Opening Chapter Blag

Blogs are evolving; more accurately, new forms of online content are emerging from the mangle that has become known as the Blogosphere. This Blag is one of those new forms. Most of the contributors are or have been bloggers, but as recent debates have highlighted, serious bloggers are self-analytical and always looking for new ways to make their online activities more productive. This is especially true of literary bloggers, who tend to be an educated, erudite bunch, obsessed with writing and by inference always seeking a wider audience for their words.

Normal literary blogs serve a function, and it is an important function for many, that is, to provide a friendly and supportive space where like-minded people can gather to discuss or showcase literature. Unfortunately, for those of us who hoped that blogging alone would provide us with a big enough platform to justify the time and effort, there are a couple of major problems.

The space around a blog is rather small, there’s only room for a handful of regulars, and that can be frustrating for a writer who wants to find that wider readership.

Blogs have been criticised for being too self-indulgent and not academically rigorous enough to justify serious consideration as legitimate deliverers of authoritative opinion and creative work.

The Opening Chapter Blag is designed to address those problems. We are determined to provide relevant and well-written content that readers can trust, content that will make their journey across the Internet a worthwhile use of bandwidth.

Thank you for opening the launch issue of the Blag and please feel free to join in the debates by leaving your comments after the articles or by visiting the forum that is attached to the Blag.

The Editor