We are back for the fourth annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC4), and for the fourth consecutive year, Team Tar Vol On will be one of the judging teams. For those who have followed the competition in the past, we have a fewer judging teams this year, and the first round allocations are a bit bigger, but the general competition structure will be quite similar. For those who are new, keep an eye out, there will be more updates shortly, starting with a Meet the Books post later this week.

But first, let’s take a look at the mix of old and new faces that will make up the fourth iteration of Team Tar Vol On:

Jay

It’s me, the Tar Vol of Tar Vol On, leading another team. If you’re here, you already know where to find my blog, and I’ll be posting plenty of links to teammates reviews. Outside the blog, you can follow me @tarvolon on both X-Twitter and BlueSky, though I’m probably a bit more active on BlueSky these days. I post reviews of full reads on my Goodreads, and I’m also u/tarvolon on Reddit, where I spend most of my time on r/Fantasy with Short Fiction Book Club (and, in the summer, the Hugo Readalong).

Though my blog name is a Wheel of Time pun on the two states where I’ve lived most of my life (North Carolina and Tennessee), I currently live in Maryland with my wife and three kids. When I’m not reading or spending time with the family, I’m probably wrapped up in some form of sport, be it hockey, baseball, or one of three different sports called “football.”

There was a time when I considered myself mostly a fantasy reader, but I’ve shifted a fair bit of my reading over the last few years toward sci-fi–though I’m generally not fussy about genre distinctions. I have a soft spot for First Contact and near future stories with personal stakes. I also love stories about uncovering suppressed histories, despite often being bored by its close cousin: the action-packed thriller. Go figure. But SPSFC requires reading a variety of subgenres, and in past competitions, I’ve certainly found favorites all over the sci-fi map. I’m excited to get going again!

Azrah

Barb

Champ

Champ Rockwell is a podcaster, strategist, sci-fi storyteller, and first-year judge for the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC). With a background in film, marketing, and screenwriting, plus a knack for branding, he brings a fresh, forward-looking perspective to sci-fi storytelling that builds on the classics across media. He’s also the co-creator of Stellar Future Radio, an audio fiction podcast set in a news station orbiting Jupiter. The show fully immerses listeners as citizens of the outer solar system, influenced by a blend of dozens of classic and contemporary sci-fi, including Futurama, Blade Runner, and Cowboy Bebop. Transmitting now, it might just be your next favorite news channel. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or visit stellarfutureradio.com and follow @SFR_OC on Twitter/X.

Dave

Hello, my name is David Hoffer. My debut novel, Melody, was a finalist for SPSFC2. During that process, I came to appreciate the format and transparency of the contest. I’m a judge this year to support authors and give something back to the indie community. Also, because I love SF, obviously.

When it comes to books, I love stories that explore the human condition through the prism of science and an ever-expanding understanding of the universe(s). The more I learn, the more I wonder, and I look for that in the books I read. Some of my favorites include Dune (Herbert), Foundation (Asimov), The Martian (Weir), Ready Player One (Cline), Murderbot (Wells), Bobiverse (Taylor), Old Man’s War (Scalzi), and LOTR (I know, fantasy).

I’ll post the occasional update on my Threads account (@davehofferauthor) and post reviews on Goodreads (if I enjoyed the book). You can always find me on david-hoffer.com. Good luck to all the authors in this competition!

Erin

Hey, Erin Ampersand here! I’m the author of the series Apocalypse Parenting, whose first book was one of last year’s semifinalists.

I love the idea of this contest, and I read voraciously in a number of speculative fiction genres, so I was delighted to volunteer as a judge since I don’t have a new series/book to enter. I published the third book of Apocalypse Parenting earlier this year, and expect to write two more, so I’ll likely come back to judge in the next few years as well.

I’ll be looking for:

• Good grammar
• Compelling characters
• A plot that makes sense by the end of the book

You can check my reviews out on my blog at ErinAmpersand.com or follow me on Bluesky or Facebook. I’ll probably post my first look at the books in our allocation in the next few days.

Josh

Josh (Garik16 on Blue Sky and the standalone blog) is a former hockey and baseball analytics writer turned sci fi, fantasy and occasional romance reviewer. His interests cover much of SciFi/Fantasy genres, although they favor character based works to ones relying on long descriptive texts, and tries to read a wide variety of works from outside of the Western or white world. This is his second time judging SPSFC, having also joined Team Tar Vol On for SPSFC2.