October issue

Tell us what you thought of the September 2011 issue!

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Robert_Moriyama
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October issue

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

We are hoping to get the October issue up by around Columbus Day (Canadian Thanksgiving -- October 10th for our readers outside North America). That means that easy access to September stories and poems will end in a little over a week! Time to roll up your eyelids and put your fingers to the keyboard -- TWENTY SEVEN COMMENTS hardly seems like enough incentive for the Editors and contributing authors to keep donating blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids that you probably don't want to know about every month.

:cry:
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: October issue

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

I am running behind (now THERE's a shock), so the new issue might not flip until around the 11th or 12th... which means that there is STILL TIME to rack up a few more comments. Seriously: 33?? If tight for time, the authors might appreciate even a short note that says "I read it -- it was (a) great! (b) okay. (c) lacking <fill in the blank>". At least that way they wouldn't feel they were playing to an empty theater.
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: October issue

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

rick tornello wrote:Maybe our stories/poems and rants were okay and busy people read them, enjoyed and then went about their business.

Sometimes I click, look, and go. I'm busy, lazy, or otherwise. If I really like the piece I will usually print it out so I can read it at my convenience and preferred location.

I love to hear, and yes I do wonder sometimes if there is anyone out there other than the usual bunch of suspects.

I keep pointing people to the site.

Let's blame bottom boozer. That's it ,a scapegoat, we need a scape goat.

RT
A certain party blamed the unending influx of spam posts (although I clean 'em out several times a day), pointing to Bottomdweller's remarks on why she started a topic "plugging her work" outside of the existing Administrivia topic. But Bottomdweller was only trying to be sure that people saw her announcement (which might be hidden if the "latest unread post" in Administrivia was spam). She continues to post comments in the current month's folder (for which thank you, Michele) as much as or more than anyone else.

Maybe it's an "embarassment of riches" thing. Maybe we should publish fewer stories each month so the ones that are published have a better chance of being read and receiving feedback...

Opinions?

RM
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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Lester Curtis
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Re: October issue

Post by Lester Curtis »

Maybe it's an "embarassment of riches" thing. Maybe we should publish fewer stories each month so the ones that are published have a better chance of being read and receiving feedback...

Opinions?
Taken to its ultimate end, that way lies Clarkesworld. Two pieces per month, of scintillating quality. And probably no more feedback than we're currently getting.

Would Aphelionites ever become so elitist? I certainly hope not. I would like this site to remain a place for new writers to learn lessons. We're nothing so pretty as a showcase for a few stars, and I think that's a good thing.

Hell, one of Mark's complaints was not getting enough new writers; let's keep encouraging them.
I was raised by humans. What's your excuse?
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: October issue

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

TaoPhoenix wrote:
Robert_Moriyama wrote: Maybe it's an "embarassment of riches" thing. Maybe we should publish fewer stories each month so the ones that are published have a better chance of being read and receiving feedback...

Opinions?

RM
As said below, def. keep having the space not to turn too many writers down! If we went "elitist" then we'd just lose writers!

I am def. swayed by preference, some stories really inspire me, but if I'm just not into some tale, I let it be. The varied choice is important for me to have a better chance of at least a couple perfect evenings - when I am tired I go for the lighter ones, other days I grapple with a meaty one.

Speaking of the Spam issue, a system that works pretty well on another forum is "First Post goes to an editor to approve". That would instantly stop the Power-Spammers cold because they slam the whole zine before a mod can undo them. The odds of a legit first post (pushed live by a mod) and THEN powerbombing us is FAR less.
Here's a time-saving hint: the Short Stories are usually listed in descending order by length. So that bottom-of-the-list piece will only take a few minutes to read... (Rick will like that, as his entry this month will probably BE the shortest.) The gravitas rating, on the other hand, does not necessarily match the length -- you could get a 7,499 word farce, or a soul-crushingly depressing flash piece...

RM
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: October issue

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

TaoPhoenix wrote:
Robert_Moriyama wrote:We are hoping to get the October issue up by around Columbus Day (Canadian Thanksgiving -- October 10th for our readers outside North America). That means that easy access to September stories and poems will end in a little over a week! Time to roll up your eyelids and put your fingers to the keyboard -- TWENTY SEVEN COMMENTS hardly seems like enough incentive for the Editors and contributing authors to keep donating blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids that you probably don't want to know about every month.
Lemme ask an Imprudent Question.

Is there any particular "policy" reason that stories have to "blank out" once the current issue flips?

I have been debating hosting Mirrors of stories on my free webhosting mirrors. I just got a question the other day wondering about what happens when stories vanish from Flip.

I have held my tongue for a while out of etiquette, but with this leadoff comment, I think it's at least a fair question for public knowledge.
They're not gone...if we were up to date on the "Back Issues Index", you would be able to access them based on the month / issue number. Unfortunately, that's one of the "when I get around to it" tasks that have been neglected. (The Author Index, of course, is much worse. It's now about 7 YEARS behind...)

If I get some time and energy to spare, I will try to add at least a few issues to the Back Issues Index page (he said, nodding offzzzzzzz)
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: October issue

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

... should be going live in the next day or so (maybe as early as TONIGHT). Any more comments on September???
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: October issue

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

Mark Edgemon wrote:
Robert_Moriyama wrote: A certain party blamed the unending influx of spam posts (although I clean 'em out several times a day), pointing to Bottomdweller's remarks on why she started a topic "plugging her work" outside of the existing Administrivia topic. But Bottomdweller was only trying to be sure that people saw her announcement (which might be hidden if the "latest unread post" in Administrivia was spam). She continues to post comments in the current month's folder (for which thank you, Michele) as much as or more than anyone else.

Maybe it's an "embarassment of riches" thing. Maybe we should publish fewer stories each month so the ones that are published have a better chance of being read and receiving feedback...

Opinions?

RM
I found that party to be wise and extremely understanding of the problem at hand. But mysteriously, his comments just dissappeared into thin air. Such is the way of those who point out flaws for correction, when the effort involved to fix the problems exceed the will to do it! ...

ME (That is code for Mark Edgemon)
The sage's comments were deleted because they actually served to keep the spam on the site as they quoted the original sposts (even if the spam posts contained no links, the quoted versions presumably would 'count' in search engine terms). Would I be correct in assuming that the sage is volunteering to be Head Bouncer, Velvet Rope Guardian, etc.?
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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