Online … Lit … Magazines …

First Wish? A Caption

The first question most people ask about Dark Sky Magazine is do we publish a print version. Not what type of writing we publish, or which authors have contributed, but whether or not a reader can hold in his hands a copy of our publication. This never fails to impress upon me the power and familiarity of the printed page. Online magazines have come a long way. Featured writing, consistent readership and Web site designs have made leaps and bounds. But print remains king, at least for now.

Online literary magazines have changed the way writers and editors communicate. An open dialogue is essential to productivity. Contributors appreciate quick responses to their submissions and editors appreciate the free and swift exchange email provides. Sure, writers still wait anxiously to hear if their work is accepted. Sure, editors still accumulate massive slush piles. But for the most part the process has been streamlined, which ensures a better experience for both parties.

Simultaneous submissions are now the norm. Editors cannot expect his or her contributors to submit to one magazine at a time. Simultaneous submissions provide writers with better chances of success. The more a writer is published, the more writing he does. The less time a writer has to wait to hear back from an editor, the more time he has to concentrate on new work, and future submissions. This means more writing, of higher quality, is being produced.

Online magazines have helped change narrative techniques and writing styles. The Web in general has done this for journalism, product reviews, social commentary and much more. Online magazines have influenced poetry and fiction, creative essays and book reviews. Some may argue that Web writing lacks the research, scope and lasting power of the printed word. This may be true in some cases. But today’s writers understand that the Web has high standards. The quality of writing has no place to go but up. As more esteem is granted to online magazines, writing that lacks scope, research and lasting power will be rejected.

New narrative techniques have room to flourish online. Writers can be creative, including multimedia and other Web tools into their stories, and online magazines tend to be more open to publishing experimental work. The more this type of work is published, the stronger the influence it has on writing as a whole.

DSM seeks writing that is punchy, irreverent and fast. We crave traditional narrative qualities, strong characters and a dramatic plot, but we are also looking for work that does something new, something that is fresh and brings to literature an innovative approach. Of course room still exists for longer stories and essays (this one seems to be going on for a while). We as editors just feel that shorter stories, with more drama packed into fewer sentences, has a better impact on our readers.

It’s all about the readers. Readers are contributors, critics, fans and the reason that online magazines flourish. But how can magazines flourish if so many of them exist? Most do not flourish, of course. It’s the ones that show dedication, quality and perseverance that do. DSM is made up of writers and readers. We love what we do. It is hard work, but ultimately rewarding. We think an online magazine is a great thing. It’s why we started DSM. We are by no means the best magazine, but we aren’t the worst. We aren’t the oldest and we aren’t the youngest. We are somewhere in the middle. Don’t confuse middle ground for mediocrity. We aren’t in this game to boost our egos and publish generic writing. We are here to carve out our niche. The Dark Sky Niche.

The Dark Sky Niche is a combination of new and old publishing techniques. We believe publishing has, and continues, to evolve. This is scary. This is exciting. This is a problem for some and an opportunity for others. It’s common knowledge that publishing an online literary magazine is not going to bring you riches. It is also common knowledge that traditional book and magazine publishers have fallen behind in what is currently happening to their marketplace. Our niche, like smart people before us, is to utilize both the print and Web markets. This means publishing a print issue, which we will. Look for it in January. This means publishing our own books, which we will. Look for our first annual poetry contest winner’s compilation this winter. This means thriving online, which we will. Look for us on Google and you will find high SEO rankings. This means publishing consistent content on our site, which we will. Look for our daily literature news roundups, new online writing, essays and interviews. Finally, the Dark Sky Niche means using all of these tools to build a platform from which we can survive as a business and continue to publish high quality writing. To this end we breathe deeply. It is a challenge. But one we think our magazine, and many others, can overcome.

We close with the question of responsibility. What is an online literature magazine’s responsibility — to its readers, contributors and the literary community.  The biggest responsibility is to take advantage of opportunity. Publishers today have greater resources, with lower costs, than any publishers in the history of publishing. Things have been shaken up by the Internet. This should not induce book publishers, journals, magazines and the like to lose sight of their goals. Revenue is shrinking because ad sales have plummeted. Fewer readers are loyal to subscription-based models. Publishing is in disarray. The responsibility of online publications is to build on the low costs of Web-based production. Unlike print, we have little overhead. If we wish to print, we use print-on-demand services. If we wish to advertise, we develop affiliate programs with similar organizations. If we wish to charge for content, we do so providing unlimited access and numerous incentives.

Things are drastically different, except when they’re not. Online publishing has changed everything. It has also changed nothing. The power is still in the written word. The business is still in the readers. Only the medium is different. It calls for more content, more incentives and more ingenuity. Combining the old with the new, in print and online, will stabilize publishing and take it out of its current tailspin. Providing cutting edge design, smart business sense and high quality content keeps readers loyal and engaged.