Mary Anne Mohanraj, editor-in-chief
(1/12/99)
A new year, and a new editorial. For those of you who were wondering if perhaps we'd decided to only do one editorial a year -- don't worry. They'll be at least slightly more frequent than that.
There's not so much sexual news right now 'round here -- the U.S. is perhaps a little tired of sexual scandals. I, for one, am relieved. Presidential sex scandals should never have been in the news -- if we really wanted to impeach someone, there were far better grounds available than public prying into private acts between consenting adults.
Frankly, I'll be happy to relegate sex to where it belongs -- a pleasant, interesting part of most people's lives. Not the focus of their days and nights; just an important component. And when you are focusing on that component, we're happy that you've chosen to visit Clean Sheets -- we've got a lot of exciting events coming up, and we hope you'll stick around to share them with us.
But before I tell you what we're going to give you, I'm going to ask for something from you. A couple of things, actually. Not money -- Clean Sheets is free, and will remain so. But we're hoping to be advertiser-supported, so that we can afford to pay our authors (many of the pieces you've seen so far were very kindly donated, but we can't expect such generosity to continue forever). And what advertisers want to see is high traffic. We're getting about a thousand hits a day right now, which is great for a new site, but we'd like to double that at least. Tripling would be better.
So if you've been enjoying this magazine and hope to continue to do so, spread the word a little. Link to us on your home page, if you have one. Mention us in on-line forums, when appropriate. Tell your friends about the magazine. Tell your mother, if you can. Just let people know what you think of us.
We could also use a few more volunteers. If you're interested in being either an archivist, an art editor, or a poetry editor, drop us a line. We pay absolutely zilch right now, but when we're rich and famous, you'll get a cut. Each position is a commitment of two to four hours a week. The archivist job requires knowledge of basic HTML.
We're thinking of starting a regular BDSM column. If you're interested in submitting articles to that occasionally, drop me a note with the subject line, BDSM COLUMN, and I'll give you more details on what we're looking for. Sadly, we're not paying for nonfiction yet, though hopefully someday. We're interested in everything from personal experiences to how-to articles to details on the scene in various cities -- just 'bout anything related, really.
We've also got an upcoming regular how-to column that could use your input. Jaie and Heather are planning an article on giving women oral sex, and are considering running it as a group piece, since the advice we've heard most often about this sort of thing is that every woman is different. So if you'd like to write a paragraph or a few about your own preferences with cunnilingus, or your partner's, send them to us! We'll attribute it as you specify, with either your own name or anonymously. Send this mail to me with the subject line, GIVING HEAD. And thanks!
That's it for what we're hoping to get -- here's what we plan to give. A new mailing list should be starting up soon, so the regulars among you can get all the hottest news about what's going on at Clean Sheets. And calls like the above will mostly be there instead of in an editorial. Interested already? Send me a note with the subject line, MAILING LIST, and I'll reserve you a space. The list will, of course, be completely confidential.
We've gotten our bookstore and archive up and running -- soon we'll be adding the archived reviews and poetry to the already archived fiction and articles. When the bookstore and archive get big enough to require it, we'll be adding search engines for your browsing convenience.
We're also planning to add a chat area, as soon as we get the technical details worked out. You'll be able to give public feedback on your favorite stories, poems, articles and art, and let us know what you think we're doing right, and wrong. And of course, in the meantime we'll be adding more great fiction, poetry, articles, reviews and art, updated every Wednesday, and always free for your convenience.
It's going to be a great year -- we're glad you're sharing it with us. Hang in there -- we think this is going to be a fabulous magazine...
