If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram (@brookenichole), then you’re probably in-the-know of something new I’m launching very soon! I wanted to share all the gory details here as a one-stop-shop to answer all of your questions until it’s up and running.
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What are you launching? Little Red Bird Press Online Magazine
What is Little Red Bird Press Online Magazine? An online magazine for women; empowering women to share their stories.
When will it launch? Late April. We have a tentative date and once we get a little closer to knowing if that date is feasible, a countdown and many a’ social media posts about it will commence. (When I say “we” I’m referring to me and Chris since you guys should all know by now he’s the magic behind every new site I launch).
Can anyone submit an article? Yes! The target audience is women, therefore, the magazine will publish articles written by women.
Where did you come up with the name? If you’ve read my book, then you may have noticed on one of the first pages and the back cover it shows that it’s been published by Little Red Bird Press. I self-published the book using CreateSpace (the publishing arm of Amazon). During that process I started/named my own publishing company and am the owner of Little Red Bird Press LLC. The name comes from the old saying that when a passed loved one comes back to visit you, they do so in the form of a red bird. Unfortunately, while I was working on the book, my mother-in-law unexpectedly passed away. When it came time to release the book, we made the decision that 100% of the book proceeds would go towards a memorial scholarship in her name. As we brainstormed names for the publishing company, we came up with Little Red Bird Press because of the symbolism and plan for the proceeds — and I’ve since decided to also use the name for the magazine as it will be a place to house the legacy of women’s stories. Additionally, red birds are known for being a symbol of endurance, passion, and strength (just like women).
Why and how did you come up with this idea? I have been writing for the last three years whether it be on Goals with Goals, my personal blog, or publishing my first book. I’ve received countless messages, emails, and coffee invites to meet with women over the years who say they have a story to share but don’t know how to get started. They don’t know how to start a blog, they feel like they can’t keep up with it, they don’t know how to start a book, etc. . . so . . . they do nothing. They sit on their stories and they never share them. I have decided to start this online magazine as a forum to allow women to share their stories and remove the challenges and stress they face in maintaining their own sites. The only thing they have to focus on is writing the story and sending it in — we’ll do the rest! I hope by providing this platform, it will further launch them into passions or connections they may find by having a published article(s).
How often will you have a new issue? I am currently collecting articles for the launch and the weeks following. I will be evaluating the volume of articles and going from there to determine the frequency of new content. Loosely (and ideally), I’d like to publish a new issue every Monday (with prior weeks/historical articles still residing on the site ongoing). We’ll see how it goes!
What types of articles are you looking for? Any articles! Women have all kinds of stories to share — love, loss, career-related topics, parenting, personal opinion, tips, good things, hard things, funny things, poems, etc.
I’m not a writer, how long are these articles? Max word count is 1,500 words. If you’re not a writer, no worries, I’ll be providing light editing. It’s never about being perfect in my book, it’s always about nervously putting yourself out there with your best efforts. This is a place of support and encouragement and trying new things.
How do I submit an article? When the site launches, all the details will be available including a submission form where you can upload a Word document. In the meantime, I guess we’ll say I’m bootstrapping it. If you’re reading this and thinking ‘I want to submit an article and I need to know these details and can’t wait until the site launches to get them,‘ (then you’re my kind of gal!), you can send me a note via my contact form and I will email you a PDF with the publication criteria details.
How do I stay up to date on the launch and the latest news? Follow the Little Red Bird Press Facebook page and follow @littleredbirdpress on Instagram.
Thanks for always supporting my latest adventures! The support and encouragement for this one has been outstanding!
