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| SFReader Forums > SFReader > Ask The Expert > Help Wanted: Getting Staffs & Starships reviewed/commented on | Forum Quick Jump
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Dru
Bemused Bystander
      
Date Joined Jul 2007
Total Posts : 33
| Posted 7/30/2007 2:58 PM (GMT -5) |   | This is a good question, relevant to all zines. I love it when I can get The Harrow's name out on other sites, too.
Have you noticed how bloggers do it? (1) They put a list of links to other bloggers in their network on their front page, in a sidebar ... not on a "link list" hidden elsewhere on their site. (2) Every week they blog a "round-up" that links to some key articles on another blog within their network, rotating blogs from week to week. (3) On a regular basis they host a themed "carnival" in which all the blogs in the network contribute to a common theme, and then each blog links to articles within that carnival. And (4) they don't hesitate to link over to each others' articles when they find them of interest. That way everyone in the network reads each others' blogs and sends outside readers back and forth, too. It's mutually supporting.
That's smart. Zines, or zine editors with dedicated blogs, could do the same thing. I'd be willing to start a Harrow blog and join in that kind of co-operative project; I've been thinking of splitting off my Harrow comments to a different blog than my personal LJ, anyway. But we'd need to ensure the blogs had USEFUL content -- advice, reviews, comments on our own zines that authors might want to know, links to stories on other zines that we particularly liked -- and are REGULARLY updated. The pro bloggers update twice a day. That's a lot; I imagine most zine editors are like me, running the thing on the side of a "real" (money-making) career. Once a week, on the other hand, seems a little minimal. I'd also suggest the zines in the network share announcements, calls for submissions, etc., which would continue to help share exposure and keep readers moving from site to site.
This probably works best if everyone shares the same blogging host, so if we wanted to do it, we should talk details.
Another way zines could cooperate to promote each other would be to run shared contests or themed issues. If both pool the prize money, share the judging work, and publish the stories, it costs us less in time and money and the authors get twice the exposure ... while in the meantime, the promotional material linking back and forth from zine to zine provides more exposure to both.
Any other self/group promotional ideas out there?
The Harrow
The Mark of Ashen Wings
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Clockwork Heart
Coming from Juno Books
February 2008
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Jordan Lapp
Top 5 Poster
Date Joined Sep 2006
Total Posts : 2806
| Posted 7/30/2007 5:31 PM (GMT -5) | | |
Just thought I'd add..
Part of the concept of Every Day Fiction is channeling traffic to your site. If, for instance, the editor of a magazine writes a flash fiction piece for us and it is accepted, we will link to that magazine right in the story posting. That way, your story becomes an ad for your magazine. We have over 100 subscribers so far, so that's 100 potential sets of eyes that could be visiting your magazine.
So far we've accepted work from a bunch of editors, including Beth Langford (Ideomancer), K.A. Patterson (Alienskin), Selena Thomason (DKA Magazine), and James Boone Dryden (Staffs & Starships). I think I'm forgetting someone. If so, my apologies.
Alternatively, if you're an editor who doesn't write in their spare time, I suppose you could commission a short piece from another writer, send it to EDF, and "buy" their link, but that would be between you and the writer.
Jordan Lapp
Managing Editor
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Dru
Bemused Bystander
Date Joined Jul 2007
Total Posts : 33
| Posted 7/30/2007 5:56 PM (GMT -5) | | Nah, I don't consider The Harrow to be in competition with any other zines, because The Harrow isn't a for-profit enterprise. It's an all-volunteer organization, and I pay for everything out of my own pockets, with the other editors pitching in some cash at odd times when they feel like funding a contest or an anthology. What little Google ad revenue we get off the site goes straight to my webmaster to cover his server expenses. So I don't need to stress over whether The Harrow gets more hits than some other zine, or if my zine is "better" than someone else's. Don't most small zines work that way? Let the prozines fight over who'll attract the latest Big Name Writer's short story. While they're struggling at the top of the field worrying about revenue flow and tax reporting, the rest of us can relax and work together in the vast expanse left over.
Anyway, the whole competition mindset is so very ... 1980s.  Welcome to the wiki/YouTube/shareware/Creative Commons generation, right? Those blogging networks benefit all their active members because they cooperate to drive readers (which equal hits, which equal higher attractiveness to advertisers) to each other. Each person, btw, has and maintains their own blog -- they just link back and forth. Down with hierarchy! Share the effort! ...Zines could do the same thing ... but only if we stop thinking that we're competing for some kind of scarce resource. Does anyone really think the speculative fiction field is gonna run out of talented, nonprofessional writers any time soon?!
The Harrow
The Mark of Ashen Wings
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Clockwork Heart
Coming from Juno Books
February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | Back to Top | | |
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Hermit
Diavhrati Luminary
Date Joined May 2007
Total Posts : 1729
| Posted 7/31/2007 11:43 AM (GMT -5) | | | I'm working on my website to republish over at Daybreak.
The sidebar is a great Idea. Just have to figure out how to use my software.
PLEASE do send links, blurbs, and logos to me if you want to show on Daybreak.
We're really eclectic, so you're likely to hit outside your usual range with anything on our website. I'm also working on a traffic-building campaign. Meantime, I'll post the first half-dozen 'ads' anyone sends me (first one reserved for Staffs).
We get about 100 unique visitors a day with 300-500 hits. This always doubles for two weeks when I update. Usually goes to 300+ unique visitors any time I announce a contest - and I'm a week or so away from announcing the 07 Sonnet contest.
Send said materials (with intro, please) to: prism (at) daybreakpoetry (dot) com
Exile of my own dull vice. . . | | Back to Top | | |
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Laura Stamps
Neophyte
Date Joined Jun 2007
Total Posts : 134
| Posted 8/2/2007 12:59 PM (GMT -5) | |
Howard von Darkmoor said...
Looking for advice regarding Staffs & Starships:
Never having been on the sending end of review copies, do we just mail them to some review sites or must we query first? Which sites should we target? (And no, von Darkmoor's thoughts is not a viable option :wink: ) Thanks for any help and all the support!
Do you already have an email list of reviewers for your mag? I have been reviewing urban fantasy novels for years, and my reviews appear on hundreds of sites across the web and in print mags. I would encourage you to do some research and make up an email list of all the reviewers you can find for your magazine, which is trad SF&F? Every reviewer has a special market she/he sumits to. Some to blogs, others to mags (print and/or web), others to Yahoo groups, etc. They are all worth pursuing.
Whenever one of my novels comes out I have a email list I am always adding to of reviewers who review the kind of magickal urban fantasy novels I write. First I send them all an email and ask if they would like to receive a copy to review. When they respond I mail it to them, and I also ask that I receive a copy of the review, so I can use it in my promotion for the novel. Then I keep up with those who receive review copies. Most I hear from in the next few months. But there are always a few I have to check up on after 6 months. They usually tell me they forgot to send a copy of the review (and send it ASAP), or it has been pushed back. If it has been pushed back that is actually a good thing and will stretch your reviews throughout a one year period, creating more of a constant buzz.
The main thing I would stress is to always email a reviewer first and ask about sending a review copy. Reviewers are very busy people, and they might have too much on their plate to review your book at that time. This has happened to me before...an author has sent me a book without asking, and it is not in the genre I review or I am too busy to do a review. In that case I use my own money to send book back, because I am also a small press publisher and know every book costs you money. But lots of reviewers don't. So email first.
I also know you are both members of Linkedin. You should utilize your network there. Have you ever looked at your network (in the hobbies section of their profiles) and seen how many of those business people read SF&F? You would be surprised. I do a lot of buzz for my novels and one of those buzz tactics includes emailing to my Linkedin network whenever a new novel comes out. You should do the same with your Linkedin network for your mag.
Hope this help! 
Laura Stamps
"The Witchery Series" (Magickal Urban Fantasy Novels)
Kittyfeather Press
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von Darkmoor
Small Press Publisher (and Dancer still)
Date Joined Dec 2005
Total Posts : 3056
| Posted 8/2/2007 1:04 PM (GMT -5) | | | | |
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kaolin fire
Magazine Frontman
Date Joined Apr 2007
Total Posts : 289
| Posted 8/2/2007 5:22 PM (GMT -5) | | | | |
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kaolin fire
Magazine Frontman
Date Joined Apr 2007
Total Posts : 289
| Posted 8/2/2007 5:28 PM (GMT -5) | | | | |
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Laura Stamps
Neophyte
Date Joined Jun 2007
Total Posts : 134
| Posted 8/3/2007 4:12 PM (GMT -5) | |
kaolin fire said...Color me inexperienced with LinkedIn, actually, but I just poked around a bit--could you step me through what or where you go to do your buzz building? :) Do you send InMail (one at a time?), or...? :)
Are you a member of Linkedin? I ask because my brain cells are a little frazzled (it has been a very loooooong day), and I can't remember. If not, let me know, and I will send you an invitation to become a part of my large network (which is 1.5+ million at the moment). And that really is the key at Linkedin...to build up your network, so you can have easy access to people in your second and third tier.
If you are a member, I found out everything I know about emailing members of my network by particpating in and reading the posts at the Linkined Forum which is called "Answers." Some amazing business info in that forum on all kinds of marketing subjects, including buzz. You can find me at Linkedin by searching for Laura Stamps. That should pull up my profile page.
I have a free membership, but I think paid members have Inmail, so I have never used it.
Laura Stamps
"The Witchery Series" (Magickal Urban Fantasy Novels)
Kittyfeather Press
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