As Siren School enthusiasts sign up for advance subscriptions to the themed fantasy camp company’s upcoming magazine, la Vie Sirene, they do so with a fair amount of head-scratching and just as many questions. The publication, set to debut June 1, 2013, will be offered via internet only, not in print at your neighborhood newsstand or bookstore. It will include relevant ads and hyperlinks to anything remotely pertinent; but that’s where the resemblance to traditional online formats ends.
While the magazine will feature topics of interest to its primary demographic, women with a penchant for fantasy, dance and esteem-building, it will do so by showcasing a single theme per month -- to the hilt. June’s premier issue theme is Mermaids, and every single article and ad will involve something mermaidy, from mermaid artists, authors, performers and shop owners, to recipes, bath products and even mermaid-specific hotels and pubs. Instead of providing the month’s content in one chunk, the content will be rolled out and posted daily, with at least one article and one attendant ad, chosen to complement said article. At month’s end, the issue’s contents will be compiled into one publication available in PDF, Epub or Mobi formats.
“When I get a new print magazine I tend to spend a moment ogling the cover with my eyes nearly spinning at the prospect of what’s inside. Then I dive into the whole thing, skimming here, jumping ahead there -- rather like a kid on Christmas who was a mountain of presents to tackle. I wanted to make both the main content as well as the hand-picked ads stand out and give readers the chance to savour each morsel proffered,”says chief editor Joy de Vivre concerning the format chosen. “So, I decided to generally dole out one article and one ad each day, to allow them to truly shine. Plus, instead of getting our stuff just once a month, we will be able to connect with subscribers daily, and present relevant ‘breaking news’ so to speak, on the spot.”
With the cover tagline Of the sirens, By the sirens, For the sirens, the special interest periodical prides itself on generating content from the field, especially from amateur contributors. De Vivre says, “There are so many people who have incredible passion for their quirky interests, but they feel unqualified to share their voice. We relish and encourage contributions from those who are terrified at the thought of writing anything for the public, but who secretly yearn to.”
LaVieSirene.org is now accepting submissions, subscriptions and ads for July’s Goddess and August’s Pirate issues. It’s June 1 debut party will be held as a Facebook event where participants can win Siren School perqs.
De Vivre concluded, “We’re excited to test out the format and as curious as our subscribers to see how it’s going to work. We’ll know more after June’s shakedown cruise. After that, who knows -- a few months hence we may be singing a different siren song.”
