Con Or Bust: Helping Fans of Color Attend SFF Cons

Item Name & Description: Translation of a Korean text into English

Starting Bid: $20

Notes: I will translate any of the following:

- one volume of manhwa (no more than 200 pages)
- up to 20 chapters of a webtoon series
- a short story or essay
- a news article
- a blog post
- one chapter of a novel
- up to five short poems

If the original text is not available for free online and I do not already own it, the bidder should provide a copy or scans. (Most Korean books, including manhwa, can be ordered from AladinUS. I'm willing to walk you through the ordering process, if necessary.)

Starting from the time I obtain the text, I will provide the text translation for you within three months.

I am not a professional translator, but I am a heritage speaker and have taken both Korean language and literature courses at university in the U.S. Here's a link to some of my translation efforts. I'm still working on developing a good translation style, but I do provide comprehensive footnotes.

E-mail: tarigwaemir at gmail

My new AngeLINK book will be on sale officially on March 15, 2011, but you can have a copy of it _now_! As this book is small press, I can only offer your early copy as a .pdf or, if you really prefer, a printed, unbound manuscript copy (which I would happily sign and/or otherwise personalize, if you'd like).

Here's the product description from Amazon:

North Africa is in ruins after the Aswan dams collapse and a massive flood reclaims the Nile valley. The privileged and the sane have long since abandoned Egypt to the scavengers and the dregs of society. Christian El-Aref is a street rat, living hand-to-mouth. His life is going nowhere fast. Then he stumbles over a dead body carrying revolutionary shareware tech. Now he's being hunted. And if he's not careful, the next dead body may be his own. This action-packed cyberpunk thriller weaves its way through the slums of a flooded Cairo, encountering murderous cults of eunuchs, an assassination plot perpetrated by angels, and an enigmatic street urchin who may or may not be the reincarnation of the prophet Mohammed. Lyda Morehouse tells the anticipated story of how Christian became the Mouse, the father of the underground Internet and the technological hope of the disenfranchised in a dystopian theocratic near-future, in this standalone prequel to her acclaimed AngeLINK novel series. Also included: Morehouse s AngeLINK-related short story, ishtartu, from the Lambda Award-nominated collection Periphery.

Contact email: lyda.morehouse@gmail.com

Starting bid: $5.00

Item Name & Description: A pair of limited-edition Coraline-themed Nike Dunks, created as a promo for the Academy-Award-nominated movie and given away in a prize drawing. A small amount of information and a photo can be seen here. (These are NOT the super-limited edition with the oversized buttons that you may have seen elsewhere on the net.)

Includes black laces (currently laced in the shoes), dark blue and vibrant blue laces (in plastic bags), and a promo postcard featuring a drawing of Coraline on one side and "Congratulations on winning!" boilerplate on the other.

US mens size 10, which according to the box translates to "UK 9, CM 28, BR 42, EUR 44." Be aware that these are Nikes, which means they'll be on the narrow side.

Starting Bid: $40

Notes: Worn once, at which time I determined that they were far too narrow for my 9.5EEEE feet and put them back in their box until I could find a good use for them. ETA: slow ground shipping is free; if you want them sooner than that, let me know and we'll work something out.

E-mail: jazzfishzen at gmail dot com

Bidding is now open and ends Sunday, March 6, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. EST (GMT -5).

Even though I still write articles about King, my shelf had to be culled.

Three trivia books: Stephen Spignesi The Stephen King Quiz Book (1990, Signet, pb) and The Second Stephen King Quiz Book (1992, Signet, pb); Robert W. Bly, The Ultimate Unauthorized Stephen King Trivia Challenge (1997, MJF books, hb with dj). All like new.

Starting bid $10 including media-mail postage (you can pay more if you want it more quickly).

e-mail: blb at panix dot com

For the critic or collector: a copy of the script for the TV miniseries of The Stand, revised second draft, 1/8/93. Two notebook-style volumes, excellent shape. Not signed or anything, but very interesting & not available for sale that I know of.

Even though I still write articles about King, my shelf had to be culled.

Starting bid $15 including media-mail postage (you can pay extra if you want something faster).

e-mail: blb at panix dot com

In real life I'm a teacher, writer, and editor, getting from $50/hour to $90/hour for critique and revision services. I have worked on everything from high-school papers to peer-reviewed journal articles, including dissertations, fiction, and commercial magazine features. Have been in the business 25 years and can provide references from satisfied clients if asked.

This auction is for my time spent in critique, lessons, and/or revision as you see fit. You e-mail me the text and instructions; I can just e-mail the revision back and/or we can discuss it via e-mail, phone, and/or skype. You can use the time at once or bit by bit. For writing with a deadline, I can always do 48 hours turnaround, often less, depending on my work schedule. Some or all of the time could also go to lessons in any aspect of writing, such as organization, terseness, avoiding cliches, any area of style or grammar.

One item is 1 hour, starting bid $20; another is three hours, starting bid $40.

e-mail: blb at panix dot com