Your Thoughts, Please…

[AgentPete]

I’ve always wanted Litopia to provide a platform for those members who might benefit from some personal visibility / exposure to potential readers / experience of being public-facing and building a readership.

We did that to some extent with Pop-Ups since one of the two guest slots was always occupied by a Litopian. But I’ve always felt we could do a lot more.

However, “platforms” are problematic for most authors, partly because there are no clear guidelines on what you should actually be doing for maximum impact on potential readers, and also because they can be a near-limitless use of your own very finite writing time.

For example, having your own blog – either on your own site (e.g. authorname.com) or on a shared platform such as SubStack can far too easily turn into an ever-increasing time commitment in return for minimal reader engagement and ultimately, no upside for you or your writing.

Blogs need fresh content pretty much every day. Without that, it’s difficult to keep the readers coming back. So what I’m suggesting is a “shared blog” here on our main public-facing site, Litopia.com.

For example.

Let’s say that 30 Litopians were interested in public blogging, but each one only wanted write one article a month… that would give us fresh content every day. Or 15 folk writing two pieces a month. You get the idea.

But what sort of writing?

Well, obviously that would be up to you, but these areas probably show the most potential:

• Short stories / flash fiction. The possibility for overlap with our internal Flash Fiction section is obvious.
• Insights and observations about writing.
• The life cycle of pond snails(*).

(*) Not entirely serious. I used to be obsessed with pond snails as a kid. It makes a change from me going on about ear wax.

Each piece you write would carry full attribution, buy links to books, social media, and anything else you’d like to promote.

We’d need one or two people to act as blog editors. Mostly this would mean scheduling posts for advance publication, checking them to make sure they’re roughly up to standard, and understanding the tech enough to give a helping hand if necessary The software we use for the main site is WordPress, the world’s most popular blogging software.

So I’d appreciate your thoughts on this - whether you might like to contribute to our monthly goal of 30 posts - and whether you might like to become involved as one of the blog editors…

(PS – it’s been suggested that we could combine the shared blog with a newsletter. Again, that's very possible. Some readers prefer to receive updates or summaries as a newsletter rather than visiting a website to peruse… we can offer that.)

 

[Claire G]

I'd love to contribute. The editorial side could be a bit contentious though?

 

[BrianY]

Count me in, please.

 

[Claire G]

Off the top of my head, I'd love to do a piece on writing romance, one on writing psychological novels and one on how I've used Save the Cat. Would contributors have to have their proposed piece okayed before writing? Thinking of the practicalities.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Litopians editing the as yet unpublished work of other Litopians could potentially get a bit sticky. If Litopians contribute previously published pieces of their fiction, poetry or non-fiction (and assuming they hold the copyright) Litopia will be showcasing work that has already undergone an editing process. Links to buy could be added if appropriate. If not, it is free content for visitors, showcasing Litopia itself, and publicizing writers of the Litopia community.

 

[Vagabond Heart]

I think it's a great idea. And I have experience of working with Wordpress. Happy to contribute to that but I coudn't commit to being a blog editor on a daily basis (mostly as I don't always have good wifi, depending on where I am).

 

[AgentPete]

The editorial side could be a bit contentious though?

Litopians editing the as yet unpublished work of other Litopians could potentially get a bit sticky.

Sorry, I didn’t explain this very clearly.

I don’t want to overstate the scope and amount of editing input. Basically, whatever you want to write gets posted. It’s up to you, the author, to make sure it’s of reasonable publishable quality. If in doubt, bring it along to a Huddle for input.

We will need one or two editors to do the following:

• Obviously, to check that whatever is submitted isn’t vile (!).
• To schedule posts. This is probably the single most important job for editors. We don’t want all the monthly posts appearing at once. We want them to be published one every day. WordPress has a neat facility to schedule the publication of posts in advance. It’s not difficult or time-consuming to do this.
• We have a no-politics rule in Litopia, so the editors need to check that, too.

When the post author submits the post, it initially has “draft” status, meaning that only the author and the editor can see it. The editor would normally just schedule it for publication, and move on to the next one. However, if the post needed any further work for any reason, then the editor would simply ask the author to do it while the post still had “draft” status.

Hope that’s a bit clearer.

 

[TimRees]

I would happily contribute posts that promote my books or books I've read that I feel others should read. Also I would do a post (monthly?) on storytelling targeting writers and readers - can I commit long-term? Not sure... Things are busy at the moment.

I would also like to write an article or articles that examine storytelling in various media, mainly targeting readers, viewers and listeners... But, again, I'm very busy at the moment...

 

[Pamela Jo]

Sorry, I didn’t explain this very clearly.

I don’t want to overstate the scope and amount of editing input. Basically, whatever you want to write gets posted. It’s up to you, the author, to make sure it’s of reasonable publishable quality. If in doubt, bring it along to a Huddle for input.

We will need one or two editors to do the following:

• Obviously, to check that whatever is submitted isn’t vile (!).
• To schedule posts. This is probably the single most important job for editors. We don’t want all the monthly posts appearing at once. We want them to be published one every day. WordPress has a neat facility to schedule the publication of posts in advance. It’s not difficult or time-consuming to do this.
• We have a no-politics rule in Litopia, so the editors need to check that, too.

When the post author submits the post, it initially has “draft” status, meaning that only the author and the editor can see it. The editor would normally just schedule it for publication, and move on to the next one. However, if the post needed any further work for any reason, then the editor would simply ask the author to do it while the post still had “draft” status.

Hope that’s a bit clearer.

If you want outside readers I would suggest that before anything is deemed publishable the submission go thru the Huddle even before reaching the editor. But then the question is what would attract outside readers? What is the marketing hook?
Or is this just fellow Litopians reading? I'm not sure what is new and different then. Anyone could do this now. Will there be something like an anonymous Royal Road coffee system to express approval?
I ordered Spellweaver magazine here in Ireland because I believe in magazine culture. I ordered both back copies, but frankly I am disappointed at the stories in them. This is not their problem but mine. If I pay that much I want something superlative. These are what you get from amateurs trying to find their voice. Better than slush pile, but not really professional enough to pay this much for.
So this is my main question. if the readers for these things are other Litopians what is gained by submitting? We are available here all the time.
If it's outside readers dont you run up against all the same issues that make selling genre's easier?

 

[mickleinapickle]

Sounds like a great concept. Please count me in. I'd love to be a regular contributor of flash fiction, short stories and suchlike. I'd be no good at editing, IT support or offering any literary advice though... the spirit just doesn't move me in those directions (as well as me being a bit fick, of course). Fantastic idea!

 

[Jake E]

I love the idea.
I'm very boring though, so wouldn't be able to contribute much (unless D&D enthusiasts are a target)

 

[TimRees]

If you want outside readers I would suggest that before anything is deemed publishable the submission go thru the Huddle even before reaching the editor. But then the question is what would attract outside readers? What is the marketing hook?
Or is this just fellow Litopians reading? I'm not sure what is new and different then. Anyone could do this now. Will there be something like an anonymous Royal Road coffee system to express approval?
I ordered Spellweaver magazine here in Ireland because I believe in magazine culture. I ordered both back copies, but frankly I am disappointed at the stories in them. This is not their problem but mine. If I pay that much I want something superlative. These are what you get from amateurs trying to find their voice. Better than slush pile, but not really professional enough to pay this much for.
So this is my main question. if the readers for these things are other Litopians what is gained by submitting? We are available here all the time.
If it's outside readers dont you run up against all the same issues that make selling genre's easier?

I think Pamela Jo is right. If it's all about creating a platform, it has to be a professional platform. And I don't mean involving editors etc... I mean, we need something that stands up and stands out. Something original. something that offers something new...

I'm hearing the term 'flash fiction' a lot and, this is just my opinion, f'lash fiction' always screams to me the word amateur.

So, with that in mind, I can only envision problems in creating a platform that everyone can happily stand upon.

 

[Eva Ulian]

I'd like to contribute once a month. I've been around blogs and blogging since 2007 and find the most successful blogs are the short ones, so I would expect there to be a word limit on every contribution.

 

[Mel L]

A Litopia blog could be a good idea but I think you would need to have a common hook or angle to give it a raison d'être. Example: any post or piece of writing shared on the platform should include something, even a short note, about how the writer was helped by other writers, preferably Litopians.
Start with a core team of say 5-10 bloggers and open it up to all Litopians on a guest blogger basis (obviously to be vetted by the editorial team). Quality would be key to build a following.

 

[AgentPete]

If you want outside readers I would suggest that before anything is deemed publishable the submission go thru the Huddle even before reaching the editor.

No, I don’t want Huddles to be used for this sort of evaluation. That’s not the purpose of Huddles at all.

Back in the mists of time we had a evaluation procedure going on here that granted successful members access to restricted areas of the Colony. It caused no end of bad feeling. Really, really serious. I came close to walking away from the whole thing. Sorry, but we’re not going that route.

But then the question is what would attract outside readers? What is the marketing hook?

I don’t have a marketing hook.

Or is this just fellow Litopians reading? I'm not sure what is new and different then. Anyone could do this now. Will there be something like an anonymous Royal Road coffee system to express approval?
I ordered Spellweaver magazine here in Ireland because I believe in magazine culture. I ordered both back copies, but frankly I am disappointed at the stories in them. This is not their problem but mine. If I pay that much I want something superlative. These are what you get from amateurs trying to find their voice. Better than slush pile, but not really professional enough to pay this much for.
So this is my main question. if the readers for these things are other Litopians what is gained by submitting? We are available here all the time.
If it's outside readers dont you run up against all the same issues that make selling genre's easier?

OK. Looks as if the idea needs more focus.

 

[KateESal]

Interesting idea!
You could subdivide the blog — one area for factual stuff, like writing tips, inspiration and opinions, an area for previews and sneak peeks at available works and another area for creative writing.
Apart from checking nothing that contravenes any generally agreed guidelines gets through, I agree that the blog posts shouldn't have to go through a verification process. I also think the flash fiction etc. should also be discoverable according to genre (so potential readers can find what interests them). Online fiction reading (especially short-form or serialised) is very popular among some groups, so it could be a profitable area for Litopia to explore.

 

[Jake E]

No, I don’t want Huddles to be used for this sort of evaluation. That’s not the purpose of Huddles at all.

Back in the mists of time we had a evaluation procedure going on here that granted successful members access to restricted areas of the Colony. It caused no end of bad feeling. Really, really serious. I came close to walking away from the whole thing. Sorry, but we’re not going that route.


I don’t have a marketing hook.

OK. Looks as if the idea needs more focus.

I feel that maybe your idea has been misinterpreted, Pete.

My understanding (which could be horribly off target) is simply that you have asked for a sort of 'hub' where we network our author sites with Litopia and cross pollinate blog posts etc, so that there is always something to engage our readers. Also, readers can also find other authors they might like through the shared blog.

 

[Hannah F]

I'm happy to contribute. I'm no good at wordpress though so not offering any editing assistance. I think @KateESal 's idea of a subdivided blog is great.

When I read a blog, I'm not reading for literary brilliance. I read because I like this author (through their books) and want to follow their progress, or this author happens to drop really interesting info on castle ghosts/the 3 act structure/their road to a publishing deal/a sample from their next book etc. I like to "get to know" the people behind the words.

 

[James Charles]

I’ve always wanted Litopia to provide a platform for those members who might benefit from some personal visibility / exposure to potential readers / experience of being public-facing and building a readership.

We did that to some extent with Pop-Ups since one of the two guest slots was always occupied by a Litopian. But I’ve always felt we could do a lot more.

However, “platforms” are problematic for most authors, partly because there are no clear guidelines on what you should actually be doing for maximum impact on potential readers, and also because they can be a near-limitless use of your own very finite writing time.

For example, having your own blog – either on your own site (e.g. authorname.com) or on a shared platform such as SubStack can far too easily turn into an ever-increasing time commitment in return for minimal reader engagement and ultimately, no upside for you or your writing.

Blogs need fresh content pretty much every day. Without that, it’s difficult to keep the readers coming back. So what I’m suggesting is a “shared blog” here on our main public-facing site, Litopia.com.

For example.

Let’s say that 30 Litopians were interested in public blogging, but each one only wanted write one article a month… that would give us fresh content every day. Or 15 folk writing two pieces a month. You get the idea.

But what sort of writing?

Well, obviously that would be up to you, but these areas probably show the most potential:

• Short stories / flash fiction. The possibility for overlap with our internal Flash Fiction section is obvious.
• Insights and observations about writing.
• The life cycle of pond snails(*).

(*) Not entirely serious. I used to be obsessed with pond snails as a kid. It makes a change from me going on about ear wax.

Each piece you write would carry full attribution, buy links to books, social media, and anything else you’d like to promote.

We’d need one or two people to act as blog editors. Mostly this would mean scheduling posts for advance publication, checking them to make sure they’re roughly up to standard, and understanding the tech enough to give a helping hand if necessary The software we use for the main site is WordPress, the world’s most popular blogging software.

So I’d appreciate your thoughts on this - whether you might like to contribute to our monthly goal of 30 posts - and whether you might like to become involved as one of the blog editors…

(PS – it’s been suggested that we could combine the shared blog with a newsletter. Again, that's very possible. Some readers prefer to receive updates or summaries as a newsletter rather than visiting a website to peruse… we can offer that.)

I could contribute an article per month.

 

[Eva Ulian]

Micheal Hyatt (who is an expert in blogging) says blogs should be 500-750 words - beyond that the posts have a negative effect. Also format and illustration is important. For example, each first word of each paragraph should be in bold, bullet points and so on and... every post should have a picture preferably up front.
I agree with @Hannah F people are interested in people, and people attract other people who want just to hang out with them, so let's not be pedantic with writing rules and regulations, people are fed-up to the teeth with that. What people want is just to hang out with other people and want to share a little bit of their heart, mind and soul.
Certainly there has to be some sort of structure and maybe we could organize a monthly theme. The next one is clearly February and St Valentine's Day. Let's have all your Valentine experiences please... Now there's a good place to start.
A roster should be set up for each month where each day, a different writer, is marked down to submit their piece- and no - (I agree with @Katie-Ellen on this) I don't think there should be editing of works... we are all writers and we don't need someone else to tell us we are wrong since that is only another person's opinion which has the same worth as anyone else's.
What if someone screws up and posts something "terrible"? That's their problem, and they'll have face up to the comments that would put them back into the right track. If correction is to be made, it should be made publicly on the blog to show not all feel the same way.
Since @Vagabond Heart has experience of Word-Press (I don't), I suggest she sets up the roster ASAP and we shall promise to love you for ever for that!!!

 

[AliG]

I think this sounds like a great idea.

In terms of format I feel it would be best to have a 28 or 14 person rota so that each contributor would be aware they were posting at the given spacing for example 1st Monday of every month. It also means that reader’s expectations would be that on the first Monday of every month they would have a certain writer and therefore a certain nature of blog. They could therefore expect a funny comment about life, sci-fi, horror or whatever. It means we can build an expectation and then meet it. The extra blogs (wild card days) i.e. days 29, 30 and 31 would be supplied by the group who would perhaps just write an extra one every now and again to be loaded when it was needed.

I think you see right that we would need a manager because even if it’s not formal line editing, occasionally people do goof out, put a paragraph in twice, use the F word in the middle of it or whatever. Frankly I’d be rather reassured that somebody was going to cast their eye down it rather than my work, where I'd read what I thought I'd written, going out into the world unread. Editing could be as simple as that.

Perhaps inviting contributors to work a month in advance so that there was some time allowable for a blog to go back be modified and then reappear would help. It’s important to have some form of filter to make sure that material did not go out that was offensive because obviously that would affect the whole group in terms of reputation.

I would envisage it being available to the world as other Litopians reading it certainly does not increase our profiles much.

Sorry I currently can’t offer to be an editor, although I think it would be rather fun doing it, because my life is extremely backed up at the moment. However I’d be very happy to do it in the future or take it on as a very temporary position to get things kicked off.

I would be happy to contribute regular content: one in 28, 30, 14 or 15. Whatever!

Thanks for putting this forward thus helping us to be more public facing, Pete

 

[Mel L]

You

Interesting idea!
You could subdivide the blog — one area for factual stuff, like writing tips, inspiration and opinions, an area for previews and sneak peeks at available works and another area for creative writing.
Apart from checking nothing that contravenes any generally agreed guidelines gets through, I agree that the blog posts shouldn't have to go through a verification process. I also think the flash fiction etc. should also be discoverable according to genre (so potential readers can find what interests them). Online fiction reading (especially short-form or serialised) is very popular among some groups, so it could be a profitable area for Litopia to explore.

Hmm.... Who will read this blog? If the audience being targeted goes beyond Litopians, the idea of multiple sections or topics feels wrong. Blogging is different than a website. It needs a USP, with consistency of voice, topic, or theme. Something that keeps readers coming back for more of the same. Even with different writers it could work if it's all about writing and publishing, what works and what doesn't. A blog that was a wrap-up of PopUps from the genius room could have worked. A general platform for promoting Litopia? Not so sure.

 

[AliG]

I think a bit of an eclectic mix could be a real draw. I rather like being lassoed in to read a genre I normally wouldn't. A paper magazine is after all just that. Advice, health, Agony Uncle, cooking. I end up ploughing through all sorts of stuff/people articles I wouldn't seek out, but soak up as they are in front of me.

We wouldn't need to sub-divide the blog on a 28 person rota. Maybe Saturday would be general life musing, Sunday is writing craft, Monday sci-fi, Tuesday mystery etc. Friday is Pick and Mix (everything else). Driven by what bloggers think they are likely to write but not set in stone. We are flexible creators after all, driven by the muse, free as the North Wind, unfettered by...or whatever.

 

[Eva Ulian]

I think it would be very hard to put a set figure to the number of people who can blog. Much depends on whose offered to do so. We may only get six, or ten or fifteen or twenty, and then when we start some may drop out, others may want to join in. So, it would be better if we number the bloggers and when the last number has been assigned a date, we start again with number one. I think that would be more manageable for anyone who has to set up the Rota.
I still feel there should be no editing. I know for certain of at least two Litopians that if they don't have an F word, their work just falls flat, it's an essential part of their style.
Also, the "offending" blogger will not get away with anything because there are comments and they will be pulled up by others if they goof up and therefore the "shame" will fall upon them alone and not on the name of other Litopians.
What we should have instead is a set of guidelines for submissions.
e.g. f or c words should not be spelt out in full:
the first word of every paragraph should be bold or
bullet points etc made so that there is just not a flat piece of narrative to read:
number of words are imperative:
an illustration to set off the article from all others, also essential.
The job of the editor which is vital, is to see that these guidelines are followed without exception - otherwise everything becomes a quarrelsome mess.

 

[AliG]

I agree we need guidelines. Unruly writing otherwise.

 

[Jonny]

This is an idea well worth looking into. But one that will need some adroit handling.

I'd be interested in contributing pieces, assuming we had enough uptake of similarly minded to ensure the workload didn't start to become arduous or begin to fall on just a few... should, heaven forbid, the euphoria of initial interest start to wane.

I think Katie-Ellen's point below is vital and getting this element right is of key importance.

Litopians editing the as yet unpublished work of other Litopians could potentially get a bit sticky

 

[Jake E]

I'd be happy to do a piece each month.
Not sure what I'd write about, but I'm happy to do it.

 

[Brooke]

i would love to contribute to this! i consider myself to be something of an expert in yammering endlessly

 

[AliG]

Thinking about it I'll organise if you need me

 

[mickleinapickle]

i would love to contribute to this! i consider myself to be something of an expert in yammering endlessly

The world certainly needs many more yammerers!