THE 'FIELD OF DREAMS SITE' AND HOW IT'S GOING

Joe · 2025-08-03T06:25:09Z

THE 'FIELD OF DREAMS SITE' AND HOW IT'S GOING I've just been reminded by a member post that there was in fact a member post, which surprised me a little as I launched this site almost two months ago and it now has around 70 members, but very little interaction in the main site forums, though the 'Facebook style' area called the 'Nooseroom' has seen a little more. Was I expecting better? Actually, no. From the beginning when I was discussing the need and potential I knew that it wasn't going to be something that everyone flocked to. I'm realistic, and have said openly all along that it's not like in the film 'Field of Dreams' where, to paraphrase the movie's most famous line "if I build it, they will come". Though if you are reading this then you obviously did. The reason for believing that it was never going to be an instant success? The 'Facebook Habit', which applies to all of the mainstream social media platforms, as that's where people default to when they go online. I can't blame them, it's what they've become accustomed to doing, and it's where their friends and family hang out, so I didn't set this site up with the intent of taking on the giants, just as a resource for people who need help, and I added a social aspect for those who are sick of the bullshit that mainstream social media rams down their throats on a daily basis. I've said elsewhere on this site about the origin of it, so I won't bang on about that here, suffice to say that I'm happy to continue plodding along with building it bigger as I am sure that word will eventually get around and people will get out of it the very things that they were saying they wanted and needed. The one thing that I can say about it quite categorically is that even if nobody except myself ever used it, it still wouldn't be a failure as it's a repository of everything that I know, everything I feel, and everything that I have accumulated that is of any value to the horror writing community, and as such I am already using it to help others because when they have a problem they talk about on other social media I often have the solution somewhere on my site, so it's easy enough for me to reference it without having to articulate anew. TALKING OF PLODDING... Over the past few years I've repeatedly asked people to supply their 'business information', such as publishers sending me their backlists, I'm not talking actually sending me copies of their books etc, just the info of what they have published, so that I can add it to my various databases and link to them in order that anyone looking can see what the publishers have on offer and click to go to where to buy them. One might assume that publishers would jump at the chance to have free advertising like that, but having asked four times a year for four years, with no response, I'm reluctant to ask again. There are certain publishers in the community with whom I have, or have had, a 'closer working relationship', so I'll add them first as a courtesy, but as for the others, I'll drip those out when I have the inclination, because in all honesty I'm not a fan of wasting my time on 'help me to help you' posts which result in tumbleweeds. Now I know that there are other aspects to this, such as publishers not having seen the posts, but that's not what I am talking about here. Nor am I talking about the current lack of interaction making it pointless for them to send me their info as hardly anyone will see it, because that is a 'Catch 22' situation. If they send the info I have reference points, and those points can be shared on mainstream social media, so the readers get the books, the publishers get the sales, everyone wins. The publishers don't want to spend their valuable time sending me an inventory list, and I can't share what I don't have. When I first asked, I had a few publishers say it was a great idea, and they'd be happy to, BUT they would send it to me AFTER the site is done. That leaves me in a position where it would take me a lot of time to hunt for and compile all of that info which they already have on file and could easily just email to me. Imagine if you will, a McDonalds franchise. The foundation was put down and the restaurant itself has been built from the ground up, brick by brick, furnished, completed, staff have been hired, and it has opened to the public, but the suppliers of the patties, buns, fries etc have said "We'll see how well business goes BEFORE we send you any actual food to cook". That to me is the same thing as I am experiencing here. Right now I have a huge and fully-equipped kitchen, but I can't sell burgers I don't have, so I am in a position where I have to go and get the beef to grind, bake the buns etc etc to attract the customers so that I can show the people with something to sell that there are people who want to buy what they have. SUPPORT NETWORKS? That whole thing doesn't just apply to my site, it's kind of universal. I've done a 'deep dive' into the whole community...

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