Category : Blogs

Sub Category : Miscellaneous

Every writer in Writer's Outlet knows what this app is all about, what we can do in here, and how it functions. For most of us, it is a safe place for us to create and be creative, a place where we can showcase our talent with like minded people who understand why we do what we do. But how much do we really know about what really goes on behind the scene? I had a friendly chat with the creator of Writer's Outlet recently to get the real scoop on the why, what and how, and this was what the man himself had to say. 

Zee:
Hi Jared. First up, thanks for making the time to do this interview with me. Before we proceed further, let's begin with the basic stuff, shall we? Could you please state your full name, age, and where you're from.  

Jared:
Hi Zee. Sure thing. My name is Jared DeMoss, I am 39 years old, originally from Philadelphia but live in Florida.

Zee:
What do you do for a living? 

Jared:
I am the owner and creator of Writer's Outlet. 

Zee:
When did you get the idea to create a writing app and how did the idea come about?

Jared:
It was a very long process. When I first started working out the concepts, apps didn't exist and mobile phones were not that common. It was going to be more of a web site. I really started working on it because I always had ideas for things like songs or TV shows and I never had a place to write or store them. I also tried to sell a few ideas and was told I needed to have representation. When I asked how that could happen they said I needed to be seen. It was and still is very hard to get your ideas seen. So I needed a place to be seen to get representation but couldn't get representation because there was not a place to be seen. Years later, I finally looked into building a writing app and it started to take shape in 2016.

Zee:
What was the process like and how long did it take? 

Jared:
The process was very long and tedious. I needed help with the technical aspects so I created a blueprint and got it patented and then began work with a company called Zapporoo. They created a prototype for Apple that worked similarly to the app that exists today but they ended up creating a shell app which means it worked for a short time, just long enough to take my money then disappear. This all took place between October 2015 and September 2016. I was fortunately able to recover all of the money that I had given them since my bank agreed that it was a scam. I then decided to be more thorough in selecting a developer and found Vrinda Techapps which is the current development company I partner with. My chief developer Glen Lim is an awesome stand up guy and has always delivered and done everything asked of him while providing reasonable pricing. Everything you see on the app is from my mind and ideas but brought to life by Vrinda. We began work in October 2016 and released the app and web site in December 2016/January 2017. We have undergone many upgrades and one major facelift over the past 4 years but it is really rewarding to have the app and to watch the community grow and blossom.

Zee:
Why did you pick the name Writer's Outlet? 

Jared:
I eventually want to create a marketplace or outlet for writers to sell their books and songs and scripts and it is also a creative outlet so I thought the name was appropriate.

Zee:
What was your vision when you created this app? 

Jared:
My vision was to create a place for all creative people to be able to store and share their works and ideas. For people to find a collaborative and supportive environment where they can create, share and connect with other creative people. I want to bring some fresh ideas to the world. At the time and even today there is so much remaking and rebooting that things become stale. I want more original content.

Zee:
What do you hope to achieve from this app? 

Jared:
I hope to achieve a positive environment where everyone feels free to create whatever they want. We have had a few of our writers go on to get books published and I would like to see more of that. Maybe some song writers or script writers get some works sold or published, or songs made into a hit song for a TV show or movie. 

Zee:
There are so many writing apps our there in the market. What makes Writer's Outlet different? 

Jared:
I believe we are the most supportive and offer the most features like the interactive likes and comments, follows, messaging, vast library options and ability to easily share to other apps. We are a community not just a bunch of random people thrown together. I know I have met people through this app that have become some of my best friends. I don't know if other writing apps offer that capability.

Zee:
You have invested so much of yourself in terms of time, effort and money into this app. Has it been worth it? 

Jared:
When you look at the total value of what the app is and has become, the answer is yes, absolutely. There have been a lot of issues along the way but I love seeing the community thrive and the relationships I and others have built are priceless and could not have happened without Writer's Outlet.

Zee:
Besides juggling your time between work, family and running this app, what do you do in your spare time? 

Jared:
I play a lot of guitar and video games and I love going to theme parks. You can find me at various theme parks almost every weekend.

Zee:
Are you a writer yourself? 

Jared:
I am not a writer of words. I am just not very good but I do write music.

Zee:
What would you like to say to the writers of Writer's Outlet? 

Jared:
I would like to say I am so impressed everyday with your poems, articles, stories, books and all the other works that get published every day. I would like to say that I love you guys and appreciate you taking the time to download and support me and the app as well as the community. Most of all I would like to say thank you. You could spend your time doing a million other things and you choose to spend it with me and with the Writer's Outlet community. 

Zee:
What advice would you give to aspiring writers? 

Jared:
Keep writing. You can never achieve perfection but you can get pretty damn close. It is a skill that requires a lot of dedication. The more you write, the better you will become. I would also say don't be afraid to share. The last thing I would say is read as much as you can. Some of the best ideas for writing come from reading and we have over 51,000 individual writings and over 11,800 books in our library. Read them. Let the author or writer know what you think. The best way to get someone to read or comment on your writing is to do the same for someone else.

Zee:
What would you like to say to folks out there who would like to try their hand in writing and probably have no idea where to begin? 

Jared:
I would say read a lot. Reach out to your favorite writer on the app via either private message or in the comments and ask for advice. You would be surprised how accessible most writers are.

Zee:
Jared, this interview has been very rewarding for me personally. To really know what you had gone through to put this app together, to know your reason for creating this app, it gives me a better understanding of where you're coming from and it makes me appreciate this app and your effort even more. For that alone, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. So before we wrap this up, I'm opening the floor to you to leave your parting words.

Jared:
Thank you Zee for taking the time to interview me. It has been fun discussing these topics. I hope everyone has a better sense of where I and the app are coming from and will be energized to write on Writer's Outlet. Remember to write often and write well and share your writings on social media. We use the hashtags WritersOutlet, writingcommunity, and writersofwritersoutlet so feel free to use them when you share your writing links. There is a whole world out there beyond our community and the best way to build the necessary bridge between them is to share. Thank you and much love.