rob mclennan's blog, Fast Forward Magazine, Geist appreciation, & other news!

rob mclennan's blog

Thanks to rob for a really nice write-up about Filling Station Issue #44!

http://www.robmclennan.blogspot.com/


45 is almost live

For Issue 45, Poetry Editor Helen Hajnoczky is now fully installed. Our faithful designer Andy Kennett is back, and will now be trading design duties every other issue with James Dangerous.

See what else James is up to at:

www.jamesdangerous.com


The 'M' Word

We have a bright new Marketing team led by sweet Mary Gelinas, so we're hoping with Mary's help, Filling Station will soon be something that more folks have heard of. Have any desire to help us design a cool shirt or business cards? Want to place an ad in Filling Station? Feel free to get in touch with Mary.
Also, if you're not a subscriber, you're going to miss out on some really great writ!
Subscriptions are relatively painless. $22 for 3 Issues or $48 for 6.
Mary can hook you up:

marketingdir.fs@gmail.com


Geist = hope

Stephen Osbourne from Geist was very inspiring at a recent Alberta Magazines Conference with his Subsidy Management Model; he makes a really good case for means to save ourselves vs. potential loss of funding through changing government grant criteria. Basically, it means put your reservations aside and go after a little bit of the right kind of advertising, a little bit of fundraising at your events, a little bit of merchandising. If you do it right, it doesn't mean you're selling out - it means you're not going to die if you lose one means of paying your bills because you'll have other means too. Look to contra as a valid means of doing business, such as giving a business adspace for the donation of venue space for a fundraiser, there's a good one. Also, don't just be a magazine, be an expert in your field, and why not put together some workshops and get more people writing in your community? You'll be building your audience anyway. Stephen has an incredible brain in his noggin and I thank him for sharing his insight rather than hording it. Plenty to be found in the Geist Writer's Toolbox:

http://www.geist.com/toolbox

And what a damn beautiful magazine they make. Look for their new format out soon.

While you're at it, check out this awesome Geist profile on Filling Station alumni ryan fitzpatrick & Natalie Zina Walschots venerable brainchild! It's going to be a work of art and it'll hopefully make a really good point to those who ought to listen.

http://www.geist.com/news/stephen-harper-literary-arts-journal


Filling Station goes Fast Forward

Fast Forward Magazine in Calgary recently covered the funding issue and gave me a little interview grilling of an early Tuesday morning pre-coffee, I think I did okay. It was a bit of a bad face day though. Damn you Jon Paul for your sexy Hour mag photo! Anyway, please see:

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/arts/books/literary-mags-concerned-over-proposed-funding-changes-3522/


Blow Out: July 2-4 2009!

Now, are there any long-lost Calgarian writers or writers with Calgary connections that I don't know about, newish as I am on this scene compared to some, who may like to come read during our Blow-Out this year (July 2-4)?. Or Calgarian writers for that matter who would like to come out of the woodwork and see about a reading at Flywheel? Drop me a line about Blow-Out:

meditor.fs@gmail.com

Or chat up Ian Sampson about Flywheel:

iansampson@shaw.ca

And by the way, send us your submissions for our May 1 2009 deadline! That'll be Issue 46. Issue 45 is under wraps and going to print real soon.
Issue 44 is on newsstands..


Sticky love,

Laurie Fuhr
Managing Editor