Post by Miriam Zolin on Jan 18, 2009 14:21:17 GMT 10
Hey, a few people have been asking me how the journal is going, and a few of those few people visit this form from time to time, so I thought I'd paste a little update here...
Issue 1 has been very well received. My aim was to push it as a literary or "writing and arts" journal, themed around jazz and improvised music. This was to try and encourage a wider readership than the people who already know and love the music... a bit of audience development if you like... and although the publicist pitched it a bit differently than I had hoped, we certainly got some good attention in the right places. Some great feedback has been coming from readers who bought it for the writing and ended up finding they really liked the music (to their own surprise) If any of that translates into audience development, I'll be thrilled.
Issue 2 is firming up well. Actually, better than I had hoped, and I've been probalby the most positive about it because I've been in the know. More on that later in the month and into Feb when we start getting ready for printing etc.
Issue 2 is likely to have a little Melbourne launch at one of the three festivals being held in April / May (TBC) and also will be launched at the Sydney Writers Festival - probably the country's most prestigious writers festival (yes, even though Melb. has won the Unesco city of literature gong)
As far as funding goes, we've had two applications rejected. Our application to the Australia Council (Literature Board) for a foundation grant was rejected because (and I quote) 'the board rarely funds first-time applications' and 'the board would like to see the journal more established in the marketplace'. Note, this was a FOUNDATION grant.
Another grant, with another funding body, for a little writer-in-residence project, putting a writer into the Wang Festival of Jazz and having them write a text (not 'about' jazz but 'inspirec by' jazz, so it could be any-bloody-thing as long as they went to gigs with their ears on...) has also been rejected, but I might find a way to get that up anyway.
So I am getting a third job. Which is a reall bugger because counting the journal i already have three. So I am getting a fourth job. Bugger bugger.
And I am putting some (lots of) effort into selling adverts. and am doing a pre-purchase deal in Feb and March for people who want to buy Issue 2 in advance. I'm offering incentives of CDs, books etc. If you've got some CDs of your own you'd like to include in this incentive deal, let me know... I can purchase items for up to $5. per unit, and then will offer them for free to people who come to the website for those two months. Drop me a line off-list at miriam (at) extempore.com.au if you're interested.
Oh, and if anybody wants figures, we sold over 500 so far of Issue 1 and we needed to sell 1,000 to break even. Might sound like alot, but it's actually quite achievable in the world of literary journals. We just need to 'establish ourselves in the marketplace'. Wish me luck for Issue 2!
Hey, and thanks... again... to all of you who've been involved or simply cheer from the sidelines!
Miriam
www.extempore.com.au
Issue 1 has been very well received. My aim was to push it as a literary or "writing and arts" journal, themed around jazz and improvised music. This was to try and encourage a wider readership than the people who already know and love the music... a bit of audience development if you like... and although the publicist pitched it a bit differently than I had hoped, we certainly got some good attention in the right places. Some great feedback has been coming from readers who bought it for the writing and ended up finding they really liked the music (to their own surprise) If any of that translates into audience development, I'll be thrilled.
Issue 2 is firming up well. Actually, better than I had hoped, and I've been probalby the most positive about it because I've been in the know. More on that later in the month and into Feb when we start getting ready for printing etc.
Issue 2 is likely to have a little Melbourne launch at one of the three festivals being held in April / May (TBC) and also will be launched at the Sydney Writers Festival - probably the country's most prestigious writers festival (yes, even though Melb. has won the Unesco city of literature gong)
As far as funding goes, we've had two applications rejected. Our application to the Australia Council (Literature Board) for a foundation grant was rejected because (and I quote) 'the board rarely funds first-time applications' and 'the board would like to see the journal more established in the marketplace'. Note, this was a FOUNDATION grant.
Another grant, with another funding body, for a little writer-in-residence project, putting a writer into the Wang Festival of Jazz and having them write a text (not 'about' jazz but 'inspirec by' jazz, so it could be any-bloody-thing as long as they went to gigs with their ears on...) has also been rejected, but I might find a way to get that up anyway.
So I am getting a third job. Which is a reall bugger because counting the journal i already have three. So I am getting a fourth job. Bugger bugger.
And I am putting some (lots of) effort into selling adverts. and am doing a pre-purchase deal in Feb and March for people who want to buy Issue 2 in advance. I'm offering incentives of CDs, books etc. If you've got some CDs of your own you'd like to include in this incentive deal, let me know... I can purchase items for up to $5. per unit, and then will offer them for free to people who come to the website for those two months. Drop me a line off-list at miriam (at) extempore.com.au if you're interested.
Oh, and if anybody wants figures, we sold over 500 so far of Issue 1 and we needed to sell 1,000 to break even. Might sound like alot, but it's actually quite achievable in the world of literary journals. We just need to 'establish ourselves in the marketplace'. Wish me luck for Issue 2!
Hey, and thanks... again... to all of you who've been involved or simply cheer from the sidelines!
Miriam
www.extempore.com.au