Proof Copy of the Day

[coalescent]

Item one: the difference in spelling between the front cover and spine.

Item two: "Female SF writers are a rarity; good ones even scarcer!"

If anyone wants to play guess-the-publisher before clicking through to the photos, feel free. That said, I'm still looking forward to reading it.

Comments

[truecatachresis]

Item one: which one do they mean? Or is it a cunning pun, and they really do mean both?

Item two: Well, as discussed with regards to the BSFA Awards, they do have a point.

[coalescent]

which one do they mean?

The internal cover has Principles, so I'm assuming that. But who can say?

Well, as discussed with regards to the BSFA Awards, they do have a point.

Some might argue that there's a difference between there not being many good female sf writers published in Britain and there not being many good female sf writers ...

[truecatachresis]

Some might argue that there's a difference between there not being many good female sf writers published in Britain and there not being many good female sf writers ...

Fair point, but we can't easily talk about numbers we don't have. I would be interested to see the gender balance of all SF books submitted to publishers in all countries (because we really can't fairly talk about anyone who writes something for themself and never tells anyone), but I suspect that it would still show an imbalance.

How many female SF authors are published in the US cf men?

[coalescent]

How many female SF authors are published in the US cf men?

I don't know. I'm willing to believe it's pretty imbalanced, but look at it this way: Locus records the publication of about 1500 English-language original sf and fantasy novels each year, at the moment. Assume that about two-thirds of those are fantasy, and that women only write, say, 30% of published sf novels. That still leaves 130-odd original science fiction novels by women published each year. Even if it's proportionally a minority, it's still more books than most people can read in a year -- it's about 30% more than I read last year -- and I think it rules out the use of words like "rare" and "scarce".

[grahamsleight]

Sadly, I saw this post immediately below the flickr photos on my friends page, so guessing was a moot point. But yes, that's, um, isn't it?

[rosefox]

We just got galleys of the latest book by "Laura Anne Gillman". Wasn't Gillman a Marvel superhero about fifty years ago?

[ninebelow]

"Female SF writers are a rarity; good ones even scarcer!"

Wow! I would be so pleased if my publisher put that on my book!

Regarding other bits of the copy: is she really well known? I think we previously had the discussion that she's had a couple of short stories in minor publication and no one has really heard of her.

[coalescent]

I think if you surveyed Eastercon-goers you would find that she was fairly recognised. I think if you surveyed Interzone-readers they'd say "who?"

[fishlifter]

I think if you surveyed Eastercon-goers you would find that she was fairly recognised.

Although even then I'd guess the name recognition wouldn't be that great. She's been a regular convention goer for years, yes, but mostly under a different surname.
---Mark

[maeve_the_red]

I was pleased, though also a bit scared: it's a lot to live up to.

I've not had a story in Interzone (though not for lack of trying), and most of my short stuff's been published in the US (in, amongst other places, Alfred Hitchcock's, On Spec, and most recently GUD and Escape Velocity).

As Mark points out below, I have been around fandom for a while, but not as a writer, and not under this name; if I'd seen the cover copy before the proofs went out I'd have pointed this out to my editor (along with the amusing spelling on the spine, and the incorrect spelling of the City name on the back). Not that I'm complaining - it's got you all talking about the book.

[oursin]

.

[coalescent]

Here's an interesting thing: one of the other proofs that came in the same package is The Ninth Circle by Alex Bell. The book is apparently "Neil Gaiman meets The Bourne Identity in one of 2008's most feted Gollancz debuts", and Bell is "a frighteningly young, talented debut author ... Massively promotable, Alex is sure to gain extensive publicity coverage". Nowhere does it mention that Alex Bell is a woman. Now, is this because (1) Bell didn't want to be so identified, (2) they think men aren't going to buy The Bourne Identity by a woman, (3) female fantasy authors just aren't as comment-worthy as female sf authors, or (4) something else?

[oursin]

I'm additionally perturbed by the 'frighteningly young' in that description, in between beating my head on the desk over the 'let's not mention it's a gurrrl'. It sounds like a Midwich Cuckoo.

I realise that if I ever get back into writing fiction I shall have to save it all up until I can be marketed as Splendid Ancient Crone (whacking people with my cane, waving my ear-trumpet at them, and bringing antimaccassars into the conversation somehow. But NOT wearing a red hat with purple). There is no hype to be got out of being middle-aged.

[nuttyxander]

Oh, frighteningly young gets banded about far too often. As a mid-20s bod in the book industry I don't find it frightening that I sell authors younger than me, I find it heartening.

Of course, the vocabulary available for putting on proofs has almost all be used at least twice already though, so sometimes it's just a game to see just how many clichés you can get onto a jacket.