Yes, we USED to do Roll Calls on a daily basis. Where is everyone? I dunno. Facebook I guess. If you read this week's Jump Start (yes, we re-named the Kick Start to avoid confusion with the Kickstarter fundraising program, even though we were using Kick Start as early as 2004) then you know I'm interested in hearing what YOU think can be done to re-build the SPA. We need to get people interested in what's going on here. we need people willing to even talk and say hi now and then. I'm going to be working my butt off finishing up the Archive and then start reviewing new books I got at SPACE. I will be doing EVERYTHING I can to make this place work. I cannot do it all alone. In fact, when I said I'd bring back the SPA, I said I WOULD NOT even try to do it alone. So what have YOU done to try to build a great creator community today?

Hey, Ian!

I know it's easy to get discouraged and, yes, Facebook is pretty pervasive these days, but I think it's important to keep your expectations–not low, necessarily, but realistic.

It's like this convention I'm volunteering for: they had 2 years in one city, then moved and are mystified that their new community doesn't recognize them as a 3rd year con. They're starting over, with all that comes with it, and had to start thinking of themselves as a 1st year con, again.

For my part, since the old forums came back, this is the first time I've come in and been able to see the "reply", etc. buttons on any of the threads–I could log in and view but not interact. Obviously it was a bug that's been worked out, as I presumed it would, and now I can say 'hi' again

I also admit that forums are tough for me. I (just like a lot of folks trying to get their comics out on the side of the day job and whatever else they've got going on) have a lot to do each day. If it weren't for Google Reader, I wouldn't be able to keep up with a tenth of the blogs and newsfeeds I want to follow. I'm able to interact with some groups because all the interaction is via email: it comes to me, I don't have to go and find it. Some could call this laziness, I call it efficiency. Some days it's treading water.

But, then, when the Jump Start comes to my inbox, it's like a reminder to go say hi, and see what else is going on. So, for me, the newsletter is a good kick in the pants

Hang in there, Ian.

I'd like to point out that you can subscribe to any, many, or all forum section in here, and get an e-mail when someone posts in the section…or just follow individual topics you see, whatever. That's how I know when to come in here and post a reply to someone. The e-mails have the full text of the posts, so you can decide if you want to come follow up on something from your e-mail, where past version of things I am pretty sure just said there's a new post.

And I know you've been around Scraps, I really appreciate your words and the time you take to keep in touch here.

Yup! And I appreciate the email subscription option on forums like these, especially when it's the full post

Just checking in and saying "HI!"

Hi Dan!

(((Tacklehugs Dan)))

What are you up to! It's been way too long! I mean, SPACE was like over a week ago…

Ian;

Actually, it was AT SPACE that the idea of a con
presenter making a show anthology, consisting of
talent at the show who are interested in inclusion
to such a project, came to me. Seems like such a
publication would generate at least a moderate sales figure, based on the various publishers who
would be represented, each with its own fan base.
Maybe something like that would spark some interest? Just a thought, and it was great seeing you, Dan, and all the other cool creators there.

Well, SPACE has it's own Anthology, Bob's already done a couple. The SPA Anthology, Mysterious Visions…is currently on hiatus till I get the website finished and SP! Magazine issues running. I think by then we'd be able to re-visit doing an Anthology.

And it's always good to see ya, Geo! SPACE goes by too fast…

Ian;

Yeah, I know about what's been tried, but was it done in conjunction with small-press-friendly comic shops that might order such a compendium of small press talent? There might need to be some editorializing of content, but there's a lot of talent out there that might be willing to step forward if they thought their efforts would see shelf space in a store. I know there's more to it than that, but I compiled a similar (unused) list to gain a broader base for H!M. Could work here.

I know it made it to shelves in the Laughing Ogre in Columbus, but not sure how much more store penetration Bob's effort made.

I would have no problem pursuing distribution with MVA if we had a model in place for it that worked. But like I said, I'm not even going to address it till SP! is running on full steam.

  Hello Ian, I cannot speak for others but I think what you are trying here is just great! I know I have not been on much but between work, art jobs and creating myself, well… if I am on here I am not drawing!
  I am trying to set myself up a frame work to where I can do art and hit the net without compromising either. Time is my worst enemy!
  I suck at self promotion and truly need something like this, so I hope you can keep it going! Now Facebook, well I have noticed, that while useful, is a trap for me! you get on to check something out and you get stuck there! way too much interesting things and posts, so that before you notice, you've been on for hours!
  Anyway, I will try to get on here more often, maybe start some discussions, etc. and i am always available to try and help out if needed. 

I would suggest that you use the Facebook Page as a funnel to get people to the Forums. Be it articles or site specific content. Topic of the week or something like that. You must have a stack of content from the old PDF magazine pull that out and make it into bite size pieces and then link to it from Facebook.
Anyway I hope that this helps in some way Ian.
Cheers
-Steve-

Yea, we have a crap load of old stuff to bring back into access…I'm not sure exactly how much old news would draw new talk, with Facebook now enabled for this site, new news articles and such will be posting onto Facebook automatically. You can see it in action from the top right column's Facebook ap hookup, just LIKE it and see!

Just cause I hate Facebook, doesnt mean I wont use it, lol.

Hey Ian, I was thinking more about articles to do with self publishing as opposed to news. Use the how to articles to draw the users back to the site. Also interviews with publishers, creators and printers etc. I guess you could then do a monthly recap in PDF or something.
Cheers
-Steve-

We are thinking along those line for sure. A lot of the content needs re-worked a bit before posting due to URL changes, etc…so I'll be getting it in as I can, right now the creator/publisher pages are priority, I also feel a constant stream of reviews will do us a world of good here. So I'm going to try to start doing at least one a day but will have to pick up that pace considerable to keep up with how much stuff I actually got to review at SPACE, lol - and that won't count new stuff rolling in as more people see we're a good spot for reviews, etc. We'll do our best to get a team reviewing again.

It's just going to take a lot of work I guess, my main point in my Jump Start tirade was that I can't do it alone. I think I'm starting to see I'm not COMPLETELY alone now - so that's helping. I just want to know the work isn't going to be done and no one cared. Cause I could always go back to writing my comic, lol.

You are not alone my friend :)

I have been real quiet lately but also real busy. I see people are starting to 'like' the facebook page, awesome! We should give it some love. It needs a cover photo...suggestions?

We have some deep facebook integration here and I would like to point out a cool feature if you have not found it yet.

If you have your account integrated with facebook you can syndicate all your activity such as posts, reviews, blog and 'likes' (the thumbs up at the top of each post) to your timeline/news feed. Just go to your your profile on this site, click the activity tab and then click "start syndicating to facebook"

wow, I'm gonna have to educate people about that more directly. That's a powerful feature, and can really turn the tide!

I'm finding that there is lots of activity on Linkin dealing with comics related matters. Most of this has to do with networking with people wanting to do commerical projects. Actually not whole lot different that SPA just perhaps on a larger scale.
One issue is that of time. How much time do we want to devote to networking as opposed to doing creative work. Anyway hopefully this is helpful in some way.

I've been monitoring a few linkedin groups. I see a lot of the same questions, few people giving solid answers. I'd be hard pressed to say that there is much organization of direction in anything I've seen…so "larger scale" I'm not so sure about. If you can point to something as substantial as a magazine and Hall of Fame being organized, I'd love to see it. I've got ideas about how to start attracting people from Linkedin to here, but have not had time to implement anything yet.