Ha! Recovered it!
Here's the story.....
Starting today, I am underemployed.
For a few months now, Husband and I have been lightly planning a new venture together--he loves educating about wine and all kinds of beverages and I love writing about food.
Why shouldn't we collaborate? We have a long-term goal of writing a book together, and in the meantime, we thought we'd start a website as a team, hoping to launch June of 2012. I was going to hire a designer and make everything lovely and beautiful and all sorts of things. This is when I thought there was good chance I would be getting a decently paying job and we could catch up after the stupid recession, and that I would have months and months to plan and make things lovely.
But, well, things don't always work out the way we think is best.
And, well, there's no time like the present, eh? I'm going to put up a black & white Muji-inspired website with no design. The whole point of it is so that I can start writing again, not to try and make things pretty.
I am going to try to do it right this time, or close to right. I'm going to try to make money (I know, laugh away). I probably won't get off the ground until March. I want to have a good amount of content so when I launch it won't be with just a post or two. That's what I did here and I think it helped me get an audience going.
The Concept::Husband & I are going to write about food, wine, lifestyle, traveling, things going on in Cbus - all sorts of things. The name is chosen and I'll let you know when I have enough content to give the link.
The Funding::I don't know how I'm going to do it yet, but I am hoping to make some money. Of course, my passion in writing has always been to promote and not to make money, but this time I'd like to do both.
Giving Back::Because Husband and I believe, wholeheartedly, in helping the artistic community, we are going to design a program to help artists in two ways - first, by offering very inexpensive, free, or barter advertising to working artists. Secondly, but sharing our donations and advertising funds with artists who are struggling to afford supplies and/or studio space. This is still in development, but the plan is to use 10% from all procedes to purchase gift cards to artist supply stores and eventually work on some sort of barter or subsidized studio space here in town (I haven't started developing the latter part, so if you have any thoughts, please feel free to share them).
I'm going to do it, but I need help. Not massive help, but if I have ever helped you in any way, please consider giving back. I have absolutely no money to pay anyone. But, I can offer advertising, links, and other promo stuff in lieu of payment for those of you who enjoy bartering.
Here's what I need:
- Someone to help me do some very, very simple html coding. My new site will be in Squarespace, so preferably someone with a working knowledge of their plateform. The code I need is probably so easy for a developer that they could just point me to a website to find what I need.
- Some advertisers. Those of you who have advertised in the past will be contacted. If you are a company who appreciated Restaurant Widow, please consider advertising. My RW demographics are a specialty-retailer's dream, being rich and well-educated, for the most part.
- Partners in the arts community, preferably on the supply or studio side. If you are a studio owner or art supply dealer who would be willing to work on a discount deal for studio space or subsidized gift cards for struggling artists in exchange for advertising, please let me know.
Restaurant Widow, and my New Project, are all about making Columbus a better place to live. If you can help in any way with the needs I've listed above, or if you have any other super awesome ideas, please send me an email and we can talk.
