In a sense, Lexical.ca is a much needed hub for Canadian writers, editors and publishers; a place where they can efficiently exchange information about all things associated with literature. As you can imagine, running such a site is not an easy task. Similar to those who attended the launch party, the\u00a0Lexical team is\u00a0driven by their passion for the written word.<\/p>\n
Over the last week, Justin Lauzon and I have been exchanging messages about Lexical.ca, the launch and how he managed to transform a bright idea into a reality. Read our correspondence below.<\/span><\/p>\n Ekraz Singh: You had a pretty big turnout to the launch of Lexical.ca last Wednesday. I’d say you managed to pack the bar. You seemed pretty surprised about this, though. Tell me why.<\/p>\n Justin Lauzon: I wasn\u2019t expecting so much support for the site at such an early stage. I have an unruly belief that unless something is complete and perfected, it isn\u2019t yet ready to see the light of day. The same problematic thinking exists in writing. But this isn\u2019t the case. Lexical.ca is a growing entity and people are getting excited even after seeing that it\u2019s only a fraction of what it will be.<\/span><\/p>\n ES: Why do you think so many people turned out?<\/span><\/p>\n JL: \u00a0I think this is a resource people have been looking for. It\u2019s nothing too radical. In fact, it\u2019s downright obvious. Since it\u2019s been far too long without a similar resource, the community is thrilled to support it. I\u2019m so happy with the turnout. <\/span><\/p>\n ES: \u00a0Can you describe the processes you went through, in terms of both thought and labour, while working on this project? How long have you been at it?<\/p>\n Justin Lauzon addresses the crowd.<\/p><\/div>\n JL: I\u2019ve been stewing with this idea since last September. It came about naturally. First I was frustrated by the fact that the Canadian literary scene didn\u2019t have a comprehensive, accurate resource. Then I realized that this model existed in other artistic circles, most notably with akimbo.ca<\/a> for the visual arts sector. Although a number of projects distracted me for months afterward, I decided to dedicate my time to Lexical.ca near the beginning of May 2015. It\u2019s been a short, but nonetheless intense, few months assembling a team, gathering information from sources across the country and designing the site from the ground up. We want this to truly be valuable, and we\u2019re all working extremely hard to make it that way.<\/span><\/p>\n ES: While Michael Mirolla, from Guernica Editions, was on stage he said that your site is gold. That’s a pretty great compliment and I agree with him. Be honest with me, though. Did you ever doubt or second guess yourself?<\/p>\n JL: I\u2019ve doubted myself today and will do so again every following day, without exception. I don\u2019t believe anyone does anything worthwhile without an internal conflict between a grip on a good idea, and always concluding in the failure to realize it. Yes, there have been many times when I was certain Lexical.ca was and is a foolish idea, but far more often I\u2019m confident in its usefulness.<\/span><\/p>\n ES: Out of curiosity, how did you push through the times when you lacked confidence?<\/p>\n JL: Isn\u2019t this the classic artist\u2019s struggle? We are thrilled with a liberating and ever-expanding idea, but fail to record it purely on the page. I\u2019m a writer myself and feel at home in that conflict, but I\u2019m still learning how to overcome it every time. Most often it begins with the support of family and friends, my teammates and the community. Especially the community. The response has been phenomenal. That\u2019s how we continue forward and withstand any inclination to go backward. <\/span><\/p>\n ES: I know you\u2019ve gotten a lot of good reception but how fast is word about Lexical.ca spreading? Aside from us here at Sewer Lid<\/em>, have many people been reaching out to you and asking that you include their information on the site?<\/p>\n JL: We\u2019ve had a few magazines, publishers, blogs, and workshops reach out to us already. We\u2019ve also been getting a lot of individual writers inquiring about the site. More often than not, they generously offer up aid and information that we may have missed so far. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Lexical team. From left to right: Jessica Mifsud, Lesley Kenny, Kim Griffiths, Carolynne Siller, Justin Lauzon and Jack Hostrawser<\/p><\/div>\n ES: Let\u2019s help people out a bit. If someone wants to get in touch with you, how might they go about doing so?<\/p>\n JL: It\u2019s as simple as going to our Contact Us page<\/a> and sending us an email. Everything goes directly to me so if you do have a suggestion, a magazine or press you want included or want to see some other feature on the site, that is the best way to start the conversation. I try to answer emails every day so it won\u2019t take long to hear back.<\/span><\/p>\n ES: Earlier you mentioned that Lexical.ca, in its current state, is only a fraction of what it will be. What do you envision it becoming in both the near and distant future?<\/p>\n JL: Lexical.ca is in a constant state of evolution. Besides the information that we\u2019re continually adding to the site in the existing categories, we\u2019re already developing a complete awards section detailing past winners of awards across the country; featuring events, jobs and calls for submissions and doing more networking events for writers. We\u2019re also looking into the possibility of including free content that you won\u2019t be able to find anywhere else in Canada. It\u2019s still too early to make any announcements. Just stay tuned and you\u2019ll hear about it. <\/span><\/p>\n ES: Do you have any final, parting words \u2014 of wisdom or advice, perhaps \u2014 for fellow entrepreneurs and people in general who are trying to get involved in the Canadian publishing industry or literary scene?<\/p>\n JL: Meet people. It\u2019s the best advice I can give with my limited experience. Don\u2019t try to get anything out of them. Don\u2019t try to speak with people in order to get ahead in your career. These ulterior motives will keep you from really making a connection. Meet people in the industry because you want to. Be sincere about your goals, listen to what other people are trying to do and be willing to give back. Support them. If you\u2019re lucky, something might come of it. Someone may give you an opportunity you wouldn\u2019t have had otherwise. You may develop an idea and have a team readymade around you. As the industry becomes more and more difficult to sustain, we can\u2019t engage in competition anymore. We need mutual support from everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n _<\/span><\/p>\n _<\/span><\/p>\n _<\/span><\/p>\n On Wednesday, July 15, writers, editors and publishers gathered at the Dora Keogh Irish Pub in downtown Toronto in order to celebrate the launch of Lexical.ca. They mingled \u2014 shaking hands and swapping\u00a0conversation as well as business cards \u2014 and… Continue Reading ![\"lexical_logo\"](\"http:\/\/sewerlid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/lexical_logo-300x74.png\"){kind=logo}
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\n![\"Justin](\"http:\/\/sewerlid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Justin-Lauzon-300x212.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"The](\"http:\/\/sewerlid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/staff-300x224.jpg\")
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\n![\"Ekraz](\"http:\/\/sewerlid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_20221120_005711820_4.jpg\")
<\/a>Ekraz Singh<\/strong> is a Toronto-based writer and editor. Her work has appeared in Descant<\/em>, Existere<\/em> and untethered<\/em>.<\/p>\n
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