ailelie is developing plans to launch a new ezine featuring stories and poems that portray queer women in a positive light. It's intended as a genre magazine but will cover multiple genres: science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, all different things. Plans are to crowdfund the first two issues, probably through Kickstarter or a similar site. If the fundraising succeeds and the project comes together, then I get hired to do the line editing.
I want this project to thrive because I think the world needs more good literature like this. It annoys me when I see Hollywood and New York putting out movies, TV, books, magazines, etc. that perpetrate destructive tropes like the
dead/evil lesbian. If that stuff annoys you too, and you want better literature, here's a chance to make it happen.
This project is currently in the brainstorming stage. Right now, you can help by sharing your ideas and experience through some of the discussion posts.
The
first planning post lays out the initial premise, and then there's "
So I'm Going To Do It" firming up some of the parameters for the ezine. "
What All Goes in a Business Plan" is much more detailed.
"
Well, I may need a new theme to start off with" gives some background on the fairytale theme idea, and a bunch of other theme ideas in the comments.
"
Brainstorming Names" explains that the working title of the magazine is
Plunge but something better is desired. Pitch your ideas for a magazine name here.
"
Perk Ideas" lists possible items on offer, where you can suggest other cool things you'd like.
If you're a reader and/or interested in queer women, chime in with what you hope to see in the way of ezine content. Help us find all the folks who are dissatisfied with the mainstream portrayals of queer women, so that they can support a project more in keeping with their personal ideals and tastes. We can also use input on stop-trope entries: stuff you wish people would quit doing, so writers will know what to avoid (or at least handle with extreme care).
If you're a writer, make suggestions for developing a writer-friendly ezine. Think about what things you write that might fit the themes here. Keep an eye out for the fundraising -- which will make this a paying market -- and for the submission window to open later this year.
If you're an editor or a webspinner, share your experience about managing a magazine or developing a website. Give tips on what works, mistakes to avoid, anything you think might be useful.
If you're a crowdfunder -- especially if you've run a successful fundraiser on Kickstarter or the like -- then talk about your approach to that. Mention what kind of project attracts your attention. List things you did to boost your project.
If you're a networker, watch for the fundraising phase. That's when we'll be doing a big push to get more people involved and to reach outside our immediate circles.
Okay, that's it for now. I'll keep you posted on further developments.
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