It was 2010 when I first started writing fiction in my native language, Greek. There weren’t a whole lot of opportunities for artists in Greece, although many talented people exceled in various artistic mediums, so I decided to try writing in English.
This came with an array of challenges to overcome, such as improving my reading and writing skills in English. Those were obstacles I had anticipated. But others, such as the lack of peers who wrote in English (with a few exceptions) or a sense of belonging to the US writing community, I had not.
That’s where Locus comes in.
There are many writers like me out there. Not just writers who live far away from North American conventions, but even those who live in small US towns, those who can’t afford to travel to a convention, those that face accessibility issues, those who have many obligations and can’t carve more time to become actively involved in the science fiction and fantasy community. For all of us out there, Locus provides an insider’s eye into the happenings of the community: It covers a wide array of books and magazines as well as many industry events, both in-person and online.
I remember looking at the Locus website and reading reviews of stories that would blow my mind. I too have dreamt of having my stories reviewed there. Locus helped me find the magazines that published stories similar to what I would later end up writing—stories that shaped my taste in anglophone fiction. It helped me better understand the markets, and was my guide as I was navigating the chaotic adjustment period from being a complete outsider to slowly getting my bearings in the anglophone writing community.
Some of my favorite columns were, and still are, the reports from various conventions and events. When, as an aspiring writer, I glanced through the photos from gatherings, I saw people who I admired and thought of as being almost inaccessible hanging out with new writers and fans like it was the most natural thing in the world. This gave me hope. Even if I couldn’t be there, at least I knew these authors were welcoming to fresh faces and very approachable. Most of all, it showed me that they were regular people like me and you. It helped me to feel a closeness to the community. It also set an example for how to behave among people who were more advanced in their career and authors who were just starting out. I became less afraid to approach the former and aware of the importance of being welcoming to the latter (even as an introvert).
Things seem to be working out for me. A lot of my dreams have come true. I’ve had my stories reviewed by Locus and even made it on the Locus Recommended Reading List. I love seeing stories by other marginalized authors featured and recommended by different reviewers. It makes us feel seen. It matters so much to us.
When in 2019 I attended Clarion West, I got to be a part of those reports I was reading about. I was also at the Locus Awards: There was so much concentrated joy. I saw enthusiastic faces, met many writers new to me, and picked up lots of books. It was a true and unapologetic SFF celebration. Locus made that possible.
I don’t take these things for granted. The pandemic has taught me as much. I don’t believe I will be at many upcoming physical conventions (and maybe not too many online ones). Life gets in the way. But I do know that I will not feel like an outsider because I will be able to see new and familiar faces in Locus reports and know that there is a world out there and I am part of it. And I will still be able to discover new and diverse stories by writers I don’t know because of the conscious effort of the Locus reviewers. And by the way, the Locus Awards voting is open to everyone who wants to add a story they loved but didn’t get to see in the initial list. Everyone can nominate and everyone can vote for the stories. That’s how open and inclusive Locus has made its awards and its philosophy in general.
When Locus asks for the community’s help it is important for us to show up and support their efforts. Locus needs to exist for all the writers and fans out there who wouldn’t otherwise have access to the information, the reviews, and the institutions, but still want to stay connected. It needs to exist for all the writers that do have access and want to create a community larger than a city or a country. A community that will encompass as much of the world as possible.
I ask you to support Locus’s crowdfunding campaign for the generations of writers and readers who will find a lifeline keeping them connected to the SFF history, as well as its current beating heart.
