Exoplanet Uplink #1
Hello and welcome to the first Exoplanet Uplink! I appreciate you joining us on this unpredictable journey. Let's get into it...
Launch Countdown
We are at T-minus 34 days until our first submission window opens on September 1st. We'll remain open through September 15th and then select stories for our first two issues. Issue 1 will arrive in December, while Issue 2 will touch down in February.
For the writers out there, now is a good time to prepare. The submission window is rapidly approaching and will only remain open for 15 days. Please review our submission guidelines and reach out with any questions. We look forward to reading your stories and poems!
Telemetry Update
My primary focus has been on Bluesky. The speculative fiction "diaspora" seems to have largely abandoned X and gathered on Bluesky instead. I've been finding and following mostly writers because our near-term need is to attract quality submissions in September. If we don't get enough submissions to assemble two high-caliber issues of Exoplanet, that would send a bad signal to the market.
We currently have 188 followers on Bluesky. We're following 522. That ratio is expected because we're aggressively networking and getting the word out about Exoplanet. We should start seeing some organic growth, especially as readers discover Exoplanet.
Our newsletter has 10 subscribers. I plan to create a "reader magnet" eventually (perhaps a free story), so new subscribers can receive something when they sign up. Once that's available, I'll also send it to all of our current subscribers.
I recently launched the Exoplanet Patreon! I'm also flying solo on the Exoplanet Discord server for now, though I'll eventually be joined by our patrons, authors, poets, artists, and crew. Perhaps you'll fit into one or more of those categories.
Captain's Log
Starting a new speculative fiction magazine is not an easy or straightforward undertaking, but I feel like we're making progress. Naturally, I'd love to see more progress, but I'm willing to be patient and let our community grow organically.
I'm also looking forward to September! It'll just be me reading submissions for the first two issues. That will be a significant investment of time and energy, but I feel strongly about taking the helm and plotting a course that sets the tone for future issues. I'm also passionate about building a team in October to help navigate Exoplanet's future. More about that in upcoming newsletters.
Thank you so much for reading! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reply to this email. Or you can reach me on Bluesky or Discord if you prefer. And please forward this to anyone who might be interested in Exoplanet. The more, the merrier on our intrepid voyage.
Onward,
Patrick