July 20th marks a milestone for Swisssh the Website!
That's the other place on the web where I write- and others write too. You'll find it at swisssh.ca Swisssh the Website will be 5 years old on July 20th and what a busy 5 years it's been!
In the beginning, I self-promoted my butt cheeks off! There was no budget for advertising you see. There were few advertisers. Most expected to get their message out there for FREE!
Many still do today.
It's a website after all. Who in the Hell reads that?
You'd be surprized!- I'd say.
Then I would hear-
Can you put this on?
We don't have a budget, so we were wondering if...
Meanwhile, I see splashy, colour brochures.
Then, radio and newspaper advertising from many of those same folks-
but not a penny for Swisssh.
Usually I would do the community thing and add their poster or info to the website.
Then, a few days later an ad would appear in the Packet & Times or Orillia Today.
I had dreams that I could make a few bucks each month. Problem is- I am not a salesman. I couldn't afford to hire anyone, so I had to do everything myself.
With no money I had to "talk Swisssh up"- if I wanted to get the Swisssh name out there.
I would go to Media Events and come home and write something for Swisssh.
I would go to shows and come home and write a review- late at night, just to beat all the others.
I did have a few people help over the years. For a couple of years, Sarah Bowers-Peter wrote a great column- about her daily life and things that "bugged" her.
Jim Hill wrote some theatrical reviews.
Krista Storey wrote some interesting articles too until someone took exception at "Shitty" Hall and she ..... ~ahem~ That's for another time.
Freedom of the press?
Not in good old Orillia Town.
There were others too- like Deanna, who shared a personal, life experience- beating cancer. I probably got more e-mails about her column than any other. Everyone wanted to know here real name, since Deanna was a "nom d'plume".
In Swisssh the Website's second year, Swisssh Radio was born. A fourth year anniversary was celebrated this past March.
Wow!
Swisssh Radio tends to be my main focus these days. This little online radio station has listeners around the world from Germany to Mexico, Chile to Australia, France to Russia and from China to Vietnam.
These days, it's been harder finding the time to write.
You would not believe how much I write!
I write about many things.
That's why I started the Blog.
On this blog I write what I want- in my own style.
Many times it's a story.
I also write theatrical shows and many have been produced over the years under the banner of Double R Productions and The Garage Door Players.
That is very time consuming.
I believe I have three finished shows right now just sitting there, stored in my computer. Two more are being written.
Why am I telling you all this?
I have a very good reason.
Swisssh the Website is changing.
The website from this moment on is just the website for Swisssh Radio.
There will be no Dame Clare.
No Baby Jane and Blanche.
No Bert Gooddamn or the Story Lady.
No reviews etc.
But wait!
Everything is not just going to vanish in a puff of pink smoke!
The Story Lady has been appearing on my Blog the past year, along with a new storyline about Lilloweth, Betsy and Helen- three bovines who live in Farmer Frank's Barn. Four short adventures all about the gals have been published already.
Baby Jane and Blanche will now appear on this blog from time to time.
Dame Clare has had her own page there for over a year now. That's where you'll keep up to date with her adventures at the Palais Royal and Poo Poo Pawi during the winter months.
I hear you saying- What do you hope to accomplish?
More free time! I want to cut my writing down by half.
I also have a "milestone" birthday- dammit, just around the corner and I am cutting back. De-cluttering you might say. I love the characters I have imagined- especially when real life actors bring them "to life" on stage for me.
That is an indescribable feeling of "happy"!
It makes me smile.
A lot.
Now, all you'll see is Swisssh Radio at swisssh.ca
There will be some advertisers- mostly those who have commercials running on Swisssh Radio. You will still see a reduced version of Community Post-ed Notes- at least for the time being.
I want to thank you for reading Swisssh the Website over the past five years. The site still gets around 1000+ views each month. You'll just have to train yourself to pop into this Rob Reid Online Blog Site to see what's on the "slab".
(That's a line from Rocky Horror- in case you were wondering!)
By the way, I have 15 blogs to publish to reach RobBlog #300!
Stayed tuned...
and thanks again for reading that other website- Swisssh, over these past 5 years!
