Welcome Edmund R. Schubert, editor of InterGalactic Medicine Show, an online, quarterly illustrated magazine that publishes a wide range of science fiction and fantasy.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your publication.

The first issue was published in October of 2005, and the first two issues were edited by Orson Scott Card, who founded the magazine and still oversees things as publisher. I started editing the magazine with issue three. Orson and I worked hard last summer to put everything in place to ensure that IGMS was an SFWA-qualified professional market. The SFWA now recognizes all sales to our magazine (retroactive to the first issue) as professional sales.

In addition to the online magazine, Tor also published a print anthology this past August collecting a sampling of stories from the first two years of the magazine, and Audible.com is in the process of recording all of the stories from the anthology for their website.

How did you get involved with editing fiction?

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Over the years, I’ve spoken at science fiction/fantasy conventions, romance conferences, multi-genre conferences, bookstores and libraries, colleges and universities, writers groups and writing workshops, writers retreats, high schools, readers groups, museums, and civic associations. I’ve done panel discussions, chat-with sessions, formal speeches, informal Q&As, I’ve lectured and taught workshops, I’ve done readings, and performed some MC duties. I’ve done public appearances all over the U.S., in Canada, and also in France and Israel.

The writer in public

Many writers are (go figure) shy, bookish, private people, and learning to do public appearances is an adjustment for them. Others are more gregarious and enjoy meeting readers, as well as seeing their colleagues at conventions and other public venues. I’m very gregarious and my original professional aspiration was in acting, so both aspects of public appearances appeal to me: getting out to meet people and working with an audience. I always learn something from my colleagues and from readers at conventions; I always learn something from doing readings, giving formal workshops, and participating in panel discussions; and I always enjoy meeting readers, who are the people who spend their time and money on books–without readers, I wouldn’t have a profession, after all.

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Throughout a writer’s career, she must suffer the doubts of numerous critics, both inside and out.  Will her writing group understand the new chapter?  Will this work be good enough to pick up an agent?  Will his editor appreciate the revisions?  Will readers be satisfied with the latest installment of the series?  Will Kirkus reviews finally offer a (grudgingly) positive remark?  Over and over again, the writer must prepare to face the scorn and lashes of professionals, fans, friends, and the dreaded “inner critic” who finds fault with every word.  But beyond them all, lurking at the heart of so many of us, is the terrible question WWMT:  What Would Mom Think?

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In previous blogs on this site, I’ve talked about Ninc activities and member benefits such as the annual Ninc conference (blog date 07/26); our exceptional monthly publication, Nink (08/02); the Ninc Legal Fund (08/22); Ninclink (09/29); and Ninc.com (10/27).

While that’s already quite a lot, given our modest annual dues (see “Join Ninc” on Ninc.com for information about fees), Novelists, Inc. has many additional services, benefits, and activities. For example:

The Anthologies Committee works with our packaging partner, Tekno Books, to develop anthology projects that Ninc members can participate in, leading to further publishing and income opportunities for these writers. In 2008, Ninc and Tekno have worked on developing a series of non-fiction anthologies about the craft-and-business of writing fiction; we have also recently begun work on developing our first fiction project with Tekno. This is a new collaborative relationship, so the projects are new and in development; as publication information becomes available, it will be posted on Ninc.com.
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