Well, today's editorial, as has been so recently true, is provoked by Pacione. He says that he was "showcasing" the younger writers as if he did them a service.

Publishing bad writing serves no one well. If anything it would ultimately prove embarrassing to these young people when they try to actually submit their material to traditional publishers who will pay them for their efforts and lovingly produce and present their work to a wider audience than Pacione can.

He should have spend months editing their material, making certain that they had it right. Some of it had a chance to be good with a decent editor. But that is not what they got.

What they got was a shabby presentation, little or no editing, but lots of ego-boo from the "editor".

I have a friend whose family told her she was destined to be a writer. they built her up and built her up and once she began submitting stuff all her hopes came tumbling down and did enormous harm to her feelings of self-worth. But she held on, working harder and learning the things she should have in the first place. She's now sold two shorts and currently works as an editor, but it took her more than fifteen years. If she had had a better idea of what to expect in those first few years, she might have handled it better.

No, Nicky. You are not helping these young writers, you are harming them.



Some brief creds, a partial list

articles published in:
Movieline
Cinefantastique
Washington Post Book World
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Drive Guide
Black Belt
Martial Arts Weapons
Monsterland
Thrust: Science Fiction in Review
Science Fiction Review

Former MPAA Accredited Journalist.
Currently Active member, SFWA, HWA