On Monday evening I caught up with Jeff and Ann VanderMeer to check that they had enjoyed the convention and let Jeff know I’d be at his reading in San Francisco on the 14th. Jeff mentioned, with some amusement, that he had overheard people at the convention talking about me as someone who could make or break writing careers.

*splutter!*

No. Just, no.

Whoever those people are, they are crazy. But sadly this is very similar to the nonsense that I got over Octocon, so I guess I should make another attempt to stomp on the meme.

To start with, I write very few reviews these days. Also I have nothing to do with the selection of fiction for Clarkesworld. I repeat: nothing, zero input. I don’t even see the stories before they are published. Indeed, I read very little short fiction, and as that’s the area in which careers tend to be made or broken I don’t see how I can have any influence over such things.

If you wanted to know how important I am in the SF&F industry all you needed to do was keep your eyes open at World Fantasy. You will have noticed that when Kevin and I went out for dinner we generally did so alone. And our table at the banquet comprised us plus Ron and Val Ontell who wanted to pick our brains because they are running the 2011 World Fantasy in San Diego. No one else wanted to sit with us. That’s how low in the pecking order we are.

So please, if you hear anyone spreading this nonsense, stop them. I have quite enough problems in my life as it is without having people afraid of me because they think I have influence over publishers.