Starting A Publication $5 At A Time

A few years ago, I had the honor of interviewing Emily Bivens, owner of the now defunct The Toy Box-an online publication. We discussed the path that took her towards writing and how she came to start her own online publication. One thing that struck me was the fact that she built her publication a few dollars at a time. She didn't have a lot of funds, but she knew that in order to succeed she had to start with what she did have. I'm not sure why the publication closed its doors, but I suspect that she and her partner simply took another path. After all, running an online publication takes a lot of hard work and dedication, which often means sacrificing precious family time and I know that Emily truly treasured her family and the times they spent together.

I hope you enjoy this interview, which originally appeared in The Dabbling Mum's e-zine some five or so years ago...

How long have you been writing?

Steadily for about 2 years. I enjoyed writing at a very young age, and it has grown to be a part of who I am. When I was in middle school, I wrote a lot of poetry and short fiction, but when I entered high school I felt as though I didn't have the knack for it anymore. I would try to write a poem or a short story, but nothing fit. Up to that point I had used writing to escape and feel better about myself, so it was a really difficult period for me. To suddenly realize that my creative outlet was gone left me feeling very lonely and unfulfilled. I quit writing for about six years, and basically went through the motions of life during that time. Later, with one child and another on the way, I realized that I really wanted to stay home to raise my children. For awhile I was content to be a mother and housewife, but I became restless after some time and felt I was missing something. One day I came across a website called Momwriters which was designed as a gathering place for women, mothers, and writers. My life changed in that very instance. The group of talented women inspired me to write again, and here I am!

What draws you to the craft of writing?

Writing is in my blood. It's just what I do! Some people are natural artists or computer whizzes. I am a writer. Nothing else gives me the freedom, or makes me feel as complete as I do when I write.

You are a stay at home mom, working inside the home with kids underfoot, how are your days?

My days are PACKED! Actually, we have somewhat of a routine down by now. My youngest daughter still takes two naps during the day, so I get the bulk of my work done then. My eldest daughter is very helpful also. She is at the age where she loves to do solo craft projects, so I can usually give her something to do while her little sister is napping. I work a lot after the children are to bed, and I have to take many short breaks throughout the day, and I ALWAYS spend one day a week away from work. That day is usually spent catching up on my errands and going on outings with my family. I spend a lot of late nights doing housework that I've had to put on hold!

I understand that you started out with the Writer's Block Online Newsletter, which turned into a print newsletter. How is that transition going?

The Writer's Block was initially an online ezine and newsletter. As a writer, I was constantly looking for markets, and I was surprised to find very few that accepted ALL genres. I began The Writer's Block so that any writer could have a place to be published. Since parenting was such a huge part of my life, I devoted a special section of the site to that topic. I was overwhelmed with submissions for that particular

section, and couldn't ignore the interest. I invested in software and built that parenting section into The Toy Box, but The Writer's Block was my starting point. With the success of The Toy Box, I knew I couldn't keep both sites and newsletters going. I had to make the decision to let one or the other go. I felt I would have more success with The Toy Box, and switched The Writer's Block to a print newsletter format. I still receive quite a few submissions and my subscriber list is growing slowly, but surely. A few of the online readers have faithfully followed and subscribed to the newsletter. I hope to one day be able to re-start The Writer's Block, but for now The Toy Box is my primary concern.

Are you making a profit with your print version and how do you fund it?

(laughing) I have made absolutely zilch with either of my projects. I have invested much more of my time and money into this than I probably should, but it's something I love doing. A subscription is $12 for 12 issues, which breaks down to a dollar an issue. To print and distribute those newsletters costs a little over a dollar per issue. I also provide free contributor copies to the writers, which is money out of my own pocket. So as you can see... this is truly a labor of love.

How did you come up with the name, "The Toy Box?"

I was sitting on my couch looking at my children's toys scattered about, and I told my eldest to "put them in the toy box." I had been struggling to come up with an original name that people would remember. As soon as I said that, I knew I had the name of my web site.

What is your web site really about?

The Toy Box is all about parenting. We are constantly researching ways to include EVERY parent. Our mission is to bring parents everything they need all to one place. Which brings us to our additional sections: The Treasure Chest, and our upcoming section for parents, which is yet untitled. The Treasure Chest provides educational activities, games and stories to children, including print-out worksheets and coloring pages. The section also accepts and proudly displays artwork and creative writing from children ages 2-16. Our newest section will offer more great articles on topics like: breast cancer, osteoporosis, caring for an aging parent, and the like. All articles will focus on providing men and women with great articles on topics that aren't directly related to parenting.

I understand that you can have anywhere from 100-500 hits per day, how do you think you have been able to achieve those numbers?

My partner, Coni Nadeau, and I have approached advertising pretty aggressively. We advertise locally, run weekly ads in classifieds, and subscribe to various list promotion groups at Yahoogroups.com. I think the advertising has helped our traffic tremendously, but it's the great talent of our writers that has kept people coming back.

I see that you pay your writers $5 per article. With so many sites going no pay, for lack of funds, how are you able to offer compensation?

When I began this journey I offered no payment because I wanted to make money first. Unfortunately, it's a vicious circle.... many people won't write without payment, which means you don't get much traffic, which means you don't get advertisers, which means you can't pay writers. I was fortunate to meet a wonderful person, Coni Nadeau, whom I actually met when she submitted an article to The Writer's Block. We connected as friends, and I think we both knew we could make The Toy Box a great resource for families. We eventually negotiated a contract and we both contribute equal amounts each month to pay for writers and other expenses of the site. We would love to pay more than the small amount we offer now, but we're taking baby steps, since ALL funding is out of our own pockets.

I understand that you have a co-owner of The Toy Box, how is that working out?

Coni Nadeau is the co-owner of The Toy Box and it's working out wonderfully. I truly feel that without her, The Toy Box wouldn't be nearly as successful as it is.

What is the toughest part about having a partner?

I think for me it's delegating responsibility to Coni. I am the type of person who likes to do everything myself, and then I feel overwhelmed by it all! I think giving up some of that responsibility has been tough for me, but it's also been a great way to overcome that personality trait.

When you butt heads, how do you come to a medium of understanding?

Our motto is: "Friends First, Partners Second!" Fortunately, we're a lot alike and agree on most things. However, we've had a few instances when we've encountered problems. We are both fairly outspoken about our positions, and we compromise to resolve disagreements and misunderstandings. We take into account that this is a first for both of us, and understand that we are going to make mistakes. Communication really is the key to making our partnership work.

What is the best part about having a partner?

The best part about having Coni for a partner is that we are both new to this, so we are constantly learning, growing, and building something TOGETHER. We truly respect each other as both partners and friends, and I think that's what makes the difference.

So, who really does what?

We have somewhat set roles that we assume. Coni handles all submissions and queries, which is a tremendous task in itself. She works individually with each writer through the acceptance and revision process. My primary role is to design, maintain, and update the web site, and to handle the majority of the bookeeping. We spend equal amounts of time working on the promotional/advertising/marketing aspects of the site, and we alternate months for production/distribution of the newsletter. We both work very hard to keep everything fair and equal, but we also help each other when life's little annoyances happen.

If someone came to you and said, "I am in awe of anyone who has the guts to go out there and follow their dreams. I wish I could do that." What would you tell them?

I would say that you'll never be able to achieve your dreams if you can't be satisfied with what you've already gained. Happiness and fulfillment cannot come solely from success at something; it has to come from within yourself. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to find this. We all gain self-assurance in different ways and at different moments in our lives. The great thing is that once you have it, you'll always have it. Respect and love yourself, and appreciate every part of your life. Good and bad... it's what makes you who you are!

Quick Request: If you like my hubs, please give them a THUMBS UP! And if you really, really like them, sign up for the RSS FEED or become a FAN. Thanks!!!!