If you're a regular visitor to Lime Tea (hi, Mom), you
know that we don't spend a lot of time editorializing-- we just put the stories,
essays, or whatever they are online and let them speak for themselves. There
are a couple of reasons for this. First, it's kind of minimalist and Spartan
and cool to keep a low editorial profile. Also, it would probably get a bit
tiresome to read 1000 words every issue about why the issue was late, how we
need to get a new printer, and What This Issue's Theme Means To Me. Probably
the main reason is that I don't really feel like writing an editorial for every
issue, and neither does anyone else. However, this issue is the last issue of
2004, the last issue with the current format, and the last chance to explain
to interested parties how Lime Tea is going to be changing in 2005.
Granted, I could put all this stuff in the mass email we send out every time
there's a new issue on the cyberstands, but I know that we have some readers
who aren't on the mailing list. (I also strongly suspect that there are a number
of people on the mailing list who don't read the magazine, but I prefer not
to think about that.) So I'm just going to put it here in the magazine proper--
I figure that those who really care, as well as those who don't care yet, but
may start caring between now and January, will be more likely to read it here
than anywhere else.
The main change in 2005 is that Lime Tea is going to
move to a rolling content model. That means that, rather than coming out with
8-10 pieces every two months or so, we're going to have new content every week.
We'll still have themes-- January will still be "Dear God" month--
but we'll have one or two new stories on that theme every Friday in January.
When you visit the homepage, you'll see the current stories at the top, the
previous week's content below that, and so on down for the last eight weeks
or so, at which point features will be moved to the archive.
The idea is that our readers will be able to look forward to
new Lime Tea content every Friday. We can become part of your web surfing
routine-- you'll have more frequent opportunites to laugh, cry, and marvel at
our contributors' awe-inspiring talents, and by visiting weekly, you won't have
time to forget about us. Lots of other web magazines take advantage of this
possibility which is unique to net-based publications-- and frankly, those sites
are the ones we visit most often.
(Side note: Some people have said this rolling content thing
is a horrible idea. What do you think? If everyone hates the concept, I'll scrap
it and we can continue to come out monthly-ish. I'd like to hear your opinions
either way. Write me and let me know.)
We're also planning to have featured links-- sites with the Lime
Tea seal of approval that we figure you'll like if you like Lime Tea.
We want you to be able to visit the site regularly with confidence that doing
so will provide you with at least a few moments of thought-provoking entertainment
to help you while away the hollow hours until death.
Obviously, this will take some work, which is why we're not even going to try
to start until the beginning of the year. In fact, I don't think we can really
start until we have three months worth of content lined up in advance. That
said, I believe that with three months of steady content going online reliably
each week, we will start to build our readership, and our contributor base,
to the point where-- well, to the point where we don't have to hold up the magazine
because someone's copy is two weeks late. Harsh, but true.
Which brings us to the upcoming themes. If you're interested
in writing for any or all of these, don't wait. Contact
us now.
Vol. 2, Issue 1 (which will be January, I hope) is, as I mentioned,
our "Dear God" issue. We're looking for stories related to
religion-- horrible or ludicrous (or even pleasant) childhood church experiences,
tales of dropping liquid LSD onto the consecrated host; whatever you've got.
Or, if you prefer to think of "Dear God" in the prayerful sense (as
in, "Dear God, let me get out of this one and I promise I'll never steal
from the poor box again"), we'll also entertain stories of begging or pleading
to a real or imagined deity. You know the drill-- if one interprets a theme
broadly enough, almost anything fits.
Ditto for Vol. 2, Issue 2: "Blood Is Thicker Than Water."
In America, we like to pretend that hard work, sound upbringing, and proper
dental hygiene can trump the harsh determinism of genetics, but in our hearts
we know that's not completely true. Send your stories of family, genes, and
heredity and their consequences, both salubrious and dooming.
Vol. 2, Issue 3 is the "Crazy On You" issue.
This one should be fairly self-explanatory-- tales of ordinary madness, either
yours or someone else's, and how you survived or didn't survive them. There
are very few things that happen in this world that aren't crazy by someone's
standards; tell us about some of them.
Well, that's about it. Till 2005, goodbye, friends, and happy
motoring!
Marty Smith is Editor of Lime Tea. He welcomes
your assistance, cash gifts, and sexual favors..
