ONE
The Studio Eight dot TV store is now open with just a few items
>>Check out the new store!<<
The good news is, this is just the beginning. The idea of the store is to promote our community's talents... art, photography, & writing
If you start a Cafe Press store to sell your photography, artwork, poetry on posters, or anything else, we will promote it as part of the Studio Eight Gallery Marketplace (or some other title we have yet to think of).
Links to all the stores operated by Studio Eight members will be listed on the left hand column of the S8 store and we'll promote your stores in newsletters and other ways, also.
If you open your own store, you can set your prices to make a bit of cash. Hell, if you're gonna create artwork and write poetry and take photographs, etc., you might as well see if you can make a little money doing it, right? And even if none of us ever make a penny, the stores will be a great way to show off your talents.
You can create framed prints, posters, mousepads, journals and other items. I've created a few so you can see some of the products which are available. If you want to create your own store, go to http://cafepress.com and sign up. It's free. After you do it, send me the link and I'll add it to our store.
If you don't want to create your own store, you are very welcome to have some of your creations included in our store. If you choose to do that, send me the images you want to use in the store and I will create items from them or let me know if it's ok to use some of the banner photos or artwork you have previously contributed. If you contribute this way, it will be considered your contribution to the operation of this website. I will make sure you are credited for all contributions and will link back to your website.
We will appreciate any contributions of images, etc., since we sure could use a little help to offset operating costs.
Most of all though, this is going to be fun and will be a good way to promote each other's work!
TWO
I'm feeling rather ambitious as you might be able to tell.
During the next year, we will do the following
[1] Finally launch different sections of the main site using a Content Management system we have purchased and installed. This means some of you, if you are interested, will be able to log on to another area of the site and add your writings, poetry, images, etc. whenever you want.
[2]Let's make a book. Cafe Press has a really good print-on-demand system. There is no set up fee. So, let's figure out how we want to do this. I'm thinking a 100-150 page book publishing some of your poetry, short stories, short essays, and black & white artwork. What do you think? We can sell it in the new Studio Eight dot TV store. I'll do the layout.
[3] Let's make a CD. Cafe Press has a really good method of reproducing CDs and it doesn't look like it costs anything to set it up, though I have to research this more. Again, we can sell them in the store.
THREE
Ideas for Names & the Process for Publishing a Book & CD.
If you have any good ideas for names for "the store", "the book" and "the CD", let me know. Maybe we can set up a thread to vote on the names as we move forward to work on these projects.
We definitely will not be voting on content.
This is my site and I'm going to select it. HAHAHAHA! Just kidding. Maybe.
Seriously, though, I don't know how to do this other than to ask for submissions like any other publisher and to pick and choose from the submissions. So that's probably how it will work unless you all have a better idea. Let me know.
It looks as though Cafe Press accepts mp3s for CD content and then converts them to a CD readable format. They also accept a master CD which they will copy. So, when we get to the point when we're ready to work on the CD, we'll have to figure it out.
For now, think along these lines...
Think of selecting 3-4 pieces to submit for the book which we can select from and think of making a recording or 2 of spoken word or music you will want to submit for the CD.
FOUR
The big question is.... Am I biting off more than we can chew? Am I a dreamer? I donno. Maybe.
All comments welcome.
All volunteers welcome.
All offers of help welcome.
Thank you!
