Magazine Madness
Got an email from Darren this morning regarding the magazine idea he wants me to develop. I'd sent an email last week with a breakdown of the suggested content and target audience. He's asked me to provide editorial for some sample pages that will be pitched to a couple of potential advertisers and distributors who have already expressed an interest in the product.

Without going into specifics, they've offered to provide content for a promotional item that could be given away free with the launch issue. I have a number of things on my wish-list as far as the content goes, but first things first. For now, I need to work on a cover, a contents spread, a review spread, and a feature. (may well be a spread or perhaps even a full-blown four-five pager) There is also a legitimate argument for having a comic strip in the mag as well, but again, must get the dummy finished first.

It's just as well I've booked off a week from work starting Monday 7th June. I need to meet up with Darren one night this week to go over the direction we're going to head in, but I'll then have plenty of time to get the dummy out of the door.

It feels good to be flexing this particular kind of creative muscle again. The last time I was this involved with a magazine, was for a PlayStation2 title called Engine. It was launched the same day as the console arrived in the UK. (although, if I remember correctly, there was a shortage of hardware right up until after Xmas)

Engine only lasted four issues, but was warmly received by the games industry and its small but respectable audience. We even had a monthly column by Warren Ellis, but it's really embarrassing that he only got paid for the first one. (unfortunately, he and the rest of the freelancers - as well as the employed full-timers - got shafted by the publisher on that score)

We got half way through producing the fifth issue before the plug was pulled by the publisher. In fact, I got a phone call from the publisher about a week before pay day, telling me that he couldn't foot that month's salary bill. I explained to him that there was no way the team (including myself) would carry on working once I put the phone down to tell them they couldn't pay their rent that month. He agreed, told me to tell them that they were likely to be made redundant, that he would be over in an hour to pick up the computers and make sure everyone returned their keys before they left the building.

And that was the last time I worked full-time in magazines. Can't think what put me off.