Every year when the Nebula finalists are announced, I get a little zing of anticipation. If you’re a fan of science fiction and fantasy, you probably know the feeling—wondering what made the cut this time, what surprises the list holds, and what favorites didn’t quite make it. The 2024 shortlist just dropped, and there’s a lot to dig into.
Imagine strolling along a beach, hand in hand with your love, the salty breeze curling around you, the sun dipping low on the horizon. Romantic, right? Now, imagine bending down, picking up an old glass bottle, and discovering a 132-year-old message inside.
We all have our limits. Some writers say they’ll never write a love triangle. Others swear off the “Chosen One.” Me? I have declared, with great solemnity (and perhaps a touch of arrogance), that I will not fall into certain well-worn fantasy tropes.
I’ve spent the last couple of posts being pretty firm about the importance of doing the work. In Hauling the Bricks and The Indie Author’s Scam Survival Guide, we talked about how there’s no magic shortcut—just putting in the effort, day after day, is what gets you there.
I’m pretty open these days about the fact that Cameron Cooper is a pen name. But that wasn’t always the case.
There are a lot of great habits out there—exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep—but let’s be honest: nothing feels quite as good as curling up with a great book and getting lost in a story. And here’s the best part: it turns out that reading isn’t just a fantastic escape—it’s actually good for you.
Filtering your emails into sub-folders is a great start, but sub-folders should be temporary storage, not a long-term solution. Email programs are designed to deliver emails—not manage them.
The real key to email control is moving emails out of your email program and into systems that help you take action, store important information, and keep your digital life organized.
Let’s talk about where emails should go once they leave your inbox.
Indie publishing is booming, which means writers have more control over their careers than ever before. But with opportunity comes risk—and scammers are circling like sharks in a feeding frenzy.
Every year, new scams pop up, often just repackaged versions of old ones, designed to prey on authors who are still figuring out the publishing game. Because while anyone can write a book, successfully publishing and selling one is much harder. That gap—between the dream and the reality—is where the scammers strike.
Let’s talk about how to spot them, avoid them, and protect yourself.
Like many fans of The Murderbot Diaries, I was both thrilled and deeply wary when I heard that Apple TV+ was adapting Martha Wells’ beloved series. On one hand, more Murderbot! On the other… well, adaptations are tricky, aren’t they? They can capture the heart of the source material (The Expanse), fumble it (Wheel of Time), or turn it into something unrecognizable (Foundation—which, to be fair, I ended up loving once I let go of my expectations).
Today, SRP author Mark Posey released a short story in a new A Gathering of Stories anthology: St. Patrick’s Day.
