CALLIHOO Newsletter ----------------------------------------------------------------- Market News for Writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Vol. 7 No. 34 Editor: Julia West February 15, 2000 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Web page: http://www.sff.net/people/julia.west/CALLIHOO/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS Bruce Thatcher sold a story titled "Luther and the Dragon" to =Realms of Fantasy=. Way to go, Bruce! * * * Reminder: The Dare to Be Bad challenge begins tomorrow, February 16th and runs through February 21st. Best of luck to you all, and let me know how it goes! Anyone who's on dm.net or sff.net can drop into my newsgroups on one of those two services (dm.members.julia-west or sff.people.julia-west) to see how others are doing on their dares. DEADLINES Check out the CALLIHOO website, listed above, for more information on these contests, magazine issues, and anthologies. (Where it says "GLs in Vol. X No. Y," these are volume and issue of the CALLIHOO newsletter.) Salivan Short Story Contest, deadline 28 Feb 00. [Canadian, =no entry fee=, SF/F, H or romance, to 6000 wds, $50 prize in each of 3 cats. (GLs in Vol 7 No. 31)] =The Age of Wonders= SFF.NET anthology, open 1 Jan-1 Mar 2000 or until full (the two earlier ones filled up FAST). [Near-future SF about interface between human and machine. Pays 8 cents/wd. (max. $400) on accept., no reprints, query for over 5000 wds, E- mail subm okay. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 25)] The PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award, open 8 February to 24 March 2000. [Short story by unpublished author, all genres and subjects, 1000-8000 wds, 1st prize $10,000, =no entry fee=, E- mail subm okay., 1 entry per person. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 34)] =Writers of the Future=, 2nd quarter 2000, deadline 31 March 2000 [$1000 first, $750 2nd, $500 3rd place. =No entry fee=. L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, P.O. Box 1630-JBW, Los Angeles, CA 90078. (GLs in Vol. 6, No. 10)] =Starlight 3= anthology, deadline "late spring 2000". [SF/F, pays 7-1/2 cents/wd., no upper word limit, (GLs in Vol. 6, No. 38)] =The Doom of Camelot= anthology from Green Knight Publishing, deadline 21 April 2000. [Arthurian stories, 3-7,000 wds, pays 3- 5 cents/wd., pays shortly after accept. No E-mail subm. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 29).] =The Darker Side of Eternity, Volume II=, contest deadline 1 May 2000. [contest/print antho, H (SF/F elements okay) stories. Must be member of World Horror Convention. Submit to 2500 wd and/or to 10,000 wd stories. 1st prize (short) $100, (long) $300. Runners-up 3 cents/wd. Pays on pub. No reprints or E- mail subm. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 24)] Warner Books' First Novel Contest, deadline June 30, 2000. [SF/F novels. Synopsis + first several chapters (up to 60 pages maximum). No entry fee. Prizes: Publication with advance and royalties.] =On Spec= Theme Issue ("World Beat") deadline 31 Aug 2000. [Canadian print mag, prefers Canadian authors, theme of non-North American-based (different cultures) SF/F/H to 5000 wds, pays $50- $180C on accept., no reprints, faxed, or E-mail subs. (GLs in Vol. 7 No. 31.)] =Byline= genre fiction contest, deadline September 5, 2000. [Short story that fits category: romance, sci-fi, confession, mystery, western, etc. No children's stories. 5,000 words max. =Entry fee $5=. Prizes: $50, $30, $15.] Nineteenth Annual Science Fiction/Fantasy Short Story Contest Sponsored by Science Fiction Writers of Earth, deadline 30 October 2000. [Annual contest, SF/F by unpubl authors, 2000 to 7500 wds. =Entry fee $5 for 1st ms. (gives memb to SFWoE), $2 for each other ms.= Prizes $200 1st, $100 2nd, $50 3rd. (GLs in Vol. 7, No. 33)] The Best of Soft Science Fiction Contest opens 1 Oct 2000, closes 15 Dec 2000. [Annual contest, soft SF, to 7000 wds, published or offered for pub during year, enter as many as want, =no entry fee=, prizes 1st $100, 2nd $50, 3rd $25. GLs in Vol. 7 No. 33] CONTEST =The PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award= [Short story by unpublished author, all genres and subjects, 1000-8000 wds, 1st prize $10,000, submit 8 Feb - 24 Mar 2000, no entry fee, E-mail subm okay., 1 entry per person] The PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award P.O. Box 80727 Seattle, WA 98108 Submit to: shortstory@amazon.com Call for Entries "The one who tells the stories rules the world." --Hopi proverb Amazon.com and PEN American Center are proud to announce the inaugural PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award, a prize for first-time and unpublished writers. As chosen by David Guterson, Sherman Alexie, and Jamaica Kincaid, the award-winning story will reach millions of readers--and earn its author a $10,000 grant. Submissions will be accepted February 8 through March 24, 2000. There are no subject-matter restrictions or entry fees. Prizes Amazon.com and PEN will select one first-prize winner and several runners-up. The first-prize winner will receive: * A $10,000 grant to help fund future writing * Publication in =The Boston Book Review=, a premier independent literary arts magazine * Publication on the Amazon.com Web site, where millions of book lovers can read the award-winning work * Special recognition on May 15, 2000, at the annual PEN Literary Awards Ceremony in New York * The most distinguished runners-up will also appear on the Amazon.com Web site. Judging The judges will select the most engaging, original, and promising story from a shortlist compiled by Amazon.com editors. The panel of PEN judges will consist of the following writers: * David Guterson, author of the award-winning =Snow Falling on Cedars= and =East of the Mountains= * Jamaica Kincaid, author of =Annie John= and =Autobiography of My Mother= * Sherman Alexie, poet, novelist, and screenwriter; author of =The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven= Eligibility The award is open to any writer whose fiction has not appeared in a book or nationally distributed publication with a circulation over 5,000. Writers must be at least 18 years of age and residents of the United States or Canada. Employees and representatives of Amazon.com and PEN, and their immediate family members, are not eligible to participate. There are no entry fees or subject-matter restrictions. Can't get enough fine print? Read our official award rules. How to Submit Your Story * Stories should be typed and double-spaced * Each page of a submission should include all information necessary for contacting the writer, including name, address, contact telephone number, and, if applicable, e-mail address * Minimum submission length is 1,000 words; maximum length is 8,000 words * Only one story per person, please! * Send physical manuscripts to: The PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award, P.O. Box 80727, Seattle, WA 98108 * If you would like to submit your story electronically, e-mail an attachment to shortstory@amazon.com. Please do not send a cover letter or return postage; manuscripts will not be returned * Stories must be received on or before March 24, 2000 Official Rules Please read these Official Rules before submitting an entry for consideration for the PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award (the "Award"). By submitting an entry, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and acknowledge that you satisfy all eligibility requirements. 1. Eligibility *No entrance fee or other payment is necessary to submit a manuscript or win any award.* Eligibility is limited to residents of the U.S. and Canada who are legal adults in their state or province of residence (i.e., over 18 or 19, as applicable), who have not previously had a work of fiction published in any book or nationally distributed publication with a circulation greater than five thousand (5,000), and who are not otherwise nationally recognized authors. If you have a question about your eligibility, please send it to the e-mail address specified in Section 9 below before submitting an entry. Directors, officers, employees, and other representatives of Amazon.com LLC, doing business in Washington state as Amazon.com Washington LLC ("Amazon.com") and PEN American Center, Inc. (collectively, "Sponsors") and their affiliates (and the immediate family members of each) are not eligible to win any Award. Offer void where prohibited. Amazon.com can accept only those entries that are completed and submitted in the format designated in Section 4 below. Entries that do not comply with the provisions of these Official Rules will not be eligible to win any Award. 2. Entries Stories and any other materials submitted in connection with the Award ("Entries") will not be returned to any entrant. By submitting an Entry or accepting any Award, entrants represent and warrant that all Entries are the original creation of the entrant, have not been copied in whole or in part from any other work, do not violate or infringe any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary right of any person or entity, and are and will be the sole and exclusive property of the entrant; and that Sponsors will not be obligated to pay any compensation to, or permit any participation by, any third party in connection with the use or publication of any winning Entries. 3. Intellectual Property Rights Entrants agree that from the time of submission until the time of determination of the Award winners, they will not publish or permit any third party to publish their Entry online or in any magazine format. Winners hereby grant Amazon.com: (a) a perpetual, worldwide right and license to reproduce, publish, and display their story on Amazon.com's Web site and on the Web site of The Boston Book Review; (b) a worldwide right and license to publish their story one time in magazine format; and (c) the right to sublicense and assign the foregoing rights and licenses. Winners agree that: (a) they will not, for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days after selection of the winning stories, publish or permit any third party to publish their winning story online; or (b) publish or permit any third party to publish their winning story in any magazine format prior to publication of such story by or through Amazon.com. Winners further agree that in each subsequent publication (in any format) of their winning story, they will credit Amazon.com and =The Boston Book Review= for first serial publication as the places of first publication of the story. Winners grant Amazon.com the right to reformat and reasonably copyedit their stories (in accordance with generally accepted professional publishing standards) as necessary for publication online and in a magazine format. Entrants acknowledge that Amazon.com receives and creates many stories and story ideas, some of which may be similar or identical in whole or in part to one another, and that Amazon.com cannot be limited in their ability to create, receive, publish, or use stories or other creative works in connection with their projects. Therefore, entrants acknowledge that no fiduciary or confidential relationship or obligation of compensation to any entrant or any third party on the part of Amazon.com is created by reason of the submission of any Entries, and entrants hereby waive any claims and causes of action related thereto. Please note, however, that all entrants retain ownership of the copyright in their Entries submitted, subject only to the license granted to Amazon.com in the preceding paragraph for winning stories. 4. Entering To enter, eligible entrants must, between February 8, 2000 and March 24, 2000 (the "Deadline"), submit one short story that meets the criteria below to "PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award, P.O. Box 80727, Seattle, WA 98108," or send a short story that meets the criteria below via e-mail to shortstory@ amazon.com. Short stories may be of any subject matter, but must in any event be no fewer than 1,000 words and no more than 8,000 words. Stories submitted in hard-copy form must be typed and double-spaced, and each page of each story must include all information necessary to contact the writer (including name, address, contact phone number, and, if applicable, e-mail address). Stories submitted via e-mail must comply with the guidelines set forth in the Award Overview. Only the first Entry submitted by any person will be eligible to win an Award. Subsequent Entries by any entrant will be disqualified. Each Entry must be the work of a single individual, and no submissions by writing teams will be eligible to win an Award. Only stories which satisfy the requirements of this Section 4, which are submitted by an eligible participant, and which are received by the Deadline will be eligible for consideration for the Award. None of the Sponsors are responsible for, and entrants hereby waive any claims related to: (a) any late, lost, misrouted, garbled, distorted, or damaged entries; (b) any mail, electronic, Internet, or other computer- or communications-related malfunctions or failures; (c) any disruptions, injuries, losses, or damages caused by events beyond the control of Sponsors; or (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Award. 5. Selection of Winners A panel of three (3) PEN members will determine the winning story and two (2) runners-up from eligible entries. Winning stories will be determined by identifying the stories that are the most apt, original, and interesting out of those submitted during the Award period. Amazon.com will attempt to notify winners on or before May 15, 2000. Winners will be called at the phone number provided, and Award notifications will be mailed to the addresses provided. The Award notifications will include instructions to be followed by Award winners to claim their Award. If any selected winner is unreachable or ineligible, fails to claim an Award in accordance with the instructions, or fails to return an executed affidavit and consent in a timely manner as required by Section 7 below, the winner will forfeit his or her Award and an alternate winner will be selected. 6. Awards One (1) first prize winner will be awarded ten thousand dollars (U.S. $10,000) and have his or her story published on the Amazon.com Web site no later than May 31, 2000 and in a literary journal selected by Sponsors. Two (2) runners-up will have their stories published on the Amazon.com Web site no later than May 31, 2000. *All taxes associated with the receipt or use of any awards are the sole responsibility of the winner.* All Awards will be granted. Awards are not transferable. 7. Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity Release Winners will be required to execute a legal affidavit of eligibility and acceptance of these Official Rules, release of liability, confirmation of rights, and, except where prohibited by law, consent to use of their name, age, city, state or province, and/or Award information, without limitation, for promotional purposes without further payment. 8. Release By submitting any entry, entrants release Sponsors and their affiliated companies from any and all liability for any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Award, submission of any Entry materials, or the acceptance of any Award (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, and losses related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation, or portrayal in a false light). 9. Miscellaneous Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsors, which are final and binding in all respects. These Official Rules constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and may not be altered except by a written document signed by each of the Sponsors and the entrant. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Amazon.com reserves the right to change these Official Rules at any time or to suspend or cancel the Award. Entrants who violate these Official Rules or engage in any conduct that is detrimental or unfair to any of the Sponsors, the Award process, or any other entrant are subject to disqualification from consideration for the Award. Amazon.com reserves the right to disqualify any entrant whose eligibility is in question. If you have any questions about these Official Rules or the Award, or wish to receive a written list of the Award winners, please send questions via e-mail to feedback@amazon.com. 10. Award Sponsors The sponsors of the Award are Amazon.com LLC (doing business in Washington state as Amazon.com Washington LLC), 1200 12th Avenue South, Suite 1200, Seattle, WA 98144, and PEN American Center, 568 Broadway, Suite 401, New York, NY 10012-3225. Rules for entering Q: Who can enter to win the award? A: The PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award is open to unpublished writers who are residents of the U.S. or Canada and 18 or older (19 in certain provinces in Canada). Employees and representatives of Amazon.com and PEN, and their immediate family members, are not eligible to participate. Q: What does it mean to be "unpublished"? A: You are eligible to enter if your fiction has never appeared in a book or nationally distributed publication with a circulation over 5,000 and if you are not otherwise a nationally recognized author. Small regional journals, student literary magazines, the annual family newsletter--none of these count as national publications. Q: Are there any restrictions on the short story I can enter? A: Minimum word count is 1,000 words, and maximum is 8,000. Otherwise, your imagination is the only limit. Q: When will you start accepting submissions? For how long? A: We will accept manuscripts February 8 through March 24. Q: Can the entry be postmarked by March 24 or does it have to be received by March 24? A: It must be received by March 24. Amazon.com cannot be responsible for any late, lost, misrouted, or damaged entries, notes from your mother notwithstanding. Q: May I enter more than one story? A: No. One submission per person, please. If you enter more than one story, we'll accept only the first. Q: I live outside the United States and Canada. Can I still enter? A: Sadly, no--although military personnel stationed overseas are still legal residents of the U.S. and Canada, and are eligible to participate. Q: How should I format my manuscript for submission? A: It should be typed and double-spaced. Put your contact information--name, address, telephone number, e-mail address if you have one--on every page of your submission and send to: PEN/Amazon.com Short Story Award, P.O. Box 80727, Seattle, WA 98108. Alternately, e-mail as an attachment to shortstory@amazon.com. Please do not include cover letters, return postage, artwork, personal statements, or biographies with either electronic or manuscript submissions. Your work should speak for itself. Q: Do electronic submissions need to be in a specific word processing format? A: No--we'll take care of deciphering whatever you send. But do indicate in the body of your e-mail what kind of computer and word processing software you use, e.g. Mac or PC, Microsoft Word 97 or AppleWorks 5, and so on. Again, make sure each page includes your contact information--name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Q: Should I include a version of my story on disk? A: No. The written or electronic manuscript is all we need. Q: How do you feel about simultaneous submissions--that is, can I enter a story for this award while submitting it elsewhere for publication? A: No. If you wish to be considered for the award, please refrain from sending your story elsewhere until the award winner has been announced. Likewise, do not send us a manuscript until you withdraw it from consideration at any journals or magazines to which it has already been submitted. For more details, please see our official rules. Judging process and announcement of winners Q: What kind of writing are you looking for? What criteria will you use to choose the finalists, the runners-up, and the winner? A: That would be telling, wouldn't it? Qualities we admire in fiction include--but are not limited to--originality, wit, urgency, elegant or striking use of language, insightful characterization, and literary intelligence. In short, we can't tell you much about what goes into making a good story, but we know one when we see one. Q: Will you consider "genre" fiction for the award? A: Yes. Do you write existentialist thrillers? Fine. Is dystopian fantasy your thing? Knock us dead. But in any case, your story should possess meaning and relevance for readers outside the genre. Q: Who will read my story? A: A group of qualified readers composed of Amazon.com writers and editors will screen the submissions, narrowing them down to a small number of finalists. Your story is guaranteed to be read by a member of this group. If your story is a finalist, it will be presented to the panel of PEN judges for final deliberation. The judges are ultimately responsible for selection of the winner and runners-up. To find out more about the judges and what they've written, read their biographies. Q: When will the winner be notified? A: The winner will be notified in advance of the May 15 PEN Literary Awards Ceremony in New York. We will both call and send mail notification to the winner and runners-up using the contact information provided. Q: Will you post the winning stories on Amazon.com? When? A: Yes indeed. The award-winning story and selected runners-up will appear on the site beginning in May. Q: Will I get my story back? A: No. Not even if you ask nicely and send postage. For this reason, do not send us an original manuscript. Q: How can I find out whether my story is one of the finalists? A: We will call winners and runners-up, but finalists will not be made public. If you would like to receive notification of the final winner, either check the Web site or simply drop us a line at feedback@amazon.com. Prizes Q: If my story wins, are there any restrictions on how I spend the prize money? A: None at all. Our intention is to reward great writing, and to encourage more of it. But you can use the award to finance a year of writing or a week in Tahiti. We won't judge you, we promise. Q: Will I have to pay my own expenses to attend the ceremony? A: No, Amazon.com will cover travel and hotel costs. Other Q: If I win, do I retain the rights to my story? A: If your story wins the award, you grant Amazon.com both first serial rights and worldwide rights to republish the story on the Amazon.com Web site and on the Web site of =The Boston Book Review= (exclusively for the first six months and non-exclusively in perpetuity). In other words, you won't be able to publish the story online from the time you submit your entry until six months after winners are announced, and you will allow first print publication to =The Boston Book Review=. You can still publish your story in a collection or anthology, however; we ask only for online and first serial rights. For more detailed information about rights and other legal questions, check out the official award rules. Q: What if I don't win? A: During the contest period--from the time you submit your entry until winners are announced in early May--you agree not to publish or permit any third party to publish your entry online or in any magazine format. After winners are announced, you retain all rights and we wish you the best of luck placing your manuscript elsewhere. Do you have a question this FAQ didn't answer? Write feedback@amazon.com and we'll get to the bottom of it. [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/browse/-/books/ 283156/103-0301171-5967018] MARKET INFORMATION =Gothic.net= A writer on sff.net says that Gothic.net is heavily stocked and more choosy than usual just now. [sff.writing.response-times, 14 Feb 00] =Hadrosaur Tales= A writer on sff.net says that =Hadrosaur Tales= is closed to submissions until June. [sff.writing.response-times, 10 Feb 00] =On Spec= In a discussion on sff.net, when a writer noted that Canadian magazine =On Spec='s guidelines say they preferentially buy work from Canadians, Darryl Murphy (who is on =On Spec='s editorial board) said, "We don't pay any attention to a writer's home address. We just don't. Each editor reads the stories, and then we grade them. If two editors say "instant buy," it doesn't even make its way to the others, except as a courtesy. But in the fight nights (as they are called) that I have sat in on, not once have we thought about how do we balance this so there are more Canadians. "The only other thing that occurs to me is that the wording may be a sop to the grants bodies. "In the meantime, OS does not judge you by what side of the border you live on. So please feel free to submit, everyone." [sff.net, 9 Feb 00] =Peanut Press= From Publisher's Weekly Daily: "In eBook Circus, netLibrary Picks up a Peanut "In most businesses, consolidation is a sign of maturity, a reason to believe the industry has gotten so big that only by combining forces can a company compete. Like so many other sectors of the New Economy, electronic publishing doesn't take this wisdom very seriously. "The latest case in point: PW Daily has learned that netLibrary, the Boulder, Colo., company that sells online access to, and site licenses of, textbooks and other educational materials, will acquire Peanut Press, the book-content provider for palmtop computers. "In a conversation with PW Daily, Peanut president Jeff Strobel cited financial and technical reasons for sealing the deal. "This is a company that has really deep pockets and rows of computers that can get out 100 books a day," he said. A conversion rate that fast could actually outstrip title acquisition (Peanut has several hundred titles available and at least one thousand more waiting to go). But Peanut stresses that infrastructure concerns are paramount when it comes to reaching the goal of tens of thousands of titles, and hopes this infrastructure will help it persuade publishers to turn over titles. "No change is planned in the Peanut brand, nor can publishers expect a change in their relationships with the e-house. And Peanut's offices, for the short-term at least, will remain in Wayland, Mass., about a half-hour from Boston. "Peanut had started looking to netLibrary as a potential investor or strategic partner; after a short time, it realized that a more ambitious meddling made more sense. While netLibrary was not yet a competitor, a slight "shift in focus" could have made it a formidable one, says Strobel. netLibrary has more than 10,000 titles available. "netLibrary has made tentative steps into the consumer market, particularly with a radio ad campaign over the holidays. With the acqui-sition, it can now tap into Peanut's efforts. It's also found a platform for downloadable books. "Of course, when it comes to companies as well-funded but, uh, revenue-neutral as eBook providers, consolidation is a relative term. Still, that four of the premiere eBook companies-- NuvoMedia, Softbook, netLibrary and Peanut Press--have been reduced to two in a matter of weeks underscores how the lines have been drawn before the first shot has been fired. If that surprises you, imagine how the players feel. "This happened a little faster than we expected," says Strobel, with a hint of understatement. Or, as a writer for =Upside= magazine recently put it, "The fact that term 'Internet Time' has become a clich‚ so quickly proves its own point."--Steven M. Zeitchik =Science Fiction Age= Gardner Dozois said on dm.net, "Some bad news today: =SF Age= has been killed. Scott [Edelman, editor] is no longer working for Sovereign Media in any capacity. "=Realms of Fantasy= still survives." [dm.members.scasper, 10 Feb 00] Scott Edelman said, in his sff.net newsgroup, "Thank you all for your expressions of concern. It is amazing how quickly the news spreads. I received over 50 e-mails and dozens of phone calls today from folks interested in what had happened with both me and the magazine. I wish I had time to answer them all immediately, but I find myself in the odd situation of suddenly not having much time -- last Friday I signed a contract to deliver a 40,000 word instant book to a publisher this coming Tuesday. And since I must overnight the manuscript and disk on Monday, there's even less time than that. So I don't have time to respond to you all personally -- particularly since I'd have to give back the nice advance if I miss the deadline by even a day. (This situation has nothing to do with the =Science Fiction Age= matter, and was in no way a catalyst to my leaving, but it does limit my time until I ship the thing off.) "What can I say? I was saddened by the cancellation, but not shocked. I had known for awhile that Sovereign was considering shutting down =Age=. The hardest thing for people to understand is that the magazine was still pofitable, even at the end, but just not as profitable as any of the other Sovereign titles -- the media magazine, the wrestling mag, the log home and history mags -- all way surpassed what =Age= brought in. When I spoke to Charlie Brown today, he blew off my claims of profitability by insisting that "everyone knows there's no way you guys could be profitable," but I told him that *yes* -- we were! Our recipe for success was not the same as for the pulp magazines, and the numbers should not be judged in the same way, at least not when it comes to the profit formula. There were many times when ad sales alone paid the print bill, even with lowered subscription revenue. But from a publisher's point of view, when you have two products, each taking an equal amount of time to produce, and one is more profitable than another by a 20 to 1 margin -- he starts to think, why are we expending energy on *these* when can do more of *those*? And so the owners decided to bail out when the magazine was still profitable. "As for me, I knew that I did not wish to remain at Sovereign once Science Fiction Age was gone, and so I had recently been looking for work elsewhere in expectation of this. It was the oddest twist of fate -- rare luck that I can still barely believe -- that when I was told Tuesday afternoon that the May 2000 issue of =Science Fiction Age= would be its last, I knew that I might be offered a job elsewhere the very next day. And so I was. With offer letter in hand, I went into the owners and told them, "I have some news for you. =Science Fiction Age= is over, and so am I." "I'd always known that I didn't want to last at Sovereign past the lifespan of =Age=, and by strange luck, I was able to keep to that promise. "It was a good run. I started working on the magazine in September of 1991, with the first issue, dated November 1992, appearing for the first time in September at the '92 Worldcon. We published hundreds of stories in 46 issues over the years, including numerous Hugo and Nebula finalists and one Nebula Award winner. I am very proud of the effort. I gave it my best shot in a fiction-unfriendly marketplace. "As for me, my last day at Sovereign will be Tuesday, March 7. I start on Wednesday, March 8 at CommTek Communications Corporation as the Editor of =Satellite Orbit=, a monthly TV Programming guide with a circulation of 375,000. I will still be working in the northern Virginia area." [sff.people.scottedelman, 10 Feb 00] ==End of the CALLIHOO newsletter for 15 February 2000==