Jul. 3rd, 2006 06:36 am
Everyone in Aus SF
Or at least the three of you that have friended me:
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punkrocker1991 's editorial in the latest Ticonderoga Online now.
It's all right, I'll wait.
I certainly think that's a problem that has manifested at "Magic Casements" and Conflux - too many roosters and not enough hens. I know there are science fiction readers out there who aren't remotely interested in being writers (my favourite one is a rugby player I worked with once who turned out to be a Chuck McKenzie fan) but these people don't go to cons and tend not to buy local magazines and anthologies. I think it was Cat Sparks who pointed out somewhere that the only people buying the Agog anthologies were other writers (hopefully that will change now that they're listed on Amazon.)
The demand for local short fiction is limited, and from what little I know, there's few attempts at an outreach program to bring local content to outside readers. Magic Casements is run by a writer's centre, so it's focus is, naturally, writers. Cons advertise through the usual channels so they attract the usual suspects. And (from my experience) SF discussion groups tend to attract and maintain only the hardcore SF reader - who isn't necessarily interested in local product.
I don't think there are any easy answers, but I think Russell is raising the right questions.
Read
punkrocker1991 's editorial in the latest Ticonderoga Online now.It's all right, I'll wait.
I certainly think that's a problem that has manifested at "Magic Casements" and Conflux - too many roosters and not enough hens. I know there are science fiction readers out there who aren't remotely interested in being writers (my favourite one is a rugby player I worked with once who turned out to be a Chuck McKenzie fan) but these people don't go to cons and tend not to buy local magazines and anthologies. I think it was Cat Sparks who pointed out somewhere that the only people buying the Agog anthologies were other writers (hopefully that will change now that they're listed on Amazon.)
The demand for local short fiction is limited, and from what little I know, there's few attempts at an outreach program to bring local content to outside readers. Magic Casements is run by a writer's centre, so it's focus is, naturally, writers. Cons advertise through the usual channels so they attract the usual suspects. And (from my experience) SF discussion groups tend to attract and maintain only the hardcore SF reader - who isn't necessarily interested in local product.
I don't think there are any easy answers, but I think Russell is raising the right questions.