Walter Jon Williams's Blog, page 135
October 21, 2014
October 20, 2014
Reflexes
The sad fact is, Henry spoiled us. After ten days of Henry planning our travel, our meals, and arranging our public appearances, our travelers’ instincts had faded. Thus, when catastrophe struck, we found ourselves with small resource.
Yesterday we flew from Tel Aviv to Paris. The plan was simple: we’d arrive at 11pm, clear customs, rent a car from Hertz before their desk closed at midnight, then drive to a hotel where I’d arranged a reservation.
Of course that’s not what happened. The plane wa...
Yesterday we flew from Tel Aviv to Paris. The plan was simple: we’d arrive at 11pm, clear customs, rent a car from Hertz before their desk closed at midnight, then drive to a hotel where I’d arranged a reservation.
Of course that’s not what happened. The plane wa...
October 18, 2014
Jazzar
Henry and Daniela took us to Acco today, the ancient city known in Crusader times as St Jean d’Acre. The old city is still surrounded by massive (mostly Ottoman) fortifications, and the huge stone headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller, with its vast echoing gothic halls and conspiratorial underground tunnels, still survives (mostly because it was buried in sand and rubble till the 20th century).I find myself without the time for a proper appreciation of the town and its history, but I thoug...
October 15, 2014
Wikiday
It’s my Wikiday today, by which I mean the date given as my birthday in Wikipedia. This date is not my actual birthday, and I’ve never corrected the error, firstly because errors in my biography make me seem more interesting than I actually am, and secondly, because the error makes it more difficult for people to steal my identity. But all that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t celebrateThe Icon Festival is over, having ended rather late last night and leaving me exhausted. But exhaustion is no reason...
October 14, 2014
First Breathless Report
I’ve been extremely busy since arriving in Tel Aviv, racing off in one direction on sightseeing excursions, then dashing in another direction to participate in the Icon Festival.Everyone has been amazingly friendly and supportive, and my events have been well attended. My signing had enough people to fill the hour, but not so many that I couldn’t interact with each of the readers as they arrived at my table, and pose for pictures when necessary. Pretty much perfect, in other words.
I’d like in...
October 13, 2014
Let the Toolbox Roll!
The dates for next year’s Taos Toolbox have been set!The two-week master class for science fiction and fantasy will be held June 28-July 11, 2015, in Taos Ski Valley. Nancy Kress and I will be teaching, with special lecturers Carrie Vaughn and Emily Mah Tippets.
The application period begins December 1, 2014.
Toolbox has a very good record for producing writers who can sell fiction (and get nominated for awards), so if you’re serious about your work and want to get into the game, you’ll definit...
October 10, 2014
First Glimpse of the Holy Land
It’s the Sacred Train of Savidor!Except it’s the Sabbath, so it’s not going anywhere.
October 8, 2014
Launching Monday!
If you happen to read from right to left, you might want to check out the forthcoming Hebrew editions ofHardwired andThe Green Leopard Plague and Other Stories. And if you happen to be in Tel Aviv this coming Monday, you should definitely attend the launch party for the books, which will take place alongside the Icon Festival for Science Fiction and Fantasy. Which in turn takes place alongside the religious festival of Sukkoth, which judging by the web page seems to be the festival in which p...
October 7, 2014
Riding for a Showdown
My alternative-history novella “The Last Ride of German Freddie,” a tale of Tombstone, is now available for your highly discriminating reading pleasure at Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, Kobo, and Amazon. It’s a mere $2.99. At that price, you should buy lots of copies!
It’s one of two stories I’ve set in the Old West, the other being “The Golden Age.” “The Golden Age” is a Weird Western that teeters somewhere between superhero fantasy and steampunk, but “German Freddie” may best be descri...
October 6, 2014
Harper Slips In
My sometime publisher HarperCollins has quietly re-entered online retail by relaunching its online site, hc.com, and announcing thatwriters would earn an additional 10% royalty for ebooks sold through the site.
Bully for them! Ebook royalties offered by major publishers are, let’s face it, low. 25%, maybe, against 70% or more for self-publishing. So 35% is clearly a step in the right direction.
And, as Harper’s press release goes on to say,”Our authors can also be certain that their books will...
Bully for them! Ebook royalties offered by major publishers are, let’s face it, low. 25%, maybe, against 70% or more for self-publishing. So 35% is clearly a step in the right direction.
And, as Harper’s press release goes on to say,”Our authors can also be certain that their books will...
