Comments for Semiprozine.org http://semiprozine.org Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:59:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on 2011 Report of the Semiprozine Committee by Hugo Awards: Best Fanzine and Best Semiprozine | axolotlburg news http://semiprozine.org/2011-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-646 Hugo Awards: Best Fanzine and Best Semiprozine | axolotlburg news Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:59:42 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?page_id=699#comment-646 [...] committee presented its findings and recommendations at the Business Meeting at Renovation. With some slight changes in wording, the Business Meeting [...] [...] committee presented its findings and recommendations at the Business Meeting at Renovation. With some slight changes in wording, the Business Meeting [...]

]]> Comment on A long silence… and now a proposal by Frank http://semiprozine.org/2011/08/09/a-long-silence-and-now-a-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-615 Frank Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:18:25 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?p=701#comment-615 This sounds more like an argument over whether or not eliminating certain non-professional magazines from the semiprozine category is justified if it makes the rules simpler. I can't believe this is a discussion sane people are willing to have. This isn't the "Best Semiprozine that was Convenient to Categorize in a Voter-obvious Manner Award." As a voter, I'd be happy to look at recommendation lists for semiprozines, just like I do for short stories. People who want to count words or verify status of semiprozines are a valuable part of our community and will always be there. Making hard-working semiprozines ineligible for the sake of giving simplicity to the rules is a horrible precedent and I hope that this pay rate clause is prevented by the people attending that meeting. This sounds more like an argument over whether or not eliminating certain non-professional magazines from the semiprozine category is justified if it makes the rules simpler. I can’t believe this is a discussion sane people are willing to have. This isn’t the “Best Semiprozine that was Convenient to Categorize in a Voter-obvious Manner Award.”

As a voter, I’d be happy to look at recommendation lists for semiprozines, just like I do for short stories. People who want to count words or verify status of semiprozines are a valuable part of our community and will always be there. Making hard-working semiprozines ineligible for the sake of giving simplicity to the rules is a horrible precedent and I hope that this pay rate clause is prevented by the people attending that meeting.

]]> Comment on A long silence… and now a proposal by Sam M-B http://semiprozine.org/2011/08/09/a-long-silence-and-now-a-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-614 Sam M-B Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:37:07 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?p=701#comment-614 Re: "I also have a problem with saying that all it takes to be a professional is a checkbook. No talent necessary" . I didn't mean to imply that it would make the magazine a professional magazine. I meant only to imply that it would make them ineligible for the semiprozine Hugo. . Anyway: good luck at the meetings, and thanks again for championing and working so hard at this process. Re: “I also have a problem with saying that all it takes to be a professional is a checkbook. No talent necessary”
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I didn’t mean to imply that it would make the magazine a professional magazine. I meant only to imply that it would make them ineligible for the semiprozine Hugo.
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Anyway: good luck at the meetings, and thanks again for championing and working so hard at this process.

]]> Comment on A long silence… and now a proposal by Semiprozine.org » Blog Archive » Once Again Calling on your Support for Semiprozines http://semiprozine.org/2011/08/09/a-long-silence-and-now-a-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-610 Semiprozine.org » Blog Archive » Once Again Calling on your Support for Semiprozines Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:47:52 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?p=701#comment-610 [...] reports will be heard and resolved into a single proposal for vote on Friday. The committee report, discussed here, could be abandoned or rewritten before it even gets to a [...] [...] reports will be heard and resolved into a single proposal for vote on Friday. The committee report, discussed here, could be abandoned or rewritten before it even gets to a [...]

]]> Comment on Another Proposal that Impacts Semiprozines by the fiction of Scott H. Andrews » Blog Archive » Don’t Make a Mess of the Whole Semipro Zine Category? http://semiprozine.org/2011/08/14/another_proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-609 the fiction of Scott H. Andrews » Blog Archive » Don’t Make a Mess of the Whole Semipro Zine Category? Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:08:47 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?p=706#comment-609 [...] I don’t quite understand the print purists’ furor over new media, such as audio.  But I’m shocked at the ancillary effect that their revision, which was rejected by the Semiprozine revision committee, would have.  They want to cross out the stipulation of “non-professional”, which would effectively put all magazines into the Semiprozine category. [...] [...] I don’t quite understand the print purists’ furor over new media, such as audio.  But I’m shocked at the ancillary effect that their revision, which was rejected by the Semiprozine revision committee, would have.  They want to cross out the stipulation of “non-professional”, which would effectively put all magazines into the Semiprozine category. [...]

]]> Comment on Another Proposal that Impacts Semiprozines by Kevin Standlee http://semiprozine.org/2011/08/14/another_proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-606 Kevin Standlee Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:59:33 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?p=706#comment-606 I think the <a href="http://renovationsf.org/downloads/wsfs-resolution-fancast.pdf" rel="nofollow">Best Fancast proposal</a> accomplishes the main goal of the print purists (kicking non-print works out of Fanzine) without doing the wide-ranging changes you point out above. But then again, as I helped a bit in the drafting of the proposal, I would say that, wouldn't I? I think the Best Fancast proposal accomplishes the main goal of the print purists (kicking non-print works out of Fanzine) without doing the wide-ranging changes you point out above. But then again, as I helped a bit in the drafting of the proposal, I would say that, wouldn’t I?

]]> Comment on A long silence… and now a proposal by Scott H. Andrews http://semiprozine.org/2011/08/09/a-long-silence-and-now-a-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-605 Scott H. Andrews Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:27:04 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?p=701#comment-605 I wrote my blog post--it's track-backed above. I'll summarize my main point here: . Attempting to define pro zine by whether it pays a pro rate for its fiction shows a fundamental misunderstanding of why non-pro zines, like my magazine Beneath Ceaseless Skies, do it. . We do it out of respect. Respect for authors, in an era when it’s impossible to make a living writing short fiction. Respect for readers who crave great short stories. Respect for a form of fiction that has a proud tradition in our genre; that we know is in financial decline but we love it so much we do it regardless. . Mr. Yalow seems to think it’s an arbitrary decision for zines to use their money to pay pro rate rather than pay their staffs. He could not be more wrong. Imagine giving an avid reader $100 to spend in the dealer’s room at a con. Sure, it’s theoretically possible they could spend it on steampunk goggles or chainmail t-shirts. But, as any avid reader can attest, their love for fiction means that the only actual outcome would be them walking out of the dealer’s room with $100 of books. If not more. . I hope any readers who care about pro-paying non-pro zines will attend the Preliminary Business Meeting Thursday morning at WorldCon or will spread the word to others who are. . Thank you. . Scott H. Andrews I wrote my blog post–it’s track-backed above. I’ll summarize my main point here:
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Attempting to define pro zine by whether it pays a pro rate for its fiction shows a fundamental misunderstanding of why non-pro zines, like my magazine Beneath Ceaseless Skies, do it.
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We do it out of respect. Respect for authors, in an era when it’s impossible to make a living writing short fiction. Respect for readers who crave great short stories. Respect for a form of fiction that has a proud tradition in our genre; that we know is in financial decline but we love it so much we do it regardless.
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Mr. Yalow seems to think it’s an arbitrary decision for zines to use their money to pay pro rate rather than pay their staffs. He could not be more wrong. Imagine giving an avid reader $100 to spend in the dealer’s room at a con. Sure, it’s theoretically possible they could spend it on steampunk goggles or chainmail t-shirts. But, as any avid reader can attest, their love for fiction means that the only actual outcome would be them walking out of the dealer’s room with $100 of books. If not more.
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I hope any readers who care about pro-paying non-pro zines will attend the Preliminary Business Meeting Thursday morning at WorldCon or will spread the word to others who are.
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Thank you.
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Scott H. Andrews

]]> Comment on A long silence… and now a proposal by the fiction of Scott H. Andrews » Blog Archive » Don’t Penalize Non-Pro Zines for Pro-Level Respect http://semiprozine.org/2011/08/09/a-long-silence-and-now-a-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-604 the fiction of Scott H. Andrews » Blog Archive » Don’t Penalize Non-Pro Zines for Pro-Level Respect Sun, 14 Aug 2011 22:54:32 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?p=701#comment-604 [...] the core of this issue is how to define the difference between a “pro” zine and a “semipro” zine, [...] [...] the core of this issue is how to define the difference between a “pro” zine and a “semipro” zine, [...]

]]> Comment on 2011 Report of the Semiprozine Committee by the fiction of Scott H. Andrews » Blog Archive » Don’t Penalize Non-Pro Zines for Pro-Level Respect http://semiprozine.org/2011-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-603 the fiction of Scott H. Andrews » Blog Archive » Don’t Penalize Non-Pro Zines for Pro-Level Respect Sun, 14 Aug 2011 22:44:33 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?page_id=699#comment-603 [...] for Pro-Level Respect The committee to revise the Semiprozine category in the Hugo Awards has made their proposal, along with several minority recommendations by single members of the committee.  (Followers of [...] [...] for Pro-Level Respect The committee to revise the Semiprozine category in the Hugo Awards has made their proposal, along with several minority recommendations by single members of the committee.  (Followers of [...]

]]> Comment on A long silence… and now a proposal by Norman Cook http://semiprozine.org/2011/08/09/a-long-silence-and-now-a-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-599 Norman Cook Sat, 13 Aug 2011 05:13:28 +0000 http://semiprozine.org/?p=701#comment-599 Thanks for the excellent discussion. This has clarified many questions I've had. I'm just a reader, so not as invested as many on this forum, but it's been enlightening nonetheless. The business meeting next week should be interesting! Thanks for the excellent discussion. This has clarified many questions I’ve had. I’m just a reader, so not as invested as many on this forum, but it’s been enlightening nonetheless. The business meeting next week should be interesting!

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