A NEW UPDATE: Let's get this puppy rolling!

It’s been far too long since we had a blog update, and I think it’s vital we resume using it to keep a log of what we’re doing, where we are at and what needs to be done in order to focus our efforts productively and efficiently. First though, we should catch up with where we are at since the blog last updated.

The website is live and listed on Duotrope. As previously noted, the email address, wsunexus.submissions@gmail.com is also active and full of submissions. Aaron and I have been going through them. With the structure of a school schedule behind us, we’ve gotten back in the swing a little more. Doug, if you get a chance, maybe you could start going through some too. Let one of us know if you no longer remember the password to the account. The rejection letter is also complete and ready to go, and SASEs from last quarter have been sent back to their senders with the new website and email information.

I think for the first issue, we should just cover the submissions we’ve received so far. We should start thinking about more promotion of Nexus on campus and elsewhere however. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

With catch up outta the way, here’s some things that need to be done, besides getting through all the submissions and making our decisions of what to publish:

• Meet and Discuss things: Aaron wants to get the three of us together to take stock of things and plan our next steps. We’re thinking of doing this when we get together for a Wizard Friends viewing, or some other time we can all meet up. Let’s start planning this.


• Promotion: We need to start making sure we get the word out around campus, not only about submissions, but about the 1st issue as we get closer to it going live. Fliers would still be a good idea for this. I’ve also put the word out in the writing classes I’m in this quarter. We also should utilize the designated bulletin board space we have in the hall of the Student Union by Judicial Affairs. There’s a lot of space, and it’s all ours. Maureen wanted to help with this, so I’ll show her the space today and we can start brainstorming and discuss it further at the meeting. We should also make sure we will be listed in the 2010 editions of the short story market and poetry market (apparently, we still are in the poetry market).


• Make sure we establish links to wright.edu’s Nexus section: I know Aaron was trying to get a hold of the Student Activities webmaster, but apparently she was being elusive last quarter. Maybe this has already been resolved.


• Determine who will be the Faculty Adviser for Nexus: Erin Flanagan has left us with a list of some possible replacements. Brady Alan has expressed some curiosity about the position as well. I don’t know how we proceed with this, but it’d be good to find somebody. Maybe one of us can talk to Erin about this. (I know Aaron was thinking about meeting with her to discuss stuff.)


• Figure out how to implement artwork and photography: Aaron and I have been approached about artwork and photography submissions and told people we are not accepting any for the first issue (maybe we should update the site with that info). We should figure out how we can do these in hi-res for best results and how to display them, so we can do so in the 2nd issue.

These are all things we should discuss when we get together. For now though, let’s keep chugging through those submissions!

Possible Rejection Letter and Notes

You're right, Aaron. Doug shouldn't be the only one burdened with responsibility. I have left a few comments on the blog volunteering to generate content (my specialty) for the new site so we can get that rolling ASAP.

I also generated a potential rejection letter. It's rough and without much personality, but check it out:

Dear contributor,

Thank you for your submission(s) to Nexus. We have decided not to publish your work at this time. In its new format, Nexus is a highly competitive publication and we receive far more submissions than could ever see print. Please feel free to contribute to Nexus in the future. We are always on the lookout for new work.

All the best,

Aaron Larson, Editor

(or The Nexus Editors)

I was going to stuff some SASEs with the new letter talking about online contributions, but I wasn't sure if I should be doing that with things currently separated in piles. Let me know if we want to just send out the SASEs for everything, or if we're going to give the stuff that's already been mailed a chance.

If there's anything else I can do, let me know.

Webspace and a hastily put together to-do list

I just filled out and submitted a Fund Request Form for $71.40. This is to pay for 12 months of web hosting to JustHost.com. They have a lot of great sounding features, were ranked number one on BestHosts2008.com and generally sound like a good idea. It gives us free space and transfer, a free domain name, and a free e-mail client. When I tried to leave the register page, it offered me a 20% discount, so I should be able to knock the actual price down to 50-odd dollars. The domain will be www.wsunexus.com.

Anyway, I should know soon if the funds have been approved and then we'll be able to get this train moving. This sexy, sexy train.

This also means that there's no more time to put things off. I'm going to get PhotoShop, DreamWeaver, and a FTP client this weekend and hopefully put them on the computer in the Nexus office. Doug shouldn't be the one burdened with responsability. We still need a contract, to be on duotrope.com and various other like-minded sites, to be in the short story/poem market books, and to tweek the website so that it'll be a good virtual representation of the journal. So there's all that. Totally within our grasp.

Prototype SASE letter

This is what I've been working on for the last song and a half. I tried to keep it short, informative, apologetic, and have a bit of personality (which is what the Nexus should have and I think we're well on our way to achieving that). If you have suggestions, let me know.

Thank you for your submission, but we are no longer accepting print submissions. Please feel free to e-mail your piece(s) to wsunexus.submissions@gmail.com. Do not send attachments; Paste your work in the body of the e-mail.

The Nexus is going through a period of transformation and shall soon emerge from its cocoon as a much better journal. Until that time, things are going to be messy. Please excuse our temporary disorder and be on the lookout for the new and improved Nexus.

Thank your for your patience,
Aaron Larson
Editor of WSU Nexus

Please be critical of this. It'll be what everyone who has submitted will see, and I want it to be as close to perfect as we can get it. In the meantime, I'm going to start working on the rejection letter.

Orgsync

Orgsync

This is important. It's what WSU is using to track its organizations and members, so it's important that you are on here. Register. Find WSU. Find Nexus. Join Nexus. I'll take it from there.

It is not a hard process. It takes 10 minutes. Ten if you are very slow.

Gmail Usage

This is how to use the submissions Gmail account. I spent a little bit of time trying to think of the most effective and least confusing way to go through the list of submissions. This is what I've come up with.

First, Gmail doesn't allow multiple folders. It's just one of those things, I guess. It does, however, have labels. One message can have multiple labels, whereas one message cannot be in multiple folders. This is handy.

I created labels with each of our names, as well as "Not Read", "Needs Rejected", and "Rejected". If you look at a piece of mail but don't read what's in it, mark it as "Not Read". If you do read it it, label it with your name. If it sucks out right either reject it right then or label it for rejecting later. If it's good and should be looked at more, just mark your name and let it sit. If two people have read a piece and both think it's good, mark it with the star. Those will be the ones we keep and consider for publication.

That seems to be the easiest way to go about the e-mails. If you have optimization suggestions or ideas, comment.

Doug's Prototype Website

I just want to say that I'm very, very impressed with it. I haven't looked at the code of it yet, but I imagine it's pretty basic. I'll leave this post here to be something that can be commented on with ideas or suggestions, which can be discussed and turned into proper posts with maturity.

Oh, and I know why the alignment is off, Doug. The header has a block boarder on both sides, but the footer does not. You probably have a row of black on both sides of the white, and that row is pushing both graphics to the left. Because the header has that boarder, it's being pushed more than the footer.

*Edit: It's also being stretched. I opened it up in MSPaint and got rid of the black space, and the image stretched to fit the whole space. You can try turning the black margins into transparent space in PS or just shorten the space alloted for the image in DreamWeaver. I don't know anything about DreamWeaver, but I imagine it goes something like that.