As I mentioned on Twitter the other day, I’ve started putting together a new structure for my online writing. Today, I offer up one possible restructuring effort. Your opinions are always welcome, even if you fundamentally disagree with the whole endeavor.
On a side note: I do plan to move this blog to its own website soon (to coincide with my own personal site). I don’t know if I will keep the World in the Satin Bag name, though I probably should.
Here is the structure I’m considering:
- WISB would shift to an sf/f commentary and writing blog; most of what I’d offer here would be my semi-academic discussions, views on what’s happening in sf/f, views on sf/f, and general nonsense about my sad little writing career (which is frankly what this blog has mostly been anyway). Basically, this blog ceases to be a review blog and becomes more of a discussion blog that provides much of the same stuff I’ve always provided, but with a little more focus.
- All book reviews would move to The Skiffy and Fanty Show blog OR to review sites (Strange Horizons, etc.; I already have a review coming out through them soon)
- Totally Pretentious would become my “movie discussion” arena, since it’s a movie podcast and blog. This would include three specific elements:
a) the podcast (more on that later)
b) Retro Nostalgia: it will become a feature where I review an sf/f movie released 10/20/30/40/50+ years from a specific week or month (example: Ladyhawke was released in April 1985). I’ll just go back and forth through time by divisions of 10 :)!
c) The 6 Continents Director Circle: a terrible title for a feature in which I explore the work of a single director, moving from continent to continent. This may come in the form of reviews or essays about the breadth of their work (from the perspective of a budding film critic and film scholar). I’m told by David Annandale that we might also include this as part of the podcast at a future point (more on that later).
This would mean restructuring my Patreon so it focuses on the specific things I’m offering (the columns at TP and reviews at S&F). It would also mean effectively killing many of my current columns in favor for a smaller number of specific ones, which may or may not be the path I should take (or the expectation of readers). You are free to disagree if you really love something I do on WISB. Hell, you can disagree with this entire post if you so choose.
It was also suggested to me that I should perhaps put more focus into my podcasting anyway, since that’s where I’m better known. And it’s true that I really love podcasting and would love to do more of it. I’m not sure how to incorporate that into the structure, though. Thoughts?
My biggest concern with the new structure is this: it seems to diversify my writing across multiple spaces, which seems counter-intuitive to the project of focus. Is that just in my head, or is that fairly accurate? Should I just focus the columns on this blog and simply repeat a weekly “formula” on a consistent basis (three columns a week on MWF; every week…always)? Would that be more effective? Would that be better for my existing readership?
Alright. The comments are all yours.
2 Responses
I think this is a good plan. The right venue for the right kind of work.
So long as you commit to a *public* schedule where you (and your peers) can hold yourself accountable, this seems workable. Splitting locations so "everything has a place" is just smart for branding and SEO purposes.
Frankly, you won't know what your bandwidth is until you exceed it. But by then you'll no specifically what needs scaled back.
All those different columns and podcasts are just "fail fast" experiments at this point. What has an audience? What has Patreon support? What are you sufficiently excited about to meet your public schedule commitments, even when life gets in the way? In 90 days you'll know, and then you can double down and what is working and feel okay letting go of what isn't.
And if you ever need guest contributors to the Totally Pretentious blog, I'm at your service.