Sime~Gen Perspectives Newsletter

JANUARY 2007

Contents:

*ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S CHAT LOGS POSTED
*COAL FOR CHRISTMAS
*SIMECENTER NEWS
*HELP WANTED ~ SIMECENTER
*WorldCon Report - Kerkaday recipe posted
*BORDERLANDS UPDATE
*Baen Books Free to Disabled Readers
*NEW REVIEWS
*EPPIE CENTER
*REREADABLE BOOKS
*NEW ITEMS FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORS AT CAFE PRESS
*HELP WANTED
*PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
*ADVICE FOR PROMOTING YOUR BOOK OR WEBSITE
*AVAILABLE RELEASES
*SITES TO REMEMBER
*SUBSCRIPTION AND CONTACT INFORMATION

**COPYRIGHT NOTICE**

****ANNUAL NEW YEAR'S CHAT LOGS POSTED

The logs from the Sime~Gen, Inc., Annual Meeting, and the informal chatroom nextdoor, have been posted.

Step down the page until you see the links to each year's information, and select 2007...or step down a trifle further and see the 2007 summary information in person, without having to jump.

Besides the meeting 'minutes' and the chat log, you can jump right to the reports if you wish (and back out to the top page again). The reports available this way are:
- Reviews Department Report
- Domain Technical Report *
- SimeCenter Report
- Stock Awards
* This one is exceptionally exciting. Read it even if you don't read anything else.

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At the start of this year's meeting, we discussed how many years we've been doing this: having the meeting on-or-about New Years Day, and giving awards to the people who helped out during the previous year.

Well this page shows the answer: the first meeting was in 1999, while the current domain was mostly just a gleam in people's eyes! [Nothing in the files tells me exactly WHEN the meeting was, but it sounds like it was early in the year.]

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This year's 'chat' notes also include some references to staffers' websites outside of SimeGen. They are most enjoyable to investigate. I put the URL information I notices in italics, to be a bit easier to find. (Let me know if I missed any.)

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I also did something I've been wanting to do for several years: provide sidebars linking to the detailed award definitions each time we start discussing one of the awards. Please tell me if this helps or hinders, or I could improve the implementation to be more reader-friendly.

In Service to Unity, Kaires
historian@simegen.com

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****** COAL FOR CHRISTMAS

Jean Lorrah and Lois June Wickstrom are happy to announce that Barb Doyon of www.extremescreenwriting.com has recommended their script "Coal for Christmas." Read all about it here.

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****** SIMECENTER NEWS ******

Last month, I learned that one of the authors who contributed many wonderful stories to SimeCenter over the years--and who was a good friend via Email, even though we never actually met--had passed away: Jayge Carr.

...You can learn a bit more about her by visiting the simple, little web page I designed for her: http://www.simegen.com/simecenter/sponsors/JaygeCarr/ .

Her family gave me permission to post a story she sent in several months ago, for a special memorial edition of SimeCenter this month. It's called:

     Measuremen* (by Jayge Carr)
     * Yes, that's right. I have NO idea what it means

I asked all the artists who have contributed to SimeCenter if they had something special we could post for this memorial edition. Micheal sent this touching piece, that he had just recently completed:

     Lonely (by Michael Cox)
     He says it's about a lost love

The recipient this month is the American Cancer Society , because Marj (Jayge Carr's real name) asked that donations be made to ACS in lieu of flowers for her memorial gathering.

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Meanwhile, time hasn't run out on the December edition of SimeCenter, the final edition for 2006 (the year we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Star Trek, The Original Series). Two of our SimeCenter authors sent in stories influenced by the world-altering Star Trek phenomenon...one more obviously so than the other:

     "Who is Margaret? What is She?" by Celia A. Leaman
     (from a book by the same name, containing F/SF stories)

     "Meanwhile" by Penny Cusick & Michelle Levigne (which refers back to a
     'Spockanalia' fanzine story "Visit to a Wierd Planet" by Jean Lorrah)

The accompanying artwork is:

     "The Messenger" by Michael Cox
     (evoking Christmas rather than Trek), and

     "Moontain" by G.B. Chew
     (good ole', wonderful science fiction)

These highly enjoyable works were donated in support of Salvation Army and their continuing aid to communities and individuals. Visit their holiday donation page at: https://secure3.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/donate?openform&projectid=USN-2006Christmas .

This copy of SimeCenter will expire approximately 11pm on Monday, January 29th.

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When you enjoy these contributed stories and artwork, and donate to the worthy recipients, be sure to tell them you were referred by SimeCenter: http://www.simegen.com/simecenter/ for the (current) January edition http://www.simegen.com/simecenter/Dec06/ for the December edition

Send your comments, questions, etc.--about the site, the stories and art...whatever--to the address below.

Happy New Year from SimeCenter,
Kaires Tevesu
[If you write to me, mention 'SimeCenter' in the subject. This EMail address gets a lot of spam.]

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****** HELP WANTED -- SIMECENTER

Friends, Simes, Tecton citizens: I've been maintaining the SimeCenter for five years, as of this month. I'd like to hand it off to a worthy successor...or at least start training an assistant.

It's not a hard task. We have a good backlog of stories and art that have been donated. There are HTML templates for all the code elements that get changed each month, and a WORK file on the domain to test the changes before they go live.

Maybe you don't want to take over. That's okay. Want to learn to program in HTML? and how to upload and test pages on the web? I could use the help.

It's a good way to start off a career as a webwright. (I had never even SEEN HTML when I started. If I can do it, anyone who is basically comfortable with a computer can do it.) Working on SimeCenter will give you valuable experience, that you can put in your resume.

If you even vaguely think you are interested...let's talk.

Kaires Tevesu
SimeCenter Gatemaster
http://www.simegen.com/simecenter/ or you may write to Simegen@simegen.com for more details.

******

****WorldCon Report - Kerkaday recipe posted

One of the two missing parts has been posted: the recipe for Kerkaday, also known as Ancient Egyptian Soda Pop .

The main report is at: http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/sghistory/cons/WorldCon06/ You can get to all the other reports from there:
  - the party report
  - the Welcommittee reunion
the scientific treatise on:
  - mating habits of mobility scooters
and now:
  - the kerkaday recipe

What you still have to look forward to are pages containing:
  - the text of three filksongs about Shirley Maiewski

Please report any problems or comments to Kaires Tevesu.

******BORDERLANDS UPDATE

Part 20 This one is called "Healing the World" (which you can also read as "Tikkun Olam" if you are so minded). It follows the adventures of Kat and Nick after they reach Gumgeeville: they find a place to stay and some work to do until they're back in touch by their naztehrhai. Nick also takes a side-trip to Hannard's Ford.

Sidebar episodes feature the Moonbean Cafe and our three college students, a view into Norrin Radd's disjunction camp, and an interesting discussion at Householding Teiu. http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/fans/bev/boom/index.html#part.20

The index is as always at http://www.simegen.com/sgfandom/fans/bev/boom/index.html Share and enjoy!

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*****Baen Books Free to Disabled Readers

Posted to our lists by Jacqueline: Subject: [sfwa-news] Baen Books Free to Disabled Readers

" Baen Books , a publisher of science fiction, will provide its books to fans who are blind, paralysed, or dyslexic, or are amputees, in electronic form free of charge, effective immediately."

Also, "If you'd like to volunteer to help ReadAssist, please contact them at their website: query@readassist.org."

Posted 11/14/2006; see full article at https://www.webscription.net/news.aspx?showarticle=2

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******NEW REVIEWS

BOUNTY ON THE REBEL'S HEART by Karen Wiesner

URSARIA by Christopher Wilcox

THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE by Annie Wang

QUEEN OF BABBLE by Meg Cabot

THE BIG SHUFFLE by Laura Pedersen

MURDER BY PROXY by Robert L. Hecker

BOUNTY ON THE REBEL'S HEART by Karen Wiesner

THE BLOODMOON CURSE by Karen Wiesner

RESURRECTION by Steve Alten

IF ONLY I COULD ... by Greg M. Sarwa

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******EPPIE CENTER by Margaret Carr

Any author or publisher can enter an ebook in the EPPIES. They are not nominated by someone else. It is an INCLUSIVE setup, not EXCLUSIVE. I think this is good. It means that not only big or even small publisher produced books can be entered but also self-published and even vanity published. Granted that many self-published and vanity published books are dreadful but some are good and a few are outstanding. I'm not positive, but I think more than one self-published book has finalled in the past.

Most are probably entered by the authors. Our epress-online entries have all been entered by epress but larger publishers probably couldn't afford this. I did it because I think the networking and other benefits of EPICauthors membership are among the most valuable resources available. So, I told our authors that if they joined I would pay the entry fees. So far they've all taken me up on the offer.

The judges are EPICauthors members. Most are author members but industry members, publishers, editors, agents, etc. can also participate. Judges cannot judge in a category in which they have an entry.

In the first round the judges each receive two or more ebooks to evaluate. All entries are sent to at least two judges. (Note that I strongly recommend a minimum of four when volunteering. It is possible to get two dreadfuls but so far with four or more I've found at least half worth reading and some outstanding.

Each book starts out with a score of ten points. The judge deletes points, or half points for flaws.

Approximately ten percent of each category finals. In the second round of judging each judge simply ranks them in order, 1, 2, etc.

We don't find out the winners until EPICon in March.

******

******REREADABLE BOOKS

The ReReadable Books Review columns for November, December and January are now up for free reading.

http://www.simegen.com/reviews/rereadablebooks/2006/ -- scroll down to the end of the year.

http://www.simegen.com/reviews/rereadablebooks/2007/ January is now available.

******

******NEW ITEMS FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORS AT CAFE PRESS

A SIME~GEN postage stamp is now available to order on cafe press. It can be used just as you would use a a regular postage stamp. Be the first on YOUR block to have them!

We've got a new page for Cafe Press items from our artists and authors. Now you can get t-shirts, greeting cards, clocks, mugs, and other great stuff with work from your favorite artists. You can even buy books about Nessie, the Orange Forest Rabbit and The Reluctant Spy that aren't available anywhere else.

http://simegen.com/marketplace/cafepress/ is a direct link to all our items and merchandise stores. Use of this page will give the domain extra income.

If there is an item that you wish to see that isn't offered, just write Lois and she'll get it ready for you to order.

Think about magnificent, hand-crafted Starred-Cross Jewelry for your holiday giving: http://www.simegen.com/marketplace/jewelry/

The image comes in four designs:
- silver & enamel brooch *
- silver & gold brooch
- silver & gold outline pendant
- small silver pin
(The first three are 1-1/2" square; the pin is about half that size.)

* Enamel can be almost any color - think Householding colors! How do you describe the color you want? Try: http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_colornames.asp

Follow the link to the artist's own page for ordering: http://www.wormgeardesigns.com/simegen.php . The artist who created these items apologizes for not replying to some early queries.

Apparently, the 'Shopping Cart' was sending notices to an obsolete mailbox, and he didn't receive them until very recently.

He says the page still has some problems, but at least the notification works, and ordered items will be created and shipped within a few days, by First Class mail.

Any questions or comments go to: Kaires Tevesu. (Please mention 'starred-cross jewelry' in the subject line, because that address gets a _lot_ of spam.)

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******HELP WANTED

The spotlights section of Simegen.com currently needs interviewers, spotlight posting personnel, an assistant spotlights gatemaster, and a keygifts store manager. We are also requesting an Assistant Reviews Co-coordinator - duties include covering when other staff are unable to perform tasks. We are almost finished revamping our reviews section and expect activity to be at a constant high level. We're looking for a versatile quick learner able to put in some time daily. Pluses are: A good command of the English language (syntax, grammar, punctuation, in that order), some computer experience or ability to learn, and an interest in books. Direct all inquiries to simegen@simegen.com.

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******PUBLICATION SCHEDULE

We have had to withdraw the entire Sime~Gen project from Meisha Merlin for a wide range of reasons. They missed several deadlines for publication of TO KISS OR TO KILL and showed no signs of intention to get it out any time in the foreseeable future. That stalled everything else. It was very disappointing.

So we are now actively in search of another publisher.

THE UNITY TRILOGY should continue to be available for some time -- they have the right to dispose of all stock in the Meisha Merlin warehouse.

******

*****ADVICE FOR PROMOTING YOUR BOOK OR WEBSITE

A new year is dawning, and you are probably taking stock of your success as a writer in 2006.

Imagine for a moment that it's a year from now. The ebook that you published just twelve months ago is an EPPIE finalist, and has been riding high for months with four-star reviews on all the review sites. It has also remained on the best-seller list on the site where it is sold. You have even received enough in royalties to pay for all the promotion you have done for your book.

Have you ever dreamed of being the person described above? Of course you have--but which part of that scenario is hardest for the experienced writer to imagine? Sadly, ebook authors are more likely to win an award than make more money in royalties than they spend promotingtheir books.

It's a fact of writing life today that the author must promote his or her own books, whether ebooks or tree books. That fact is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

But promotion is expensive. Some reviewers accept ebooks as email attachments, but others want print copy, requiring the author to pay for print copies, as well as postage to send the books to the reviewers.

While it's not too difficult to get free web space, you then have to either hire a designer or design your site yourself. And of course your website is just like your book: no one will visit it unless you advertise it.

Which brings us to the cost of advertising: a website, banner ads on other people's websites, bookmarks, flyers, prizes for contests you run on your site. It quickly adds up.

Think what it would be like if you could stretch your advertising budget so you could continue to advertise each of your books for a full year.

There is a way: text ads.

Link exchanges are of course your best deal, because they are free. However, a link exchange is not actually a text ad, because it doesn't promote your book. It just tells visitors to the exchange site that your site also exists.

But many websites and newsletters offer actual text ads for your book at very low cost, frequently as low as $5 per month. You're a writer, so your appeal is to readers--right? And your particular skill is with words--right? You don't have to beg, barter, or buy a text ad, as you might a banner or web page, and if you're not satisfied with your first attempt, you can change it yourself until you are happy with it.

There are four rules for creating a great text ad:

1. THE SHORTER THE BETTER. Try to keep the description of your book or promotion on your website to as few words as you can manage. The idea is to get your audience to CLICK on your hotlink. There they will find further details.

2. HOOK your audience with what Hollywood calls a high concept. The idea is to put together something familiar and comfortable that your audience already knows they like, with a new twist to pique their curiosity. Another alternative is to put together two ideas that may both be familiar, but never before juxtaposed with one another. Would you be interested in a book described as "Dracula meets Desperate Housewives"? How about "Girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl gains robot"? Use your imagination to find the wildest way to describe your book, yet be truthful to its content.

3. TEST YOUR LINKS! Your ad won't do you much good if when people click on your hotlinks, they just get error messages. DON'T USE TOO MANY HOTLINKS. Many advertising venues limit you to one or two--and they are actually doing you a favor. Readers who want to investigate the book you have described in such an intriguing way now want a more detailed look at it--they don't want to be taken away to descriptions of three OTHER books. Or if they want to enter your contest, they don't want to be taken to the Amazon page for your book instead. Generally, the two hotlinks in your text ad should be one to your own web page, and the other to the best place to purchase your book.

4. LINK TO THE RIGHT PAGE. If you are running a contest or promotion on your website, don't take readers to your top page and make them hunt around for more links to take them to that contest or promotion. Use the actual page where the contest or promotion is to be found as your hotlink. The same rule goes for selling your book directly. If you have separate pages on your website for each of your books, link to the actual page for that book. The same thing goes for the link to where they can purchase it. Link as directly to the sales page for your book as you possibly can, so you don't send people to a page where they may choose to buy some other book instead.

So now you've made your great text ad. I'll bet that feels pretty good. But where are you going to put it, besides as your email signature?

Do you see text ads in the newsletters you receive? Find out how much they cost! For example, check out the New Year's Special Sime~Gen Inc. is running: 40% off the usual rates for text ads in six different newsletters: http://www.simegen.com/agreements/NewYear'sSpecial.html .

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******AVAILABLE RELEASES

~ the Omnibus reprint of Jean Lorrah's SAVAGE EMPIRE: DARK MOON RISING is #1 in the reprint program.

~ Trade Paperback edition of DREAMSPY from BenBella Books and you can order on Amazon and some other places

Read the comments here: http://www.simegen.com/writers/luren/dreamspy/dreamspyreviews.html .

~ SAVAGE EMPIRE: PROPHECIES is #2 in Jean Lorrah's and Winston Howlett's omnibus reprint of the Savage Empire series.

Still Available in Trade Paperback, SIME~GEN: THE UNITY TRILOGY .

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***** Sites to Remember *****

Author spotlights

Chats

Romance articles

Reviews of books by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Reviews

Shopping

Sound files of Jacqueline Lichtenberg pronouncing Sime~Gen vocabulary words can be found at http://www.simegen.com/jl/nivetsoundfiles/index.html .

To sign up for classes, go to http://www.simegen.com/school/SchoolForms.html .

To volunteer, go to http://www.simegen.com/agreements/helpwanted.html for the latest openings.

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To contact editor for any reason, please e-mail Lisa Saunders at simegen@simegen.com.

*Please Note all material posted on Official Virtual Tecton is copyright © by Sime~Gen Inc. and all rights are reserved. To get your Sime~Gen(tm) material sanctioned for web posting or to get permission to repost from official materials, e-mail ambrovzeor@aol.comor contact simegen@simegen.com. Sime~Gen (tm) is the trademark of a fictional universe copyright © by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, 1969, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986 and Sime~Gen Inc. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.