dickenchippers:

cyprith:

How do you even advertise some of these commercial casting roles? Like, what do you write?

Wanted: One middle age man to stare soulfully into sunset.

Or is it more like:

“Yes, hello? Ms. Agent, would your client be willing to stare soulfully into the sunset? We need him for a commercial about paper towels.”

Spencer works at a talent agency atm, and from I’ve been able to ascertain, it’s more like, “Hello, Agent, I need to set up a casting for a middle-aged white man. We need him to wear a plaid shirt, size medium. And we needed him yesterday so what the fuck. Now I’m going to ignore all of your emails.”

Also, the price is set by the agency. I think Spencer’s models get a set hourly rate unless the images/commercial/whatever is going to be used for years, they have a special fee for that.

This is fantastic. Also, the phrase “Spencer’s models” has me giggling because now I just sort of picture him in a leopard-print robe, lounging around demanding to know where his models are. You will never convince me now that this is not how he spends his day job.

If you were interested in my post on the only 8.8% female contribution in the latest issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, there’s a very interesting conversation going on about it over at Absolute Write Water Cooler, and now (with more numbers) also at James Nicoll’s livejournal.

I’d really like it if everybody interested could weigh in, or at least pass these links on. I think the more often we barrage people with the gender discrepancy in fantasy and science fiction as a genre—and the more often we back it up with hard numbers—the more likely it is the internet will listen.

If you’d like Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine itself to listen, their contact page is right here: Contact F&SF Magazine

I’ve seen internet pressure get stuff done before. Right now, I’d love just to pressure F&SF into commenting on this.

How do you even advertise some of these commercial casting roles? Like, what do you write?

Wanted: One middle age man to stare soulfully into sunset.

Or is it more like:

“Yes, hello? Ms. Agent, would your client be willing to stare soulfully into the sunset? We need him for a commercial about paper towels.”

I did the next best thing. I took my math to the Abslolute Write Water Cooler. If they aren’t upset by it, I don’t know who will be.

This is nice. Or it’s boilerplate. Either way, I’m not yet convinced the editors will ever see my “valuable feedback.”

We’ll see.

Accio-Firewhiskey asked me for a list of female authors I like. Here’s what I can think of off the top of my head. I know I’m forgetting quite a few ladies on this list; I’ll add to it as I remember. But these are my keep-in-the-bed-shelf besties:

Octavia Butler
Alex Dally Macfarlane
Rachel Swirsky
Ursula K. Le Guin
Robin McKinley
Diana Wynne Jones
Diane Duane
Patrica C. Wrede
Patrica A. McKillip
Margaret Atwood
Mercedes Lackey
Joanne Harris
Barbra Hambly
Tannith Lee
Andre Norton
Kate Griffin
Karen Marie Moening
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Jennifer Crusie (if you have a weakness for actually pretty good Harlequins. Sometimes problematic, but I still love her.)