The Perils, Pleasures, and Persistence of Publishing

For those of you who don't know, and that's probably a pretty high number right now, this past Sunday marked the launch of a new library magazine in Second Life, RezLibris.

Like publications that start up in real life, those that are created in a virtual world, begin with just an idea that grows. To make that bud of inspiration bloom into a flourishing flower, though, takes a lot of hard work and as RezLibris publisher, Clark Abismo, stated in the first issue editorial, a major amount of persistence.

All the concerns of real life publishing need to be addressed when launching a virtual publication whether it be a magazine, newspaper, or other type of in-world or website informational and/or entertainment source. These concerns range from hiring procedures to staff policies from editorial decisions including copyright, content, and coverage to design issues such as layout, photography, and graphics.

PERILS

Publications are a communication medium. What is conveyed through each article needs to be clear, interesting to its target audience, and free of typos, grammatical errors, and other mistakes. Proofreading is important, and this is best done by more than one set of eyes and can't be left to the unreliable spelling and grammar checkers of word processing programs. Names and titles need to be correct. Quotes need to be appropriately attributed. Photo captions need to be right. Headlines should grab the reader. So many small details are what make up the perils of publishing and also make the difference between a professional publication and a "rag."

PLEASURES

Bylines are a unique kind of flattery. Most people like seeing their names in print. at least for stories they write. Most journalists are not paid well, and this is an understatement for virtual journalists. So there has to be some other perks to a "job" that requires so much hard work. Psychiatrists have profited for ages by being aware that most people like to talk about themselves and have people listen to what they say. Unlike journalists, shrinks make a lot more money from this knowledge. What is it like to command an audience for even the short time someone reads your article; to have your words archived in print that someone may come across them through a google search or while browsing a news or magazine stand; to reach people from around the world who you have never met and may never meet but who can get to know you very well through the views you express? These are the some of the pleasures of publishing.

PERSISTENCE

So what does it take to keep a virtual or real life magazine or newspaper going? How do you keep the editors and writers motivated? How do you stay sane between deadlines and last-minute crisises? How do you promote your publication and keep readers interested? How do you generate new ideas and plan productive work schedules on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? How do you allocate tasks and delegate projects? Team work and communication are essential, but the main ingredient is persistence. If you want something, you work to make it happen. You persevere despite all the pressure. Mostly, you keep in sight your goal -- the lovely printed version of your publication.