Mentorship Meeting #1
May 23, 2020 7:30 am to 8:30 am
Track:
Career Management
This is the first mentorship meeting of the SFWA Nebula Conference Online.
Events
All dates and times are in the America/Los Angeles (Pacific) time zone.
May 23, 2020
Nebula Finalist Reception
May 23, 2020 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Track:
Receptions
Nebula Award finalists’ reception
May 28, 2020
Mentorship Meeting #2
May 28, 2020 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Track:
Career Management
This is the second scheduled mentorship meeting of the SFWA Nebula Conference Online.
May 29, 2020
Crowdfunding for Authors
May 29, 2020 8:00 am to 9:00 am
Panelists:
Margot Atwell, Madeleine Holly-Rosing (Her/She), Ryan Schapals, Michael R. Underwood and Tobias S. Buckell (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
Want to crowdfund, but don’t know where to start? This panel will cover all the basics.
Too Adult for Young Adult
May 29, 2020 8:00 am to 9:00 am
Panelists:
Henry Lien, Naomi Kritzer, Jenn Reese, Greg van Eekhout and Christine Taylor-Butler (moderator)
Track:
Craft Development
Youth aren’t sheltered from the realities of the real world, so why should their literature be?
Being a Creative in 2020: Building Community, Visibility, and Audience in a Virtual World
May 29, 2020 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Track:
Career Management
With so much changing in the SFF community this year, how can you find your people, promote your work, and connect with readers?
The Small Press Experience: How to Get What You Want
May 29, 2020 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Panelists:
J.R.H. Lawless, Heather Rose Jones, L. D. Lewis, Cat Rambo and AJ Fitzwater (they/them) (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
A small press can be the Goldilocks of publishing: just the right fit!
Read more about The Small Press Experience: How to Get What You Want
Mentorship Meeting #3
May 29, 2020 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Track:
Career Management
This is the third mentorship meeting of the SFWA Nebula Conference Online.
Finances for Traditionally Published Novelists
May 29, 2020 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Panelists:
Peng Shepherd, Jenn Lyons, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Rebecca Roanhorse and Kim-Mei Kirtland (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
Where and how should you be spending and getting paid?
Read more about Finances for Traditionally Published Novelists
Grandmaster Lois McMaster Bujold
May 29, 2020 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Panelists:
Lois McMaster Bujold and Alix E. Harrow (moderator)
Track:
Grand Master
Join SFWA’s newest Grand Master Lois McMaster Bujold for a conversation about her prolific career.
Blades and Badasses: Disability and Swordwork
May 29, 2020 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Track:
Craft Development
Disabled sword experts discuss the details of swordplay and how to depict realistic swordfighting scenes inclusive of all abilities.
Read more about Blades and Badasses: Disability and Swordwork
C is for Conlang
May 29, 2020 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Track:
Craft Development
Panelists from a wide variety of backgrounds discuss how their different starting points affect how they construct language.
Mentorship Meeting — Clarion/Clarion West Class Of 2020
May 29, 2020 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Track:
Career Management
This is the fourth scheduled mentorship meeting of the SFWA Nebula Conference Online.
Read more about Mentorship Meeting — Clarion/Clarion West Class Of 2020
Finishing What You Didn’t Start: Editors Making Projects Their Own
May 29, 2020 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Panelists:
Carl Engle-Laird, Peter Adrian Behravesh, Rebecca Slitt, Rouxi Chen and Sarah Guan (moderator)
Track:
Craft Development
Editors discuss how to work with new-to-them authors and make adopted projects their own.
Read more about Finishing What You Didn’t Start: Editors Making Projects Their Own
Managing Choice in Games and Interactive Fiction
May 29, 2020 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Panelists:
Kate Heartfield, Stephen Granade, Whitney Strix Beltrán, Erin Roberts and Carrie Patel (she/her) (moderator)
Track:
Craft Development
A panel of professional game makers talk about their approach to choice, what they’ve seen in their own and other games, and what new approaches we can learn from for the future.
Read more about Managing Choice in Games and Interactive Fiction
May 30, 2020
What is Narrative Design in Games?
May 30, 2020 8:00 am to 9:00 am
Panelists:
Kimberly Unger, Leonard Boyarsky, Whitney Strix Beltrán, Ryan Schapals and Carrie Patel (she/her) (moderator)
Track:
Craft Development
This panel brings together narrative designers to talk about the ways that narrative systems deliver, shape, and change storytelling – and how their own work in this field has evolved and grown over time.
Urban Development: the Evolution of Cities in the 21st Century and Beyond
May 30, 2020 8:00 am to 9:00 am
Track:
Craft Development
A discussion of the evolution and life of cities through the future.
Read more about Urban Development: the Evolution of Cities in the 21st Century and Beyond
Publishing SFF Romance: Pick a Seat, Not a Side
May 30, 2020 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Panelists:
Shanna Swendson, Yasmine Galenorn, Cassie Alexander, C. L. Polk and Jeffe Kennedy (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
When your book straddles two popular genres, how do you determine which way to publish?
Read more about Publishing SFF Romance: Pick a Seat, Not a Side
I Am Not A Lawyer: Contracts for Authors
May 30, 2020 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Panelists:
Keffy R.M. Kehrli, Kim-Mei Kirtland, Seth Fishman, J.R.H. Lawless and Kelly Robson (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
You put a lot of work into your fiction, so put as much effort into reviewing your contract!
Writing a Graphic Novel Proposal
May 30, 2020 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Panelists:
Suzanne Walker, Darcie Little Badger, Nilah Magruder, Diana M. Pho and Alison Wilgus (moderator)
Track:
Craft Development
For most prose authors looking to transition into comics writing, you’ll be trying to sell your book on proposal.
Writing Multiply Marginalized Characters in SFF
May 30, 2020 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Track:
Craft Development
In this panel, authors talk about building nuanced experiences into their world building and overall craft, with regard to multiply marginalized characters.
Read more about Writing Multiply Marginalized Characters in SFF
Making Video for Authors
May 30, 2020 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Track:
Career Management
Authors with a variety of experiences in creating video discuss making video to support your author career, from brand development to content marketing to community development and management.
Writing Middle Grade with This Year’s Norton Award Finalists
May 30, 2020 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Track:
Career Management
Several of this year’s Norton Award nominees discuss the changing role of science fiction and fantasy within the middle grade field.
Read more about Writing Middle Grade with This Year’s Norton Award Finalists
Deprogramming Fat Hate in the Writer’s Brain
May 30, 2020 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Panelists:
Meg Elison, Kelly Robson, AJ Fitzwater (they/them), Chesya Burke and Marianne Kirby (moderator)
Track:
Craft Development
This discussion will present a respectful and safer space for fat and non-fat writers alike to center on identifying the personal biases that are expressed unconsciously through their writing and how to address them
Read more about Deprogramming Fat Hate in the Writer’s Brain
Spending Money to Make Money as an Indie Author
May 30, 2020 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Panelists:
Yasmine Galenorn, Linda Nagata, James Beamon, Rebecca Diem and Jonathan P. Brazee (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
A detailed discussion of current best practices in how to spend your money as an author-publisher to drive sales and build your career
Read more about Spending Money to Make Money as an Indie Author
May 31, 2020
Managing Multiple Writing Projects and More
May 31, 2020 8:00 am to 9:00 am
Panelists:
Max Gladstone, Caitlin Starling, Siobhan Carroll, P. Djèlí Clark and Tina Connolly (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
Writers who are successfully juggling multiple writing responsibilities talk about how to keep multiple projects on time and manage the chaos, as well as when and how to ask for help.
The Landscape of Audiobook Production for Authors
May 31, 2020 8:00 am to 9:00 am
Panelists:
James Patrick Cronin, Vikas Adam, Emily Woo Zeller, Victoria Gerken and Mary Robinette Kowal (moderator)
Track:
Craft Development
An experienced panel of SAG-AFTRA narrators and producers present an overview of the range of audiobook publishing options available to authors in the current landscape
Read more about The Landscape of Audiobook Production for Authors
Writing for Comics and Graphic Novels: Process and Collaboration
May 31, 2020 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Track:
Craft Development
In this conversation, we offer tips for prose authors interested in transitioning into comics, focusing on common pitfalls, keys to scriptwriting, and most importantly, how to be a good collaborator.
Read more about Writing for Comics and Graphic Novels: Process and Collaboration
Who and Where I Am: Rooting Writing in Identity and Place
May 31, 2020 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Panelists:
Jordan Ifueko, Mimi Mondal, Deji Bryce Olukotun, P. Djèlí Clark and S.B. Divya (moderator)
Track:
Craft Development
A diverse group of writers shares their techniques for drawing from their geographic and cultural backgrounds to craft story, setting, and voice.
Read more about Who and Where I Am: Rooting Writing in Identity and Place
Cover Appeal
May 31, 2020 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Panelists:
John Picacio, James Beamon, Grace P. Fong, Mikaela Lind and Michael R. Underwood (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
Indie authors and artists discuss how to find and budget for an artist that best markets their stories to readers and conveys the appropriate subgenres.
The Second Life of Stories: Reprints, Translations, Audio, and More!
May 31, 2020 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Track:
Career Management
The glamor lies in first publication rights, but many stories extend their shelf lives and make extra money their authors through non-exclusive secondary sales.
Read more about The Second Life of Stories: Reprints, Translations, Audio, and More!
School Visits and Presentations: Brick-and-Mortar Tours, Virtual Visits, and Everything In-Between
May 31, 2020 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Track:
Career Management
Authors discuss the mechanics of school events, including methods of preparation, how to choose engaging content, what to charge, how to adjust to a virtual reality, and more.
Moving the Line: Advanced Imposter Syndrome
May 31, 2020 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Panelists:
Mike Chen (He/Him), G. V. Anderson, K.M. Szpara, A. T. Greenblatt and Karen Osborne (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
Authors discuss strategies to cope with their own Imposter Syndrome as their careers evolve and they branch out into new areas of writing.
Rebounding: How to Have a Second–or Third or Fourth–Career in One
May 31, 2020 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Panelists:
Naomi Kritzer, L.X. Beckett, Veronica Roth, Tobias S. Buckell and Laura Anne Gilman (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
Experienced authors discuss how to evolve alongside challenges in such a way that you can breathe new life into your career.
Read more about Rebounding: How to Have a Second–or Third or Fourth–Career in One
Forming and Sustaining a Successful Writing or Critique Group
May 31, 2020 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Panelists:
A. T. Greenblatt, A.C. Wise, Vylar Kaftan, Curtis C. Chen and Rebecca Gomez Farrell (moderator)
Track:
Career Management
Panelists will discuss the factors that go into building a successful group, both online and in-person, and what they’ve learned about keeping one going.
Read more about Forming and Sustaining a Successful Writing or Critique Group