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current Monday
Report below!
This week's report by Patrick Simonelli, LitVision
Literary Vision: It's Alive!
Due to gross incompetence on the part of the literary establishment,
the traditional position of "publisher" has descended to such a low
that we plebeians can now reach up and snatch it out of the air.
Discerning readers and writers alike are sick of the incoherent tripe
that continues to invade bookstores around the world. Independent
publishing is the best way to combat the mainstream "literary" junk
machine. The ULA focuses on print zines as the vehicle of relevant
literature, but what about the e-zine alternative?
The internet is a technological weapon of mass production that the
small independent publisher has at his/her disposal. The limitless
depth of the internet brings the almost refreshing reality that each
website is little more than a pathetic sardine packed amongst
millions of its kin. The overwhelming density of this digital crowd
provides the "freedom" of forced initial parity, creating a playing
field relatively level in nature. While powerhouse websites torment
us with advertising until we wearily log in, smaller independent sites
can generate their own seductions through basic self-promotion that
will spread like wild fire if done properly. Through hard work,
dedication, and the ability to adapt without compromising one's
principles, an internet publisher can accomplish more with less time
and resources than his print-world counterpart.
Internet publishing can be regarded as the evolutionary bastard of
the Penny Press and the Vanity Press. The good and bad news is
that virtually anyone can publish anything these days. The hope
among hardcore readers, writers, and publishers is that the literary
cream will rise to the top with a little well-timed stirring, while the
crap sinks pathetically to the bottom. The fate of individual e-zines
should be determined by this same code.
A good number of old school zinesters are wary of the e-zine, and
see it as the much weaker sister of the print zine. While nothing can
be better than putting eyeballs and flesh to paper and ink, we've got
be realistic literary guerrillas rather than doomed junior press
redcoats in the publishing revolution we're fighting here. We stand a
better chance skirmishing from the literary forests of the internet
AND stubbornly defending our (physical) underground presses,
which are as yet unable to effectively compete with the fully
entrenched and fortified evil publishing barons.
If the goal is to encourage intelligent readership of relevant material
while promoting talented writers and introducing fresh voices, let's
put literary print zine and e-zine head-to-head on two main points
and see which comes out cleaner...
# CASH: Print zines cost money to produce and distribute, and
therefore even the most well-intentioned zinester must charge
readers for a copy. E-zines appear on websites which cost little or
nothing to maintain, and can be distributed free to anyone anywhere
with access to an internet-connected computer at home, work,
school, public library or cafe.
# EXPOSURE: Frequency of publishing is a big factor in attracting
new and steady readership. Underground print zines are often under
funded and published infrequently. Their press runs are relatively
small and reach a limited number of people. With dedicated editors
at the helm, e-zines can be published monthly, weekly, or even
daily. This frequency of publication (provided the content doesn't
suck), will provide the e-zine with a wider and more connected fan
base that the traditional print zine.
In the end, it's the same publishing war being fought in battles on
different fronts. The goal is to explode into readers' faces and
stimulate brains, hearts, and souls. If literature is to flourish in the
21st century, we should explore all of our publishing options, instead
of clinging to the printed past. Johannes Gutenberg, Ben Franklin,
Tom Paine, etc would have been fucking proud and excited about
the on-line publishing alternative.
Of course, literary e-zines have their own set of flaws. They can be
just as gaudy and pretentious as the popular "overpriced,
unreadable literary journals" cited by the ULA. God knows the
internet is home to a great many kooks and mediocrities who make
the web their safe house and stomping ground. The hope is that
active Darwinism thrives online; that sub-par e-zines will languish in
their own electronic hell, while worthy e-zines gain attention, hits,
and quality submissions.
This is what I've set out to prove with my own literary e-zine, which I
call Literary Vision. Check us out at www.litvision.org. I started a
couple months ago with little money, minimal computer skills,
almost no literary connections, and a half-handful of talented friends
and kinfolk forced at gunpoint to be my co-editors. LitVision is built
on hard work, honesty, and most of all, talent. We publish monthly
and provide individualized, direct, plain-English feedback in a timely
manner to those who submit their work. While some are offended by
this unfiltered approach, our favorite species of writer is one who
submits a better story after we tore his first lame offering to shreds.
Good editing is all about pushing people to the limits of their talent,
rather than embracing and uplifting average work, something done
way too often in today's pop-culture literary world.
Unlike most other e-zines (and print zines), we pay our writers a
symbolic fee for allowing their creative output to crash at LitVision
for a month. Our editors take the time to promote the site and solicit
submissions, so the hits will keep coming and each issue will be
better than the previous one.
In addition to pimping creative writing, LitVision is intended as an
outlet for literary news and opinion. I want ULA friends and foes alike
to check out LitVision.org. Read the current issue with work by Jack
Saunders, Steve Kostecke, and writers you've never heard of. Send
us your own writing, volunteer to help edit, contribute your news and
opinions to our ACTION and FORUM sections, and most of all, help
spread the word.
Setting up this e-zine has reaffirmed my faith in the possibilities of
modern literature. There are still real writers out there who can react
well to constructive criticism and produce quality art. I am proud of
the LitVision project and it feels so empowering to finally take action
on the literary front. Instead of feeling frustrated by the mainstream
garbage that is passed off as "art" in bookstores and on the internet,
step up and help save literature in your own individual way.
GO HERE TO ENTER THE MONDAY REPORT BOX.
