What'll we have here for readers?

It's fairly easy to put a #weblit tweets box on the site; MLM just needs to go to the settings parts of Twitter and create it, then slap it in the code here.

For readers, I like the idea of having something special that's particular to this site to entice them in. I really would love to do a round-robin kind of sillyfic, where we each contribute one sentence to an ongoing narrative that is obviously insane and therefore hilarious. We could each contribute in our own style of writing, which could give readers a chance to see us in snippets as well as enjoy our collective ... genius. A crossover would be fun, too! A lot of us have a bunch of irons int he fire already, so it would have to be simple and not too time-consuming, or we won't do it.

You may note that the Drupal software will turn any hashtag or Twitter ID into a link? Yes. @MeiLinMiranda, for instance, or #writechat.

I'll implement the Twitter search feed ASAP.

A central list function would be good; I'll cogitate on how to make that work well.

As for reader features, I hadn't really thought on it, apart from the idea of a quarterly anthology that some of us have been kicking around.

ah ha ha ha I love Drupal somethin' fierce.

... Perhaps we should start a topic for planning the anthology?

WebLit News? General reports of goings-on in the world of weblit? Features on weblit (interviews, essays, opinion pieces)?

Of course, that sounds more like what'll go into the antholozine. But having an area like that for readers might be something.

It seems to be mostly a writer resource at its core, so I was wondering if there'd be a special sub-set of features just for readers who come to this site who are not writers.

I would say that creating a resource for weblit writers is enough to have on the plate of any undertaking. It's a needed service.

I'd like to see more discussion of "how-to's" here: what's a good RSS aggregator, etc. The sort of questions web writers would have.

Trying to make it a reader site runs into several problems.
--there are already plenty of sites for web and ebook readers. What's lacking is the weblit equivalent of Absolutewrite. Wasn't that the intention here?
--you end up expanding numbers but watering down your quality of discourse. Do you really want a bunch of high school kids asking about "Twilight" knockoffs online?
--It is much better to list sites where there are readers and let writers go there and hookup and than to graft that on to a site like this one.

A new site, especially a unique one like this immediately breeds a lot of excitement. We could have videos, we could add a kitchen over there, etc. Best is to do a good job of the primary task and see if there is legitimate interest in branch-outs.

And this site has a uniqueness factor about it. Where else can weblit writers get together and chat?
There are lots of ways that could be improved, mostly be some judicious expansion of forum topics in areas like those I've indicated.

I don't want this to be a reader site. Period. If they come here, that's great. But there are other services that can help them, like Web Fiction Guide, which I'd be inclined to point them to.

And Lin, I'm hoping to implement the how-to section soonest.

Thanks, MeiLin. If you don't mind a further suggestion, perhaps a "poll" of people on the site now might ppint towards some sub-forums that suit a wide need.

And I think you're wise to concentrate on writers, rather than attempting all-purpose.

Thanks, Lin. I'm going to have nightmares for WEEKS.

Linton, I did say sub-set for a reason - I didn't mean at all that this should be a reader site. Readers will come here, however. They will see links on our pages to it, they will read the AntholoZine magazine, they will see tshirts and swag out there. When they get here, we should have a good way of pointing them directly to WebLit-related content. That's just simple efficiency. It's no good if readers end up here thinking it'll help them find Weblit and then get all confused and leave. That's a waste of resources, especially when it's so nice to get writers and readers in one fell swoop with marketing items! Readers are notorious for virally spreading writer content to more readers, who then spread it more, etc. Also, in the WebLit climate, many writers are readers and vice-versa. Readers can also be reviewers, who are not necessarily writers, but they definitely promote writers while also promoting their own reviews. It's all an ecosystem.

Or basically, if a reader sees (for example) a good list of links here that points them to content they want, then they'll tell other readers, word will spread to writers, etc. It doesn't necessitate us doing a lot of work for readers, but it will definitely increase the site's reach. These things are already happening as the site develops, but it's good to focus development in the beginning so that we have a neat bonsai and not the crazy overgrown bush that currently resides in half of Char's backyard. That thing scares me.

It's important that we connect with readers centrally in some form, especially for research and opinion-gathering. It's hard to market effectively without gethering feedback from your target audience. In that case, it's easier to reach your target audience if they're on your doorstep. It's also harder to go outside and get your paper off the curb if you have to wade through them anytime you emerge from your house. So it's nice to give them a little patio where they can stay and chit-chat. (I know I'm stretching this analogy far enough that it's starting to snap, but it's 9 PM and I want ice cream.)

To sum up, readers will come. The traffic will be present. If they don't find something for them here (though, when AntholoZine is released, they WILL), they should be directed to WFG and such in an efficient way. This could be as simple as a "For Readers" section in the blue content thingy at the top, or a "For Readers" section in the menu at the top that directed to a list of links such as Web Fiction Guide and such.

Or it could go straight to the "Review Sites, Listings..." link in the listings, and thus would be updated continuously. If it did this, the description text should be updated to be a little more reader friendly "sites where our work can be submitted and read" or something. Or, the For Readers section could basically duplicate/echo the lists that goes under the "Review Sites, Listings..." section. (MeiLin, I honestly don't know if you can do that with Drupal, so I'm tacking this rider onto that suggestion. I know creating menu items is easy, though. I do not want to create a bunch of trouble for you and I think this could be rather simple.) Why the pickiness about description text? Well, this IS marketing. A very important type of marketing. When marketing you should always consider (though not always cater to) the lowest common denominator. A reader probably isn't looking for Resources, they're looking for reading material, so it might take them awhile to find the "meat" right now.

I'm going to guess that this site is going to be an eternal work in progress. Let's remember that things can be easily changed down the line, and even unruly garden hedges can be trimmed. It is okay to learn through mistakes and try new things, and we'll learn what works as we go. WebLit is a new frontier for writers AND readers. We can help each other.

Websites are ALWAYS works in progress. It's one of the reasons I've always loved the form.

OK, so let's brainstorm a potential home page where we can point readers away from all this stuff--not that I'm afraid of them reading it, or even contributing; I just want to keep the guts of the site really focused and I'd like them to find the stuff they're probably here to find.

Right now I've just got it set to "node," which is the default Drupal setting that displays entries newest first, like a blog. That's not usually how I like my sites to be set up, but I wasn't sure what should go on the actual front page.

Ideas?

Possible front page text? Possibly this, though I admit trimming is probably a good idea. Brevity is so not my strong point.

- - -

Welcome to WebLit.us, where writers, reviewers and readers of free web literature combine forces to further the WebLit movement! WebLit is an exciting development in the literature - flash fiction, short fiction, novels, serials, nonfiction, poetry, - which finds its home on the internet. To learn more about it, click here. (About page link? We need something explaining what WebLit the medium is vs WebLit.us the site.)

Writers - you're in the right place! We have a thriving community of web literati here, all with the common goal of helping each other to promote the cause of online literature. You can add yourself to our listings and chip in ideas. In the WebLit forums we have tutorials, tips and plenty of people eager to help you figure out how to get your work more exposure. Our listings are also full of places you can use to promote yourself and make your story more marketable.

For readers, we have a comprehensive list of sites that we guarantee will satisfy your WebLit cravings. Please explore them! You're welcome to join in the WebLit.us forum discussions as well. We love to hear about what you want out of WebLit and WebLit.us! (Of course, might wanna make sure we have a 'comprehensive listing' linked for the readers that is described in that text. The listings for reviewers and online zines are split, so I'm not sure what to do there. This may be more of a webmistress question.)

Web literature reviewers, please add yourself to our listings and make your presence known! We want you to get more exposure so that you can give writers more exposure and help readers find the treasures they're looking for. Drop by the forums, join in the conversation, and let the WebLit.us peeps know how we can improve our craft!

Enjoy your stay at WebLit.us, and if you find us helpful, please consider linking to WebLit.us, blogging about WebLit.us, tweeting about WebLit.us, skywriting about WebLit.us... you know, whatever suits your fancy.

I can work with that.

Personlly, I think it would be a good idea to make it more servicable for writers, who you KNOW are interested, than readers who may or may not be.

A good policy in such matters is not "If you build it they'll come" but, "If they come, you probably ought to build it"

Got quibbles:

(It's the professionalism thing again.)

Suggest:

Welcome to WebLit.us, where writers, reviewers and readers of free web literature combine forces to further the WebLit movement! WebLit is ***quality original writing by authors who are serious about their work and present it on the Internet, building their careers through direct reader compensation -- whether they're writing novels, serials, non-fiction works, short fiction, flash-fiction or experimental literary forms.***

To learn more about it, click here. [etc.]

Thanks for filling in the literature types there! I was unsure of what exactly to put but figured it'd get worked out.

I'm not sure if all authors involved are expecting any sort of reader compensation through their WebFic in particular, so I'm not sure it's best put up front where it seems attached to everyone. Especially with the attachment of careers onto it - many WebFic writers may already have careers. this could just be for the joy of writing and getting the work out there. I think that varies dramatically per writer. Also, since direct reader compensation is still not in the mainstream yet, it may confuse people when summed up so much right there. Every author has their own model of compensation/reward/cookies/karma, and I'd prefer they just explained them on their own webpages.

Of course, that's also stuff that could go on the about page. This is just the blurb.

It could also just be a matter of summing it up better. I think sticking in reader compensation makes for an ungainly sentence that's already doing a lot of work and communicating a lot of information.

Something like this would work:

WebLit is quality original writing by authors who are serious about their work and present it on the Internet, whether it they're writing novels, serials, non-fiction works, short fiction, flash-fiction or experimental literary forms.

But reader compensation could be installed as a separate sentence, if it's apparent in the description that this is still free literature and that each author's compensation model varies.

I guess it is kind of an ungainly sentence and I'm okay with your version above... but I guess I'm also hesitant just to say that what we offer is free, when it isn't, in a way, and we don't want it to be. Need the thoughts of others on this. For me it's a can of worms emotionally, so maybe I can't be objective...

The free/paid dichotomy is false. Free does not guarantee integrity, paid does not guarantee quality--just as conventional publishing does not guarantee quality. And even those of us who are free frequently ask for donations/subscriptions and/or run advertising. I'm not sure it's a point we should be focusing on.

I'll take a run at the blurb in a bit. Kind of a busy morning.