Hello,

I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Don Eminizer. I am Litmocracy’s first published author. I’d like to welcome all of you new users to our workshop, where writing and interacting is key to success, yours and everybody else’s. I’d also like to say hello to my soon to be co-author, whoever you might be. Somebody is going to be joining me as a peer here soon enough and I look forward to reading their work. I look forward to reading much of your work. That is a part of the beauty of Litmocracy. It exposes many new voices to an audience. What I’m going to be doing is picking a few pieces each week to send to you in this newsletter so you can check out some of the talented writing posted here on Litmock.

Before I introduce those voices to you though I’d like to tell you a bit about me and what this site has done for me. It can do the same for you if you take hold of the opportunity and make something out of it. As we say here, free your mind. Since we’re in mixed company I’ll only say if you free your mind your caboose will follow.

I received a publishing contract because I won many early competitions here. A good many in fact. I was paid for each and every one of them until eventually I turned all my winnings back over to Litmocracy to help the site build. Why? By that time I was making my living as a writer. Still am. Litmocracy has helped me open many doors in the world of writing. I intend to open many more. I did have a pretty diverse background, including a stint at CBS. I hosted and wrote for some television and radio shows as well, so that helped, but you have to start somewhere. Since my publication here, including some of the short stories and poems, I have been able to do much I could only have done with Litmocracy’s help. I have reunited a band, had a documentary filmed, had a book published by another publisher. My band is getting radio exposure. I have a film in pre-production and another one in development. All of these things have roots that trace back here.

I won’t lie to you. It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a lot of work, has been stressful, and has taken much effort, time and energy, but it’s been worth every bit of it. I have earned the right to make a living doing something I want to, and hopefully something that will ultimately help others. That’s what Litmocracy offers you, opportunity. But we won’t open the doors for you. You have to submit, post, comment, improve your craft. In fact, look around. If you’re having problems with something on the site, let us know, we want to make the site easier to use. We can’t do that without feedback. We strongly believe that incentive makes the world go around. Incentive is reward for effort. Making this site easier to use so you can make money and get published and read is incentive. It’s up to you to figure out how you cash in from it. That’s it folks. We can all make Litmocracy a better place if we try. I think the same holds true for the planet. For details about me, feel free to look at 99 Burning, Wikipedia or google me. Any questions you have, I’ll gladly answer.

Meantime, let’s check out a few pieces from some of our talented writers:

Let’s start with a contestant in the $1000 novel contest. Eel River by Shannon Page

Next we’ll check out Armchair Airlines Flight 101 by Green Fingered Skinner

Normally we’ll add a third piece. This week I’m going to tell you I’m picking another novel contestant, a suggestion box contestant and a poem for next week. Till then, free your mind with everything you do and take Choice Over Power.

Don