Friday, March 5, 2010
Another One!
A couple of days ago I mentioned that The Feral Pages was going to be an annual anthology instead of a bi-monthly. There was a new note up on the site today saying that the doors are closing due to health issues. And health issues are the reason given over at Ligature Marks, they, too, are closing their doors after only two issues. Sigh. I hate having to deliver bad news.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
Sad to see avenues for writers closing and THE FERAL PAGES had such a distinct look and approach. Shame.
Yes, I was looking forward to submitting something there. Makes me ever more grateful to editors like you and zines like BTAP that manage to stay the course.
A strong support system is the key. One individual alone is going to run themselves ragged.
"Health issues" are what nails most of us at some time or another.
I welcome the day when they can scoop my brain out and put it in a robot body.
So long as it's not a robot body built by Toyota...
You're right, David. Most of the zines with the highest success rate are the ones that have several people helping out with all the work.
Ahhh..but Anton, the Japanese are way ahead of us in robot building, it's bound to be a Toyota. Of course that could turn you into the energizer bunny - going, going, and going!
Health issues and family responsibilites seem to be the major reason that zines fold. And you can't blame people for putting their health and family first. Zines are a big drain of time for many people with very little return.
Even maintaining a blog can be extremely demanding so I can only guess how deep the water gets when one tries to go the zine route alone. I suspect a lot of zine start-ups happen without the individual realizing the vast amount of time and effort that goes into creating a quality product. And when people work together to create a zine, if they are used to making autonomous decisions or don't have the skills for teamwork, I think that the fallout would be almost immediate.
You're right, Naomi. There are so many variables, I'm surprised that some zines stick around as long as they do. And for those that do, I'm extremely grateful!
Three cheers for one like THUGLIT, which's been around for a long time--and Mysterical-E. Most of the other early ones are long gone. But some like Plots with Guns and Spinetingler return.
Yes, ThugLit is a perfect example of how its done right through the years. Each issue is posted on time and Todd seems to have a wonderful group of people who help and support the work.
MystericalE had a rocky patch a few years back, but they too have a good support group and usually get their issues posted on time.
I was hoping C&S would be back up and running by now, but I've pretty much lost hope for that market.
Thanks for updating those who haven't been to the site. I was truly sad to have to close up shop.
I'm diabetic and recently lost control of my blood sugars. Diabetic coma was a very real threat. I've since improved my levels and hope by the end of the summer to be back up to snuff. I'd like to think I'll return to publishing but I have 50 pounds to lose and blood sugars to regulate first.
Much thanks for all the kind words for The Feral Pages and for the well wishes.
Your health is much more important than a zine, Lyman, so you have all our well wishes. If you ever decide to restart, feel free to drop us line. Feel better!
I'll second what Sandra said. Health has to come first or everything else isn't worth a damn.
Post a Comment