I Am NOT Running For SFWA President (Again) (Again) (Again)
Posted on January 14, 2013 Posted by John Scalzi 1 Comment
I already posted a note in SFWA’s online discussion forums on this subject, but in the spirit of “belts and suspenders” am posting here, too.
Most of you who read here know that I currently serve as the president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and that I am currently in the middle of my third term in that role. I have been delighted and honored to serve my fellow science fiction and fantasy writers for these past three years; I think the boards I have been part of have done a lot of excellent work for SFWA. We’ve had a hell of a lot of fun as well, all without undue drama or ego. It’s been a wonderful experience, and I have loved doing it, and have appreciated the trust put in me by my peers and fellow authors.
For all that, three consecutive terms as president of SFWA is a lot — so much of “a lot” that no one else has done such a crazy thing — and I also believe that SFWA as an organization is not well-served by its leadership role remaining static for too long. It’s time to let someone else take the wheel. To that end, this is me announcing that my current term, which ends on June 30, will be my last. SFWA will have a president on July 1, but it will not be me.
The good news is that SFWA has a number of members who could ably serve as its president; hopefully one (or more) of them will now step forward to take on the role. I know one of the constant concerns SFWA members have about serving on the board is how much time it will take from their careers. As I’ve noted elsewhere, there’s no doubt it’s work. But if you have other excellent board members, as I have been fortunate to have these past few years, you can do the work SFWA requires and still have time for your writing. I’ve written and will have published three novels during my tenure (the first episode of the third makes its official debut tomorrow), so it is possible to serve writers and be a writer at the same time.
If you’re a SFWA member and are considering a spell on the board, head over to SFWA’s online forums, and to the SFWA Elections 2013 area, where the formal Call for Candidates resides, as well as threads for each open position. There’s still time to decide to run, as the deadline for declaring and presenting your platform, is February 16.
I’ve enjoyed being president of SFWA, and will continue to enjoy it, for another five and a half months. I’m looking forward to seeing who will be president next.
When I was running for president, I would leave the comment threads open here so people could discuss my platform and candidacy. This time, as I am not running for President, I’m reverting to my otherwise standard procedure here of closing off the comment threads when noting SFWA-centered topics.
SFWA folks, if you want to discuss candidacies and elections, the SFWA online forums are an excellent place to do that.