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Nine!

By Michael L. Craner

Nine Years!  I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that a simple tabloid type newspaper would have evolved into one of the longest running eZines on the internet, much less would I have dreamed that I would have any small part in it.

Nine years ago this month, Hobbie$ Etc evolved into Pencil Stubs Online.  We've had a number of great columnists come and go, hundreds of poets shared their poems here, and more than a handful of poets and authors have moved on and sold their talents to newspapers, magazines and book publishers.

Dreams have come and gone and come again. So have our friends.

Jacquie MacGibbon, a wonderful person, dear friend, and sister to us, has graced our pages and moved on to a higher plane after bringing love, light, and laughter to our lives.  Her spirit lives on.

A.G. Adair, founder of Hobbie$ Etc, whose vision was the forerunner to Pencil Stubs.  His ideals and values promoting writing have inspired us and driven us all these years.

Mary Adair, our kind and loving editor, always encouraging, seeking out new authors and encouraging them to share their thoughts, wisdom, and wit.  Tolerating the often ignorant, and ever indignant opinions of this webmaster and his generally republican outlook despite her own leanings towards the democratic way.  Always a kind word, and never critical, hers is the spirit that has made Pencil Stubs endure, where so many other eZines have fallen to the wayside.

To Leo, L.C, Mattie, Gerry, Eric, John, Clara, Jay, and the rest of our regular contributors, past, present and future, I wish to express my sincere thanks for your sharing, caring, and selfless contributions.  YOU are Pencil Stubs.  Your columns, articles and poems are the spirit and soul that make up Pencil Stubs, and without you we would have faded away a long time ago.

Being a contributor to Pencil Stubs, not only supports a great eZine that provides entertaining reading to so many as well as a place for amateur and professional authors alike to spread their visibility, but it also supports a modern, unbiased, free-thinking publishing model that really works, and reaches thousands each month, with potential to reach the world.  I'm proud to have played a small part in its success.

Great things are coming to Pencilstubs.  I know I've mentioned them in the past, and the move to the new system is long overdue, but I assure you it is in the best interests of the magazine.  I've been exploring new techniques and scripting, trying to find the best new format for Pencilstubs without losing our archives while bringing popular new technologies to our website, and I promise, they are still in the works and on their way.

Nine is a magic number for me, so I know great things will happen at Pencil Stubs this year, but I am also sure that we will live on for many more years, perhaps another nine, twenty-seven.... Maybe forever, but only with the continued support of authors and readers like you.

As always your comments and suggestions are welcome, as are your submissions.  At Pencilstubs, if you want to see more of something, you don't have to just suggest it, you can submit it, and become a part of what we are.  If you would rather not contribute as an author, but would like to see more of a certain type of content, you are more than welcome to suggest it and we will seek out authors who would love the increased exposure.

Pencil Stubs Online is one of the few non-profit, unbiased eZine's on the Internet today promoting and supporting amateur and professional authors, and one of the longest running to boot.  All because of people like you, by people like you.

If you haven't submitted to Pencil Stubs yet, don't you think it's time?

 

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Reader Comments

Name: Mike Email: Unlisted
Comment: Well thank you Thomas for taking the time to leave such a nice comment! Leaving comments on someone#apos#s writing is a wonderful way to encourage them to continue writing. As you noted#comma# the Internet is a fantastic way to reach out and share a piece of ourselves with the world#comma# which is why when the site is completely re-vamped we#apos#ll include XML links to enable syndication of the entire magazine and each of its parts so our content can be feed directly to other sites around the globe. I also want to thank you Thomas for your interest and support of Pencilstubs and being a part of us. It#apos#s people like you that have made pencilstubs what it is. --Mike

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Name: Thomas F. O'Neill Email: introspective7@hotmail.com
Comment: Michael L. Craner, Thank you, for your dedication in submitting your work to Pencil Stubs. I look forward to reading your writing each month and I have also visited the archives so that I could read your past articles. I agree with you that Nine years is quite an accomplishment for an online magazine. After reading your above article I have come to realize that I am new to this publication. Pencil Stubs as an online publication is a way to reach out and touch others by expressing a part of who we are to the reader. The Internet is a great gift to us because many people can find satisfaction in reading our work. When it comes to the Internet the written word can take on a life of its own. Once you are published online your work can be viewed by anyone who has access to the super information highway called, "the world wide web." All it takes is a simple click on the computer mouse to read what writer's have to say on any given subject. I tell people that I have never been paid monetarily for my articles or stories. The enjoyment I get in knowing that people are reading what I write is my reward. I understand that written words will never give the reader a complet picture. But, it can give them a small window of opportunity to learn more about the artist behind the words. That is what we do as writers we express ourselves. Over the years writers have learned a great deal from what they have read in books. And, they have learned a great deal more about themselves through their writing. The writers need to express themselves is also their means of learning about themselves in relation to others. With love, Thomas F. O'Neill E-mail: introspective7@hotmail.com

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