Is it something I've said?

Or, maybe, something I’ve not said?  Either way, I hope you’ll leave a comment below or  contact me, theGayEditor, directly—let me know what concerns or questions I need to address in order to convince  you  to join our crowdfunding campaign. 

Yes, we do have a staggeringly ambitious goal and, yes, we do have “all summer” to reach that goal; but, I gots ta tell ya, at our current rate of incoming funds, we will not be starting to work with authors or illustrators . . .  we will not be editing submissions or soliciting artwork . . .  we will not be posting unedited excerpts to our Raw Collection or encouraging interaction at our online social community (which, I know, is struggling as it is).  Instead, I will be continuing to search for full-time employment, which will continue to draw my time and attention away from The Gay Publishing Company.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be so blunt, but I pretty much put all my cards on the table in my “Sharing Secrets” post a few days ago.  Based on those “secrets” you all know where I’m standing; however, based on other recent posts, you also know what I’m hoping for and where I want to be—and that’s working with you guys, not slaving to some full-time corporation (“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” to quote Mr. Seinfeld).

So, let me know what else I can do to help encourage your participation.  I’ll address as many of your issues as possible in responses next week, the last week of June, so we can really get moving over the July 4th holiday (in the US, that is) weekend.

What better excuse for some fireworks and celebrating, eh?

Stephen, theGayEditor.com

–Editor/Publisher/Founder, TheGayPublishingCompany.com
the Gay Editor –at– Im Your Editor –dot– com
PO Box 1168, Orlando, FL 32802
phone: 407-495-4801 (temporary)

Become a part of our mission:
Help crowdfund us!

Do you have other ideas to help out?
Share your thoughts . . .

A focus on our immediate plans

So, assuming that we are able to meet the goals of our crowdfunding campaign—then, what’s next?

Well, focusing on publication of our initial magazines will be the next major step in our growth.  Our magazines  will provide the primary vehicle for our future growth and will serve as the backbone of what makes us different from other publishers (that is, besides the gay thing).  Our magazines, as most of you know by now, will feature regular, serialized installments of edited, professional quality, gay-themed writing—writing we will deliver in electronic (or virtual, or digital) and physical, paper formats.

Publishing in serialized installments was common in the 1800s as a way of delivering stories to readers.  For instance, nearly all of the major works from Charles Dickens were written and published in serialized pieces before being collected later and sold as books.  And, the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first appeared in issues of The Strand Magazine.  In addition, Jack London’s White Fang first appeared in several months of The Outing Magazine.  Our magazine will feature a revival of this once-popular form of literary entertainment so that we can publish more material from more authors. 

Our serialized “pieces” will be defined as roughly 1,500 to 2,500 words or so, though this definition will be manipulated and adjusted as necessary.  That definition will allow each issue to contain a selection of, for instance, an entire short story or an entire “flash” story, as well as individual scenes from scripts and screenplays, chapters of novels, and sections of memoirs.  We will also include some poetry and we’ll polish each issue off with hand-drawn or computer-generated illustrations from a variety of international artists.

Ultimately, longer pieces will be compiled and reworked as necessary to become full-length books.  However, before any books  or  our first magazines come out, we’ll be busy behind the scenes with a few more-immediate chores:

• reestablishing contact with our submitting authors and our paying subscribers and
• working with our first rounds of authors to carry out the editorial review process,
• building our shop and tweaking access to our online social community, and
• posting more work on our Raw Collection.

In addition, we have research to do that is relevant to the actual process of publishing in the digital age—and in print, because even that process has not stood still.  During this time, we will also be taking advantage of our crowdfunders, signing up as many as possible to help select a name to our magazine, to help decide which submissions should make up our initial publications, and to help determine the best format for our publications.

We hope you’ll become excited enough that you decide to join us!  We promise to put your energies and your support to good work,

Stephen, theGayEditor.com

–Editor/Publisher/Founder, TheGayPublishingCompany.com
the Gay Editor –at– Im Your Editor –dot– com
PO Box 1168, Orlando, FL 32802
phone: 407-495-4801 (temporary)

Become a part of our mission:
Help crowdfund us!

Do you have other ideas to help out?
Share your thoughts . . .

Sharing secrets

I hadn’t planned to dwell on this topic, or even to return to it yet again,  but  because more than several of you asked, and because many of you were wondering without asking, and because all of you do deserve an explanation, I’ll venture, briefly, deeper into the topic of our lingering circumstance and disappointing performance—one last time . . .

By the summer of 2009, all my efforts to keep the-freelance-editor (my editorial services business and primary income for several years) and The Gay Publishing Company and my personal life out of the economic whirlpool failed.  To be bluntly honest, I’d exhausted my savings, gone through my retirement (at least, the part that Wall Street wasn’t losing), and surrendered my life’s equity while fighting to save the two companies and find replacement income.

Don’t get me wrong: I accept the burden of what happened, and I don’t blame anyone for the result—chances are, given the same knowledge set and circumstances, I wouldn’t do too much differently.  The downward trend had started slowly, as many of you know, and the eternal optimist in me believed the prognosticators, that the downturn was just a “short-term correction.”  So, I was determined to persevere: first, in spite of the slashing of American budgets that eliminated my domestic clients one by one; then, in spite of the panic of overseas writers and businesses that spooked my international clients.  In a matter of months, I lost every contact and contract I’d earned over the previous decade; worse, I found that no new prospects or possibilities were opening up.  By the time I finally faced reality, opened my eyes, and saw the end crashing around me, no companies in the local area were hiring for any positions, either.

Fortunately, an accounts payable position I’d held previously at a local community bank suddenly opened up.  The income from that position enabled me to get a roof back over my head, to resume paying bills, and to keep a scaled-back—though not totally stagnant—version of The Gay Publishing Company in existence.  To help that effort even more, I sacrificed my editorial services business, which I officially closed towards the end of 2010.  Doing so enabled me to focus my income and what time I had on the publishing endeavor.  Finally, slowly, the tunnel started to brighten—slowly.  Then, in January 2011, the economy struck once more when my employer was purchased and my position slated for elimination by June 1.

Following a few discouraging weeks of job searching, one of The Gay Publishing Company’s investors asked, “Why don’t you just jump back into the publishing company?”

The truth was, I hadn’t even thought of that as an option—until that moment.  From his one simple question,  our entire crowdfunding campaign  was born.  And, after some initial investigation and calculation, I came to believe that, if we could get enough funding together, this new approach might just work.  In fact, I’ve come to think we could even get back on a track to editing, publishing, and self-sufficiency within a few months . . .  that is, assuming we do get your help.

Well, that’s another brief but more embellished story.  The truth is, you deserved to have an explanation for my extended absence and the delay in developing your publishing company; you also deserved an explanation for why rebounding has taken so long to get in place.

Now, in spite of the economy, let’s plan to move forward by combining our resources and starting to move again—onward and upward! 

Please, join us as one of our crowd,

Stephen, theGayEditor.com

–Editor/Publisher/Founder, TheGayPublishingCompany.com
the Gay Editor –at– Im Your Editor –dot– com
PO Box 1168, Orlando, FL 32802
phone: 407-495-4801 (temporary)

Become a part of our mission:
Help crowdfund us!

Do you have other ideas to help out?
Share your thoughts . . .

A focus on our crowdfunding goals, aka "Where's my money going to go?"

As mentioned elsewhere, the overlying goal of our crowdfunding campaign is to re-start our efforts so that our target audiences—writers, illustrators, readers, and other supporters—know we are back in business and realize they can once again be a part of our mission. 

With your support, then, and a successful completion to this campaign, The Gay Publishing Company will focus on producing and publishing the first several issues of our magazine (our minimum goal is four in the first year).  And, while that result may not sound like it entails much work, it actually requires a dedicated, full-time editor who can

• work with authors on a back-and-forth basis to encourage them and help them improve their works to appropriate standards;
• solicit the work of illustrators for appropriate stories;
• oversee daily operations of The Gay Publishing Company and respond to the inquiries of writers, illustrators, and readers in a timely manner; and
• investigate current and competitive, non-traditional avenues of publication.

Slightly more than half of the $66,000 campaign goal will be used to pay that editorial salary for the first year. Here is a breakdown of how the funds you provide will be used:

• $35,000
• to pay one full-time salary for one year, enabling theGayEditor
• to oversee daily operations of The Gay Publishing Company;
• to respond to the inquiries of writers, illustrators, and readers;
• to edit materials and work with authors and illustrators;
• to produce at least four issues of our magazine; and
• to investigate other current avenues of publication
• $10,000
• to fund promotional expenses, including contract fees for a social media expert and expenses related to attending outreach events
• $10,000
• to fund technology expenses, including equipment upgrades, security enhancements, and improved Web site integration, along with contract fees for increasing the functionality of TheGPCo.com, our social network
• $5,000
• to pay miscellaneous and unexpected expenses, as needed
• $6,000
• to pay fees and taxes on this campaign as well as expenses related to the administration of its perks and rewards

My hope is that this knowledge will alleviate some of your concerns over where such a large chunk o’ change is actually going to go!  See?  Our intentions really are innocent and well intentioned (and well thought out), so chip in and become one of our crowd: jump to our campaign buttons page at  www.TheGayPublishingCompany.com/support-crowdfunding-buttons.html.

For more information, visit the general campaign information page of our primary Web site or watch this related crowdfunding video on YouTube. 

Thank you for your attention, your time, and your participation,

Stephen, theGayEditor.com

–Editor/Publisher/Founder, TheGayPublishingCompany.com
the Gay Editor –at– Im Your Editor –dot– com
PO Box 1168, Orlando, FL 32802
phone: 407-495-4801 (temporary)

Become a part of our mission:
Help crowdfund us!

Do you have other ideas to help out?
Share your thoughts . . .

A focus on our crowdfunding rewards

One of the greatest benefits  I  see in our crowdfunding campaign is the invitation for  you  to get involved in  the mission of The Gay Publishing Company.   To do that, we’ve included opportunities for involvement as some of our “rewards”—the ways we thank you for your monetary participation.  Our favorite rewards include the following:

• having you join the team that will choose the name for our magazine,
• having you join the team that will decide the format of the magazine, and
• having you join the team that will select and prioritize our inaugural stories.

Of course, you could  take advantage of all three teams and demonstrate the epitome of involvement!  Your participation at any of these levels would also include our basic-level perks (a listing on the credit page of our Web site,  subscriptions to our magazines,  and your choice of a company-branded item from our shop) and would garner you the title of Honorary Editor.

At a higher lever, we’re offering the invitation to travel with us to the Pride event of your choice (with a friend or two or three, if you want) to help us promote our efforts and the invitation to define and name an imprint for your favorite type of books. Participation at these levels would earn you the title of “Marketing Exec” for The Gay Publishing Company.

To view additional details on our crowdfunding rewards, visit our campaign’s general information page at www.TheGayPublishingCompany.com/support-crowdfunding.html.  To actually make a contribution, jump to our campaign button page, and do the deed: www.TheGayPublishingCompany.com/support-crowdfunding-buttons.html.

All our rewards ultimately support the goals of our crowdfunding campaign, which include re-initiating our efforts by

• raising awareness of our existence to more writers and illustrators,
• expanding our audience and increasing our pool of readers, and
• collecting funds for our first year of publishing.

But, then, you probably already knew that—the result of watching our crowdfunding-related videos on YouTube!  If you haven’t had the time, yet, though, you might start now . . .  

Thanks,

Stephen, theGayEditor.com

–Editor/Publisher/Founder, TheGayPublishingCompany.com
the Gay Editor –at– Im Your Editor –dot– com
PO Box 1168, Orlando, FL 32802
phone: 407-495-4801 (temporary)

Become a part of our mission:
Help crowdfund us!

Do you have other ideas to help out?
Share your thoughts . . .

Surprise! And, thanks to our subscribers

In appreciation of their long-standing support and in recognition of their extreme patience while waiting for their paid subscriptions to begin, the Advisory Board of  The Gay Publishing Company  has decided to extend the offer of lifetime virtual subscriptions to all existing subscribers. 

Existing “Pioneer” subscriptions of either version that were due to begin their term after the successful publication of at least two issues (print or virtual; and any subscriptions that were paid for before our Pioneer offer began) are eligible for this offer.  Subscribers need take no action at this time; however, we will be in touch later to verify acceptance and e-mail addresses for delivery.  Thereafter, an annual “renewal” will be sent with the primary purpose of updating contact information.

Our  virtual magazine  will be an electronic version that contains the same content as the  print magazine—the biggest difference being that the virtual magazine is “green” and can be read online (with links to more information and author interviews) or with any of the major e-reading devices.  Special large-type attributes and audio excerpts will also be a standard part of the virtual magazine.

We currently plan to release our first magazine issues some time during 2011.

Stephen, theGayEditor.com

–Editor/Publisher/Founder, TheGayPublishingCompany.com
the Gay Editor –at– ImYour Editor –dot– com
PO Box 1168, Orlando, FL 32802
phone: 407-495-4801 (temporary)

Become a part of our mission:
Help crowdfund us!

Do you have other ideas to help out?
Share your thoughts . . .

Our Big Announcement: A HUGE Opportunity

How would  you  like to help us

• choose a name for our magazine?
• determine the format of our magazine?
• select and prioritize our inaugural stories?
• promote our efforts by traveling with us to the Pride event of your choice?

Well, you can—and we hope you will, by participating in The Gay Publishing Company’s “crowdfunding” campaign.  This crowdfunding campaign is a huge opportunity for re-starting and reinvigorating our efforts—in fact, its success means we will be able to  finally  begin working with authors and illustrators, editing, and publishing.

In true crowdfunding fashion, we are serving up a variety of perks and rewards to encourage your participation (scroll down the page for a list).  Yes, by helping fund our efforts, you can become actively involved in the exciting milestones mentioned above.  Of course, we have other opportunities—such as subscriptions to our magazines and a variety of company-branded items; but,  we think those four are the best ways for you to be a part of The Gay Publishing Company’s growth while helping us move forward.

For a video overview of our crowdfunding effort, we’ve put together this collection of videos starring yours truly:

http://www.youtube.com/p/50F9C3FF61A66962?hl=en_US&fs=1
(If an error occurs, use the second icon to navigate through the playlist;
or view the videos on YouTube; total run time is about fifteen minutes).

We have the ambitious goal of meeting and working with dozens of you over the next few months, but we need to gather $66,000 to make it all happen.  Yes, that  is  a lot of money, but if everyone chips in to do what he or she can, the total will add up—which is, in fact, the very premise of funding by the crowd!  And, if we do reach that goal before Tuesday, September 6, 2011 (the day after Labor Day weekend in the US), I promise to see that we quickly make up for the time we’ve lost over the last two economically depressing years!

We’ll be exploring more details and different aspects of the campaign over the coming days and weeks  but,  please,  don’t  wait. 

Let’s make a strong start this weekend. 

Jump to the “buttons page” of our primary Web site at  www.TheGayPublishingCompany.com/support-crowdfunding-buttons.html.

Well—there you have it: that’s our big announcement: our big opportunity.  It’s an opportunity none of us should miss out on.  Thank you,

Stephen, theGayEditor.com

–Editor/Publisher/Founder, TheGayPublishingCompany.com
the Gay Editor –at– Im Your Editor –dot– com
PO Box 1168, Orlando, FL 32802
phone: 407-495-4801 (temporary)

Become a part of our mission:
Help crowdfund us!

Do you have other ideas to help out?
Share your thoughts . . .