Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Encyclopedia
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or SFWA (icon or ˈ) is a nonprofit association
of professional science fiction
and fantasy
writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight
under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA. Its stated mission is "SFWA informs, supports, defends and advocates for our members".
Most members live in the United States. Active membership is limited to professionally published authors in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, or horror; the minimum qualification is the sale of one novel or dramatic script, or three short stories, to venues with certain minimum circulations or pay rates. Associate membership is for professionally published authors who have not yet qualified for active membership. Affiliate memberships are available for science fiction and fantasy professionals who are not authors.
Authors, regardless of nationality or residence, must be professionally published in a qualifying market as listed by SFWA in order to become SFWA members. At present, all listed qualifying markets publish only in the English language.
s for best short story, novelette, novella, and novel published during the previous year, where the four categories are defined by numbers of words.
During the Nebula ceremony, SFWA also presents the annual Andre Norton Award
since 2005 for best young adult novel. Not always annually there are also the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
since 1975 for lifetime achievement in science fiction or fantasy, the Bradbury Award
since 1992 for best dramatic presentation, the Author Emeritus
title since 1995 to a senior writer whose major impact was long ago or overlooked. Since 2009 the Solstice Award which may be posthumous recognizes lifetime contributions to the science fiction and fantasy field.
, the organization immediately "acquired great status in its efforts to help J.R.R. Tolkien get fair recompense in America for pirated sales of The Lord of the Rings."
SFWA sponsors the Writer Beware Blog, the public face of their Committee on Writing Scams, to expose problems and pitfalls that face aspiring writers. Writer Beware also receives sponsorship from the Mystery Writers of America
. Its mission is to raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry.
As part of this mission, SFWA members submitted an 'unpublishable' manuscript to independent publishing house PublishAmerica
, to test their claimed editorial rigor. When PublishAmerica offered to send them a contract to publish Atlanta Nights
, they revealed the hoax, and PublishAmerica withdrew the contract offer. SFWA subsequently listed the book for sale through a Print On Demand
service, with all profits to benefit their Emergency Medical Fund.
In 2009, SFWA joined the Open Book Alliance
to oppose the Google Book Settlement.
withdrew her short story "The Bone Flute" from the final Nebula ballot, to protest what she saw as excessive campaigning for awards and that voters did not receive copies of nominated works. Her withdrawal was sent after voting had been completed. When informed she had won, she contacted SFWA and told them she refused to accept it. She was told that her reasons for doing so would be announced. Her publisher accepted the award in her place, apparently with no knowledge of her withdrawal, and there was no mention of her objection.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
of professional science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
writers. It was founded in 1965 by Damon Knight
Damon Knight
Damon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
under the name Science Fiction Writers of America, Inc. and it retains the acronym SFWA after a very brief use of the SFFWA. Its stated mission is "SFWA informs, supports, defends and advocates for our members".
Membership and eligibility
SFWA has approximately 1,500 members as of 2009.Most members live in the United States. Active membership is limited to professionally published authors in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, or horror; the minimum qualification is the sale of one novel or dramatic script, or three short stories, to venues with certain minimum circulations or pay rates. Associate membership is for professionally published authors who have not yet qualified for active membership. Affiliate memberships are available for science fiction and fantasy professionals who are not authors.
Authors, regardless of nationality or residence, must be professionally published in a qualifying market as listed by SFWA in order to become SFWA members. At present, all listed qualifying markets publish only in the English language.
Awards
Annually since 1965, SFWA members select by vote the Nebula AwardNebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
s for best short story, novelette, novella, and novel published during the previous year, where the four categories are defined by numbers of words.
During the Nebula ceremony, SFWA also presents the annual Andre Norton Award
Andre Norton Award
The Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, named to honor prolific science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton , is a yearly juried award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to the author of an outstanding young adult science fiction or...
since 2005 for best young adult novel. Not always annually there are also the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award
The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is an award given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. It is awarded to a living author for lifetime achievement in science fiction and/or fantasy. Officially, it is not a Nebula Award though it is awarded at the Nebula ceremony...
since 1975 for lifetime achievement in science fiction or fantasy, the Bradbury Award
Bradbury Award
The Ray Bradbury Award is presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to recognize excellence in screenwriting...
since 1992 for best dramatic presentation, the Author Emeritus
Author Emeritus
Author Emeritus award is an honorary title bestowed by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. It was created "as a way to recognize and appreciate senior writers in the genres of science fiction and fantasy who have made significant contributions to our field but who are no longer...
title since 1995 to a senior writer whose major impact was long ago or overlooked. Since 2009 the Solstice Award which may be posthumous recognizes lifetime contributions to the science fiction and fantasy field.
SFWA Bulletin
SFWA publishes a bimonthly magazine called the Bulletin. SFWA Members receive the Bulletin as part of their membership, but anyone can subscribe. The Bulletin carries nonfiction articles of general interest to writers, especially genre writers, and reprints one Nebula Award-winning story per issue. It accepts submissions, for which the pay is 7 cents a word. Mark Kreighbaum is currently the editor of the SFWA Bulletin.History
According to Todd McCaffreyTodd McCaffrey
Todd J. McCaffrey is an Irish American author of science fiction best known for continuing the Dragonriders of Pern series in collaboration with his mother Anne McCaffrey.-Life:...
, the organization immediately "acquired great status in its efforts to help J.R.R. Tolkien get fair recompense in America for pirated sales of The Lord of the Rings."
SFWA sponsors the Writer Beware Blog, the public face of their Committee on Writing Scams, to expose problems and pitfalls that face aspiring writers. Writer Beware also receives sponsorship from the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
. Its mission is to raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry.
As part of this mission, SFWA members submitted an 'unpublishable' manuscript to independent publishing house PublishAmerica
PublishAmerica
PublishAmerica is a Maryland-based print-on-demand book publisher founded in 1999 by Lawrence Alvin "Larry" Clopper III and Willem Meiners ....
, to test their claimed editorial rigor. When PublishAmerica offered to send them a contract to publish Atlanta Nights
Atlanta Nights
Atlanta Nights is a collaborative novel created in 2004 by a group of science fiction and fantasy authors, with the express purpose of producing a bad piece of work of unpublishable quality to test whether publishing firm PublishAmerica would still accept it...
, they revealed the hoax, and PublishAmerica withdrew the contract offer. SFWA subsequently listed the book for sale through a Print On Demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
service, with all profits to benefit their Emergency Medical Fund.
In 2009, SFWA joined the Open Book Alliance
Open Book Alliance
The Open Book Alliance is an organisation concerned about the mass digitization of books and opposed to the Google Book Settlement, which they believe could allow Google, the Association of American Publishers and the Authors’ Guild collectively "to monopolize the access, distribution and pricing...
to oppose the Google Book Settlement.
Controversy
In 1982, Lisa TuttleLisa Tuttle
Lisa Tuttle is an American-born science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. She has published over a dozen novels, five short story collections, and several non-fiction titles, including a reference book on feminism. She has also edited several anthologies and reviewed books for various...
withdrew her short story "The Bone Flute" from the final Nebula ballot, to protest what she saw as excessive campaigning for awards and that voters did not receive copies of nominated works. Her withdrawal was sent after voting had been completed. When informed she had won, she contacted SFWA and told them she refused to accept it. She was told that her reasons for doing so would be announced. Her publisher accepted the award in her place, apparently with no knowledge of her withdrawal, and there was no mention of her objection.
Presidents
- Damon KnightDamon KnightDamon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:...
(1965–1967) - Robert SilverbergRobert SilverbergRobert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:...
(1967–1968) - Alan E. NourseAlan E. NourseAlan Edward Nourse was an American science fiction author and physician. He wrote both juvenile and adult science fiction, as well as nonfiction works about medicine and science. His SF works generally focused on medicine and/or psionics.-Biography:Alan Nourse was born August 11, 1928 to...
(1968–1969) - Gordon R. DicksonGordon R. DicksonGordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author.- Biography :Dickson was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1923. After the death of his father, he moved with his mother to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1937...
(1969–1971) - James E. GunnJames Gunn (author)- Further reading :James E. Gunn The Listeners, BenBella Books, ISBN 1-932100-12-1 -External links:*...
(1971–1972) - Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
(1972–1973) - Jerry PournelleJerry PournelleJerry Eugene Pournelle is an American science fiction writer, essayist and journalist who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte and has since 1998 been maintaining his own website/blog....
(1973–1974) - Frederik PohlFrederik PohlFrederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
(1974–1976) - Andrew J. OffuttAndrew J. OffuttAndrew Jefferson Offutt is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written as Andrew J. Offutt, A. J. Offutt, and Andy Offutt. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, has all his name in lower-case letters.-Life and family:Offutt has been married for over 50 years to Jodie McCabe...
(1976–1978) - Jack WilliamsonJack WilliamsonJohn Stewart Williamson , who wrote as Jack Williamson was a U.S. writer often referred to as the "Dean of Science Fiction" following the death in 1988 of Robert A...
(1978–1980) - Norman SpinradNorman SpinradNorman Richard Spinrad is an American science fiction author.Born in New York City, Spinrad is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. In 1957 he entered City College of New York and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a pre-law major. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco,...
(1980–1982) - Marta RandallMarta RandallMarta Randall is a science fiction writer.In addition to writing numerous science fiction novels and short fiction, Marta Randall has edited the New Dimensions science fiction anthology series, and Nebula Awards 19....
(1982–1984) - Charles SheffieldCharles SheffieldCharles Sheffield , was an English-born mathematician, physicist and science fiction author. He had been a President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the American Astronautical Society....
(1984–1986) - Jane YolenJane YolenJane Hyatt Yolen is an American author and editor of almost 300 books. These include folklore, fantasy, science fiction, and children's books...
(1986–1988) - Greg BearGreg BearGregory Dale Bear is an American science fiction and mainstream author. His work has covered themes of galactic conflict , artificial universes , consciousness and cultural practices , and accelerated evolution...
(1988–1990) - Ben BovaBen BovaBenjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
(1990–1992) - Joe HaldemanJoe HaldemanJoe William Haldeman is an American science fiction author.-Life :Haldeman was born June 9, 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His family traveled and he lived in Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Maryland and Anchorage, Alaska as a child. Haldeman married Mary Gay Potter, known...
(1992–1994) - Barbara HamblyBarbara HamblyBarbara Hambly is an award-winning and prolific American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction...
(1994–1996) - Michael CapobiancoMichael CapobiancoMichael Victor Capobianco is an American science fiction writer.He is known for writing novels in collaboration with William Barton. Many of their novels deal with themes such as the Cold War, space travel, and space opera....
(1996–1998) - Robert J. SawyerRobert J. SawyerRobert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...
(1998) - Paul LevinsonPaul LevinsonPaul Levinson is an American author and professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York City. Levinson's novels, short fiction, and non-fiction works have been translated into twelve languages....
(1998–2001) - Norman SpinradNorman SpinradNorman Richard Spinrad is an American science fiction author.Born in New York City, Spinrad is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. In 1957 he entered City College of New York and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a pre-law major. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco,...
(2001–2002) - Sharon LeeSharon Lee (writer)Sharon Lee is an American writer. She is the co-author of the Liaden universe novels and stories, as well as other works, and individually the author of two mystery novels....
(2002–2003) - Catherine AsaroCatherine AsaroCatherine Asaro is an American science fiction and fantasy author. She is best known for her books about the Ruby Dynasty, called the Saga of the Skolian Empire.- Biography :...
(2003–2005) - Robin Wayne BaileyRobin Wayne BaileyRobin Wayne Bailey is an American fantasy and science fiction author. He is a past president of SFWA, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America . He was South-Central Regional Director for SFWA nine years. He has also hosted three of SFWA's Nebula Awards weekends...
(2005–2007) - Michael CapobiancoMichael CapobiancoMichael Victor Capobianco is an American science fiction writer.He is known for writing novels in collaboration with William Barton. Many of their novels deal with themes such as the Cold War, space travel, and space opera....
(2007–2008) - Russell DavisRussell Davis (writer)Russell Davis is an American author born in Missouri. His publications include more than 20 novels and 30 short stories. Davis, who writes in many genres, was the president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America from 2008–2010, and a member of the Western Writers of America...
(2008–2010) - John ScalziJohn ScalziJohn Michael Scalzi II is an American author and online writer, and president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his Hugo Award-nominated science fiction novel Old Man's War, released by Tor Books in January 2005, and for his blog , at which he has written...
(2010-)