ARCHON 39 Schedule 2015

Published on September 29, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

It’s time again for my trip to Collinsville, IL, almost an annual event, for the great Midwest Con ARCHON. This year’s incarnation is number 39. Guests of Honor include Jacqueline Carey and Esther Freisner, as well as special guest Harlan Ellison. Below are the panels in which I will be participating. Larry Smith will be selling my books so I will also hang around his table between panels and probably in the table area outside LaSalle at the end of Bookseller’s Row when I am not in the Dealer’s Room.

My schedule for next weekend at @Archon 39 in St. Louis:

Fri 5:00p Marquette A Networking: Building Contacts for Writers (M) – Bryan Thomas Schmidt (Moderator), Robin Wayne Bailey, Elizabeth Donald, Jack Snyder

Fri 7:00p Marquette A Author Reading with Bryan Thomas Schmidt (30 min) Reading from THE WORKER PRINCE: Author’s Definitive Edition (WordFire Press)

Sat 12:00p Signing Table Author Signings with Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Julia S. Mandala

Sat 2:00p Salon 4 The Art of Anthologies (M) Bryan Thomas Schmidt (Moderator), Rich Horton, Harlan Ellison, Esther Friesner

Sat 4:00p Salon 4 Editors Are Not the Enemy (M) Bryan Thomas Schmidt (Moderator), Claire Ashgrove, Jacqueline Carey, Robin Wayne Bailey, Selina Rosen

Sun 12:00p Cahokian Reflections of Ourselves: The Need for Diversity in SF – Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Lacie Carmody, Kasey Mackenzie

Sun 1:00p Marquette A Then He Said: Writing Dialogue (M)
Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Claire Ashgrove, Sara M. Harvey

Look forward to seeing some of you there!

First Annual Open Reading Period- September 7 through 21, 2015

Published on September 5, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

Well, I said I was going to do it, and so here I am. At present, I don’t do general open calls because I just can’t read through all that would come in for the 3-4 anthologies I do a year. But one reason I got into anthology editing was to create opportunities not just for me, but for other writers, so instead I have decided to offer two week annual submissions periods for basically earning your way onto my invite list. So that first period will begin Monday and run two weeks, through September 21st. Here are the parameters:

1) Send your best story in RTF, DOC or PDF format. Make it easy on me to read your work. If I can’t open the file, I won’t read it.

2) Send me the best thing you have, published, unpublished, etc. I am NOT BUYING. All my current projects are full, BUT I am starting to pitch for anthologies in 2017 and 2018, so I will need writers when they sell, which means, I want to see what you can do. If I like your voice, craft, and style, then I will put you on my list.

3) Expect to wait a while. I am going to read through what I get, but it will take a while to read it because other ediitng and reading priorities must come first. The good news is, you can go about submitting elsewhere and living your life, because I am not buying right now so I don’t need exclusivity.

4) Please use standard manuscript formatting. I.E. double spaced, serif font, 12 point type, italics instead of underlining, wordcount and contact info above title on front page, etc. Also, NUMBER PAGES so if I read offline and drop one, I can easily find where the pages go and in what order.

5) If you story is over 7500 words, please contact me first.

6) If I have already bought stories from you or you know I own your books or stories, you just need to ask to be included. Please feel no need to submit pieces to this call. I will have enough to read already.

That’s it. That simple. Send these files to bryan at bryanthomasschmidt.net starting Monday with the subject: OPEN CALL (story name).

I will read and let you know if you’re invited to my list.

Oh, a couple notes on taste:

I like adventure stories more than lesson stories, but if you can do both, I will be awesomely impressed and pleased. I like character driven stories. I like heroes I can admire, but if the story is strong enough, of course, any of this won’t matter. I also do not like overuse of foul language or gratituitous sex and violence, so keep in mind that since I do PG themed anthologies mostly, your story samples should fit those parameters as much as possible. Beyond that, I like all kinds of genres, but I am not a huge vampire or zombie fan, just a warning.

I do reserve the right to just say no. I don’t owe you a slot, nor do I owe you an explanation. Unfortunately, this has to be said given the nature of the www world today, sot here it is. It is not that I plan to just arbitrarily say no without some kind of explanation, but I probably don’t have time to give long notes on every story. I don’t promise to read the whole thing either. If I don’t like it, I will treat it like any other slush. Time management is key. It is not personal. It is subjective and ruled by my personal taste, yes. I am open to people of all beliefs, lifestyles, ethinic backgrounds, cultures, etc. In fact, I strongly seek it out and don’t get enough from POC and non-western writers, so by all means, let me see what you’ve got.

I appreciate the opportunity to look at your work and your patience through this process, and I look forward to working with many of you in the future.

Bryan

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an author and Hugo-nominated editor of adult and children’s science fiction and fantasy novels and anthologies. His debut novel, The Worker Prince, received Honorable Mention on Barnes & Noble’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases of 2011, and was followed by two sequels. As editor, his anthologies include Shattered Shields (Baen, 2014), Beyond The Sun (Fairwood, 2013), Raygun Chronicles (Every Day Publishing, 2013) and Space Battles (Flying Pen Press, 2012) with two more forthcoming from Baen Books and St. Martin’s Griffin in 2015 and 2016. He is also developmental editor for WordFire Press, owned by New York Times Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. Books he’s edited include The Martian by Andy Weir, My Big Fat Demonslayer Wedding by Angie Fox, The Outpost by Mike Resnick, A Game Of Authors by Frank Herbert and more. From December 2010 to earlier this year, he hosted Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat the first Wednesday of every month at 9 P.M. ET on Twitter under the hashtag #sffwrtcht and is a frequent guest and panelist at World Cons and other conventions. His website is www.bryanthomasschmidt. Twitter: @BryanThomasS

SASQUAN- WORLD CON SCHEDULE – 2015 Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Published on August 14, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

Here’s my schedule for the World Science Fiction Convention, Sasquan, in Spokane, Washington, August 18-23, 2015. I look forward to seeing some of you there. I will be at the WordFire Party, Wednesday night, the Baen Books Party, Thursday Night, the Fairwood Press Party, Friday and the Hugo Loser’s Party, Saturday. Beyond that, I will be wandering and at the WordFire Press table in the Dealer’s Room.

Thursday, August 20th

PANEL: The Work of Being a Writer, Thursday 9:00 – 9:45, Bays 111A (CC)

Writers write, but there’s more to being a writer than writing. Come learn how to work with editors, agents, other writers, marketers, and fans. Can writers’ groups and social media make you or break you? Learn about all the work involved in being a writer and some strategies for success.

Randy Henderson (M) , Brenda Cooper, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Susan Palwick

Friday, August 21st

PANEL: Kaffee Klatche – Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Friday 12:00 – 12:45, 202A-KK1 (CC)

Join a panelist and up to 9 other fans for a small discussion. Coffee and snacks available for sale on the 2nd floor. Requires advance sign-up.

PANEL: The Changing Role of the Editor, Friday 3:00 – 3:45, Bays 111B (CC)

With the various ways that fiction is published (print/online/audio/self-published), how is the role of editor changing? Does the editor need to be more technician than tweaker? Is self-publishing making the editor’s job obsolete?

Gordon Van Gelder (M), Scott H. Andrews – Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Hugo Nominee, Yanni Kuznia – Subterranean Press , Wendy S. Delmater – Abyss and Apex – Hugo Nominee, Bryan Thomas Schmidt – Hugo Nominee

Saturday, August 22nd

Autographing – Jeffrey A. Carver, David Hartwell, Esther Jones, David Peterson, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Saturday 10:00 – 10:45, Exhibit Hall B (CC)

Jeffrey A. Carver, Esther Jones, David Peterson, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, David Hartwell

Hugo Pre-Reception, Saturday 6:00 – 8:00, Integra Telecom Ballroom 100A (CC)

Hugo Awards Ceremony, Saturday 8:00 – 10:30, INB Performing Arts Center (CC)

The 2015 Hugo Awards promises to be one of the most memorable ceremonies in years. Come be a part of history. Your Masters of Ceremony will be Sasquan Guest of Honor David Gerrold and Tananarive Due, and they’ve both promised an entertaining ceremony.

Tananarive Due (M), David Gerrold (M)

OsFest Agenda: Bryan Thomas Schmidt – July 31st-August 2, 2015

Published on July 27, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

OsFest8 Agenda – Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Friday, July 31^st

Pantsers vs. Planners – A panel of writers discuss two different approaches to writing, the advantages and disadvantages, varied approaches, etc.

Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Travis Heermann, Matthew Rotundo, Jason Bougger

5:00 p.m., Room TBA

Saturday, August 1^st

Editor AMA: Bryan Thomas Schmidt – Hugo nominated editor Bryan Thomas Schmidt who edits anthologies for companies like Baen Books and EDGE and novels for Wordfire Press will be on hand to answer everything you’ve wanted to know about editors. What do they do? How do they do it? Does it hurt? You name it.

Panelist: Bryan Thomas Schmidt Room: Colorado B 10:00 a.m.

Reading – Bryan Thomas Schmidt reads from the Author’s Definitive Edition of his critically praised debut novel, The Worker Prince, releasing October 2015 from WordFire Press.

Panelist: Bryan Thomas Schmidt Room: Wyoming 11:00 a.m.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Anthologies – Learn everything from how to create and sell.anthologies to how to find them and submit your stories to how they work behind the scenes. A Hugo nominated editor for Baen Books leads the discussion.

Panelists: Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Jason Bougger Room: Colorado B 1:00 p.m.

Swimming in Slush: What Editors See – A panel discussion of what editors and agents experience in a typical day, sure to include a long list of dos and don’ts for writers of every skill level. What is it like to sift through a hundred manuscripts and query letters a day? And how does the writer leverage this knowledge in the best possible ways?

Panelists: Travis Heermann, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Jason Bougger Room: Colorado B 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 2^nd

It Ain’t the Writing, It’s the Rewriting: The Power of Revision – Rewriting and revising are arguably the most important part of the writing process. These experienced authors talk about revision techniques to make your story shine, without polishing the shine right back off again. How do you find your invisible weaknesses? How do you work around those weaknesses?

Panelists: Travis Heermann, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Matthew Rotundo Room: Nebraska A 12:00 p.m.

Editing 101 For Writers – Key techniques for self-editing writers need to know taught by a Hugo nominated editor.

Panelist: Bryan Thomas Schmidt Room: Nebraska A 1:00 p.m.

Self-Editing For Writers (Online Class) July 25, 2015

Published on June 29, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

For two years, my editing partner and I have been attending Cons and doing our panel Editing 101 for Writers to great success. We continue to do so, but I wanted to offer a different version of that panel as a class online for writers who might be interested in improving their self-editing skills. I am a Hugo-nominated editor and author with anthologies under contract or published by Baen Books and St. Martin’s Griffin, amongst others. I also am a Junior Editor for WordFire Press, the small press founded by Bestselling authors Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. I have been a professional editor since 2015 and worked extensively with writing and copyediting as a technical and non-fiction writer for a decade before that. But now my focus is fiction, specifically Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror for children and adults.

This Self-Editing class with cover topics such as passive vs. active tense, showing vs. telling words (intruder words), compound sentences, flow and pace, and more. It will be held via either Skype or Google Hangouts (whatever works best for the attendees and myself.) I am taking the first 10 applicants and the fee is $35 per person paid via PayPal. It will be at 12 noon CDT on Saturday, July 25, 2015 (90 minutes) so people from all coasts should be able to participate. Attendees will also be allowed to send me 5 pages of a story or novel to edit so we can discuss your personal weaknesses and areas on which to focus. To sign up or for further questions, contact me here. I look forward to helping you grow.

Bryan

Announcing Bi-Annual Open Reading Periods Coming Soon

Published on June 10, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

As most of you know, I am a very busy anthologist, with 8 projects in various stages of contract and development through 2017. Most of these have their allotment of writers already, but as I develop new projects, I hope to expand my stable. Because of budget and busyness, my reading time is limited and so slush is just not something I can manage at the moment, however, I have come up with an option that will appeal to some of you.

I am ending Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat in August. This is because of sheer exhaustion from four years, fading enthusiasm from me and regulars, and also needing time to read for both fun and work that I can’t find anywhere else. Interviewing people, even twice a week, and reading one of their books to do so, is a tremendous time commitment. I have had to put in 20 hours a week to it since starting in 2010. I just can’t keep up with that and slush, and I can’t read novels by friends or colleagues for fun, blurbs or more. Add to that my work in Acquisitions and Development for Wordfire as a Junior Editor, and I just am falling further and further behind. I hate that, so something had to give.

So the solution is that I will be doing an open submission period of two weeks, starting this Fall (September 1 through 15) where writers can send me their best work. The idea is to give me a chance to get to know your work–voice, style, etc. for consideration toward future projects with openings. I am not going to buy these stories. So send your best, whichever speculative genre you want. The sole exception is erotica. I don’t publish or buy it so it won’t be the best sample for me. I don’t promise quick turn around. It may, in fact, take me months to get through the submissions. But if you are professional quality in your writing, you will be considered for invites to future anthologies. You will be in the door. I will limit the word count, probably 6k words and under, but those details shall be announced when the Fall comes. And I will limit to one piece per writer as well. I need to be able to see an end game here if I ever hope to do it again. Published work is fine. I will be flexible on format as well. I will make it easy for you, so please do the same for me.

Further details will be announced when the submission time gets closer. But since many busy anthologists just don’t have time and resources to do many open calls, consider this a great chance to get into projects that may interest you in the future. If you are put in my pool, I will notify you and invite you to appropriate future projects. You also have the right to ask about openings when I announce projects you want to be invited to. Yes, people do that anyway, but if I don’t know your work, I almost always say no. Just a practicality. In any case, get those submissions ready. Reading stuff I’ve edited for taste might be a great way to see what I like in the meantime. I look forward to discovering new colleagues to work with.

Thanks.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an author and Hugo nominated editor of adult and children’s speculative fiction. His debut novel, The Worker Prince received Honorable Mention on Barnes & Noble Book Club’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases for 2011. His short stories have appeared in magazines, anthologies and online. His anthologies as editor include Shattered Shields with co-editor Jennifer Brozek for Baen, Mission: Tomorrow, Galactic Games, Little Green Men–Attack! and Monster Hunter Tales (with Larry Correia) all forthcoming also for Baen, Joe Ledger: Unstoppable with Jonathan Maberry for St. Martin’s Griffin (forthcoming 2017), Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6, Beyond The Sun and Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age. He hosts #sffwrtcht (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s Chat) Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on Twitter as @SFFWRTCHT.

My Schedule: ConQUEST 46 May 22-24, 2015

Published on May 16, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

As usual, I am attending our local Convention, ConQuest Memorial Day weekend. I am moderating and participating on some great panels. Here’s a list.

ConQuesT 2015

BRYAN THOMAS SCHMIDT‘S SCHEDULE

MAY 22 • FRIDAY


5:00pm – 6:00pm	W	World Building – Religion and Magic Count Basie Ballroom A (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) Moderators: Kathleen Collins* Panelists: Gera L. Dean, Brandon Sanderson, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Thomas Trumpinski
MAY 23 • SATURDAY
11:00am – 12:00pm	W	Editing 101 For Writers Julia Lee A/B (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt Panelists: Claire Ashgrove
1:00pm – 2:00pm	L	Brandon Sanderson Interview Count Basie Ballroom A (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt* Panelists: Brandon Sanderson
2:00pm – 3:00pm	L	Space Opera: Then and Now Jay McShann B (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt Panelists: Lou Antonelli, Robin Wayne Bailey, Rich Horton, Jim Yelton
4:00pm – 5:00pm	L	Anthologies: The Art Of Collaboration Bennie Moten A/B (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt Panelists: Steven x Davis, Sean Demory, Marshall Edwards, Rich Horton, Lezli Robyn
MAY 24 • SUNDAY
10:00am – 11:00am	L	Sports and Science Fiction Lester Young A (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt Panelists: Brent Bowen, Ai Ling Chow
12:00pm – 1:00pm	W	Editors Are Not The Enemy Jay McShann A (Kansas City Marriott Downtown, 200 West 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105) Moderators: Bryan Thomas Schmidt Panelists: Lou Antonelli, Claire Ashgrove, Robin Wayne Bailey, Chris Gerrib

Look forward to seeing some of you there. I am also throwing a party Friday night at 8 p.m. with Robin Wayne Bailey. We will be signing copies of SHATTERED SHIELDS, the Baen fantasy anthology for which co-editor Jennifer Brozek and I are nominated for Hugos this year and in which Robin has a story. And Jenn has signed them, too. You can get the for $14, no shipping and $1 off. My other anthologies will be available as well.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is a critically praised author and Hugo nominated editor whose works include THE SAGA OF DAVI RHII space opera trilogy (Wordfire Press, 2015), GALACTIC GAMES (Baen, 2016), MISSION: TOMORROW (Baen, 2015), SHATTERED SHIELDS (Baen, 2014), BEYOND THE SUN (Fairwood Press, 2013), RAYGUN CHRONICLES (Every Day, 2013) and many more. His debut novel, THE WORKER PRINCE, received Honorable Mention on Barnes and Noble’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases of 2011. He regularly hosts Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat on Twitter under hashtag #sffwrtcht and can be found on Twitter as @BryanThomasS or via his website at www.bryanthomasschmidt.net.

Guest Post: Music As Magic by Peter Orullian

Published on April 10, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

By Peter Orullian

It’s not new. This music as magic thing. Many fantasy writers have done it. So, the thing is how. And that’s where I’m hoping folks will dig my approach.

See, I’m a musician. I’ve no idea if my fellow fantasy writers who’ve attempted music magic systems are also musicians, but there’s no doubt it’s influenced how I write about music. I’m not casual about it. Whether I’m writing a scene that deals with the intricacies of how I built my music magic system, or just describing the experience a character has of listening to music, I’m all in. I’m just built that way.

Now, as for the music magic, itself, I need to tell you about Resonance. I spent time in my worldbuilding to develop the notion of what I call a “governing dynamic”—Resonance. It underlies multiple magic systems in my world. In some, it’s quite obvious. In others, much less so. But it started first with music, and the notion that all things have a resonant signature that may be resonated with.

I grow past this, of course. Past the simple notion of acoustical resonance. I built out an idea I call Absolute Sound, which I actually wrote about in my novella for the Unfettered anthology that released a bit ago. That story, entitled “The Sound of Broken Absolutes,” goes into this idea I have about resonance taking place at a distance, out of earshot. It’s an advance technique for practitioners of the music magic in my Vault of Heaven series.

For those who haven’t read my first book, or anything else by me, never fear. I’ve written book two, Trial of Intentions, as an entry point to the series. I mention it, because Trial of Intentions is where I go much deeper into the music magic. You get a close look at how it works, and how it affects people. Those scenes are some of my favorites of the entire series so far.

And different from the idea of sweet, soaring sopranos and the like. Or even soft, intimate truth-sounding songs. Some of the music magic you’ll experience—dare I say, “Hear”—in my world is assertive, rough, combative. It’s often loud, bold, and meant to disquiet. It’s rhythmic. It’s filled with great passion. Great sorrow, sometimes. And when done right, it’s filled with “intention.” I put that last word in quotes because intention is very much at the heart of my music magic system. It’s a close cousin to Resonance. It matters what you mean when you sing. And that might have nothing to do with lyrics. In fact, often, they’re unrelated. Lyrics can even be dispensed with.

Find the bottom of pain. Therefrom will come powerful music. And when given voice from someone who understands the right technique, the power of the music is undeniable, unrelenting.

And all of this is brought to bear in a great song, in my world, knows as “Suffering.” It’s sung in nine movements, taking nearly seven hours to complete. It’s a song of power. It keeps a barrier strong that separates the races of the east from creatures who’ve lost empathy. Not beasties. These are reasoning creatures. With intentions of their own.

And music is the thing the gods left the world to protect itself. Music premised on a governing dynamic I call Resonance.

Of course, beyond all this, I care, as a writer, about the beauty and flow of words themselves. Writing can be lyrical, musical. And my favorite writers possess this quality. The fiction experience is very nearly song-like. That’s a huge bonus, for a guy like me.

Anyway, in the effort not to do spoilers, you have here a bit of the feeling and high-level mechanics of my world and music magic system. And even if you never read my work, if you’re a music lover, we’re kin. Maudlin that, but I’m leaving it in.

Cheers,

Peter

On My First Best Editor, Short Form Hugo Nomination

Published on April 6, 2015March 9, 2020 by Bryan

So I got nominated for a Hugo for Short Form Editing. Wow. Found out two weeks ago and it surprised but thrilled me. I didn’t campaign. A group of people deemed me worthy and nominated me. Since nominating people you think are worthy is how the system works, I didn’t say a thing, except thank them for their confidence and wait to see what happened. I know I was nominated by people who are not Sad Puppies because they told me. Several, in fact. Some were Sad Puppies, but most who told me were not. The only thing I know is I have worked very hard and this is a major achievement and career moment, and it is unfortunate some people are choosing to attempt to spoil that. I just discovered April 8 that I am was on a slate called Rabid Puppies. I would have demanded removal had I known but I didn’t know it existed until nominations and had no clue who was on it. I don’t associate with the person running that campaign and am deeply disappointed by how he conducts himself and his presence on the slate. I deeply regret this but there is nothing I can do.

Thing is: forever on I am a Hugo nominated editor. The only change. I will do what I’ve always done: strive to make the best books possible. From the beginning I have worked hard to do so, by picking the best new and old pros I can find to write stories, seeking diversity in the pool from right to left, white to POC, LGBT to straight, etc. With a diverse pool in place, I then pick the best stories and hope what I get reflects that well. So far, I think it has. It has varied, of course, but that is the way it goes for every editor. Still, when you want to make books with broad appeal to a broad and diverse readership, that is the only way to do it right. I have always believed that, no matter what some detractors may say. Taking someone’s ambiguous statements and twisting their interpretation does not make them fact.

A few figures of my anthologies so far:

SPACE BATTLES
11 male writers
7 female writers
2 LGBT (that I know of)
11 Progressive (that I know of)
6 Conservative or independent (that I know of)

BEYOND THE SUN
9 male writers
9 female writers
2 LGBT (that I know of)
11 Progressive (that I know of)
7 Conservative or independent (that I know of)

RAYGUN CHRONICLES
14 male writers
11 female writers
3 LGBT (that I know of)
Not sure of the political alignments but some each stripe

SHATTERED SHIELDS
1 female co-editor
10 male writers
7 female writers
3 LGBT (that I know of)
10 Progressive (that I know of)
7 Conservative or independent (that I know of)

And none of this reflects the content itself which includes diverse subject matter and stories.

Don’t believe me? Go check the Tables of Contents posted online. Research it yourself. 3 of these were edited solely by me. I made all decisions. The last was co-edited by my fellow nominee Jennifer Brozek. We made decisions jointly in full. She has written about it on Locus.

The stats on my 9 forthcoming anthologies are not finalized so I can’t post them but these are the works that got me to where I am. The last is the one that qualifies me for a nomination.

I have spent a good portion of my life working with the disadvantaged from poor to non-westerners to LGBT. I have friends I love of all stripes. Anyone who actually knows me will tell you I do not discriminate. I also avoid kerfluffles unless I am dragged in. And even then I try to be gracious. My philosophy is treat others how you want to be treated. Help people when you can. And live and let live.

I take pride in having accomplished all these things. A number of writers have made first sales to me, including Anthony Cardno, who is gay, for example. Many have gotten to find new audiences and appear alongside their writing heroes. I love that I can make that happen. Getting to work with my heroes is part of the thrill of doing this as well.

I love diversity. Don’t believe the critics. I always have and I seek it out. It is the single best gut check I know for keeping me honest and widening my point of view to see outside the box in which I live. That’s so important that I seek it out. I don’t have to agree with everyone to listen to them. But hearing how they see the world makes me see it bigger. Makes me better.

From day one, it has been a privilege to make books and I only seek to serve the SFF community as best I can. It’s such an honor to be a part of it (most days). And I really am humbled that I get to do what I love. If I get rewarded for that with awards, that will be mindblowing. But make no mistake. I did not campaign for awards. I just try and do good work. And I will continue to do so, hoping people will give it a fair chance.

To the nomination voters, thank you for your confidence in me. Sorry for the uproar. Don’t let it spoil the moment if you can. You made me part of science fiction history. It’s so amazing, and I am truly grateful. Now, may the best person win, whomever they are. I leave it to the works.

Bryan

Bryan Thomas Schmidt is an author and Hugo nominated editor of adult and children’s speculative fiction. His debut novel, The Worker Prince received Honorable Mention on Barnes & Noble Book Club’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases for 2011. His first children’s books, 102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Books For Kids and Abraham Lincoln: Dinosaur Hunter- Land Of Legends appeared from Delabarre Publishing in 2012. His short stories have appeared in magazines, anthologies and online. He edited the anthologies Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press, Beyond The Sun for Fairwood Press, Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age for Every Day, and Shattered Shields with coeditor Jennifer Brozek for Baen Books with nine more forthcoming, including Gaslamp Terrors, Mission Tomorrow: A New Century Of Exploration (BAEN), Galactic Games (BAEN), Speculations KC, and several others. A Junior Editor for Wordfire Press, he acquires and develops books of all kinds. He also hosts #sffwrtcht (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s Chat) Wednesdays at 9 pm ET on Twitter.

MyOryCon Schedule

Published on November 5, 2014March 9, 2020 by Bryan

Well, I am off Thursday for my second trip to OryCon in Portland, Oregon at the Lloyd Center Doubletree. It’s a fun con with lots of friends in attendance and a fairly laid back atmosphere. Jennifer Brozek and I will be having our SHATTERED SHIELDS Book Launch in Suite 1570 Saturday night, too, and then we’ll attend SF AuthorFest at Powell’s Beaverton Sunday afternoon to sign along with contributors Wendy Wagner and Annie Bellett and a ton of authors.

Meanwhile, though, here’s where to find me at the Con. Hope to see some of you!

Fri Nov 7 2:00:pm
Fri Nov 7 3:00:pm
Hamilton

Revision: Path to Better Writing or Way to Never Finish?

Endless revisions can kill good writing, but everyone says polish your work. Besides, the first draft is usually bad, right? How to navigate through the apparent contradictions without going crazy.

(*)Bryan Thomas Schmidt, SD Perry, Bruce Taylor, Manny Frishberg, K.C. Ball

Fri Nov 7 3:00:pm
Fri Nov 7 3:30:pm
Grant

Bryan Thomas Schmidt Reading (30min)

Bryan Thomas Schmidt reads from his own works.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Fri Nov 7 4:00:pm
Fri Nov 7 5:00:pm
Hawthorne

Religion in Fantasy

Gods? Goddesses? Just pretend religion doesn’t exist?

(*)Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Devon Monk, Jack Whitsel, Joan Gaustad, Karen Azinger

Fri Nov 7 5:00:pm
Fri Nov 7 6:00:pm
Lincoln

I Quit My Job to Be a Writer! WHAT HAVE I DONE?

What the full-time writing life is like, how to stay focused when you’re all by yourself, the realities of making a living via the written word, and techniques for forcing yourself to get dressed and leave the house.

Richard A. Lovett, Matthew Hughes, (*)Mary Rosenblum, Mike Moscoe, Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Sat Nov 8 11:00:am
Sat Nov 8 12:00:pm
Morrison

Planners vs. Pantsers

Some writers have everything outlined and plotted before they put their fingers on the keyboard. Others insist on flying by the seat of their pants. If you’re one, come learn the techniques of the other, and why you should pay attention.

(*)Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Anna Sheehan, J. A. Pitts, Dean Wells, Steve Perry

Sat Nov 8 12:00:pm
Sat Nov 8 1:00:pm
Jefferson/Adams

Surviving the Edit

Sometimes it feels as if editors are out to crush your soul, when they’re really there to save the soul of your book (or they should be). Learn how to choose an editor, how to take your lumps–and when you should ignore what the editor says.

Colleen Anderson, SD Perry, (*)Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Jason V Brock

Sat Nov 8 4:00:pm
Sat Nov 8 5:00:pm
Madison

Social Media and the Modern Writer

Websites, Facebook fan pages, email lists, contests, twitter, tumblr, Pinterest, ads, blogs and that annoying thing called a “platform”: what works, what doesn’t, and why you need to care (spoiler: you do).

Theresa (Darklady) Reed, (*)Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Erik Wecks, MeiLin Miranda

Saturday Nov. 8 :00 pm Shattered Shields/Baen Launch Party
Suite 1570 Alcohol, soft drinks, snacks and more. Come win signed artwork and books or buy some. Join Jennifer Brozek, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Wendy N. Wagner and Annie Bellett.

Sun Nov 9 1:00:pm
Sun Nov 9 2:00:pm
Hamilton

Crowdfund Your Project

You’ve got a book, a comic, a film, a game–something awesome! Your fans want it. How do you raise the funds to get it to them? Let them pre-order it via Kickstarter or the other crowdfunding sites. We’ll discuss best practices, when not to crowdfund, backer rewards people want, fulfillment nightmares and successes, and handling the haters (they gonna hate).

MeiLin Miranda, Erik Wecks, (*)Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Jake Richmond