Nothing like a soft launch.
I don’t remember when I learned of the availability of new domains, but the moment I saw .press was among them, I picked it up. Because Exciting Press was doing well in terms of content, but I wanted more.
Not just more sales, though there is that, as I’m sure all the authors I work with agree.
No, I wanted more than that. I wanted better, deeper engagement. I wanted to think more, and write more. I felt I was becoming increasingly frustrated by the platforms available; I wanted to focus on ideas that couldn’t be contained in 140 characters, and reception and response not summed up by emojis.
But I didn’t want a blog. I’m on record as despising the word. It sounds like the internet got drunk and puked in its navel — and very often reads that way, too. And let’s be honest, there are few things worse than the egregiously drunk guy at the bar. You know the one I mean. He just tried to hit on you but threw up on your shoes. Maybe both.
But knowing what you don’t want doesn’t help. So I had to figure out what I did want.
I always wanted to connect readers with authors, and I realized that included more than laying out books and publishing them on Kindle.
I went back to the beginning. I became a writer because the books I wanted to read weren’t available; I had to write them. I went back to the same principle here; what did I want to read?
I started with that, building toward that. Behind the scenes, I’m tweaking pages, making this site not just easy to navigate but easy for people to find new stories. Putting writing and books and authors front and center.
As I envision this, you’ll eventually find writing from the authors I work with, where they can talk about — well, whatever they want, and we can all chat about exciting things. You’ll find reviews, thoughts on craft and writing and publishing. I hope, eventually, you’ll find things that surprise you, make you think, and inspire you.
That’s what I’ve always hoped for Exciting Press.