Happy Birthday, LitReactor!
Or should I say, Happy Anniversary?
What difference does it make? LitReactor has been around for a solid 10 years now, and either way, we are celebrating!
I remember our first post like it was yesterday: a news item on a HuffPo feature about our launch. In the final line of the article, author Andrew Losowsky poses the question:
...will enough engaged members pay their dues and stick around, in order to make it work?
Well, with the benefit of 10 years' hindsight, the answer is a resounding YES. We're still here, and the function of the website has gone relatively unchanged. This is in large part thanks to you, the loyal readers, students, and members, so again, THANK YOU!
Our first two columns
Want to know more about the inaugural week that was? Check out LitRecapper: Week One.
Interesting factoid: LitRecapper was supposed to be an ongoing weekly column, but quickly dwindled to monthly and then yearly, before disappearing altogether. Check out LitRecapper: The One Year Anniversary to see how much has changed in the past decade.
Want more? I'm not going to delve deep into the origin story of LitReactor here, since we discuss it at length in...
THE LATEST EPISODE OF UNPRINTABLE?!?!
That's right! Unprintable is back (again), and this time we're (hopefully) here to stay. We've hedged our bets by bringing on a new host: Robb Olson, formerly of BOOKED. Rob Hart and I will still pop in and out as guest hosts, but we're super excited to have a pro like Robb at the helm. Look for the inaugural reboot episode (#29) next week, where the three of us discuss our once and short-lived rivalry, our hopes and dreams for the podcast future, and our favorite LitReactor mem-reeeeeeees... You can even expect heartfelt messages from a special guest or five.
Future episodes will feature other members of the LitReactor crew, as well as some of your favorite authors and industry peeps, discussing—you guessed it—books! Books, writing, publishing—all of it. If you have any suggestions or would just like to get in touch and say hi, email Robb at podcast@litreactor.com.
I also want to mention, that as a thank you to our loyal members, especially the students, we are going to be offering a sweet 15% discount coupon on all upcoming classes through our newsletter. That's our biggest discount ever! This bad boy will be hitting inboxes come Monday Oct. 4, so if you aren't already signed up, what are you waiting for?
SIGN UP FOR THE LITREACTOR NEWSLETTER
I know, I know, we all hate commitment, and newsletters have a tendency to devolve into a pipeline for aggressive promotion, but we promise not to abuse your trust! Also, the goal is to transform the newsletter into more of a value add, something you look forward to and WANT to read. So in addition to updates on new classes and discounts, we are aiming to send out a monthly missive containing exclusive content—from LitReactor behind-the-scenes to current reads and recommendations and more. You want gossip? I know things about Rob Hart that would make Andrew Dice Clay blush.
As Axl Rose Would Say, Where Do We Go Now?
What does the future hold for LitReactor? Another decade? Writing workshops beamed directly into your cerebellum? Who knows! But if you have any thoughts, please drop us a line. Are there any specific type of classes you are interested in? Any instructors you'd love for us to nab? Should there be a LitReactor dating app? Tell us! As much as we like resting on our laurels, forward momentum seems pretty cool, too.
Needless to say, none of this would have been possible without you, the members of the LitReactor community. This includes readers, writers, lurkers, registered members, contributors, class alumns, instructors, indifferent third parties, and horn-tooters. From all of us here at LitReactor: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Tip your bartender. Make sure you check out our Staff Page and familiarize yourself with the wonderful people who keep this site afloat. Many of them have books/projects of their own and I'm pretty sure they'd appreciate your support.
And to the LitReactor staff past and present I say: Thanks so much for all your hard work. You guys continue to be the best writing staff on the World Wide Web. That's the internet!
Let the celebration continue. Have any favorite LitReactor memories? Drop them in the comments, or @ us on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #10YearsofLitReactor. We'll be reposting classic columns and highlighting the work of our staff all month.
Here's to another great DECADE of reading, writing, and talking about reading and writing.
About the author
Joshua Chaplinsky is the Managing Editor of LitReactor. He is the author of The Paradox Twins (CLASH Books), the story collection Whispers in the Ear of A Dreaming Ape, and the parody Kanye West—Reanimator. His short fiction has been published by Vice, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Thuglit, Severed Press, Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, Broken River Books, and more. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @jaceycockrobin. More info at joshuachaplinsky.com and unravelingtheparadox.com.
