Well hello stylish avatars! It’s been so long and I’ve missed you so! I must apologize for going in to a hiatus mode without warning, but Avatar Style is winding down its busy summer and looking forward to a new season of stylish Second Life™ living!
I’ll be honest. For a moment there, I contemplated shutting down the magazine altogether. It was getting pretty expensive to operate, and I have taken on additional projects in SL that cut into my budget and time tremendously.
While the editorial staff was working hard and busy creating what I feel is some of the best content in SL, and our loyal audience was growing and traffic was rising … I found myself in a position where I was constantly worried about making all of that sustainable (read: to not have to fund this out of my own pocket). The time I was able to devote to Avatar Style became more business focused, when all I really wanted to do was write stories again. I started to procrastinate, avoid, do a lousy job in general. So I put Avatar Style in pause mode for a few weeks while I sorted all of that out.
I believe wholeheartedly that the content we produce here has great potential to be financially viable, but dudes, I really don’t want to spend my Second Life chasing down advertisers, or paying out of my own pocket to have the privilege to have content developed, in many cases, for the benefit of people who are already receiving a great deal of coverage in the SL blogosphere. No, no, no, that’s all wrong.
I never wanted Avatar Style to be an advertising vehicle, I always wanted to use this as a means to promote those that could really benefit from the exposure — the artists, the smaller shops, the special events, the fundraisers and so forth. I started it so I could write again, to tell compelling stories about how people are living their second lives with a certain panache and style, and to give back to the creative community in SL.
With the change of season, there will be changes to the format of Avatar Style. I will be removing the advertising program and making this magazine a volunteer-run, donation-based operation. While I can’t ask or expect the Avatar Style staff to continue on this journey with me, they know that I am filled with admiration and gratitude, and that the door is always open, and that they are family.
The editorial direction for the coming season will be less commercial in general. I am bringing Avatar Style back to its roots and re-invigorating the “Avatars with Style” series — I’ve got several in the hopper that are going to be really fun to read! Even more than before, Avatar Style will be used as a platform to discover virtual art and photography and RL artists using SL to promote their work — there will even be inworld events and openings. You know how I love to throw a party! And of course, you asked for it and you’ll get it — we’ll be bringing you more adventure, culture and immersive lifestyle experiences.
If you are a writer, photographer or artist with WordPress experience interested in contributing to Avatar Style on a volunteer basis, please send me a note card inworld.
See you soon!
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