If I couldn't access LJ (or the author blogs & several non-LJ author/editor/publisher/agent blogs) that I do read without costing me an arm and leg unless I joined SFWA, SFWA would certainly be of value. Because it would be the only option for very valuable info. IT would seem somewhat exclusionary, but meh.
But that isn't the case, because you can't control what people say and it is their right to post things in public. Tobias Buckwell's Author Advance Survey was not SFWA instigated, and has been a great help. If SFWA did their own for members only with more respondants & info, that would be of value and maybe they could get more because it wouldn't be public versus Tobias' informal. ACS did a survey every year of the thousands of chemical professionals to get salary info and release it to all members so that you knew if you were competitive or not. It was good.
To me, SFWA can't be about the community of allowing fans/amatuers access to the pros. The pros are out there, on their own, and they talk. So SFWA shouldn't try to recreate GEnie or LJ as a way of gathering new members. SFWA should offer things that aren't that. Like a better Advance/First Novel survey with more respondants in the industry. Maybe work out a deal with Locus to get a reduced subscription rate if you are a member of SFWA [because while Locus isn't for SWFA, I can't imagaine many in SFWA don't read or shouldn't read it]. (Disclaimer: I worked for Locus for a while a couple years back). The availability of the Bulletin and the member's list is of interest to me and is probably the one thing that would make me auto-join if I ever qualify. Because I plan on doing it via short stories, I damn well want that list for the Agents info for when I would try to sell a novel. I can get that elsewhere, but I've heard the SFWA version is more easily read and collected into one place.
Anyway, I just don't like SFWA being seen as an elite fan club. I think it should be seen as what it purports to be: An organization for Professional SF/F writers. And serving them by being professional, not a bunch of in-fighting twits & self-serving old farts (I know it is all of them, and I do know quite a few people of SFWA who are awesome, but that is the general vibe I get whenever I read about a SFWA tempest and the vibe I got when I was guested into the SFWA suite from many of the members).
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2007-03-30 12:06 am (UTC)But that isn't the case, because you can't control what people say and it is their right to post things in public. Tobias Buckwell's Author Advance Survey was not SFWA instigated, and has been a great help. If SFWA did their own for members only with more respondants & info, that would be of value and maybe they could get more because it wouldn't be public versus Tobias' informal. ACS did a survey every year of the thousands of chemical professionals to get salary info and release it to all members so that you knew if you were competitive or not. It was good.
To me, SFWA can't be about the community of allowing fans/amatuers access to the pros. The pros are out there, on their own, and they talk. So SFWA shouldn't try to recreate GEnie or LJ as a way of gathering new members. SFWA should offer things that aren't that. Like a better Advance/First Novel survey with more respondants in the industry. Maybe work out a deal with Locus to get a reduced subscription rate if you are a member of SFWA [because while Locus isn't for SWFA, I can't imagaine many in SFWA don't read or shouldn't read it]. (Disclaimer: I worked for Locus for a while a couple years back). The availability of the Bulletin and the member's list is of interest to me and is probably the one thing that would make me auto-join if I ever qualify. Because I plan on doing it via short stories, I damn well want that list for the Agents info for when I would try to sell a novel. I can get that elsewhere, but I've heard the SFWA version is more easily read and collected into one place.
Anyway, I just don't like SFWA being seen as an elite fan club. I think it should be seen as what it purports to be: An organization for Professional SF/F writers. And serving them by being professional, not a bunch of in-fighting twits & self-serving old farts (I know it is all of them, and I do know quite a few people of SFWA who are awesome, but that is the general vibe I get whenever I read about a SFWA tempest and the vibe I got when I was guested into the SFWA suite from many of the members).
Zhaneel