Tag Archives: e-zine volume 3

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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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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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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 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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It begins

So, if you’ve been to the website or forums recently you may have noticed something in the way of a facelift. Yes, it’s finally happened. The new design has been fully incorporated. You may also have noted the new design of the blog in one of the fading images, but for some reason it can’t be seen here…there’s a reason for that. Let’s just say, it looked better as a screen shot. But I’m trying to see if I can capture the same gist of color here with this format, so let’s see how this works out.

Our e-zine publication date may see a slight flutter from its original conception, with the deadline being pushed back from Jan 18 to Jan 25. The reasons for this are the resolving of some personal issues of one of our editors. Publication will be one week after the administrator (yours truly) has received all pieces, to take that time to go through each in full and see if I can’t spot a few last minute fixes. So we might be seeing it going live around Feb 1, which if seen in a certain light, might actually work for us being the start of a month instead of the end or middle of it. All’s well that ends well, right?

Moving on, the next stage of our plan kicks forward after all pieces have been edited or at least after some of the editors have been relived of their editing duties. We do indeed plan on going ahead with the posters, fliers and bookmarks that will advertise our website. The reading as such, won’t be advertised since, at least for the first one, we’re limiting it to members and those invited by members. There still do remain certain issues to iron out, however, but it’s very much a part of our agenda.

We do have something else up our sleeves as well, something we’re not going to put up yet but will in all likelihood announce during or after the reading…so all the more reason to attend if you’re in Islamabad sometime in March or April.

In addition to the small announcement put up on the main site, we’d like to remind anyone who’s interested to help out with the marketing aspect of the site, to let us know. We will be distributing posters, fliers and bookmarks to be distributed in bookstores and possibly some “intellectual” cafes, though whether such places exclusively exist…may be debatable. But that’s us! The incurable optimists! For anyone who’s interested, you can email in at comments@desiwriterslounge.net.

Now my friends, is when it really begins…

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Be heard. Be inspired. Or…not so much?

Apologize for the lack of updates…realize it’s been seven days since my last progress report. 🙂

So then, what’s going on in the world of the ‘Lounge, you ask? Well, despite thinking that my designing days were over, I have managed to complete a new forum template with our new logo which will see its debut on this blog at the same time it goes on everywhere else. So the forum’s done, thankfully which now just leaves the bulk of the main website’s design which is significant…but it does progress. I am hopeful to have at least the color scheme related side of things, complete by tonight. I’ve started writing again, so unfortunately this also figures into the ‘weekend planning’ side of things.

My presence at the forums has been extremely limited to just signing in occasionally, with a precursor ‘all’s well’ and conveniently disappearing again.

Our editors are hard at work, working with their respective assignees to give you the best e-zine yet. Fingers crossed. The January 18 deadline will in all likelihood, be honored and the week following it will be my domain of going through every piece submitted, reading all the niggly bits and deciding on the end product. Meanwhile, I uphold my end of the deal by administering the site, designing the forums, designing a new template for the main site, receiving progress reports from my editors, and all along hoping that I can somehow bridge it all and have a deliverable by my own personal deadline.

Meanwhile, keeps the forums alive and well. There seems to be a strange tendency of things coming alive when the e-zine submission date comes around. The whole point of the forums is to be heard, to learn from others, be inspired by what you see, and take it from there. How can one expect to improve if you don’t let others rip into your creative process of thought before you even think of putting something solely for e-zine consideration. The polls will no longer, at least not in the foreseeable future, have as much of an impact on selection as before. So be involved, be prepared for a sense of community, help others improve, let us help you. It’s all about writing, working together to improve.

Or at least, that’s always been my perception of what the Desi Writers Lounge is. But I guess, perceptions change…or do they?

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Going forth into the Tunnels of Darkness

I must thank Clarice, below, for writing in my absence. Though the internet did fail us for a little less than 24 hours, it has returned in full force. So things, are in that sphere at least, well.

There have been no changes in the e-zine publication plans–we will be moving forward with publishing it sometime at the end of January–the interim month will be, as per our now established Editorial Policy, devoted to editing pieces. The reason that it has already been pushed back several times, is because of the search for quality and the understanding that it needn’t be rushed.

The editors will shortly notify the finalized set of writers under their respective categories, although The Poets will be notified a little later. Reasons for this diversion needn’t be discussed, here. Suffice to say, there’s a reason for everything we do.

One thing must be noted absolutely, however: protocol must be followed. Currently, the deadline for which all editors must have their respective finalized pieces is January 18th, 2008. Anyone who doesn’t follow this to the dot, will have their piece(s) struck from the final published list. I need to make this absolutely clear now. We’re all on a schedule here, and allowances for everyone have been made with the rather accommodating date. So to all the finalists out there: ensure that you’ve got an approved and complete piece by then. There are some pieces that require severe, heavy edits before they have a chance to make it in. To these writers, especially, you must follow the guidance of your assigned editor until he/she is satisfied. I will, however, make the last judgment call if there is one to be made.

I am well aware that I am no professional writer, but as Editor and Administrator, someone has to do it. I apologize in advance.

The E-Zine’s publication date has been set for sometime in the last week of January.

A new design inclusive of new logo might be instituted some time before then, or it may make its debut with the new volume. That remains to be seen based on my own time and planning. Suffice to say, it is in the works.

I can only hope Vol 3 is a roaring success, and jump starts our reputation outside of the web as a literary magazine to be reckoned with, hopefully cemented with the reading planned for March. The posters, fliers, bookmarks etc will be promoting the website more than the reading itself, although we’ll probably have a separate batch for that as well, distribution limited naturally, to Islamabad only.

The material for marketing the website, however, will be distributed as noted earlier, in the three main cities where our members reside: Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi as well as a special package mailed to our international member in Washington D.C.

This is all in the pipelines, which I’m hoping doesn’t mean it never materializes! 🙂

Wish us luck, everyone!