The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction

by Cory Doctorow, Karl Schroeder

Offers advice on how to get a science fiction novel or short story published, including tips on the basic elements of a work of science fiction to getting an agent, and signing a contract.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference

360 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2000

About the author

Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger — the co-editor of Boing Boing and the author of the YA graphic novel In Real Life, the nonfiction business book Information Doesn’t Want To Be Free, and young adult novels like Homeland, Pirate Cinema, and Little Brother and novels for adults like Rapture Of The Nerds and Makers. He is a Fellow for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with books of this nature is that they are a view of one persons idea of writing. A pointless self help book, his views are not mine, therefore its unhelpful. Now other people might see it differently.

Removed this from the bookshelves... bye, bye off you go to a new home

[Dane Cobain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m confused - I’ve always heard good things about Cory Doctorow’s writing, but this is the second of two books of his that I’ve read, and both of them have left me feeling disappointed. Here, he promises to “help you meld the creative with the practical and make some extra cash in the process.”

The problem is that it’s all a little too basic, and when you feel like further advice is required, you’re prompted to contact an organisation because it’s outside the scope of the book – it really does feel like an idiot’s guide, and it’s a little demeaning in places, even if it is accidental.

It also hasn’t aged well – most of the information that the book contains is just a Google search away, and half of the agents and publications that he suggests you contact are no longer in business, having failed to adapt to the digital age. It’s only fourteen years old, but fourteen years has made a hell of a difference.

Besides, it just feels like a cheap knock-off of the ‘For Dummies‘ series – in fact, the Idiot’s Guide series has always paralleled the For Dummies series, and both of them were popularised by a book about MS-DOS. I don’t know which series launched first, but I know which one is better. I’ll give you a hint – it’s not this one.

I’m not saying that there isn’t any value to be gained from reading it, but take what you read with a pinch of salt and forge your own path through the murky world of writing and publishing – promoting your work is a skill, much like writing is, and you’ll have to develop your own techniques to suit your needs.

There’s only so much you can learn from a book, and I’m sure there are better, more up-to-date books out there for you to read. Pick this one above the others if you want to, but do so at your peril.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the caveat that a lot has changed in the world of publishing since 2000, this is still a solid guide for going to from science-fiction fan to science-fiction author. You probably know Cory Doctorow, and you probably should know Karl Schroeder, who were at the time ambitious young strivers in the small but growing Canadian science-fiction scene. This book condenses a lot of received wisdom on the publishing industry: how to submit stories without annoying editors, how to manage contracts and self-promotion, with some basic guidelines on writing every day and avoiding cliches.

Sadly, the list of agents and publishers is basically noise right now, and while the authors are forward looking and mostly right on ebooks (no surprise given their interests in digital rights and futurism), there's no way they could have foreseen Kindle Unlimited, or give advice for striving authors there. There's probably a newer resource, but not knowing what it is, I can say that this book is a decent start.

[Shara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who should read this book? ANYONE who is writing SF, fantasy, or horror, or any blend thereof. Whether you're just starting out or getting ready to shop your novel or short story, there's something for everyone (both short story writers AND novelists).[return][return]But, please keep in mind that this book IS out of print. You can find used copies on Amazon.com or ABE Books.com, or you can download a digital copy off Amazon.com. The book is worth it though, even though some information is out of date. The writers are aware of this, and encourage you to do your homework before you leap. They even give you the resources to do it![return][return]So go, read, be merry, and learn a lot in the process! :)[return][return]For a full review, just click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.co...

[Ahmet Alphan Sabancı · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beklediğimden daha iyi ve fazlasıyla yardımcı olabilecek bir eser. Bu konularda bir şeyler yapmak isteyen herkesin elinin altında bulundurmasında fayda var. Sanırım eksi diyebileceğim tek nokta bazı resmi konularda sadece ABD ve Kanada üzerinden bilgilendirmiş olmaları ancak buna rağmen bir fikir sahibi olmanızı ve buradaki yasaları, kontratları incelerken yabancı kalmamanızı sağlıyor.

[Erica Cosminsky Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I obviously came into this book knowing it was released in 2000 and would have some dated parts. It does but the writing advice is really solid. I took pages and pages of notes. Impressed with the genre specific breakdowns.

[Steven Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and Stephen King's On Writing tipped the scales for me. This is book is filled with wonderful, practical suggestions and information.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written and informative entry in the Idiot's collection. Big HOWEVER, however: the one I picked up is pretty out of date. Helpful in general, not so much in the specific.

[Michèle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wrote a raving review of this book and poof! its gone. Well, it will have to wait until later.

Summary: gooood! Buy it.

[Topher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the line of books I grabbed as I started thinking about getting back into writing, and science fiction is the most likely style for me to write.