Notes from a Bestseller: Robert J. Sawyer Offers Advice to New Authors

After a couple of flattering but unfulfilling rejections, a fledgling author recently asked award-winning novelist and all around generous guy, Robert J. Sawyer, if he should give up. Sawyer answered him at length, then added some riffs on the publishing industry in general through the lens of SF/F in particular. The results are eye-opening and January Magazine is pleased that Sawyer granted us permission to run his letter here.

“I should tell you that ‘the market is tough’ line is nothing new from publishers,” Sawyer remarks at one point. “They’ve been saying it to first-time authors for at least a full decade now. And it is indeed tough, and has been for all that time.”

The full piece is here.