What happened to the regular SFR posters then?

[tchernabyelo]

I must admit, I have no idea where most of the people who used to hang out here have ended up. I don't hang at SFWA because I'm not a member. I hang at Codex but don't see any of them there.

Flashing Swords used to be the main common ground (that was what got me here) but in all honesty that's been a complete train wreck for far too long now, changing publishers and editors, appearing and disappearing. It was a market I was very happy to get published in, but it seems to be dead and beyond resurrection now. Then there was Rob Mancebo's Ricasso Press, which has gone cold; Jason's RBE which has gone quiet (at least here); even Crystalwizard seems to have all but vanished. And with the departure of many a writer, too, this place just feels like one of the ghost towns here in New Mexico.

I keep coming back from time to time in the hope that the old faces will reappear, and new ones take an active role. But frankly, that doesn't seemto be happening.


Petty squabbling and name-calling by those who remain surely don't help make the place look welcoming to newcomers, either. Come on, when was the last time you went to a site, saw people bitching about one another, and thought "yeah, this is the place I want to hang out!".

[bdurham]

Actually, that's Rob Santa and Ricasso Press, T. I hear what you are saying, though. I've had a story sitting with him for his next antho forever, it seems. While we're at it, I wish someone would take over Flashing Swords and actually do something with it. It was a great market at one time. I can understand Jason, though. He's super-busy running RBE, pretty well by himself. As for me, I still take the time to pop in, even though most of my time is spent on Facebook with Janet Morris and the new Heroes in Hell series. I haven't given up here yet, but man, people need a reason to come.

BTW, what ever happened to my culling idea?

[Jordan Lapp]

Jason's doing a heck of a job over at RBE. Really a first rate thing. If anyone might consider taking over Flashing Swords, it would be him. At EDF, we have our hands full with our current magazines, and though we're looking to add a pro-rate genre magazine to the stable, it would be another flash site.

[bdurham]

I've suggested that very thing to Jason a few times, but alas... and at one time I suggested to Howard that BG use FS as an online version of their publication, but again, alas...

[Jordan Lapp]

The problem is actually making enough money to cover costs on stuff like this. With Raygun Revival we have stories by Mike Resnick, Kevin J Anderson, and Larry Hodges and we're still not breaking even, even at the semi-pro rate. Hopefully Kindle subscriptions solve that problem for us (and subscriptions ARE increasing). If we figure out a profit model that doesn't have us losing our shirts we'd look at a S&S magazine. I'm not sure what Janrae would want for the domain...etc. If it's anything significant, it might make more sense for us to just start our own magazine.

[tchernabyelo]

Yeah, sorry for the mistake, it's Rob Santa who does Ricasso. Mea culpa.

Wow, Jordan, had no idea you'd got those kind of authors contributing to R&R!

[Jordan Lapp]

Yeah. Like I said, WotF has opened a whole bunch of doors for me. Mike and Kevin are both judges so I've been lucky enough to hang out with them at the workshop for a couple of years now.

[tchernabyelo]

I really need to win that contest, don't I?

[Jordan Lapp]

You could do it in a heart beat, Brian. You could write me under the table any day of the week, and I won the darn thing But seriously, the money's awesome, but the contacts you make are the real prize.

[John M. Whalen]

As far as I know, Rob Santa's Through Blood and Iron antho is still a go. He's been having problems since day one getting it wrapped and on the street, but I have faith in him. Hope so, anyway. One of my best tales is in it. And I got an email sometime ago from the new editor of Flashing Swords who said they received my submission and that despite many problems they're having, they intend to come out with an issue. Anybody heard anything to the contrary? And for those who haven't checked out RBE Home of Heroics page, there are some fine articles showing up there. Look for mine next Monday.

[Jordan Lapp]

Wow, Through Blood and Iron is still on? I remember Rob revealing the cover of that 2 (3?) years ago? But, yeah, I hope he does well because Ricasso Press certainly generated a lot of excitement around these parts.

Also, I was in Flashing Swords 12. It hasn't got a single review on Amazon and I think it's sold perhaps 10s of copies. I've been super disappointed with how that turned out. Hopefully the current editors are more enthusiastic than the ones managing my issue.

I mean, contrast that to RGR, which had 1400 unique readers last month and is climbing steadily. There ARE readers for this stuff out there. FS just needs an editorial team who can find them.

[tchernabyelo]

As far as I know, Rob Santa's Through Blood and Iron antho is still a go. He's been having problems since day one getting it wrapped and on the street, but I have faith in him. Hope so, anyway. One of my best tales is in it. And I got an email sometime ago from the new editor of Flashing Swords who said they received my submission and that despite many problems they're having, they intend to come out with an issue. Anybody heard anything to the contrary? And for those who haven't checked out RBE Home of Heroics page, there are some fine articles showing up there. Look for mine next Monday.

All I get from Flashing Swords, no matter what I try, is complete and total silence. I subbed there a year ago when they announced they were re-opening and try as I might, nothing. I'd LOVE the magazine to reappear and continue.

Oh, and Jordan, thanks for the kind words, but I've never done better than an HM so far (the first story I sent then sold at pro rates next time out, though to another long-delayed anthology - "Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel"). I'm determiend to crack it before I become ineligible, though...

[John M. Whalen]

Brian,

I received an email from Neve, who is now the editor of FS, dated March 25. She said she received my sub and would get back to me soon. I didn't realize it was that long ago. I just emailed back to see if I can get an update. Suddenly I'm not so hopeful. I notice she updated the forum on the same day. So that's the last date of any FS activity before they went missing.

[tchernabyelo]

Yep, I emailed just after that since she said she was having issues with one email address so try another one.

Still silence, by email and on forum both.

Not promising...

[Jordan Lapp]

This is just my opinion based on running EDF for three years.

I don't think starting a web magazine that pays under 1c/word is the answer.

Now, I'm sure the rise of Facebook and Twitter have hurt SFReader, but I believe there are other factors in play. The reason I left SFReader is simply that after winning Writers of the Future and attending Clarion West, opportunities arose where I could interact with professional, established writers on relatively private forums or newsgroups. I'm pretty sure that could be said of Brian Dolton and a few others also. SFReader was wonderful for me when I was just starting out, but it doesn't offer much for the journeyman writer.

You have to decide what "niche" you're targeting. If it's newbie writers, then there will always be some loss at the top as writers "graduate" and move elsewhere.

If you're targeting all writers in general, then have you to offer something of value that they can't get elsewhere. Big name editors have to frequent the forum, or there has to be a pro-mag attached to it, or it has to have a writing group with big name writers in it. Writers will always try and associate with better writers than themselves and thus if you get big name writers to post on your forum, you'll get everyone else too.

I don't think SFReader can compete with other forums for big name writers, simply because it doesn't currently offer anything of benefit to them. What SFReader CAN do, and did well in the past in my opinion, is offer a place for semi-pro magazine staff to get together and discuss strategy, pool their resources, use forum tools to promote their magazines, ...etc. To that end, SFReader should target EDITORS of small press magazines... get THEM to frequent this forum. If you do that, writers will come. And for sure you'll still have some "bleed" at the top as writer graduate to the SFWA forums or private lists, but you'll always have an influx of new writers.

So, instead of starting a magazine that might be read by very few people, perhaps contact more small press editors. Offer to "white-label" SFReader so they can offer a "Forums" tab on their websites that brings readers to their forum here. Offer to let them run ads for free on SFReader if their site brings a certain amount of traffic here...etc, etc.

Just a few thoughts....

So... no (seriously and mature) thoughts on this post? Choosing a new direction for SFReader? Cause unless something major changes, I don't see SFReader resuming its glory days...

[darkbow]

I'm kind of right there with Jordan.

It's been a loooong time since I'd checked out the SFReader forums, mostly for two reasons: 1.) A lot of the old regulars hadn't been posting, and 2.) I had moved on to other things, sort of graduating, as Jordan put it.

I'd love to see this forum packing in readers and writers again, but there's just so much forum competition nowadays and one can only keep up with so many places online.

[cussedness]

Way too true. I rarely show up on any forums these days.

[edward-mckeown]

This does seem rather deadish compared to the past and I am trying to get back into participating more. I'd love to post some review here. haven't figured out how yet