New online women’s magazine postponed

I looked at the date of my last posting here and was very surprised. Nearly three years have passed and I haven’t kept people who read this site from time-to-time informed of what was going on even though I have done so on other social media.

The short version is that I’ve had no choice but to shelve the new magazine, WickedWomanMag.com (WWM), for now. In the three years since I last posted, I’ve been desperately trying to clean up the mess left by a mother who had (formally) undiagnosed dementia. As time progressed, the depth of her financial mismanagement became devastatingly clear. It took luck, a good lawyer, unshakeable determination and a whole lot of guts to keep a roof over the heads of my four-legged daughters and me. I had to go up against the 20th largest financial institution in the country by myself. My attorney, to whom I am forever and deeply grateful, bought me the time I needed to map a strategy, plan tactics and execute. Without him, we’d be on the street because the bank was going to foreclose and there were no options because the loan wasn’t mine. Instead, the bank decided to withdraw the foreclosure action and gave me clear title. There are still a lot of financial issues to address, but at least I can begin to breathe a little.

The estate business consumed my time, emotional and physical energy. I lapsed into a fibromyalgia flare–the longest I’ve ever had. Nevertheless, I worked to get WWM open. It did open for a couple of days, but the site broke when the theme was updated. There was no way to repair it even with the help of the developer. The only viable option was to start from scratch.

Eventually, I did get the site back up, although not open. As I read through it, I realized that it wasn’t the magazine I wanted it to be. Furthermore, I didn’t have the time or financial means to make it so. A great many things happened all around the same time, including a decline in my health independent of fibromyalgia. I had to make a choice between taking care of my health and my family, knowing that I could pick WWM up again with new energy and insight at a later date, or; trying to cobble an inferior version together simply to say I’d done it. I chose to make WWM the best it could be and that meant leaving it alone until I could be the best I could be.

It is probable that I will start nearly from scratch with the design and the articles I’ll commission. I always look for subjects that might appeal to the magazine’s potential readers as I do everything. I’ve got all sorts of notes and Pinterest pins to keep me focused in a way I don’t believe the articles I’d previously commissioned were focused on the target audience. Occasionally, time is a friend. It provides clarity.

I do have a potential opening date in mind in a very general sense. I will not, however, publicize it until the site is almost open. The only thing I can say is that it will not be “soon,” although that is a relative term. Let me just say that I wish I could do it sooner.

Update on the new magazine

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated this blog’s readers about the upcoming launch of the new online women’s magazine. First of all, the registered name is Wicked Woman Magazine, LLC. The actual magazine will be WickedWomanMag.com.

Secondly, we’ve worked the logo out, but I have to make it 300 dpi. Even then, I’m keeping it under tight wraps until the first issue in October. Oh yes, there’s a launch date. WickedWomanMag.com will go live at 12:00:01 a.m. October 1, 2013. It will be a little different from the publication I described last October. I’ve expanded the target audience to include all women 35+. Included in that audience is women of all colors, women of all sizes, women of all sexual orientations and disabled women. The mag is oriented toward professional women, entrepreneurial women and women in middle-management. However, I believe that there will be a secondary audience that’s a bit younger and aspires to be a Wicked Woman. It’s also quite possible we’ll attract a few men.

I decided to expand the demographic because I didn’t want to be balkanized into obscurity. It’s time that paradigm changed. It’s awfully difficult to learn about other people and cultures when there’s a different delivery system that serves to separate more than is necessary. WickedWomanMag.com will change that. The concept is designed to feature diversity in photos, articles  and even ads. Indeed, I plan to actively encourage advertisers to feature people who look like our readers. We’ll see how many actually manage that feat. 

I’m in the process of hiring freelancers now. Look for an announcement about them within the next several weeks. I had no choice but to cut some spaces I really wanted to fill. They will roll out gradually as WWM gets its footing in the coming months. Remember that the inaugural issue will not necessarily be the same mag you’ll read in the October, 2014. The content and audience will both grow.  In doing so, it is inevitable that there will be growing pains. Indeed, I’m already aware of some cosmetic changes I’d like to make beginning in the second year. 

Finally, the company officially has an I.D. That is, it has an employer identification number from the Internal Revenue Service. This is the first time in my life I’ve actually wanted to pay taxes. If WWM is paying taxes, that means that it’s making money.

Remember: WickedWomanMag.com goes live at 12:00:01 a.m. October 1, 2013. If you aren’t sure how far away we are from the launch date, just go to the site and view the countdown clock. Believe me, we’re on our way!

This post was updated August 1, 2013.

What’s in a Name?

I spoke to my attorney Tuesday and gave him the name under which I’d like to register my LLC, Words From A Wicked Woman. He saw it and said that I should think of another name. Puzzled in the extreme, I incredulously asked why. He told me that the secretary of state may think it’s suggestive because it brought to mind porn, prostitutes and something out of the web’s “Red light district.” (That’s what I call it, anyway.)

I was astounded. In all the years I’ve been writing as The Wicked Woman, no one has ever suggested that understanding. Of course, once he explained it, I could see why some horny toad of a man could reach that conclusion, but that’s not on me. That’s on the horny toad of a man. Nevertheless, I have to admit that my attorney has a good point. The problem is that I’ve been promoting that brand since 2007. I honestly have nothing to replace it.

There is no doubt about it: This recent turn of events just plain sucks. I feel like a muslim woman in a hijab because, heaven forbid, some random man might decide to attack her in feverish lust should he see an ankle. Truthfully, my response was more like, “F*ck!”

Well, I decided to try thinking about my target demo and how I’d describe them. All I came up with are names that are stupid for the name of an online magazine, arrogant, difficult to remember or already taken. Of the ones already taken, my favorite is “Lilith.” I’m sure you can guess the problem with that one. I can see myself in court already trying to defend that trademark and having a judge decide that I am in the wrong. I’m almost tempted to name it “Not For Men.” Huh. That is rather provocative, isn’t it? And I’ve never been opposed to rocking the boat when need be. Maybe there’s something in that.

I am open to suggestions. I know that very few people even know this blog exists, but that’s OK with me. I’ve purposely not publicized it. Hence, if no one knows it’s here, that’s intentional. I only wish that I’d remembered to never post on Fridays because I wrote a really good article on the Obama campaign, “Obama and The Gekko,” but posted it last Friday afternoon. I haven’t had such a miniscule readership on one article in nearly a year! It’s embarrassing, especially since I did go on Twitter and mention it about half a dozen times.
One of my biggest problems is that I can’t tell anyone, more or less, anything about the forthcoming magazine until it’s registered, I’ve got a business plan in place and it’s close to going live. Journalism is a cutthroat business. I’ve had pieces of articles stolen from me by competitors, but the publication for which I wrote the articles didn’t have the money for a protracted legal battle. Therefore, I’m keeping everything very close to the vest.

I will, however, offer this much:

My primary target audience is lesbians and bisexual women 35-54 w/incomes >= $100K. My secondary target audience is straight women 35+ w/incomes >=$100K. That’s all I can say and I’m not really even comfortable saying this much. However, if someone is to come up with a name, this is something they’d need to know. My e-mail address is found elsewhere on this site. On top of that, I will even open comments.

I guess I or someone else will come up with an alternative somehow. It will, however, never be as good as the original. And, there is still the possibility that the secretary of state will accept it. Then again, my attorney is a white, Jewish man in his 70s. He can think of things I can’t and he isn’t called a “bastard” for nothing. *smirk* I’m just glad he’s on my side. Actually, that is why he’s on my side. I needed a gruff bastard of an attorney and I am not at all distressed about it. OK, he didn’t have to call me at 9 a.m. to come to his office even if I didn’t get the message until 2 p.m. I needed the rest! I’ve started a cold and I’m having bouts of insomnia again. I need my sleep, damnit. But, if that’s the only thing that’s bothered me, I consider myself lucky. In addition, he’s goooooood! Yep, this is the best money I’ve ever spent. It will take the rest of my life to pay him off, but damn, is he good! I think I’ll keep him even though he threw a big, fat monkey wrench into my plans. After all, he was only doing his job.