The next set of four stories is from guest-editor, Yvette Tan, who also guest-edited the PGS Horror Issue. Just as with the previous guest-editor, Charles Tan (no, they’re not related, as they keep on telling many of those who ask), Yvette was able to get a couple of new PGS contributors, Cyan Abad-Jugo and Marguerite Alcazaren de Leon. Following their stories will be a returning PGS contributor, Paolo Chikiamco, and then Yvette will grace us with one of her own.

I feel particularly happy that Cyan’s and Marguerite’s tales are on the longer side–about 7000 words–a length that would’ve given me trouble in the print format of the digest because cost-concerns limited the number of pages I could use per issue. The web format eliminates that concern, but I remember being told by an experienced web-developer to be wary of the TLDR syndrome (“Too Long, Didn’t Read”). So we’ll be having Cyan’s and Marguerite’s stories split into two parts each, posted a week apart so that we will still have these two tales published within the coming month.

And please do share your comments on the stories. I, the guest-editor, and the author in particular, would love to hear what you think of their work. And not just of the stories! I welcome any thoughts on the site itself. Heck, I’d welcome even a “Hi”.

Okay, enough of this. Let’s get going with the second set!

Welcome to PGS Online!

It’s taken a while coming, but given the rising costs of producing and distributing in print, PGS, which began its existence in digest form on paper, has now made its move to the Internet.

I was a printer by trade not too long ago, specializing in offset printing. I am familiar and comfortable with the nuances and intricacies of producing a physical digest or book, one made of paper. There are many, time-consuming steps involved in doing so, from pre-press, to actual press work, to post-press finishing. Each of these steps has many sub-steps within them that take some effort to complete. Though some new and marvelous machines do allow for books to be created with the push of a button now, it is not so for offset printing, not the way I learned the trade. It is a source of frustration for me that many people not in the know think that producing physical books is as simple and easy as clicking the “print” button with a mouse and expecting the printer to spit out the document.

And so, I received my comeuppance.

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