I got turned on to a few new games I want to check out, and books I want to read. I wore a corset, and posed for pictures with monsters, giant kitties, and Ed Greenwood. I remained vigilant in my abstinence from caffeine. Somehow.

While I was gone, Inkpunks posted a guest post I wrote: On Seeing It Through is advice and encouragement for writers trying to survive publishing’s long wait.

Also while I was gone, Dead Robots Society posted an interview with Ed Greenwood and me. We talk about all sorts of writery topics, including our new book, editing, heroes and their journeys, tips for putting anthologies together, and the importance of treating people well.

Check out the links, enjoy, read, listen, and so on. Normal service has more or less resumed!

Next stop: WorldCon…Will I see you there?

Doing a bit of catch-up here…

I did a fun guest post for the Dead Robots Society, which can be found here.

It’s all about adding value to your query and succeeding in the slush pile.

Enjoy!

Click through to visit some random things around the web that are making my inner geek smile today:

* The Dalek While-You-Were-Out Note — courtesy of BBC America. I want to print this out and hang it on my door.

* If IKEA Were Here Before the Druids — those wordless instructions always make construction seem so simple, don’t they?

* Goodnight Dune — a perfect Arrakeen homage to Goodnight Moon, and one that gives new meaning to the little mouse on every page (my favorite part of the book!).

* My Little Golden Book About ZOGG — A frighteningly well-done reinterpretation of a classic Little Golden Book, showcasing its innocence by recasting it into a tale of alien invasion. We humans are so very susceptible to cuteness. Heed this cautionary tale, lest it be our undoing…

In a word: THIS.

@CherylMorgan tweeted (and posted) a heads-up about this and I thought I’d give it a signal boost. Apparently a publisher decided to “straighten” the deliberately-ambiguous gender pronouns in writer Mima Simić’s story, turning it unambiguously heterosexual. In Mima’s words, “As this gender/sex ambiguity is one of the thematic pillars of my story, this benevolent editorial intervention (which made the narrator a man and the relationship heterosexual!) completely changed my story, its aims and effects.”

It’s worth clicking above and reading her whole article. Her story was translated from Croatian for an English-language anthology, but it’s important to note that the author handled the translation herself, and had her translation checked over by a few trusted readers. This isn’t a translation mistake, then, it was a deliberate editorial choice.

The author is the author of the story. If this sounds tautological to you, then good. It should. It’s basic common sense, and it’s one of the fundamentals I keep in mind when I edit. My job is to make the author’s finished product the best that it can be. Not my finished product, but the author’s. And that means being the author’s partner and collaborator, keeping the story in the author’s voice, and keeping it true to the author’s vision. And that means querying the author when that vision isn’t coming across clearly, instead of proceeding on my own assumptions.

If I see a change that I think will strengthen a manuscript, it’s my job to tell the author, and also to explain my position. Authors are pretty clever people, and sometimes authors have reasons for what they do. I provide my reasoning so that the author can understand the benefit of following my suggestion, and also so that they can provide an intelligent opinion on the matter. Sometimes their position makes more sense than mine, and the original text stays. Sometimes my concerns point out a weakness that the author chooses to strengthen in a different direction. Either way, I’ve stated and explained my concern, we’ve discussed, and we’ve mutually agreed on the choice that will most benefit the story.

If I see something ambiguous in a manuscript, it’s my job to tell the author, “this sounds like it could mean this, or it could mean this. Please clarify in the narrative.” It is not my job to make my own judgment call, change the author’s story, and then print it my way. Even if an author and I don’t see eye to eye on a point (which has happened), it isn’t my place to print it my way behind the author’s back. It’s my obligation to present my reasoning, listen to theirs, and work to find agreement one way or another. Usually, the particular issue I have turns out to have nothing to do with the particular element of the original that the author wants to preserve, and we’re able to find a compromise that keeps their intent, satisfies my concerns, and is true to the story, all at the same time.

Horror stories are emerging, connected to Mima Simić’s case, about editors changing the intent of the story, changing characters to make them more socially acceptable, dumbing down sentences or changing tone and meaning. These sorts of things need to be clearly arranged and agreed upon by all parties — editor, publisher and author. Otherwise, it is not the author’s story. And if a publisher doesn’t want the author’s story, well…why would they choose to take it?

Sometimes, tiny changes are made without author involvement, especially in the end-stages and proofs. A contract may state that minor editing, such as spelling or grammar corrections, may be made without explicit permission.

There may be a few I’ve forgotten, but here are some things I consider minor, and will change without consulting the author:

* obvious unintentional typos/spelling errors (“They got thier coats.”)
* obvious formatting errors (One non-italic letter in a word in an italicized sentence, where clearly not a deliberate choice.)
* obvious punctuation errors and punctuation omissions
* capitalization to conform internally to a set precedent within the story, or to standard rules of style, in cases where context is clearly not special to the story
* use of commas, only in lists and in conjunction with dialogue where context is obvious and standard rules of style apply and hold precedence.

Commas elsewhere are so often a matter of style and preference that I send all other comma suggestions to the author to be vetted. There is rarely disagreement on comma placement, but a single comma can change the meaning of a sentence, and I don’t assume that I understand what a sentence is meant to mean; I develop a rapport with the author and story, and I can often guess what the intent of a passage is, but at the same time, the best I can do is guess, and sometimes I guess wrong.

That’s what margin comments — and author contact information — are for. And I’m not afraid to use them.

And that’s what contracts are for. Among other things, they set limits on other people’s rights to your story. Authors, know your rights and don’t be afraid to speak up for your own protection.

Bestselling author Brenda Novak is gearing up for her 2011 charity auction for Diabetes research. It opens for bidding on May 1 and runs through May 31.

The Good Cause

All the funds from this auction go to the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami. Since I lost my mom to diabetes-related complications last year, this is a cause near to my heart. Last year, we helped Brenda raise over $300,000 for diabetes research. That brought the six-year cumulative total over $1 million. The good news: donations, like all charitable donations to registered charities, are tax-deductible.

Last year, I donated a three-chapter critique and line edit. The item was more successful than I ever would have imagined, and the young writer who won felt she’d gotten her money’s worth. She reported that she found my feedback extremely helpful. This year, I’m donating two items: a three-chapter crit and edit again, and a small one-chapter crit and edit.

The Good Resource

Brenda’s auction items are donated by crafters, rock stars, writers and corporations. They include cars and vacations, autographed memorabilia, jewelry, books, and a wide variety of you-name-it, both big-ticket and small.

The auction also includes many items of specific interest to writers. Lunch with a bestselling author. Critiques from authors, agents and editors. Classes and workshops, networking opportunities, website and promotional services. You can participate for a good cause and advance your own career at the same time, or at least receive some valuable feedback from a professional you might not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet.

How You Can Participate

Donate time, goods, or services. The auction is still accepting items. Writers, you can offer a signed copy of your book, a commercial item, a handmade craft or even something storebought. It gets you some visibility in front of a wide new audience.

Purchase goods or services. Signed books are usually not too expensive at auction, and they’re a great momento. Winning a critique or a lunch date from an editor or agent will put you on their radar, and will give you invaluable feedback for your manuscript.

Donate directly, without bidding. You can participate and show your support for diabetes research even if none of the items in the auction strike your fancy.

Follow this link if you’re interested in donating! Bids will open May 1st.

Last year, I posted about the fantastic experience I had at the San Francisco Writers Conference. This year’s conference, February 18-20 at the fabulous Mark Hopkins Hotel, promises to be even more exciting than last year’s.

My brilliant intern, Xander Briggs, will be on-hand to experience the whirlwind networking and editorial sessions with me. I’m really looking forward to this — we’ve been writing partners for years, but this will be the first time we’re actually meeting.

I’m also going to be presenting a post-conference half-day session with two fantastic authors: Philippa Ballantine and bestseller Katharine Kerr.

If you can’t make it to the SFWC, you can still take advantage of its online partner, San Francisco Writers University. There, you can network with other writers, editors, and agents. Free and premium audio courses are available for download.

If you haven’t heard me share enough query letter advice on this blog, you can download my 30-minute premium lecture on “What You Need to Know Before (and after) You Send Your Query Letter.” The link is here. (Free registration is required to see the course info page.)

Author Jim C. Hines posted recently about power dynamics in publishing — specifically, about how occasionally an editor will take advantage of that power dynamic to harass writers and aspiring writers, and how that sort of behavior is Very Much Not Okay. Even less okay is the fact that sometimes writers and aspiring writers feel they have to endure unwanted sexual comments or advances in order to get published.

It’s an important point.

Jim also reminds writers that:

• an editor you don’t sign with, has no power over you.
• if your writing isn’t ready yet, an editor isn’t going to buy a book from you no matter how many advances you endure.
• if an editor’s going to treat you that way, you don’t have to sign with them. If you’re a good writer, no matter who the editor is, they’re not your only option.

Being an editor, even a female one and a not-particularly-big-name-yet one, I’ve still been witness to that power dynamic that exists between editors and authors. Editors don’t have much power over writers, as Jim points out, but writers sometimes ascribe a lot of power to editors.

I’ve been approached by writers who are as nervous to talk to me as I am when I talk to Big Name Authors. It still boggles me that anyone could possibly be afraid of me, or awed by me, or otherwise assign that kind of power to me, but I’ve seen it happen. When people treat their entire potential career as a living, breathing fragile object and put it into your hands, it’s hard not to feel as though you can affect the course of their lives — whether you really can, or not.

I don’t look for it, I don’t encourage it, and I don’t particularly feel comfortable with it. But I can see how an editor could, well…could like it. And could get used to it, and could take liberties with it.

I’m so careful, when I go to conventions or other networking opportunities. I’m always mindful of my tone. I aim to be casual, friendly and approachable…and aware of where that line is. I’m happy to socialize with writers, or to chat about publishing over coffee or a drink, but I’m careful not to create a power dynamic that might in any way suggest that giving me a backrub or even buying me a drink might lead to a book deal.

It’s always rewarding when a client or a colleague moves beyond that dynamic and becomes a friend. I’m comfortable hugging a friend, or bantering more. But only when it’s appropriate: when the comfort level is there, when we know each other well. When there’s no power dynamic behind it. When it’s familiar, and mutual, and equal.

Enduring a leer or a grope or a crude remark should never be part of the process of getting published. Writers can get into a rut where they’re so single-mindedly focused on publication that anything that’ll get you there seems worth it. It isn’t. There will always be someone somewhere else who will be professional and appropriate. Only by speaking up about the people who are not, and denying them that power, will take it away from them.

Part of the problem is that many people don’t seem to realize that there is recourse: there are people to report to, who are higher within an organization and to whom editors have accountability. Accordingly, Jim has followed up with an even more important post: resources for reporting harassment to major SF/F publishers and conventions. He writes:

As a general rule, if you’ve been sexually harassed by an editor or another employee of a publisher, complaints can be directed to the publisher’s H.R. department. Please note that reporting to H.R. will usually trigger a formal, legal response.

I’ve also spoken to people at several publishers to get names and contact information for complaints, both formal and informal. I’ve put asterisks by the publishers where I spoke with someone directly.

It’s my pleasure to help spread awareness about this issue. Thanks are due to Jim C. Hines, for compiling these resources.

I’ll also add to the list: If you have an issue with inappropriate behavior from a Dragon Moon Press employee or representative, Gwen Gades (the owner of the company) will take it seriously. The contact is publisher (at) dragonmoonpress.com.

Previously on this blog, I’ve mentioned that bad reviews happen.

However, there’s an important difference between a negative review and a negative reviewer.

Lisa Desrochers wrote a great rant on her blog today: When Book Reviews Cross the Line.

There is no reviewer-cred in tearing down authors, just because you happen to dislike or disagree with their work. And some reviewers who are themselves aspiring authors seem to be especially guilty of this, when they should probably be the ones taking pains to be the most respectful. The writing community really is a community. Its members stick together, cross-promote, and support each other. Writers who forget that their words have impact and consequences, who turn their reviews into opportunities for catty attacks, are harming their standing with the very community to which they might be turning for support someday.

Kirsten Hubbard’s post, The Three Types of Negative Book Reviews, also talks about reviews that cross the line. She points out that internet pseudo-anonymity makes some people feel as though they have license to use their words maliciously.

Both are good posts, and good reminders. Not all reviews have to be glowing reviews, but there’s a difference between a negative review and an attack.

As Lisa Desrochers notes: “A nasty review of any book or author is a reflection on you more than the book, and [other writers] take that into account when we decide how much we’ll be supporting your writing career.”

David Hartwell, publisher of the New York Review of Science Fiction, said in an interview, “We review books, not writers.” As every reviewer should.

What do sexuality and the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft have in common?

I answer this question and more in an interview regarding my story “Descent of the Wayward Daughter” for the forthcoming anthology Cthulhurotica.

Read more here, and preorder your copy of Cthulhurotica during the month of November!