Magazine Announcement the Second
Hey, we've got a couple of volunteers! Excellent!
Some of you have asked for more details. Well, the details still need to be hammered out.
There will be no call for submissions until I've figured out whether and how writers will be paid. If it's all out of my pocket, the sum would be nominal at best. Now, I know that there would be no end of submissions even on a pro bono basis, but the simple math is that the quality of unsolicited manuscripts will rise with pay rates. Writers have to live, and will rightly shop their best stories to paying markets first.
Anyway, I'm afraid the prosaic comes before the prose; for now the stories can wait. I would like to set up a live brainstorming meeting with all volunteers (and maybe a LiveJournal community, too) to take care of some organizational matters and the division of responsibilities. Even if you were just planning to contribute as a writer, reviewer, or columnist, I'd like to get your input. Here's a list of some of the things that need discussing:
- some sort of manifesto to set goals and identity
- submission guidelines and contracts
- strategies for publicity and promotion
- possible sources for sponsorship / advertising / grants / donations
- design issues (logo, illustrations, page layout and navigation, pdf and / or html)
- hosting options
- getting on publisher lists for review copies
- how often and how much to publish
- timetable for goals
- list of useful contacts
I already have some ideas for most of the above, but more input is always better. Heck, I probably need to be disabused of a couple of notions while you're at it..
Let me know in the comments section or by email about your availability for a group meeting. Weekday evening, weekend day or night? When can't you make it?
Some of you have asked for more details. Well, the details still need to be hammered out.
There will be no call for submissions until I've figured out whether and how writers will be paid. If it's all out of my pocket, the sum would be nominal at best. Now, I know that there would be no end of submissions even on a pro bono basis, but the simple math is that the quality of unsolicited manuscripts will rise with pay rates. Writers have to live, and will rightly shop their best stories to paying markets first.
Anyway, I'm afraid the prosaic comes before the prose; for now the stories can wait. I would like to set up a live brainstorming meeting with all volunteers (and maybe a LiveJournal community, too) to take care of some organizational matters and the division of responsibilities. Even if you were just planning to contribute as a writer, reviewer, or columnist, I'd like to get your input. Here's a list of some of the things that need discussing:
- some sort of manifesto to set goals and identity
- submission guidelines and contracts
- strategies for publicity and promotion
- possible sources for sponsorship / advertising / grants / donations
- design issues (logo, illustrations, page layout and navigation, pdf and / or html)
- hosting options
- getting on publisher lists for review copies
- how often and how much to publish
- timetable for goals
- list of useful contacts
I already have some ideas for most of the above, but more input is always better. Heck, I probably need to be disabused of a couple of notions while you're at it..
Let me know in the comments section or by email about your availability for a group meeting. Weekday evening, weekend day or night? When can't you make it?