whatever.scalzi.com

Whatever (whatever.scalzi.com) groups its site disclaimer, comment rules, privacy practices, and "AI" position into a single policy page, linked in the site menu as "Site Disclaimer, Comment, Privacy and 'AI' Policy." The page exists to set expectations before you comment or reuse content, but the menu link is all the public homepage evidence shows—the policy text itself is not reproduced there. To rely on any specific rule, open that page directly rather than inferring terms from the blog posts.

What the site structure tells you

The homepage menu lists the policy page alongside practical pages such as About, a biography of John Scalzi, books and projects, contact information, publicity and blurbing guidelines, scheduled appearances, and the Canonical Bacon Page. That grouping is the useful signal: Whatever treats commenting and content reuse as governed by stated terms, not informal convention.

What to check on the policy page

Because the homepage does not quote the policy, verify these points on the page itself before acting:

• Commenting: whether comments are moderated, what content is removed, and whether a name or email is required to post. Posts show comment counts (for example, 22 comments on the October 24, 2026 coat post), so commenting is an active feature.
• Privacy: what visitor data the site collects and how it is used. The homepage shows social sharing buttons for Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, WhatsApp, and email; check the policy for how those and any analytics are described.
• AI: the site's stated position on AI-related use of its content. The heading "DIGITAL CONTENT FROM ANALOG PEOPLE" frames the blog's identity, but only the policy page states actual terms.
• Disclaimer: the limits of what the site's content promises.

A practical example

Suppose you want to quote a post such as "The Big Idea: A. T. Sayre" in a newsletter, or you want to leave a comment on the MileHiCon coat post. The correct sequence is: open the policy page from the menu, read the comment and reuse sections, then act. If your question is about blurbs, interviews, or fan mail rather than comments, the separate publicity guidelines page is the relevant one—the policy page covers site participation and content use, not request handling.

Limits of this summary

No pricing, login requirement, or specific policy wording appears in the available homepage material, so none is asserted here. Treat the menu label as a pointer, not a summary of terms, and read the page before commenting or republishing.

Whatever is the personal blog of science fiction author John Scalzi, published at whatever.scalzi.com under the tagline "Digital Content From Analog People." It is a running, frequently updated site where Scalzi posts short personal updates, notes about convention appearances, and recurring features such as "The Big Idea," in which guest authors describe the ideas behind their books. If you are looking for Scalzi's official commentary, schedule information, or pointers to his published work, this is the site to check; if you want a formal publisher page or a storefront, this is not that.

Who runs it and what you'll find

The blog is written primarily by John Scalzi, with some posts credited to Athena Scalzi (for example, "The Big Idea" entries). The site's own menu lays out what it covers:

• Home — the main feed of posts
• About — background on the site and its author
• A Brief Biography of John Scalzi — a short author bio
• Books and Other Projects by John Scalzi — a list of his published work and related projects
• Contact Information — how to reach the site/author
• Guidelines for Publicity, Blurbing, Unpublished Work, Story Ideas, Social Media Boosting, Guest Blogging, Charitable Solicitations, Autographing, Fan Mail, Educational Use and School Assignments — a detailed policy page for people who want to ask Scalzi for something
• Optioning/Licensing Work, Writing Queries, Interview and Appearance Availability — guidance for professional and media requests
• Scheduled Appearances — where Scalzi will be appearing
• Site Disclaimer, Comment, Privacy and "AI" Policy — site rules and policies
• The Canonical Bacon Page — a long-running humor page
• Scalzi Enterprises · The Scalzi Family Foundation — links to related entities

What the posts look like

The content is a mix of three broad types, visible in the recent posts on the page:

1. Personal, low-stakes updates. For example, "Please Admire My MileHiCon Mad Scientist Coat" (October 24, 2026) shows off a steampunk-themed lab coat Scalzi received as a guest of honor at MileHiCon, with a short, joking note that "everyone will be wearing them soon."
2. Convention and travel notes. "View From a Hotel Window, 10/22/26: Aurora, CO" is a recurring-style post showing the view from a hotel room, here in Aurora, Colorado, where Scalzi was attending MileHiCon as a guest of honor alongside TK Kingfisher and others, with panels and signings announced.
3. Guest book features. "The Big Idea: A. T. Sayre" (October 21, 2026), posted by Athena Scalzi, is part of a series where authors explain the central idea behind a new book.

Posts are short, first-person, and often end with a "— JS" signature and social sharing links (Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, WhatsApp, email). Comments are enabled, and individual posts show comment counts.

When this site is useful to you

• You want Scalzi's own words and schedule. The "Scheduled Appearances" page and convention posts tell you where he'll be; the biography and books pages orient you to his work.
• You have a request for Scalzi. Before emailing, read the guidelines page — it covers publicity, blurbs, unpublished work, story ideas, autographing, fan mail, educational use, and interview/appearance availability, so you know which requests are addressed and how.
• You're an author with a new book. "The Big Idea" is an established feature for guest authors to describe their book's core concept; check whether submissions are open through the contact/guidelines pages rather than assuming.
• You want light, ongoing reading. The blog is informal and updated often, so it suits readers who enjoy short personal posts and publishing-world notes rather than long-form articles.

What it is not

The page evidence does not show pricing, a store, or a login area, so do not treat the site as a place to buy books or access subscriber content. For purchases, use a bookseller; for formal rights and licensing questions, the site's own "Optioning/Licensing Work" guidance is the starting point. The site also states its own comment, privacy, and "AI" policy, which is worth reading before engaging in the comments.

Whatever (whatever.scalzi.com) is John Scalzi's personal blog, subtitled "Digital Content from Analog People." It mixes short personal updates, guest posts from other authors, and writing-related news. If you want to know whether it's worth following, the answer depends on which of those you care about: it's a good fit if you want a working science fiction author's day-to-day notes and occasional publishing news, less so if you want long-form criticism or a single-topic feed.

Personal updates: conventions, travel, and everyday notes

The most frequent posts are brief, first-person entries by Scalzi. Recent examples from the site:

• Convention appearances. A post about attending MileHiCon in Aurora, Colorado as a guest of honor, mentioning panels, signings, and hanging out, with an invitation to "come on down."
• Travel photos. A "View From a Hotel Window" post from Aurora, CO, captioned "Parking lots and hospitals! This hotel picture has it all!" — a recurring, deliberately low-key format.
• Objects and moments. A post admiring a steampunk "mad scientist" lab coat given to guests of honor at MileHiCon, with his name and a rocket on the back.

These posts are short, signed "— JS," and often include social sharing links. They read like a public notebook rather than reported articles.

"The Big Idea": guest posts by other authors

"The Big Idea" is a recurring feature where a visiting author writes about their own book — the concept behind it, what prompted it, or what they want readers to take away. The posts are credited to the guest (for example, "The Big Idea: A. T. Sayre") and published under Scalzi's site, sometimes posted by Athena Scalzi. For readers, this is the main place to discover new books and authors through first-person explanations rather than reviews.

Awards, announcements, and writing news

The blog also carries news about Scalzi's own work and recognition. One example is a post noting that When the Moon Hits Your Eye is a 2027 semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Expect this category to be intermittent — it appears when there's something to announce, not on a schedule.

What else is on the site

The navigation reflects how the blog is organized and what else you can find beyond the feed:

Is it worth following?

• Follow if you want frequent, informal updates from a working SF author, convention and travel notes, and a steady stream of "The Big Idea" guest posts that introduce new books.
• Skip if you're looking for reviews, craft advice, or a focused news source — the personal posts are short and the news appears only occasionally.
• Before sending a request (blurbs, fan mail, interview queries), read the guidelines pages first; the site sets out specific rules for each type of inquiry.

The site itself doesn't state a subscription price or login requirement in the material available, so check the site directly for any access terms.

Whatever (whatever.scalzi.com), John Scalzi's blog, routes all such requests through a dedicated guidelines page linked in the site menu: "Guidelines for Publicity, Blurbing, Unpublished Work, Story Ideas, Social Media Boosting, Guest Blogging, Charitable Solicitations, Autographing, Fan Mail, Educational Use and School Assignments." A separate menu entry covers "Optioning/Licensing Work, Writing Queries, Interview and Appearance Availability." The menu tells you these categories exist and where to look; the actual terms live on those pages, so read them before sending anything.

What the guidelines page covers

The menu title itself lists the request types the page addresses:

Interview, appearance, and licensing requests

These are grouped separately in the menu under "Optioning/Licensing Work, Writing Queries, Interview and Appearance Availability." If you want to interview Scalzi, book him for an appearance, or inquire about optioning or licensing his work, start with that page rather than the general guidelines.

How to use this

1. Open the guidelines page from the site menu and read the category that matches your request.
2. For interviews, appearances, or licensing, check the separate optioning/interview page instead.
3. Follow whatever contact method the relevant page specifies; the menu does not state response times or acceptance rates, so treat a reply as discretionary.
4. For general background before writing, the menu also links "About," "A Brief Biography of John Scalzi," "Books and Other Projects by John Scalzi," and "Contact Information."

Common pitfalls

• Sending a blurb or publicity request without reading the guidelines first; the page exists precisely to set expectations for these categories.
• Mixing request types: an interview query belongs with the interview/appearance page, not the publicity guidelines.
• Assuming a listed category means the request will be accepted. The menu confirms the topics are addressed, not that submissions are welcome in every case.

The official pages are in the site’s top menu on whatever.scalzi.com: “A Brief Biography of John Scalzi” for the author’s background, “Books and Other Projects by John Scalzi” for his published work, and “Contact Information” for reaching him. The same menu also links detailed guidelines for publicity, blurbs, interviews, appearances, and fan mail, so check those before sending a request.

The menu pages you need

How to use the pages

1. Open whatever.scalzi.com and use the Menu at the top.
2. Choose the page that matches your task. For a quick fact about the author, start with the biography page; for a title list, use the books page.
3. If you plan to email about a project, read the relevant guidelines page first. The menu separates publicity and blurb requests from licensing and interview queries, so the right page depends on your purpose.
4. For event planning, check Scheduled Appearances rather than relying on a single blog post.

What the blog itself shows

The homepage is a running blog, not a static profile. Recent entries include a note about a MileHiCon mad scientist coat, a “View From a Hotel Window” post from Aurora, CO, a “Big Idea” guest post by A. T. Sayre, and an item about When the Moon Hits Your Eye being a 2027 semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. These posts are useful for current news, but the menu pages remain the stable place for biography, bibliography, and contact rules.

Common snags

• Using the blog search for contact details: the dedicated Contact Information page and guidelines are easier to follow and less likely to miss a requirement.
• Sending a request without reading the guidelines: the site lists separate instructions for publicity, blurbs, fan mail, and licensing, so a general message may not get the response you expect.
• Assuming a blog post is the full schedule: use Scheduled Appearances for confirmed plans.