Textnovelblog

Newsletter February Issue

We have sent out our very first email newsletter! Please check your emails and you should receive it soon! Let us know if you haven't received it. Updates: Some technical errors; trying to get it sent.

You can view the actual newsletter here: February Issue

Please check it out and take some time to read what we've put together! :)

What's up at Textnovel?: A Few Updates

Greetings Textnovellers,

I would like to keep everyone updated and take some time to cover some things that we are working on!

First, I'll introduce myself. This is takatsu speaking (typing?) and I will be helping the Textnovel Team by fulfilling various roles including some tweeting and blog posts here and there! I'm excited and honored to be part of the team.  There is room for more than me to help out and we’ll let you know about additional help we need soon.  There are many exciting things going on here at Textnovel and I'm happy to contribute to help us all succeed.

 To get to business, here are some current items:

 1) Please follow us on Twitter where you can stay updated with the latest at Textnovel. Feel free to tweet us at any time! @textnovel : http://twitter.com/textnovel

 2) We will soon start sending out email newsletters to our membership so we can keep everyone up to date and provide important or interesting information. We've wanted to do this for a long time and finally have the capabilities to do so. Let us know what you think by commenting below!  You will be able to subscribe or unsubscribe in My Admin.

 3) We are looking for writers to help with blog/article contributions for the blog and newsletter and possibly other roles soon. We will keep you posted. Tweet us or comment below if you're interested!  If you have unique skills, let us know what those are.

 4) Site Updates: Please check twitter regularly for most updated information.  We have been doing a few tweaks here and there as we update the site in an ongoing basis to accommodate future goals and exciting things to come! Here are a few things that have changed in the last day or two (we will improve as we go):

     - Story Pages now have the Jacket Copy minimized/hidden by default
    - Chapters now load within the page for faster loading times when navigating to other chapters (We apologize for any inconvenience caused with changes in chapter navigation links, we will fix this soon. You can still jump chapters by inputting chapter # in the URL right at the end).

 

 5) Cell Phone Novel Manual: You may have seen this floating around on Textnovel. This gives an overview of what cell phone novels are, where they come from and what is in store for the future.  Many authors are confused about the cell phone novel genre and this Manual helps sort things out. The piece is still in draft mode, but definitely check it out! Textnovel is the first North American site to bring the cell phone novel concept from Japan, becoming the start of a new movement. Currently, we host the largest number of cell phone novelists. Read about Cell Phone Novels here!

That's it for now! Please check back for updates on twitter or the blog. Feel free to leave comments below.

Best wishes for an exciting New Year!
 
-Textnovel Team

 

 

PS: New Forum Thread! Let's collaborate and create a story together through... poetry. Check it out: http://textnovel.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=491

Textnoveller Newsletter!! Volume 3

 

Dear Textnovellers:

This is Volume 3 of the Textnoveller Newsletter! 

Updates to the Site:  easy additions by email or text.  Some of us have struggled with adding new chapters by email or text.  We forget to the put the Story Code into the subject line.  NO WORRIES!  With the latest changes, if you send in an update from your registered cell phone number by MMS text or email, or from your registered email account, it won't matter if you forget the Story Code.  We'll just add whatever you send to the last story you worked on.  If that's the wrong story, you can go in and copy it out and move it to the correct story.  Try it out!  Just send anything you want to add@textnovel.com and it will automatically append to the last story you edited.  No need to type the Story Code into the subject line.

Textnovel Contest:  As you know, we are getting closer to the final contest deadline of December 31, 2008.  Don’t forget, in order to have a shot at winning the $1,000 prize, you need to have at least 20 chapters up by the deadline.  Winners are chosen based on votes and editorial input.  See contest rules for more information.

Voting:  Take a moment and vote for your favorite stories.  Nightlife by Valerie continues in first place by votes, but A Testament to Living by Heather Schimel has been quickly moving up the rankings. 

Editor’s Picks:  Check out our recent Editor’s Picks (make sure to subscribe to those that are still In progress):

·         Remote Control by Cheryl K. Tardif – dark supernatural comedy about a lazy plumber who wishes for fame and fortune by best-selling Canadian author Cheryl K. Tardif.  In progress.

·         Blog Love Omega Glee by Wred Fright – futuristic comedy about two bloggers who fall in love, a sort of funny yet terrifying look at a future that is not so far away!  In progress.

·         The Doppelganger Protocol by Patrick Astre – thriller about genetically engineered animals who were designed to track and kill enemy soldiers in Vietnam.  These animals are now in the wrong hands!  Complete.

·         Haldona Land of Mignon by Robin Stark –a novel for the young at heart about a strange land called Haldona, and a young boy’s journey to lead the strange beings of that land against the ruling tyrant.  Complete.

·         Mismatched by Thorns of Beauty – supernatural novel for young adults about a girl with a green and a blue eye, and the strange things that occur when she meets a boy with the same colored eyes.  In progress.

If you think your story should be on the Editor’s Picks, send us a short email to info@textnovel.com and tell us the name of the story and why your story deserves extra attention.

Member Highlight: Thrill-Crazed Space Bugs Swarm Through World’s Longest Novel

This month we’re highlighting Textnovel author Mark Leach.  Got some spare time? The world's longest novel is available on Textnovel! Coppell, TX writer Mark Leach is serializing his apocalyptic novel Marinebad, My Love on Textnovel.  This is an expanded 12.6 million word edition. It's nearly ten times longer than the official record-holding longest novel, Proust's In Search Of Lost Time, not to mention the previously longest science fiction novel, L. Ron Hubbard's Mission Earth. And Leach says he's just getting warmed up. How does he fill so much space?

 

Marienbad, My Love is the story of a film-maker who believes he's God, or that Jesus is talking to him, and he decides to make a science fiction movie that pays tribute to one of the world's worst films, Last Year At Marienbad, in order to end the world. The novel is peppered with David Lynch references as well as sections from a faux novel in the style of later Kurt Vonnegut. And "thrill-crazed space-bugs," the Cicadians show up, probably to assist in the metafictional destruction of the universe. Plus there's a giant UFO hanging over Earth, Nazi/alien collaborators, mind control, alien abductions, and a mad scientist who's adding a substance called Fluoride9 to the water to create the world's first privately owned deity.

 

Here's a quote from Leach's press release:  “If you’re going to destroy the world, you really ought to do it big,” Leach said. “When I released the first edition of "Marienbad My Love" in March, the original length of 2.5 million words seemed plenty long for a 21st century Apocalypse. But the ideas kept coming, and the story kept growing. Now I feel like I'm just getting warmed up.”

Besides being crammed with weird ideas, Leach says Marienbad, My Love includes:

 

• the world's longest word. Also called "the holy Jah," the 4.4-million-letter noun is a coinage of words from the world's faiths. It means "god within."
• the world's longest sentence (3 million words).
• the world's longest book title (6,700 words).

 Who wants to be the first to read the whole thing and report back to us?  At a minimum, subscribe for updates so you can read new chapters as he adds them.

 

Check out our interview with Mark.

If you're willing to subject yourself to the Textnovel spotlight next month, send us a note at info@textnovel.com.

Publicity for Textnovel.com! 

A major national magazine is doing an article on cell phone novels in Japan and interviewed our founder Stan Soper.  The author is still finalizing the article. Not sure when this is coming out -- but watch for it soon!

Getting Publicity for Your Story? 

Just sit back and watch an expert show you how.  Check out the following posts from Cheryl K. Tardif, a best-selling Canadian author who joined Textnovel.com last month and is serializing Remote Control and Ouija on Textnovel.com.  And this is just a small sample of the incredible publicity Cheryl has been able to generate:

http://www.kunati.com/cheryl-kaye-tardif-blog/2008/10/28/textnovelcom-serializes-remote-control-by-cheryl-kaye-tardif.html

http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/

http://cherylktardif.blogspot.com/2008/10/textnovelcom-serializes-remote-control.html

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewnews.asp?id=25424

http://twitter.com/cherylktardif/status/980109194

http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A28SDQQVF42ZB5

http://blog.myspace.com/cherylktardif

Thanks Cheryl and way to show the rest of us how to do it!

Thanks to all of you for your continued excellent writing. And keep Textnovelling!

Stan, Founder

Textnovel.com

Hint of the Month:  this is a tool very few users are exploiting -- the Invite tool.  You can use it to push your own story to the top of Most Popular and increase your chances of winning.  Come on guys, somebody has to take a run at Nightlife by Valerie (even though it is an incredible story).  Get out and get the vote!

Textnoveller Newsletter!! Volume 2

Dear Textnovellers:

This is Volume 2 of the Textnoveller newsletter! 

Updates to the Site:  We've been busy.  Phase 3 changes are mostly up and working.  Those already implemented include:

• new genres: poetry, journal and essay
• new look to the home page: get your story to the top of the front page simply by adding a new chapter or you can create a new story -- the default view is Most Recent
• we still feature Most Popular in the right column
• we now have Editor's Picks in the lower right -- allowing us to highlight 5 stories (don't worry, we'll rotate various stories through this list)

Still in the works: simplifying additions by email or text.  We've noticed that some writers are struggling with getting the format for adding new chapters by email or text.  Typically they forget to the put the Story Code into the subject line.  NO WORRIES!  With the new changes, if you send in an update from your account cell phone number (the one you registered) by MMS text or from your authorized email account (the one you registered), it won't matter if you forget the Story Code.  We'll just add whatever you send to the last story you worked on.  If that's the wrong story, you can go in and copy it out and move it to the right story.  This new feature should be working within the next week or two.

Member Highlight:

This month we're highlighting Saoirse Redgrave!

Saoirse Redgrave's been writing for years, but never too seriously. She believes firmly that "you should write what you love--and what you would love reading, not what the market is momentarily salivating over." When she started blogging at  Write that Romance, she had no idea she'd get so excited about writing novels (or blogging). She is a full time writer, thanks to some great opportunities at Elance.com and a very understanding husband and son. She would love to become known, appreciated and well paid for her fiction and fantasy writing, but she'd also love a quaint house on a hurricane-free beach under a sun that never burns her fair skin-- and believes both things are equally likely to occur in her lifetime.

Ironically, Saoirse started out as a nay-sayer to the whole TextNovel concept because of some key sections in the original TextNovel contract. She blogged about it and TextNovel founder, Stan Soper, read the blog. Mr. Soper's response was so quick and willing to correct any authors' rights oversights that Saoirse was quickly won over and has since become a fervent supporter. She is writing two novels on TextNovel.com --"Of Storms, Seas and Pirates" which is based on research Saoirse did about the pirate Anne Bonny and the interesting gaps in Bonny’s history that Saoirse feels the need to fill with magic and mystery. Influenced by the writings of Orson Scott Card and his Hatrack River stories, Saoirse is working to meld folk tradition, early colonial American history and magic into her “Of Storms, Seas and Pirates.” Saoirse is also writing “Phonies,” a YA novel based on what happens when a teen girl calls the wrong number to vent about a situation in school. She invites you to vote for her and to get involved in TextNovel yourself. “Get creative! You’ll feel better about all sorts of things!”

If you're willing to be spotlighted next month, send us a note at info@textnovel.com.

Publicity!  As you know, we were Cool Site of the Day on September 22nd.  That resulted in an increase of visitors on that day by over 10X!  Additional publicity should be coming soon.  A major national news magazine is doing an article on cell phone novels and interviewed our founder Stan Soper.  Not sure when this is coming out but watch for it because it should be soon.

Also check out this recent press release that was distributed this week thanks for the efforts of Saoirse Redgrave!  Thanks Saoirse.

As visitors increase, it is improtant that you take a moment to login and:

·         Update your profile -- don’t be lazy! (Go to My Profile and add details about yourself, links to your blog or facebook profile, and photo(s))

·         Use the Invite tool to push your own story to the top -- Nightlife by Valerie still has a significant lead, so the rest of us need to get out and get the vote!

Extension of Contest Deadline:  Note that we are going to be extending the preliminary October 31st contest deadline.  The original rules required that 10 chapters be posted by that date.  We're now going to simply have one deadline: December 31st.  All you need to do is make sure you have 20 chapters by December 31st.  This gives some of you time to get in the game and get done with your story on time.  We'll post the updated rules to the site soon.  All other rules remain the same.

Thanks. And keep Textnovelling!

Textnovel Team

Textnoveller Newsletter!! Edition 1

Dear Textnovellers:

This is the first edition of the Textnoveller newsletter!  We plan on sending out something like this monthly and will post it on www.textnovelblog.com and on our facebook and goodreads feeds as well. 

Updates:  We've been busy!  Phase 2 changes are mostly up and working (although we're still tweaking them a little).  Some of these include:

• new genres: literary and autobiography
• foreword is now optional!
• invite email from My Library page can be customized
• can create and manage your profile (with photos)
• cell number is optional in registration
• readers can see whether story is in progress or completed (if its in progress they know they can subscribe)

Get Ready for Publicity!  We’ll be rolling out the publicity machine soon so take a moment to login and:

·         Update your profile -- don’t be lazy! (Go to My Profile and add details about yourself, links to your blog or facebook profile, and photo(s))

·         Subscribe to your favorite stories (click on the phone icon next to a story name) – and make sure your subscription preferences are set under My Admin

·         Vote for your favorite stories (click on the thumbs up icon)

·         Use the Invite tool to push your own story to the top -- Nightlife by Valerie has a pretty significant lead right now, so the rest of us need to get out and get the vote!

·         Clean up time– if you started a story and don’t intend to finish it anytime in the near future, go to My Library and next to the story, select “Make it Private” – this will remove it from public view (I’ll go through and contact a few members who haven’t worked on their stories for a while).  Also, DON'T MARK YOUR STORY AS COMPLETED unless you are done uploading all the chapters.

New -- User Spotlight:  I am going to add a user spotlight on the blog.  If you want to be highlighted, send one or more photos (of whatever you want, but preferably something to do with you), and answer the following questions, and I’ll feature you on the blog!

·         When did you start writing?

·         If you’re not already full-time, do you hope to become a full-time writer?

·         Tell us something funny or interesting about yourself and your stories.

·         How did you find out about Textnovel.com?

Help!  We are looking for Textnovel.com team members in the following areas:

·         PHP software developer

·         Web designer

·         Community leader (web marketing and hand-holding is another way to say this!)   

Compensation?  Depends.  Volunteers are ideal.  If not, we are hoping to pay in equity; ok to work from somewhere else!  These are part-time positions.  But they are so fun – how can you can resist?  If you are qualified and interested or know someone who is – let me know at info@textnovel.com. 

Thanks!

Stan, Textnovel Team