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Discuss this Article by @SpanishSpy here
I think there's some truth to @SpanishSpy's words here. I've tried attending a couple of general SF conventions, but they were so general (or, in one case, purely literary to the point of having a standoffish attitude toward non-literary SF) that I found them borderline unwelcoming. That said, most of the conventions I've attended since have been Doctor Who centric and it occurred to me too late for this past November's Chicago TARDIS to pitch a panel on AH as a potential topic. I will aim to do so next year, possibly with a Who spin on the topic (the show has featured enough of them across various media over the decades).Another part of it, I think, is that many online AH fans, and SLP forum dwellers in particular, are not regular attendees at science fiction conventions.
I'd be interested in such an award - perhaps voted upon by the SLP forum membership? This gets muddled a bit when self-published AH often gets both paperback and ebook publication, but I certainly think it's a good idea in principle.Can I suggest Sea Lion launch awards (they need simply be a certificate) for AH ebooks (whether self-published or published) let alone blog and other online content, to raise the profile of them and give more recognition where recognition is due.
Yeah, I think one of the reasons why Matthew's win last week was so exciting was because it meant that there was a path for us, in a (relatively) mainstream award. It proves we're not cut off entirely from that recognition.While there may have been issues in the past (not sure), the Sidewise Awards are open to things published as e-books only. Matthew Kresal's award was not only published in an e-book only anthology, another story in the same anthology was nominated, and a long form e-book only work (mine) was nominated for the 2019 awards too.
That's not to knock the suggestion of creating an SLP award, but the Sidewise Awards are not closed to SLP books or e-books, either.
That's a big part of the picture right there. I've no idea of Turtledove or Robinette Kowell's sales numbers, but I suspect that both of their worst-performing AH works have sold at least an order of magnitude more copies than SLP's bestselling works.Obviously we have a massive disadvantage, we don't have the recognition of other names. But lets be honest we also don't have the sales of them. This company is less than 7 years old, we're having to earn our place and signs are that we are doing that.
Like when Matthew talked about his sidewise award on twitter both Turtledove and Robinette Kowell congratulated him. Turtledove at least does know who we are, because I interviewed him for the blog. It's not entirely one way.
In terms of earning our place, our own awards could help with that. The Hugos exist, but so do the Nebulas, the Locuses, the Arthur C. Clarkes, etc. It'd help us get name recognition and advance AH as a genre (as opposed to a weird peripheral outgrowth of broader SFF fandom).Yeah, I think one of the reasons why Matthew's win last week was so exciting was because it meant that there was a path for us, in a (relatively) mainstream award. It proves we're not cut off entirely from that recognition.
Obviously we have a massive disadvantage, we don't have the recognition of other names. But lets be honest we also don't have the sales of them. This company is less than 7 years old, we're having to earn our place and signs are that we are doing that.
Like when Matthew talked about his sidewise award on twitter both Turtledove and Robinette Kowell congratulated him. Turtledove at least does know who we are, because I interviewed him for the blog. It's not entirely one way.
Well, he has contributed a story to an SLP-published anthology, so that indicates a reasonable level of awareness.I did also find interesting to hear Silver isn't just aware of us but has apparently read multiple books and articles