Interview with Ralan

What made you decide to start ralan.com?

As I re-started submitting short stories in 1993 (I had first tried my hand at this in my teens and early twenties), I found a real lack of market listings, publishing news, and resources. I subscribed to Writers Digest (it cost a fortune for delivery to the frozen wastes of Scandinavia) and bought their yearly Writer's Market, but found out the hard way that: 1.) their listings for speculative markets were limited, and 2.) many were badly out of date.

I wrote to every magazine I could find, asking for guidelines,. As my collection of GLs grew I began putting them into an electronic form I could rifle through quickly, separating them into non-paying, paying, and semi- and pro markets. I also got online around that time because I taught computer skills (among other things) at a school for young people with serious problems. In my free time, I searched out new markets and writing resources (for my new "Links for Hungry Writers" page) as they began to come online. I taught myself (and my students at the same time) how to program HTML and together we built a web site for the school, one of the first educational sites in Scandinavia.

In November 1996, I felt I had enough material for a Speculative Fiction Market web site. My reason for going online was to help other writers like myself; those stuck in far away places with little or no information about writing, manuscript formatting, or how to find markets. I've always visualized my target user as someone in an underdeveloped country, who has to walk long distances to reach a larger village to get maybe ten minutes on a solar-powered computer. At that time, I called my web site "Ralan's Home on the Web." Soon other writers were contacting me with tips on markets and resources -- and the thing just grew. In 1998, I started mailing out a monthly newsletter to all the editors or publishers of the publications I listed and to writers who joined my mailing list. That list now goes out to about 2000 people every month as Ralan's Monthly Report.

What is your biggest frustration with providing the service?

The few, and it's a very few, not very nice people who have ether disappointed me big-time, or threatened me in various ways.

What is your greatest joy with providing the service?

The notes of "thank you" I get almost every day. And when I attended the WorldCon in Glasgow, so many writers just came up, shook my hand, and said "thank you." I was amazed by how many people knew me (it is was my second Con, the first was the 1999 EuroCon in Dortmund Germany). Meeting editors like Sheila Williams, Ellen Datlow, Stanley Schmidt, and so many others, who knew who I am. And having a full table at my kaffeeklatsch (I was so afraid I'd be setting there alone!).

Everyone knows you for the service you provide, what else do you do with your time? Tell us about yourself and what you like to do when not online.

My wife says I'm never offline! I spend the first four or five hours of my day working on the web site. I break for lunch, then ride my exercise bike for twenty minutes and work my ab-trimmer for another ten (its not working I know, but you have to try!). Then I do some writing or rewriting. Before I shut down for the day I will do an hour or two more on the web site, depending on what comes in via e-mail during the day. On the weekends I don't write, but I still do important updates for the web site. Other than that I like to watch a baseball game (in season), football (in season), Dave Letterman (he helps keep me current on what's going on in the states), or documentaries on one of the Discovery channels or National Geographic (I've also had a subscription to their magazine since 1990). We live alone out in the boonies, so a trip to the big city to see a film is a rare treat and reserved for blockbuster films like Pirates of the Caribbean, Spiderman, Harry Potter, Star Trek, etc. Other than that, if there is any free time, I'll read. I get through a book a month, or so, plus the NG and some other things that happen by. I also read online if something catches my interest.

We became grandparents for the first time last year, and you can say we love it. Our grandson is the cutest little guy there is, and nothing makes us happier than him coming to visit for a weekend (which happens fairly often). When he's here I only work if he's napping.

If you could become one character out of a book or movie, which one would it be and why?

Lazarus Long -- who else? If you don't know who he is see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_Long

Do you have a favorite genre? Why?

I really don't. I mix genres a lot. The idea dictates what genre the story will be and most of mine tend to involve two or more genres, or at least one genre with humor.

Anything else you'd like to let the Flashing Swords readers know about?

Yes -- my first book has just been released! I think they'd like it. It's a fantasy (only one genre in this story) novelette (13,000 words), with a full-color cover and 6 interior illustrations by the talented artist (and online friend) Jesse Bunch. Jesse did illustrations for my contest every year I had it. I immediately thought of her for this project. Her work on it is fantastic.

The book, "TALES OF WEUPP: Little People Must Surrender," is a trade paperback. It is hopefully the first of many Tales of Weupp (depending on sales, so please buy a copy so I can write more!) to come. I've set up a web site for it at http://www.weupp.com , where you'll find the cover, an interior illustration, a summary, an excerpt, ordering information, and a guestbook hosted by Weupp herself (an intelligent planet). You can ask her anything!

Bests,
Ralan