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New Years Resolutions #13, #21, #24, #40, #67 Completed

David Halpert — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:44:04 +0000

It’s amazing how a few weeks can change things. Having not looked up my New Years Resolutions for the month of April I was surprised to find how many New Years Resolutions I’d actually completed in the last few weeks. Which one am I most proud of? Easily it would have to be “Get Invited to Three Events as a Reporter” and that’s for several reasons. In addition to the free food, free booze, and free admission to the events, there’s something very validating when you’re attending an event as a member of the press. Doors open for you, metaphorically speaking of course, everyone is your friend. When you’re there in the moment you start to view the world through the eyes of a journalist rather than simply as an attendee.

The fact is I’ve never really felt like a “writer” until then, even though I’ve been doing it every day of my life more or less for the past six years. I’ve always considered myself a person who writes or a creative typist at best. This is in addition to the five months I’ve been working full time as an assistant editor of two automotive trade magazines.

C’est la vie I suppose. It just feels nice. And I don’t have to tell you aspiring writers out there how lonely this profession can get. Nevertheless, here is a list of the resolutions I’ve completed over the last few weeks.

New Years Resolutions Completed:
– #13 Get Fifteen Articles Published
– #21 Make $250 selling short stories/articles
– #24 Get invited to three events as a reporter
– #40 Make 15 Business Contacts
– #67 Make $250 selling articles

For the complete list of New Years resolutions (Click Here).

2009 Locus Awards Announced

David Halpert — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:26:10 +0000

: Cover of Saturn’s Children

For me Locus is the premiere trade magazine for the science fiction and fantasy publishing industry. So when they post their annual nominees for their Locus Award I tend to take notice and pay attention for what’s hot and any approaching trends. Here is the short list from all categories. Enjoy!

Science Fiction Novel

Matter, Iain M. Banks (Orbit UK)
City at the End of Time, Greg Bear (Gollancz, Del Rey)
Marsbound, Joe Haldeman (Ace)
Anathem, Neal Stephenson (Atlantic UK, Morrow)
Saturn’s Children, Charles Stross (Orbit, Ace)

Fantasy Novel

The Shadow Year, Jeffrey Ford (Morrow)
Lavinia, Ursula K. Le Guin (Harcourt)
The Bell at Sealey Head, Patricia A. McKillip (Ace)
The Dragons of Babel, Michael Swanwick (Tor)
An Evil Guest, Gene Wolfe (Tor)

First Novel

Thunderer, Felix Gilman (Bantam Spectra)
Black Ships, Jo Graham (Orbit US)
Pandemonium, Daryl Gregory (Ballantine Del Rey)
The Gone-Away World, Nick Harkaway (William Heinemann, Knopf)
Singularity’s Ring, Paul Melko (Tor)

Young Adult Novel

Little Brother, Cory Doctorow (Tor)
The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins, Bloomsbury)
Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan (Knopf)
Nation, Terry Pratchett (Doubleday UK, HarperCollins)
Zoe’s Tale, John Scalzi (Tor)

Novella

“The Erdmann Nexus”, Nancy Kress (Asimov’s 10-11/08)
“Pretty Monsters”, Kelly Link (Pretty Monsters)
“The Tear”, Ian McDonald (Galactic Empires)
Once Upon a Time in the North, Philip Pullman (Knopf)
“True Names”, Benjamin Rosenbaum & Cory Doctorow (Fast Forward 2)

Novellette

“Pump Six”, Paolo Bacigalupi (Pump Six and Other Stories)
“The Ice War”, Stephen Baxter (Asimov’s 9/08)
“Shoggoths in Bloom”Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s 3/08)
“The Things that Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away”, Cory Doctorow (Tor.com 8/08)
“Pride and Prometheus”, John Kessel (F&SF 1/08)

Short Story

“King Pelles the Sure”, Peter S. Beagle (Strange Roads)
“Boojum”, Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette (Fast Ships, Black Sails)
“Exhalation”, Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)
“The Kindness of Strangers”, Nancy Kress (Fast Forward 2)
“After the Coup”, John Scalzi (Tor.com 7/08)

Magazine

Analog
Asimov’s
F&SF
Realms of Fantasy
Subterranean

Publisher

Ace
Baen
Night Shade Books
Subterranean Press
Tor

Anothology

The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 2008: 21st Annual Collection, Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant, eds. (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Galactic Empires, Gardner Dozois, ed. (SFBC)
The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fifth Annual Collection, Gardner Dozois, ed. (St. Martin’s)
Eclipse Two, Jonathan Strahan, ed. (Night Shade Books)
The Starry Rift, Jonathan Strahan, ed. (Viking)

Collection

Pump Six and Other Stories, Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade Books)
The Drowned Life, Jeffrey Ford (HarperPerennial)
Pretty Monsters, Kelly Link (Viking)
The Best of Lucius Shepard, Lucius Shepard (Subterranean Press)
The Best of Michael Swanwick, Michael Swanwick (Subterranean Press)

Editor

Ellen Datlow
Gardner Dozois
David G. Hartwell
Jonathan Strahan
Gordon Van Gelder

Artist

Bob Eggleton
John Picacio
Shaun Tan
Charles Vess
Michael Whelan

Non-fiction/Art book

Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner, eds. (Underwood Books)
What It Is We Do When We Read Science Fiction, Paul Kincaid (Beccon)
Rhetorics of Fantasy, Farah Mendlesohn (Wesleyan University Press) P. Craig Russell
Coraline: The Graphic Novel, Neil Gaiman, adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins)
Shaun Tan, Tales From Outer Suburbia (Allen & Unwin; Scholastic ‘09)

New Years Resolution #24 Completed: Attend Three Events as a Reporter

David Halpert — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:18:38 +0000

What a difference one week makes. It’s enough to cross off another New Year’s resolution, probably one of the more important resolution in the course of my writing career. From April 17-24 I attended three industry events in my capacity as an assistant editor for two automobile magazines (Jobber News & SSGM) in Toronto, Canada

They are as follows:

- CAA service station opening in Scarborough (April 17, 2009)
- Aftermarket Conference for Executives at the Niagara Fallsview Casino (April 21, 2009)
- Lindertech at the Toronto Airport Sheraton (April 24, 2009)

It’s quite a surreal experience to be invited to these events as the ‘press’, but the cool thing is you don’t have to pay for any of it. So for the past few weeks I’ve basically been getting free booze, free meals, as well as tons of network contacts that will only help me in the near future.

8 out of 98 Resolutions Completed

Click Here to View the Complete List of my 2009 New Year Resolutions.

Quill & Quire Editor Dies at 40

David Halpert — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:03:00 +0000

It is with great sadness that I have to report that the editor of the Quill & Quire, Derek Weiler, passed away over the weekend at the young age of 40. For those who don’t know the Quill & Quire it is a monthly Canadian trade publication for ourbook industry, essentially the Canadian equivalent to Publisher’s Weekly.

To me, however, it is much more than a magazine. It is a symbol of literature and our culture. Quill & Quire has also been very supportive to books in the science fiction and fantasy genres, often allowing book reviews and announcements for writers that may not have had a wide range of publicity coverage in the past or otherwise.

So when news came about this from the Toronto Star, I was a little more than reasonably upset. I actually had the good fortune of meeting Derek last year when he came to speak with us at one of our book and magazine publication classes when I was attending Centennial College last year.

Weiler joined the staff of the Quill & Quire in 1999 as a writer and was promoted to editor five years later. According to the Toronto Star article, Weiler had been in ill-health for the past several months due to a long-term heart condition and died suddenly in his home on April 12^th in Toronto. The publishing community mourns as one of its most influential spokespersons on behalf of Canadian literature is laid to rest. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Weiler family and friends. He leaves his wife, Sari Morrison, his parents, Gerald and Marie Weiler, and a sister Marcy Hespeler.

To read the obituary in the Toronto Star click here.

Literary critic, magazine editor Derek Weiler dies (cbc.ca)

Home Builder Magazine Article Published

David Halpert — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:35:04 +0000

Finally! After my article “Five Ways the Internet can Improve Your Construction Business” was purchased by Home Builder Magazine (the official publication for the Home Builder’s Association of Canada) last August, it finally appeared not only their website but also in their November/December issue of the magazine. For me, this means a little more more coverage as a writer and a nice little cheque of extra income. The article describes ways that contracting, renovating and construction business can utilize free social media platforms on the internet to gain publicity as well as attract new customers. Click here to read the article.