tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post4709984880843121587..comments2024-03-18T10:05:26.015-07:00Comments on The Splintered Mind: The Top Science Fiction and Fantasy MagazinesEric Schwitzgebelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-9087093250565305192016-10-03T02:09:05.592-07:002016-10-03T02:09:05.592-07:00Eric this is so amazing thanks for sharing and pos...Eric this is so amazing thanks for sharing and posting . <a href="http://www.al3ab66.com/" rel="nofollow">al3ab66</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-4194906458358320492016-02-12T11:04:43.016-08:002016-02-12T11:04:43.016-08:00Thanks Eric. A Google search brought me here. My s...Thanks Eric. A Google search brought me here. My search was something like "Sci-fi magazines with most Hugo/Nebula awards." I was curious if there are sources that are respected in the community that I'm unaware of. I looked but didn't see an update link on this page for your more recent posts about it. I'm interested in that, of course! I'll look through your archive for the updated posts on it. <br /><br />What I think is pretty cool is that most of the respected magazines DO allow unpublished authors to submit. It's probably difficult to get in, as has been noted, but there is that sliver of a chance. A chance! Nicole https://www.blogger.com/profile/02447479916034764638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-67470689984021539232016-02-11T13:45:25.770-08:002016-02-11T13:45:25.770-08:00Thanks for the kind words, Nicole. Also check out...Thanks for the kind words, Nicole. Also check out my 2015 update. I should probably make a stable URL for my 2016 update next fall.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-82022787179695310302016-02-11T13:23:37.650-08:002016-02-11T13:23:37.650-08:00This is a fantastic resource. Thank you for doing ...This is a fantastic resource. Thank you for doing it! I know the conversation has moved on here, but I loved reading it and how you recalculated data to adjust for more recent changes and other factors based on the comments. It's also fascinating that Charles Stross just dropped in to participate. <br /><br />One thing is, as a struggling sci-fi writer, my first pick for submitting isn't the source that pays the most. That's why I came here. My goals are more long term. I'm going to shoot for the spot with the most reach and/or award recognition. Nicole https://www.blogger.com/profile/02447479916034764638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-86081986522987899502015-07-21T16:51:46.525-07:002015-07-21T16:51:46.525-07:00Thanks for the comment, Roy! A "top-down&quo...Thanks for the comment, Roy! A "top-down" strategy something like you mention seems to be a common one among SF authors who are trying to establish themselves, though it's complicated because of special issues, anthologies, magazines with different turnaround times (Clarkesworld lightning fast, Tor.com slow), opening and closing submissions windows, and editorial preferences (no zombie stories to Clarkesworld).<br /><br />I've sold a few stories to good places since the post and have a few more in the works, which I'm optimistic about, so I think it's going pretty well! My favorite stories so far: "Reinstalling Eden" (with R. Scott Bakker) in Nature 2013; "Out of the Jar" in F&SF 2015; "Momentary Sage" in The Dark 2015; "The Dauphin's Metaphysics" in Unlikely Story forthcoming.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-53183678056951073552015-07-21T16:13:01.381-07:002015-07-21T16:13:01.381-07:00Since most magazines do not allow you to simultane...Since most magazines do not allow you to simultaneously submit to another mag until and if they have declined your story, I would imagine that most authors--whether budding or established--simply submit StoryX to the magazine which pays the most. If it's rejected, then they move to the next in line, and so forth. This would mean that the best stories would tend to be hoovered up by a relatively small number of publishers, no?<br /><br />p.s.--how's your fiction career going since you published this post?? :)Royhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01213533183267807364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-5899790658863666152015-01-07T14:48:27.980-08:002015-01-07T14:48:27.980-08:00Yes, send -- terrific! I just sent you an email.Yes, send -- terrific! I just sent you an email.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-32532561305381111812015-01-07T13:40:15.489-08:002015-01-07T13:40:15.489-08:00Professor, I have detailed spreadsheets of all the...Professor, I have detailed spreadsheets of all the major awards and all the Year's Best Series (well, except a few really obscure ones), with story publication details.<br /><br />If you'd like these for statistical analysis - just say what you'd like and e-mail me at pfnel@mweb.co.za.<br /><br />- Peter Nel, Cape Town.<br />dolphintornseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16299220544443289606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-16425178493445707702014-08-26T11:09:30.097-07:002014-08-26T11:09:30.097-07:00Anon Aug 24: I'm not sure your comment was att...Anon Aug 24: I'm not sure your comment was attached to the right post. Since it's a bit uncivil and not clearly connected to the post, I have deleted it. Please feel free to repost a clearer comment.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-62750355493206529792014-08-20T13:41:41.564-07:002014-08-20T13:41:41.564-07:00Sean, not sure if you're still reading these c...Sean, not sure if you're still reading these comments, but I appreciate your suggestions, and I've updated with a summary of 5- and 10-year analyses of the Locus recommendations.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-72589022940937446692014-08-20T12:06:06.734-07:002014-08-20T12:06:06.734-07:00Sean: Interesting analyses! I'm working up a ...Sean: Interesting analyses! I'm working up a breakdown of five years' Locus recommendations right now, at your suggestion. I'll add a comment and link when it's up.<br /><br />I totally agree that tradition has weight in people's minds -- one reason to look at ten years rather than five. (It also improves statistical power and smooths the bumps.)<br /><br />I like having the Hugo, Nebula, and WFA all in the bag, with the Hugo and WFA kind of balancing so that it's a sci-fi and fantasy list *approximately* equally. Could try to pull sci-fi apart from fantasy, but that would be a difficult trick to do right.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-45199375996513842092014-08-20T11:58:33.444-07:002014-08-20T11:58:33.444-07:00Charlie, I agree with everything you say. It'...Charlie, I agree with everything you say. It's not all that different in academic philosophy circles, actually.<br /><br />But let me add: One thing that philosophers have really become aware of recently is how huge "halo effects" can be on readers' and editors' perceptions of quality. Thus, good stories without author halo probably have a harder time getting into Asimov's and F&SF -- though of course it's *possible* (I've just managed one), and I know most editors would like to discover new authors. And good stories without magazine halo probably have a harder time getting attention for awards and best-of's. The real kicker is that these effects can be very strong despite readers' and editors' good intentions and best efforts to counteract them.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-4101125259653997452014-08-20T11:58:16.722-07:002014-08-20T11:58:16.722-07:00I also think you have to break out the awards, bec...I also think you have to break out the awards, because the Hugos tend to lean science fiction, though not lately; WFAs for fantasy; and the Nebulas are a mixed bag. The appearance of Analog's/Asimov's, for example, on a WFA ballot would be bizarre. But F&SF hasn't dominated since 2007 for WFA in the ss category. So the contention that an of the three dominate the award categories, well, it depends on the length, honestly. Sean WAllacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-82165205931519455962014-08-20T11:40:47.880-07:002014-08-20T11:40:47.880-07:00For F&SF, for that same period, for the Hugos,...For F&SF, for that same period, for the Hugos, ss category:<br /><br />2000: 2<br />2001: 1<br />2002: 0<br />2003: 1<br />2004: 2<br />2005: 0<br />2006: 0 <br />2007: 0<br />2008: 0<br />2009: 0<br />2010: 0<br />2011: 0<br />2012: 1<br />2013: 0<br />2014: 0<br /><br />And Analog hasn't had a nomination since 2006, in this category.<br /><br />So what does this all mean? I think it depends on the length of the story, these days, and even then online magazines are encroaching on novella and novelettes. (And the other reasons Charlie pointed out.) But let's not discount tradition. Some authors will submit to the Big Three for that, only.Sean Wallacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-75949141617901638832014-08-20T11:35:08.977-07:002014-08-20T11:35:08.977-07:00But if you look at the Hugos, for just Asimov'...But if you look at the Hugos, for just Asimov's, for example, they pretty much dominated the ss category, until recently:<br /><br />2000: 3<br />2001: 3<br />2002: 3<br />2003: 2<br />2004: 1<br />2005: 2<br />2006: 2 <br />2007: 3<br />2008: 3<br />2009: 2<br />2010: 2<br />2011: 1<br />2012: 2<br />2013: 0<br />2014: 0<br /><br />You would need more data, though, in order to call it a trend.Sean Wallacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-40187713558701569942014-08-20T11:30:24.308-07:002014-08-20T11:30:24.308-07:00I was mostly interested in the short fiction categ...I was mostly interested in the short fiction category, for the Locus Recommended Reading List, as it was low-hanging fruit and because online venues were limiting themselves to those lengths. It looks like the last time I publicly posted anything about this was back in 2011, unfortunately.<br /><br />If I recall properly:<br /><br />2006: 7%<br />2007: 11%<br />2008: 14%<br />2009: 28%<br />2010: 53%<br />2011: 30%<br />2012: 38%<br />2013: 50%<br /><br />2010 was a particularly weak year for anthologies, which skewed things quite a bit. Sean Wallacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-70636637467444689122014-08-20T11:28:37.427-07:002014-08-20T11:28:37.427-07:00Eric: there are two angles to the new-authors-gain...Eric: there are two angles to the new-authors-gaining-visibility issue.<br /><br />On the one hand, it's hard for them to get seen when folks like me crowd out the top spots in prestige outlets.<br /><br />On the other hand, folks like me can maintain their <i>own</i> reputation for cutting-edge awareness if we discover and promote talented newcomers. It's not just true of editors like Gardner Dozois (who "discovered" me, in the pages of Asimov's, back in the day -- 15 years after I began publishing stories in Interzone), but of established authors who would love nothing more than to see their cover quote spread across the front of the next "Ancillary Justice" (putting their tired old has-been name in front of a new and enthusiastic audience).<br /><br />This is by way of saying the question of making that breakthrough in visibility when writing in genre rates one of those "it's complicated" answers. I can't in all honesty say that I think there even <i>is</i> any one true answer. Because information flows don't work linearly and unidirectionally.Charlie Strosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03398809615976202716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-14636915377033689562014-08-20T11:05:34.998-07:002014-08-20T11:05:34.998-07:00I've appended a five-year analysis to the end ...I've appended a five-year analysis to the end of the post, reflecting your suggestion, Sean. It does seem that there's a trend the direction you say.<br /><br />A quick perusal of the Locus Recommended Reading List also fits with what you say. It could be interesting to analyze that, too.<br /><br />Is your own analysis still up somewhere?Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-15553086982092895452014-08-20T10:52:46.997-07:002014-08-20T10:52:46.997-07:00You particularly see this shift with the Locus Rec...You particularly see this shift with the Locus Recommended Reading List, but primarily for short fiction, whereas for novella and novelettes the Big Three still hold sway. I suspect you'll see the same in your analysis.Sean Wallacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-43139397847875492722014-08-20T10:41:52.452-07:002014-08-20T10:41:52.452-07:00Sean: Yes, I noticed that too. I have the data al...Sean: Yes, I noticed that too. I have the data all arranged by year in my files, so it would be easy enough to re-analyze with a five year window. Maybe I'll just do that right now.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-53252911513128607912014-08-20T10:39:39.387-07:002014-08-20T10:39:39.387-07:00Sure, Charlie, I wouldn't blame any SF writer ...Sure, Charlie, I wouldn't blame any SF writer for placing all of their short fiction in Asimov's and F&SF if they can pull it off! But I suspect that some really excellent writers who aren't quite as well known can't reliably publish even their best stuff in the top two or five places. I'm thinking here of established writers with a dozen or so good placements, and maybe even a major award nomination or two.<br /><br />But maybe I'm wrong about that? I'm open to correction by people more in the know.<br /><br />One thing I noticed in gathering these data: Horton seems to pull more broadly than the other editors.Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-16305041143964273342014-08-20T10:37:42.206-07:002014-08-20T10:37:42.206-07:00I wonder how this would look if you focused on eve...I wonder how this would look if you focused on even just the last five years, with the rise of online magazines. I know when I analyzed award nominations / wins that they were moving away from the Big Three, and it was particularly clear even a few years ago.Sean Wallacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-56899874000672010552014-08-20T10:18:36.762-07:002014-08-20T10:18:36.762-07:00I find it difficult to believe that those few maga...<i>I find it difficult to believe that those few magazines really have that proportion of the highest quality stories.</i><br /><br />Yes, but there may be a reverse correlation. I don't write much short fiction these days, but when I do the first places I send it are those few outlets that (a) pay best, (b) have the biggest audience reach, and (c) are seen to dominate the awards shortlists -- because for me, as a successful (multiple Hugo-winning) author, short fiction is primarily an advertising/showcase vehicle (and a medium for experimentation that isn't feasible in novel-length fiction). If other award-nominated authors are doing the same thing, then this gives rise to a self-perpetuating loop. Fair? No. But can any one writer afford <i>not</i> to do it?Charlie Strosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03398809615976202716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-80833718841724274852014-08-20T10:11:57.315-07:002014-08-20T10:11:57.315-07:00It would be terrific if I could scrape the data in...It would be terrific if I could scrape the data in some way out of those databases. For the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards I went directly to their sites or to fan sites listing past nominees. I pulled the Dozois and Strahan out of the hard copies of the books in the UC Riverside Special Collections science fiction collection. For Horton, I looked at his own page, which goes through 2011, and then looked at my own personal copies for 2012 and 2013.<br /><br />UC Riverside and my own bookshelf have a few of the Hartwell-Cramer anthologies, but I don't see an easy way to get the whole list other than by purchasing every volume. If you can think of an alternative method, I'd be much obliged!<br /><br />(My hunch is that Hartwell-Cramer won't change the list much, since it looks like they have a strong tilt toward Asimov's and F&SF and pull the remainder mostly from the same magazines as the others. Maybe it would lift a few new magazines to the list, though, and shuffle around the order near the bottom.)Eric Schwitzgebelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11541402189204286449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26951738.post-14754412727380129442014-08-20T09:51:57.445-07:002014-08-20T09:51:57.445-07:00What are you using to find content lists? I genera...What are you using to find content lists? I generally use both isfdb.org and Contento (when I can remember the URL), as well as the odd post on SF Signal. James Davis Nicollnoreply@blogger.com