Monday, October 03, 2005

Silverfish Lit Mag?

Raman is looking for book-gossip from any quarter. Yes, the man himself having decided that someone has to fight the corner for books since the newspapers don't seem to be doing a great job, and is determined to begin his own litmag. At present he's putting out a fortnightly free one page newsletter which you can pick up from the counter. (He's had his online version going for some time now.) He plans to extend it and grow it slowly into something bigger.

And he need folks to write for it. Bits of book news, ear to the ground gossip, the odd review of something read and loved.

Because no-one's doing it, right?

I tell him that I have my blog and I write about books and the local litscene (as best I can) and that I even write about him from time to time. At the mention of the word blog he screws his face up, sour lemon style.

Blogging, you see is a monumental waste of time. It's a way of messing around and not getting any "real" writing done.

And he's never read mine, (or won't admit to it!) even though I've given him the address many times. It's too unimportant a venture to even contemplate.

(I think blogging is actually a great deal better than print media! Immediate and interactive.)

But he's so right about their being so little media coverage about books and writers. This is something I'm continually frustrated about. The problem is that page space is limited and editors do not really have a budget to purchase the latest books for review. (I often buy my own.)

Well, I applaud Raman's efforts and his vision. If he cares enough to get something off the ground, I'll support him.

But: "I can't afford to pay you anything," he says "because I'm not making anything out of this."

Now me, I either write for love (my blog, my stories) or for money, so this puts me in a bit of a dilemma. Best solution - I'll e-mail him bits and pieces that I've blogged and let him use them as he will, provided that he sticks my name and URL on them.

Raman's shop had had something of a make-over: he's partitioned off a room at the back to house all those wonderful antiquarian books and serve as a meeting room/ area for readings. And he looks to be in the process of getting rid of a whole lot of clutter, at last. (Teach him something about feng-shui someone!)

Of course I only popped in for a chat but could not walk out bookless. Ended up with a volume of poems by Charles Bukowski which I will tell you about another day.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Weird, very weird indeed. A few days ago, reading your review about some books, I thought: it is a pity that this is only accessible to a few people. She should go bigger! So, go for it Sharon. A rivulet may become a river some day and so on.

q said...

(I think blogging is actually a great deal better than print media! Immediate and interactive.)

so so true. sha

i've looked at the silverfish website a few times and i've always thought that it could be better restrutured using any of the blogging tools out there (ie. textpattern), and especially useful for the lit mag section.

lainieyeoh said...

hmm..maybe he could contact graceshu of graceshu.com/wp ?

She manages the bookreviewblog.blogspot.com

Sorry if this seems like a total link whoring session, just trying to help :)

bibliobibuli said...

Anna - sharon is having enough problems keeping up with bein a rivulet

q - I think so too ... it's very static and could be much more interactive ... and there could be more links ...

lainie - good hint, I'll pass it on ... link whoring is something we do so well, hey?

Pyewacket said...

Gee, someone who doesn't "get" blogging? After I stopped laughing (at myself), I thought what a shame for Raman. Your idea is great -- let him use some bits and pieces as long as he publishes your name and URL. But I sure don't know how he reckons writing for him for free is more "serious" than writing your blog! You reach a large, interactive audience. The information and energy flows back and forth between your blog and your print publishing, as well. In the most hackneyed phrase of the year, "It's all good." As for Raman -- he should evolve!

bibliobibuli said...

yeah, you've taken to blogging like the proverbial fish to water ... or i suppose the ape to the trees ...

i like what you say about energy flowing ...

Pyewacket said...

Thanks! I almost used the word "synergy" but got myself under control in time...whew!

Anonymous said...

"I think blogging is actually a great deal better than print media! Immediate and interactive"

And accountable to no one, apparently, if you don't have you real name on it :)

"power without responsibility is the prerogative of the harlot through the ages"

-- Stanley Baldwin

.. and "synergy" is good, k ? :)

Anonymous said...

Isn't it strange how some people who expect you to write for free because they're not making anything from publishing it would object to your taking a book and not paying for it because you're not making anything from reading it ? :)

bibliobibuli said...

Nice logic anonymous