In the spirit of on-line gaming, we are rolling out fanMAG! with a teaser issue. Call it the beta issue, call it a preview, call it whatever you like -- we are just too excited to keep it under wraps any longer! We're bringing you a taste of things to come -- just an appetizer. Our full-length issue will be a smorgasbord of gaming news and views, fan fiction commentary and tips, and more.

Every month, Lava selects the top-rated stories from the previous month for voting, and you decide which one wins the coveted title "Story of the Month". We'll be highlighting the nominees and previous winners here, along with a synopsis of news from the fanStory.com site.

We will also feature a story of our own selection each month -- one that may have gone unnoticed and a glimpse into the life and mind of its author. Each fanMAG! editor is at least a cumulative six-star author -- the only exceptions are Joe Fessio who has a five-star bastardry rating plus one blue star for reviews and Calliope who has "just" two blue stars by her name. Collectively, we review a wide range of stories by a wide range of authors covering nearly every submission at fanStory.com. However, if you have found a story that you believe would be worthy of featuring, pass it along to us at fanmag@fanstory.com and we'll be glad to consider it for our featured story column.

Calliope is our dedicated reviewer and commentary reader. Not only does she exclusively review stories, she also reads almost every comment at fanStory.com! Each month, she will be highlighting a different reviewer, offering one of his or her recent reviews and a brief glimpse into his or her life. We want to give reviewers their due kudos, and offer examples of reviewing styles for those of you who might be feeling some trepidation about commenting on stories. If you have received a particularly insightful or helpful review on one of your stories, forward it to calliope@fanstory.com for consideration in Calliope's featured review column.

Calliope will also be heading up a second column for your reading pleasure. There are a lot of juicey little comments out there. If you don't regularly read discussions that go on behind the reviews, you're missing out on half of the fun. But don't worry, Calliope will bring you the best (and the worst!) of the comments that go on behind the scenes in "Hot Goss" -- the fanStory.com gossip column!

TheHierophant has an ear to the gaming community and a long background in gaming -- all the way to the prehistoric age of pen-and-paper RPGs. He will be bringing you tidbits about the gaming world: What's new, what's old, the history of gaming, interviews with people in the gaming industry, commentary on everything that has anything to do with gaming. His column is being unveiled in this teaser issue as well -- read "Role-playing Revealed" for a taste of things to come! If there is something in particular you'd like to know about the gaming industry, pass it along to thehierophant@fanstory.com.

Lionesse, like some of you readers, is involved in beta-testing a new MMORPG. She will be sharing her experiences in beta testing, what it takes to 'get in', what beta testers need to know and do, and more. If you have any questions about beta testing or would like to share your experiences in beta testing (within the limits of any non-disclosure agreements you have signed), contact lionesse@fanstory.com.

Ethelred is the social butterfly of the Silver Citadel allegiance on Asheron's Call. She will be heading up a column on the various social aspects of online gaming. Her column is also included in this issue, read "Socially Speaking" for a preview. If you have any questions or comments on the social aspects of gaming, forward them to ethelred@fanstory.com.

Joe Fessio is an incomplete bastard. He has fed off the Internet for many years. In his column 'Fess Up', he will be offering you a selection of sites he has found nourishing. Some will be writing resources for you aspiring authors out there, some will be about gaming. He will be presenting you with fan sites, research sites, news sites, writing tips sites, press sites for games that are still vaporware, and anything else that helped create the dysfunction he suffers today. If you failed a reality check after visiting somewhere and want to share the experience with others, fire off an e-mail to fessio@fanstory.com.

Finally, we'll wrap up each month's issue with letters to the editor. Send in any questions you have about writing, researching, or reviewing fan fiction, and we'll answer them at the end of our issue. Sing Lung, who in real life is employed full time and freelance in the publishing industry, will be fielding many of your questions. She may turn to one of the other fanMAG! editors for particular insight from time to time, as each editor has his or her own special take on the many aspects of writing. Read "Ask the Editor" in this issue for a preview. Forward your writing-related questions to singlung@fanstory.com.

We hope you'll enjoy reading our e-zine as much as we enjoy writing it! Feel free to contact us at fanmag@fanstory.com with your comments, kudos and criticisms.

The fanMAG! Staff

SingLung, Editor-In-Chief, "Ask the Editor"
Calliope, "Featured Review", "Hot Goss"
Ethelred, "Socially Speaking"
Joe Fessio, "Fess Up"
Lionesse, "Beta Corner"
TheHierophant, "Role-Playing Revealed"