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Reading, Reading…Wherefore Art Thou Reading?

Now that the e-zine has (finally) been published, things are moving towards holding the reading. You may have thought that with all the recent activities that it wasn’t going to happen….WRONG! When I said we were planning a reading, we were definitely planning a reading. Because everything has been stretched, pulled and pummeled into place, things have been taking a little longer than originally planned.

Since we haven’t made anything official however, I am forbidden to tell you. Once we’ve chalked down a full plan, I’ll put it here for your viewing pleasure. Until then, just wanted to give you all a heads up that the reading will take place, and it will be one among a series of readings…which may or may not stretch into Lahore & Karachi judging by the success of the ones we host in Islamabad.

The only sure way to be successful is to spread the word…to your friends and friends of friends. For now, only people we know and who know others will be allowed. Like an invite only thing…again, judging by the reception of the first one, we’ll broaden attendance for the next. We will also be holding an open floor allowing budding poets from the audience to come up and read out their stuff.

And that’s about all the details I can give you. More as and when they come to me. Meanwhile, check out the ‘zine…it’s live, published and hopefully better than before. What do you think? Weigh in below.

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Volume 3 Published!

It’s taken a while, and a much longer time that initially expected but it’s finally happened: we have arrived with a tumultuous roar.

This issue also represents the first one where I’ve really exercised my “powers” so to speak. Meow?

🙂

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The Best Laid Plans

I know I promised a server switch over the weekend in the forums, but I’ve been a little lazy. Also, I’ve been mulling over other potential would-be hosts and have decided to go with the original I had in mind. In any case, we will be moving away from our current one, soon. Just need to sit down one of these days, and make a copy of everything which is the one thing I’m really not looking forward to at all. At all, at all.

Also putting our website and forums out of business for a while is another thing I’m not looking forward to, especially when they’re particularly alive and kicking right about now. So, things to consider. Meanwhile, of course, the e-zine just keeps being delayed and delayed doesn’t it? Despite the best laid plans and the best of intentions, things don’t always work out like they’re supposed to.

However, that said, our host does seem to have recovered itself somewhat from its downturn episodes, and I might be able to whip up something soon. Incidentally, everything has been done, they’re just a few things to be tweaked and then we’ll be all ready.

Oooh…just realized March approaches, and the issue has to be up before March. There is one piece that might be slashed further. As the count currently stands, we’ve got 10 pieces that have made the cut, out of which only 1 has survived in its category. Won’t give away too much, mustn’t spoil the surprise after all. Removing another would bring the count to 9, which is by far, the least number of pieces that have ever been featured in our e-zine but, and this goes without saying, this is by far the best issue we’ve released. Primarily because there have been some checks in terms of quality control.

Unfortunately, because this issue also represented a deviation from the norm, I’m afraid it hasn’t made me any friends! 🙂 It’s tough being editor-“in-chief” of this place. I have to say I like being just the writer a whole lot better. That said, I don’t think anyone else could possibly realize the vision for this place better. Oh well!

One last decision to make and then it’s home free…fingers crossed that our efforts will be appreciated–writers, editors, readers and critics–couldn’t have done it without ’em!

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Server Rumbles…?

So having recently switched to Wateen’s “future”, a pun to their advertisements of course, I have since been having weird troubles with accessing Desi Writers Lounge’s servers, although this problem was fluctuating with my previous provider. Since I have no other means to ask (I can’t access this website ‘o mine), has anyone been experiencing sporadic moments of downtime on the website? Please let me know, and those who view this, please tell other members about this entry so we can resolve this problem…or for that matter, determine whether or not this is even a problem.

Fortunately, there is a solution out of this: we can switch servers. This of course, brings its own set of headaches. Anyway, if this is a universal problem, then the answer is definite: we switch. If, however, if it isn’t…well, that’s my problem isn’t it? 🙂

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Of Strikes & Other News

Now that the writers strike is finally over, we can all collectively breathe a sigh of relief. More importantly, as reported by UH.com (linked on the left), it occurred on the writers own terms. A literary triumph over the power suits; there is something to be said of the power of the written word.

In other news, I’ve re-usurped my editorial duties and as such, am fully on target to meet my February Vol 3 publication date. Still finalizing a few pieces however, I’m on the line about one and as such, may have two further rejection letters to send out. I’ve been holding off on the publication for this reason. Should have a final decision about the matter by later tonight. What follows is hopefully a productive weekend for the website.

Elaborate marketing is being held off for a little while, until the thing I mentioned a few posts back, the thing we are all intensely excited about, has been elaborately planned and once we’ve got that little reading out of the way. What would you think of carrying bookmarks home at the end of the reading, as a souvenir of sorts? For one thing, you can actually use them as bookmarks…genius! For another, you’ll remember the evening…or well, hopefully! 🙂

So this weekend will, in all likelihood, see the publication of Volume 3 and hopefully this issue will set the precedent for all the issues to follow. Lots of luck wishing and backslapping is in order. Till my next post then!

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The Question…

‘ello peeps. Yes, I realize that that’s a little uncustomary of me and what follows will continue in that vein. So to cut a long story short, I’m pasting the exact same thing I said on the forums for our non-member viewing pleasure.

“Hello everyone,

I realize the publication date has been pushed forward repeatedly. Just wanted everyone to know that I’ve been extremely busy lately, haven’t had time for anything including *gasp* all things Lounge related. I only recently penned a story, which I am ecstatic about…and that was on the only weekend I’ve been lucky enough to get off.

Along with that, the Internet on my end has been spotty though everything’s been resolved now. Glory be! I guess the only thing left to do now is to actually put up them pieces. Please note: not everyone who was contacted and worked with an editor, has made the cut. In fact, several pieces have been slashed (how very horror fest of me) to showcase the ones, in this humble editor’s opinion (I played no part in actually working with any of the writers. I’m just the evil one who goes down and sucks the life out of people…it’s late and I’m writing this in bed, reminding myself I need to be up early, so forgive the dramatics) that spoke for themselves.

This weekend was supposed to be The Weekend where I could put everything up, and my thanks go especially to Clarice who has worked with me on this. She’s really done more than I could ask from her.

Anyway, this weekend was also my only weekend off and I am not ashamed to say that I put my own writing and leisurely activities before this. However, in my defense, the site wasn’t working for me today. It’s working now, and I’m assuming that whatever fiber optic cable was damaged, has since been repaired. Otherwise, I’m doomed obviously.

So to sum it up, I know things haven’t gone according to plan but I do remember the e-zine and it will be released this month. Who knows? Maybe I might coordinate it with my birthday? Or better yet, hold out for a day, and give you all a Valentine’s Day gift. 🙂

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The Icky Stuff

In case some of you don’t know about the recent fiber optic cable cut beneath Egypt and Italy, allow me to introduce you to the facts: no internet. Or at the very least, spotty internet. What does this mean? It means the publication date’s been shoved forward. Just because I can’t do it, however, doesn’t mean the work won’t still be done…I’ll be pulling the strings while the GM (global moderator) will be doing all the hard labor. Tough job, but someone has to do it.

Naturally, because an ocean separates us coordinating times and bypassing risky schedules has put a damper on things. That being said, however, we are working around this.

The reading is still planned, any ideas any of you might have you can drop into the comments of the blog or email me personally at maryam@desiwriterslounge.net. We do appreciate the feedback you know, and contrary to legend, we don’t bite.

Promise.

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Making the Cut

It seems I might have to upgrade one of our website’s more important, if not the most important, component since a newer version seems to have hit the market. Really, I just upgraded the damn thing a few months ago. Technology! What else can I say?

In other news, however, pieces for the e-zine have been finalized although I might not necessarily deliver on my Feb 1 publication date. I will try, undoubtedly, but my work schedule seems to have thrown itself into a bit of a loop…an absurdly hectic one, unfortunately. And I’ll confess: I haven’t been to the site in days, as in properly gone through the plethora of new pieces that seem to have hit the forums.

I do have something to say, however, and I should take the opportunity of saying it here rather than people finding out later and being all “wha? But-but I thought…”

Remember how I’ve been mentioning for several entries now, that not all pieces that have been edited will make it into the finalized list? Out of the 20 or so pieces we narrowed down, only 15 of them have made the cut. Three were cut because the writers failed to make the deadline, and three were additionally cut from the edited work I received about a week ago. Do not doubt that I went through each piece with the utmost precision and caution, but the three that I did strike from the list didn’t, I feel, represent this issue as appropriately as was necessary. I ask the writers who will be contacted accordingly, to accept this decision and honor it. It isn’t personal, I assure you. It’s just the business of being an editor, I suppose, and it was especially difficult in the case of one piece I felt had tremendous potential if given enough time. Unfortunately, it had to be cut.

This is the first time I’ve really exercised my power as being editor of the magazine, primarily because I never felt I had the right, but now it seems, “the board” feels I’m something of “The Editor”…I, more than anyone, know what we’re looking for. And it seems this issue has given me somewhat of total control. Again, not something that’s particularly pleasing but it does allow me to control the outcome and to focus on that elusive term: quality.

Because a written piece is so very subjective, I ask the writers again to not think they’ve been rejected for publication, just that it didn’t agree with my particular brand of digestion. As it is, you will receive your letters. I think it’s only fair, especially after having been contacted by the editors. This is something I feel I should explain: making it to the editing stage doesn’t mean you necessarily have made it into the e-zine, it means you’ve got a chance because often an editor decides to take a particular piece (and writer) under his/her wing arguing that so-and-so can be totally transformed. Whether the end result is indeed all that was asked for, is entirely open to interpretation. My interpretation, unfortunately.

As it is, what’s done is done and there’s no going back on things now. For those who weren’t contacted for the editing stage, and are eager to find out just who did make it in, you’ll have to see when Vol 3 hits the presses.

And remember to leave your thoughts here, on what you thought.

Till then, au revoir my little children!

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The Importance of Being Objective

Now that I’ve received all pieces for e-zine publication, the troublesome task of deciphering the ones that will represent our magazine for the quarter past, begins. There will be pieces that were selected for editing but will not make it into the e-zine, and since I have been apologizing for this for several entries, I won’t present that argument again.

The alignment problems have been eradicated, and Internet Explorer now displays all things as it should. Thankfully…this was something that had been eating away at me for days. But it’s all gone now, so ha!

Publication will be somewhere in the first week of Feb, instead of the tentatively set Feb 1 date. I feel I should give myself an appropriate amount of time to go through everything, deciding the fate of all writers concerned. It’s not a very nice feeling, oddly. Not having worked with the writers personally, my take on each piece remains objective. I am not comparing the piece to what it was like before, either…I am looking at it from the angle that it has been edited and therefore, it’s complete as opposed to the rawness it displayed prior to editing. My decision will be entirely unbiased, but that said, you do have reason to fear that pieces will be cut from the final line up. Don’t look at me like that…you have no idea how hard it is to be “Editor-in-Chief”, as it seems I now am.

Of course, I must have all author profiles etc., and especially those who left their profiles incomplete last time, must give me their profiles or their names will be slashed from the ‘Authors’ line up until their profile is complete. We simply cannot have a ‘coming soon’ in that area. So things will be taken care of in this way. It was bound to happen, though. I do hope, however that no writer will force my hand on this. I sincerely want all writers who have their pieces in the e-zine to have complete author bios, thus giving a complete picture.

Just wanted to lift my head up from the pile on my desk and wave furiously: I’m right here, buried under a boatload of paperwork.

Taaaaaaaaaaallyyyyyyy Hooooooo!

Wish me luck. I think I’m going to need it.

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A Case of Misalignment

So those of you viewing our newly designed site in Internet Explorer might have realized something is seriously wrong with the alignment of things. The gray navigation bar is huge and the logo and textual ads above are being significantly hidden. Firefox (God blessed OpenSource), on the other hand, is displaying everything as it should be.

This is a fault on our side which we are trying very hard to correct. So at Monday at the very latest, this problem should be resolved. We marvel at your patience to overlook this unbearable eyesore. Kudos! But rest assured, we are working hard trying to fix things.

Meanwhile, it seems our little ‘Invite People’ feature in the forums has begun to attract a little buzz with members inviting their friends and the friends actually registering. So yaay.

E-Zine publication dates have been pushed back to Feb 1 as mentioned in my previous post, and the editors are as always, hard at work with their writers trying to make things right. Once I have all pieces, the task of compiling and finalizing the selected pieces will make the rounds. If your piece was edited and worked on but did not make it into the e-zine, I apologize profusely now. But we have limitations and the highest, utmost focus on quality. Some pieces were put on the back burner subject to heavy edits, and if the editing virtually transforms the piece into something amazing and brilliant, especially when taken into consideration, its earlier look, it will find its place. Of course, the editor’s own recommendation counts. Is he/she satisfied at the end of the day with the way things turned out, or could they have been a little better…etc, etc. All this will be taken into consideration with the final selection.

When the website looks as it should including the e-zine layout, etc…we’ll formally announce the reading with an absolute date. We won’t be giving out venues, however since as mentioned earlier, for the first reading we’re asking our members residing in Islamabad to invite their friends and people they know. An invitation only event, so to speak. With the next in the series, we’ll open things up depending on what the turnout for the first will be.

Till then there are still things left to resolve, and trust me, we’re absolutely busy with that! Judging by our site’s statistics, the number of people visiting with Internet Explorer only narrowly override those with Firefox, but because the majority still uses IE and the alignment problem is showing up there, it needs to be resolved immediately.

Meanwhile, the forums’ new look is very much functional and very much us, so head on over. Join us–be heard, be inspired!