Douglas Smith | Writer of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Updated Dec 2009

Advances
Advances – author Tobias Buckell's survey of advances for SF&F novels

Agents
Agent Research – Independent free resource to check an agent's public record and any negative reports
Agenting 101 – Agent Kristin Nelson's blogs (page down to links on right)
Assoc'n of Authors' Representatives – Org'n of independent literary agents (for checking agent reputability)
Bewares and Background Checks – Absolute Write's forum discussion on agents and publishers to avoid
Dean Wesley Smith on agents – One of Dean's "Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing" articles (highly recommended)
Miss Snark – Archived blog of the (in)famous Miss Snark, mythic NYC agent. A wealth of great advice.
Neil Gaiman on Agents – Neil's blog entry on finding a literary agent.
Preditors and Editors – Good source for recommendations and warnings regardings agents
Writer's Beware on Agents – section of SFWA's Writer's Beware site on literary agents

Awards
Aurora Awards – Annual fan-voted awards for best Canadian SF&F
Hugo Awards – International awards voted on by WorldCon members
Hugo Winners – the Hugo winners (fiction) over the years by # of wins
John W. Campbell Award – International award for best new SF&F writer
Locus Index to SF Awards – Links to various SF&F awards
Nebula Awards – International awards voted on by SFWA members
Sunburst Award – Juried award for best Canadian SF&F novel
UPC Science Fiction Award – European science fiction award

Blogs by Writers (my faves)
Neil Gaiman
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
A Freelancer's Survival Guide – Kris Rusch's series of articles on being a freelance writer
Dean Wesley Smith
Jay Lake

Bookstores
BakkaPhoenix – Canada's oldest SF&F bookstore and a Toronto institution
Silver Snail Comics – Toronto (and online) comic store

Conventions
WorldCon – World SF organization and convention site
World Fantasy – Annual World Fantasy Convention (late October)
World Horror – Annual World Horror convention (usually March-April)
Ad Astra – Annual Toronto SF&F convention (February-March)
Polaris – Annual Toronto SF&F convention – formerly Toronto Trek (July)
SFContario – Annual Toronto SF&F convention (November)
Locus list – Locus Magazine's list of conventions

Copyright Licensing
ALCS – Author's Licensing and Collection Society (UK)
AccessCopyright – Canadian copyright licensing organization
Cdn Intellectual Property – Federal site with lots of copyright info

Creativity
Creativity tips – From writers such as Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut, Ernest Hemingway,...
Originality – Article on misunderstood concept of "originality" in creativity, by cartoonist Nina Paley

eBook Covers
Morgue File – free photos for personal or commercial purposes without need to attribute original creator
eBook Cover Design – from a fellow writer who I would recommend

Formatting Manuscripts, Synopses et al
Manuscript checklist – From award-winning SF writer Robert J.Sawyer
Synopsis Format – How to format a novel synopsis

Grant Organizations
Ontario Arts Council – Grants and support for Ontario creative artists
Canada Council – Grants and support info for Canadian creative artists

Market Lists
Ralan's Webstravaganza – Ralan Conley's Speculative Fiction Market List (still the best source–and it's free)
Foreign Market List – My own list of non-English speculative fiction markets around the world
Audio Market List – Kevin Anderson's list of pod-cast markets for genre fiction
Duotrope's Digest – Searchable database of fiction markets
Places for Writers – Canadian literary and genre markets
Literary Markets – a list of literary markets compiled from a variety of sources and criteria
Story Pilot – Searchable database of fiction markets

Plotting, Outlining, and Synopses
Outlining – Novelist Randy Ingermanson's "snowflake" method to novel outlines
Synopses and Outlines – Tips from award-winning SF&F writer, Jay Lake
Lester Dent's Plot Formula – the 1930's pulp master's (in)famous plot formula

Postage Information
Canada Post – Postal rates and info for Canada
US Postal Service – Postal rates and info for the US

Professional Writing Organizations - Genre
SFWA – Science Fiction Writers of America (professional writers org'n)
SF Canada – Canadian professional SF&F writers organization
HWA – Horror Writers Association
BFS – British Fantasy Society

Professional Writing Organizations - Other
NWU – National Writers Union (US)

Promoting Your Writing
Press releases – how to format, write and get a press release published
Simon Rose's articles – a variety of articles by Canadian YA author, Simon Rose

Publishers and Imprints
AAP Imprints List – Assoc of American Publishers list of imprints for publishing co's
AAP Members – Assoc of American Publishers membership (publishing co's) list with websites
Canadian Publishers – Publisher's Weekly roundup of Cdn houses (as of Nov 2009)
Publisher's Marketplace – Track deals, sales, reviews, agents, editors, industry news (subscription).

Publishing – Other
After the Sale – Tor author Jane Lindskold explains what happens after a novel is sold
Industry Sales 2002-2007 – AAP 2007 report on publishing industry net sales
Publishing Terms – one agent's helpful list of some common publishing terms.

Research for Writers
Behind the Name – great site for researching first names for your characters
The Lab: the Writers' Forensic Community – ask an expert your forensic crime questions

SF&F Sites
Ansible – David Langford's long-running (1979), award-winning news (and rumour) site
Made in Canada – Award-winning resource for Canadian SF
Arjay – Rich Sutcliffe's Canadian SF page
SF Site – Large SF site with reviews and related links
SFF.net – Online community for SF related discussion
SF Round Table – Online community for SF related discussion
Tangent Online – Online short fiction review site

Web Sites for Writers
The Ultimate Writer's Website – If you like my site, here's how you can get your own version

Workshops
Oregon Writers Network workshops – A variety of workshops focusing on both the craft and business of writing, given by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith, with a variety of big-name editor instructors as well. Highly recommended.