Author features

[Ed]

When I first started up Doom, the idea in my mind was to showcase the work of up and coming writers and artists - give them some free publicity, a cool place to hang out, and somewhere they could improve their skills by swapping ideas and talking about things they'd learnt.  This website has never been an e-zine - that was never its purpose - that's not what I want, because there are plenty of e-zines out there already, and plenty of editors with better skills than mine.

Over the past few months the site has lacked a clear purpose and has undergone a bit of an identity crisis - or am I talking about myself here?

Anyhow, I want to get things back on track and for us to forge ahead with the original purpose in mind.  That's part of the reason I've been updating the forum software to make it fully integrated with the front end website, make it easier to update, search and catalogue.

What can you do?  Well, what I was thinking is that we could have articles for each author - a page each, or more, detailing each member's publishing credits, maybe a bit of bio and feature a couple or more stories that you've already had published elsewhere, or won stuff with.  That way there'll be stuff for visitors to read, and you won't be losing the chance to sub fresh stories by giving them up to the site.  I'm going to be contacting authors on other sites and offering to do the same for them to help advertise any publications they've got out and give links to them on Amazon, Shocklines, Lulu, or wherever they are.

I'm going to resurrect the podcast feature, too.  And get some poetry and artwork up.

If we can get our shit together enough this year, I'll pay for us to have an anthology at the end of the year, as well.  We're going to need something to put in it, though - so get typing

[doolols]

Wow! Here speaketh a man determined to move this place forward. 

I must admit, I rarely visit the website, and all my shortcuts point to the forum. But this sounds like a really good idea to make it more of a feature-rich writer's resource. Good on ya! A template /example of the Author's Page would be good to show us what sort of thing you're thinking of.

It sounds like spring has sprung in Bluntland 

[Ed]

Well, TBH, there's never been much point in visiting the website - it used to get one page updated per month and that was if it was lucky.  At least with the portal, which will be the default front page once I set a redirect, there's always some movement on the page.  It would be nice to update it more regularly with features and stories, but I doubt any of us will have time to do a lot for it.  Have to see how it goes

I'll try to work out a kind of template for author pages over the weekend

[SharonBell]

Sounds like a plan, Mr. Man!  You want me to WRITE???  Oh, okay. <sighs>

[Ed]

Just wanted to say thanks to Donna and Geoff for sending me their biographies, pics, etc.  I've set up your pages now, and I'm currently in the middle of setting up a gallery for Paul Campbell's art

If anybody - and that includes our newer members, would like a page of their own, let me know and send me some stuff to put up for you.  Thanks

Oh, and BTW - it would be nice if any of you have stories that have already been published elsewhere that we can show, linked to your page.  The idea is to promote you and your work, so I think it's a good idea to put some of your work up on site for folks to check out, if poss.

[canadian]

Nice work, blunt! Love that pic of Mr. Nelder. 

I'll send you a few of my publication links.

[Ed]

Ta