What we're doing and why we're doing it:
Why is this group only celebrating women?
It's an issue of focus. Broad Universe doesn't need to serve the whole field: SFWA does that, Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers of America.
Broad Universe focuses on just those works written by women. We are an interest group, exactly like folks who get together for stamp collecting or African drumming. Anyone — man, woman, transgender, people of color, people of pallor, cats, Martians — anyone who shares that interest is welcome to join us in the bright circle. We are not a women-only organization.
But why women?
We don't believe that women are as well represented in SF/F/H as their numbers as readers and writers would warrant. A great deal of progress has been made in the past decades, but we're not where we should be yet. Many factors influence the current situation, including both the personal and the political, and we intend to address all of them. Our goal is to give women authors and illustrators in the genre a way to band together for encouragement, support, and sharing marketing resources. We are also researching the genre more fully so that we can all have a clear idea of what is happening.
But why a separate group? Why aren't you working within SFWA, for example?
SFWA is a large organization that focuses its activities on issues concerning writers as a class. SFWA sponsors many excellent and important services to its members (and many of us are SFWA members as well as participating in BU), including a grievance committee and various efforts on behalf of disaster relief and insurance. But their work often does not address our particular concerns.
How did Broad Universe come about?
It certainly didn't arise from a vacuum. Our Oort cloud included Wiscon, the feminist science fiction/fantasy convention held in Madison, Wisconsin since 1977. And Sisters in Crime, founded in 1986. And Women Writing the West, founded in 1994. The big spark happened during a panel at Wiscon in May 2000 where the work of Sisters in Crime and Women Writing the West was discussed. Among many other activities, the two organizations have newsletters, books-in-print catalogs, tables at bookseller conventions, listservs, chat rooms, and annual conventions. We in the SF/F/H universe have already done a lot, creating a convention (Wiscon) and an award (The James Tiptree Memorial Award), which have done much to promote women's interests in the genres. However, we at Broad Universe feel that more can be done. Using Sisters in Crime and Women Writing the West as a template, Broad Universe intends to improve the success and visibility of women writers our genre.
Did the name come from a story by a famous woman author?
Yes, she just hasn't written it yet.
I hate the term "broad." It's disrespectful slang. Do I have to be a broad?
We're not really sure what a broad is but we do know that she's not a lady. A lady would never self-promote. She would not sit on a panel. She'd be in the back of the audience tatting and nodding politely. Heck, a lady would not even write.
A broad, on the other hand, is the kind of gal who sits on a panel and acts like the intelligent, hilarious professional that she is.
Who runs Broad Universe?
We're more of an anarchy. If someone came up with a good idea that was in line with what we're doing, we'd most likely say "You bet! Go to it! Let's think of ways we can help!" We don't want to be like a corporation with tight little boxes and job descriptions and chains of command. We want to spread out like an amoebae. But just so we don't spread ourselves too thin or end up in a dry part of the pool, we have people with the job of keeping us focused. These include an advisory group whose opinions are greatly trusted and respected, and a seven-member motherboard with the ability to make final decisions when necessary.
How can I be a member?
Check out the memberships page for all the details. We offer two levels of membership and membership benefits, at $30 and $15 per year (June 1 - May 31), and anyone is welcome at either level. You can join online using PayPal or mail us a print form and and a check. You do not have to be a paid member to explore this website, including the current issue of our newsletter The Broadsheet, or to participate in our email discussion group on Yahoo.
Can I help out in other ways?
Absolutely! Email us at info (at) broaduniverse (dot) org and we'll put your talents to use.
Can book men list their books in the catalog?
Broad Universe celebrates women's writing and artwork within science fiction, fantasy, and horror. We encourage men to share this interest and participate in the email discussion group, contribute articles to the newsletter, help us upgrade the website, and be full revelers in whatever fun activities come up at conventions. Men will be welcomed as paid members and will be able to serve as officers in the organization.
The book catalog, however, is a different beast. It's not the organization itself, it's an informational database — a reference list in the same vein as a list of Russian composers used by your college music teacher. So no, we are not looking to list books written by men in our catalog, nor books under their female pen names.
Though what sweeping black-and-white statement would be without its clarifications, sub-clauses, and fine print?
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Biographies of women authors and artists in our genre can be listed even if the biographies' authors are male. Ditto bibliographies and book-length critical essays about the work of women writers and artists in our genre.
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Male co-authors and co-editors will be listed, except that we reserve the right to list books under the woman co-creator's name, regardless of what it says on the spine.
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Transgendered authors — people who identify themselves as women no matter what their DNA — are very much welcomed here. We jokingly say that if you use the women's bathroom, you're automatically in the catalog, but of course, that's too facile and not entirely accurate. Still, if you self-identify as a woman, this is the place for you.
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And finally, alien authors can have books listed that were written while in a potentially progeny-bearing form. Bonus points for inhabiting the body of a real woman.
But isn't that discrimination?
The book catalog is an informational database, it's not the organization itself. Broad Universe as an organization welcomes the participation of everyone interested in women's writing and artwork, regardless of their race, class, sexual orientation, disposable income, marital status, voting history, or ability to knit.
What's on your wish list for the future?
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Imagine tables at genre conventions for readers to find out more about our writers' books.
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Imagine tables at bookseller conventions to spread the word to bookstore owners and librarians.
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Imagine PR information sent out every time a woman's book gets nominated for a major award.
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Imagine a YEAR'S BEST anthology in which half the stories are by women and nobody makes a big stink about it.
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