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sawyer@sfwriter.com

Quintaglios:
Far-Seer
Fossil Hunter
Foreigner

Dear Aspirant Writer:

You're getting this letter because you've contacted me about writing science fiction. Unfortunately, so many people have taken to asking me for advice that I've had to resort to this form letter of response. Still, I hope it's of some assistance.

This letter contains 100% of the help I can give you; everything else is up to you.

1) I will not collaborate with you; writing fiction is a solitary profession, and, frankly, if you're a beginner, you've got nothing to bring to the table, anyway. Ideas are a dime a dozen; if I stopped having ideas today, I'd still have enough not-yet-used ones to continue writing for the rest of my life. The same thing is true for all professional writers.

2) I will not read any sample of your work; sorry, but I just don't have the time and, besides, the only opinion that counts is that of an editor who is willing to pay you money.

3) I will not recommend you to my agent. My current agent is the top name in the field, and when I switched to him in 1996, I had to be simultaneously both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award nominee to attract his interest. He is not looking for beginning writers.

1) Money always, always, always flows to the writer, never the other way around. Any "publisher," "editor," or "agent" who asks you for money up front for anything is a ripoff artist. Period. Never pay to have anything published, agented, or critiqued.

2) In general, "online publishing" is an oxymoron; don't do it. If you can't make it in print, you're not yet good enough. Become a better writer, and continue to try to crack the print markets.

1) A writer needs talent, perseverance, and luck — yes, all three of them.

2) Fewer than one percent of those who want to be science-fiction writers ever publish even a single story. This is a tough, tough game to get into, and there are thousands of aspirant writers just like you. Almost all will fail, and 90% of those who manage to sell a first novel or a few short stories will also fail after that, never selling anything again.

3) Almost nobody gets rich writing SF, and hardly anyone gets to do it full-time. If you're going into this for the money, you are making a mistake. Most SF magazines pay between three and eight cents U.S. a word for stories, and most first novels in this field get advances of between US$2,500 and US$7,500 — and never earn a penny beyond that in royalties. Flipping burgers at McDonald's will make you more on an hourly basis.

4) You have to finish your book before you can sell it.

5) The response time from an editor for a novel submission (either the full manuscript, or a partial [first three chapters and a synopsis of the rest of your already-finished book] will be between three months and a couple of years. Sad, but true. And almost all publishers frown on you submitting your work to more than one editor at a time.

1) Information about markets can be found online — one excellent source is www.ralan.com — and most major book and magazine publishers have their submission guidelines online; check their websites.

2) There's only one right way to do a manuscript. The format is explained on my web site at www.sfwriter.com/mschklst.htm

3) The best book on writing SF is Orson Scott Card's Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy, published by Writer's Digest Books. Major online booksellers carry it, and you can have your local bookstore order it if it's not in stock, or you can get it from your library.

4) My own advice on writing science fiction is also available on my web site at www.sfwriter.com/owindex.htm. Read it.

5) Don't worry about copyright. No one is going to steal your idea, and you don't have to register a work in order for it to be protected by copyright.

6) If you need to learn the basics of writing or want someone to give you feedback, either take a creative-writing course (or an SF-writing course) at your local college or university, or see if your local college or library has a writer in residence. That's what they're there for. I occasionally teach SF writing myself; you can find out if I've got any forthcoming courses by checking here.

7) Know the marketplace. If you don't read SF regularly, you're doomed to failure. Printed SF is almost nothing like what you see on TV and in the movies. And different book publishers and different magazines like different types of SF. Spend hours browsing in the SF section of large bookstores — know who is publishing what.

8) There are no magic words, no secret handshakes, and no fast-tracks. The way to get published is to write a really good story, submit it by paper mail, and wait for an editor to buy it. You don't have to know somebody; you don't have to belong to any organization; you don't need an agent ever to sell SF short stories, and most authors submit their first novels without an agent.

9) When you get an offer from a book publisher, find yourself an agent to negotiate the contract. Literary agents aren't regulated by law, and anyone can claim to be one. A list of reputable agents specializing in science fiction can be found on my web site: www.sfwriter.com/agent.htm.

That's it! I wish you the best of luck.

— Robert J. Sawyer

  More Good Reading  

Manuscript-format checklist
Rob's "On Writing" advice columns
Rob's upcoming appearances (including any teaching gigs)
Advice on landing an agent
Notes for the copyeditor
Essay: WordStar — A Writer's Word Processor