A big hug. Shock.  Despair.  Panic.  Calm.  Netflix.  Pyjamas.  Sunshine.  Garden.

I work from home anyway, a one-woman band with a coat stand full of hats for the different tasks.  Publishing four community magazines not really in the same league as the “paid for” publications, but certainly a contribution to the community.  

It has made me appreciate the small things; offering space for editorial instead of adverts, I’ve published six magazines during the pandemic.  Loss of revenue but not loss of hope.

Let’s launch three new magazines – Dalgety Bay | Rosyth | Duloch Park. 

The future is bright  – I’m painting it YELLOW!

At the beginning of 2020, we had a robust events portfolio planned, were ahead on sponsorship targets and content timelines, PPA Awards entries were up YOY – it was looking great!

Then COVID. . .

Big pivot for us has been into virtual/hybrid events. We’re still learning, but it’s been an exciting challenge. Has pulled us together as a team, stretched everyone’s skills set. Remote working difficult as limits group creativity and sharing ideas.

Next steps: how to monetise the ‘new normal’. Virtual events reach greater but as valuable? Sponsors have been understanding so far but audiences expect free access.

We produce our indie magazine from the spare room, so our work set up didn’t change. What did change was the fact we now had to split work with home-schooling.

Our magazine is picked up in cafes, shops, libraries and train stations. So, when Covid hit, they disappeared and advertisers pulled out. As a result, we couldn’t print our April issue. All our contributors were great about their features being pushed back and when we went to print in July, we actually produced our best issue to date.

Full of interesting lockdown stories as well as our ‘pushed back’ features.

Circulation: growing. Profit to date: some, at last. Hours: still insane.

We dodged a bullet.

Despite decades working for IPC (“The Ministry of Magazines”), when we left and launched our tiny niche-within-a-niche quarterly in 2012 we shunned the newstrade. We were way too specialist to take up shelf space in WH Smith.

So we found less conventional shop windows, and sold our print and digital issues mainly via our website. Now, while Covid-19 decimates magazines relying on newstrade custom, our copy sales during lockdown are up 12 per cent on spring last year.

For now, we are the lucky ones.

We couldn’t ever imagine still working from home after this long. But here we are, and if I dare say, not only managing but THRIVING.

I almost feel guilty for how well suited I am to working from home. A tiredness I’ve been plagued with for years has disappeared. My focus has never been so sharp. The excitement of a new challenge! Restrictions fuel creativity and innovation, and we’re grabbing them by the horns.

We’ve found a new way of working that will likely change the office landscape long after lockdown… Even if video calls still make me nervous sweat!