On Spec

Describes work, such as advertising that is done for a client without a contract or job order, for which the client will pay only if the work is to be used. When a job is done on speculation, the person doing the work takes the risk in the hope of making a profit, gaining a valuable credit, or for some other reason. In the advertising business, creative talent will often work on spec in order to establish a name in the industry.

Describes work, such as advertising, that is done for a client without a contract or job order, for which the client will pay only if the work is to be used.

Done on a speculative basis; with no assurance of profit. For example, We didn't design our house; the builder built it on spec. The use of spec as an abbreviation for speculation dates from the late 1700s.

Look up on spec in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

On Spec is a digest-sized, perfect-bound, Canadian quarterly magazine publishing stories and poetry in science fiction, fantasy, and allied genres broadly grouped under the "speculative ficton" umbrella. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, On Spec was founded in 1989 by a small group of Edmonton writers who joined together to form The Copper Pig Writers Society. At the time, there was no paying market for English speculative fiction in Canada (though paying markets in French did exist.) On Spec is Canada's longest-running, and according to author Robert J. Sawyer, arguably most successful English-language magazine in the field^[1].

Much more like a traditional small literary magazine than the mass-market-styled American science fiction digests like Analog and Asimov's, On Spec was founded to address the "frustration" English-speaking Canadian SF writers faced having to "Americanize" their stories for the existing US markets.^[2]

References

1. ^ http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0007215
2. ^ http://www.onspec.ca/about.htm

See also

• Science fiction magazine
• Fantasy fiction magazine
• Horror fiction magazine
• List of Canadian magazines
• Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine

External links

• On Spec Magazine Official Website

v • d • e Science fiction magazines Defunct magazines: Fenix ♦ Häpna! ♦ Uncanny Tales Current magazines: Albedo One ♦ Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine ♦ Aurealis ♦ Esli ♦ Fantastyka ♦ Fantázia ♦ Galaktika ♦ Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine ♦ NewFoundSpecFic ♦ On Spec ♦ Science Fiction World ♦ SF Magazine ♦ Solaris ♦ Tähtivaeltaja ♦ Urania

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