SFWA – Made by Meghan

[Yes, I’m supposed to be taking today and tomorrow off – and I am really trying to NOT work – but this is time sensitive (only seven days to bid)!]

I’m donating two sessions to the SFWA silent auction (links below) this year. The proceeds from the auction support SFWA’s advocacy for and professional development of creators working in the speculative fiction genres, including scholarships to the Nebula Conference, the Writer Beware program, and benevolent funds such as the Legal Fund and the Emergency Medical Fund, etc. The silent auction closes June 26 at 3:00pm PT.

Click here to browse all the items on offer (rare books, collectibles, etc): https://www.biddingforgood.com/wbi/sfwaauction

MCD’s Specific Sessions

Virtual Kaffeeklatsch* with MCD: four readers will join MCD for a chat about her books/universe specifically, and/or a general, casual conversation about about favourite books, chocolate, and other treats!

*Kaffeeklatsch: an informal social gathering at which coffee is served. Virtual = bring your own beverage of choice!

Note: This virtual session will take place by Zoom on July 22 at 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

Bid here: Seat 1: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/item.action?id=342812146

Bid here: Seat 2: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/item.action?id=342812147

Bid here: Seat 3: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/item.action?id=342812148

Bid here: Seat 4: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/item.action?id=342812149

Career session: chat with MCD about indie/self publishing, building the uber fan, and branding. A 30-minute conversation that can be shaped to the winning bidder’s level of experience and current needs. Newbies to indie publishing can get help mapping out a publishing plan, midlevel authors can brainstorm accessible ways to build their platforms or talk about what marketing techniques are working in today’s publishing landscape. Trad pubbed authors thinking of going hybrid with their back list would be a good fit as well!

No critiques offered, just career brainstorming, please.

Note: This virtual session will take place on July 22 at 5:15 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

Bid here: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/item/item.action?id=342812151

FUN! FUN!!

I mentioned the idea of a book club connected to the SFWA Fantasy Storybundle that I posted about last week in my reader run fan group, and a bunch of readers seemed interested. So we discussed the idea, I suggested a schedule, and the ‘club’ officially starts tomorrow.

How it will work: I’ll introduce a book every two weeks (see the schedule below) here on my blog and in Facebook group, along with links and some extra info about the author, etc. If it is a trilogy, we’ll read the first book for the club. The main discussion will take place in my fan group, but if you aren’t on Facebook please feel free to start a discussion on the specific blog posts as well.

A few of the authors might be participating as well. Fun! Fun! But I’ll confirm who and how as we move forward.

The schedule:

Wednesday, January 30 – Al-Kabar by Lee French
Wednesday, February 13 – Amaskan’s Blood by Raven Oak
Wednesday, February 27 – Ashwin by Kit Rocha
Wednesday, March 13 – Blade and Rose by Miranda Honfleur
Wednesday, March 27 – Catching Echoes by Meghan Ciana Doidge
Wednesday, April 10 – Dragon Blood Omnibus by Lindsay Buroker
Wednesday, April 24 – Genrenauts by Michael R. Underwood
Wednesday, May 8 – Radiance by Grace Draven
Wednesday, May 22 – The Arrows of the Heart by Jeffe Kennedy
Wednesday, June 5 – The Glass Gargoyle by Marie Andreas
Wednesday, June 19 – The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher
Wednesday, July 3 – The Twenty-Sided Sorceress by Annie Bellet

Some of you might own some of these books already, or prefer to get them from the library, but if you’re interested in purchasing the book bundle you can find more information about it here: https://storybundle.com/fantasy or in my previous blog post.

Also I understand that sticking to a two week schedule might be difficult (for me as well) so if you need to skip books, or pick and choose what you have the time to read, no worries. Please participate as you are able. This is all just for fun.

Let me me know if you have any questions. The book club officially launches tomorrow with Al-Kabar by Lee French! I’m about a third of the way through my read so far and quite enjoying the world Lee has created.

I hope you can join me. It should be fun.