Author / Magdiaries

by Magdiaries

They shot a horse, did they?

They shot a horse, did they?

Yes, a white horse. On 35mm film. And nobody remembers.

27 July 1999: Bite me is launched at the Glasgow Film Theatre, with Wesley Snipe’s Blade. Hundreds turn up in vampire costume. The white horse arrives on Rose Street. A sword-wielding warrior woman from a Viking Re-enactment group sits astride it.

But in a pre-digital era, no tweets, no instagrams, no camera phones, capture the scene.

And so it exists in memory only. Unless I re-launch. Join the digital magazine revolution. Repeat the whole escapade and give the horse the digital immortality it deserves.

Arlene Russo | Editor, Bite Me magazine



Grub Street Journal
by Magdiaries

Loose cattle

“Skip it, click there, the next article will be more rewarding”, whispers the mind of the internet user.

The grass is always greener behind the next link, but the cud is abandoned, the infinite nature of it all prevents us from engaging with the author, the photographer or, dare I say, the advertiser.

Where quality and codswallop remain unabsorbed, receiving short shrift, traffic is king and standards fall.

100 words. What message could be conveyed clearly in such a space? Well it must, because you’ll be off, drawn by a twinkle…

…still reading? Print magazines may provide you solace.

David Atkins | Newsstand

 

 



Grub Street Journal
by Magdiaries

Excited like a 19-year old

In October 1986 aged 19 and about to enter the world of PR, I bought a new music magazine called Q. It opened my ears to music and my eyes to magazines.

Fast forward 27 years to the PPA Centenary dinner in London. Among the doyens of the publishing industry were Q founders David Hepworth and Mark Ellen. I was excited like the 19-year old me, too nervous to ask for their autographs.

That’s what magazines mean to me. The challenges make me nervous, but the wealth of opportunities we have in the digital age makes me excited every day.

Alan Ramsay | MD, Connect Publications; Chairman, PPA Scotland

* Alan still has his first issue of Q and still subscribes.

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Grub Street Journal
by Magdiaries

Why stop at 100?

First things first, by close of play Friday we had well over 100 entries for the Magazine Diaries. We have everything we need to make our wee book… Thank You!

The 100-post limit and Friday’s deadline were all about getting the book put together and printed in time for MagFest in Edinburgh, September 5th. That part of the process is well and truly underway.

But magazine people being magazine people, I’ve had several submissions since Friday and I’m now thinking ‘WHY STOP?’. If people are happy to keep writing 100 words on how it feels to be in this amazing, frustrating, fascinating business, I’m more than happy to keep posting them.

So if you didn’t get your act together in time to write 100 words before Friday’s deadline, if you only just found out about the Magazine Diaries, or if you fancy writing another 100 words, the 100-word page will stay open for business as long as magazine people keep writing 100-word posts.



Grub Street Journal
by Magdiaries

The old guard

When I first started at Dennis the in-joke was often about the ‘old guard’.

Freelancers, editors, numerous others who were dinosaurs and didn’t understand the brave new direction publishing was taking. At that time I believe it was lists of things and ‘repurposing content’. You’ll learn, they said.

Today publishing has changed so completely that I’m not sure I understand it any more. I look at new ventures and I’m perplexed by the idea let alone the approach and execution. I want – I need – to let these youngsters know they’re doing it wrong, but they’d just ignore me.

They’ll learn.

Christopher Brennan | Journalism lecturer and freelancer



Grub Street Journal