How would you spend two hours without distraction?

a shorter version of this appears in this week’s The Dabbler, the irregular newsletter of The New Territory.

Our family started an experiment this past week: two hours a day, phone off. No streaming video. No incoming distraction.

Yes, this is on the heels of my latest anxiety over social media.  

It is also about the future.

In the future, will our kids know how to find their own inner compasses, away from the pull and feedback of their peers? Will they know how solitude feels in their bodies, so they can connect with that feeling when they need it?

What I tell our teenagers is this: this is about making time to be alone with your thoughts. You might create something that wasn’t there before. You might rest and do nothing and get bored. Great. Out of boredom comes creation (or at least making a dent in reading a book).

We’re focusing on the reward.

What good will come of this focused time?

So far, so good. Even for me — a gal who grew up a rural only-child, playing with beetles and caterpillars in the back yard, books as companions, totally comfortable with low stimulation — this experiment away from the option to text or take a picture has helped me focus and meander. My mood’s lifted. My brain’s stretched in new ways, and I made a much bigger dent in the Sunday paper.

As the editor of a longform magazine I hear people lament how little they read these days: “Sorry, but I let my subscription expire. I never really read the last several issues.” 

It’s not just about The New Territory. They say they struggle to find the time to read anything. I would humbly suggest that the time is there. 

If you get The New Territory because you heard we have thoughtful longform journalism and literature that you’ll understand and be changed by, perfect. You’re who we want as our readers. And if you want to actually experience the deep thought and heart-changing we promise, you know you’ll need to dial down those distractions. And you know (and I know) you are totally capable. Start with 20 minutes. That should get you through a feature. You can do this.

I’m as guilty as anyone of wanting to post what I’m reading to Instagram or jumping in on a group chat to find the perfect GIF. It’s an easy, quick way to feel smart and funny. A hit of dopamine is a very strong drug.

Lots of people say a business built around a product you have to make a commitment and a plan to use is a bad idea. Lots of people say lots of things about business — including that you ought to make your product literally addictive. There’s nothing quick or easy about The New Territory. We’re not for people who only look for the easiest way. We’re for people who believe in building their inner compass—sometimes literally building a compass around the place they call home. We’re for people who know the value of solitude. We are for people who will put away their distractions this week to read from the new New Territory.

If you are one of those people, then thank you, truly, for the gift of your attention.

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Where we’re read

It’s been almost a year since we opened up orders and subscriptions online. Here’s where The New Territory magazine has found its forever homes.

People

I went to St. Louis this week. Ostensibly, it was a 4-hour drive for a 20-minute interview. In application, it was such a departure from my regular world that those hours were but the walk on a hero’s journey. I dropped in at two bookstores where we’re trying to stock The New Territory. I’ve always loved perusing these places when I visit the city, and there’s a golden oddness to walking up to the familiar counters, saying I have a question, saying, “I publish this magazine,” and sliding it forward. The guys at both stores had already seen it on their review stack (I’d mailed copies several weeks ago), and one said he was a fan. A fan! This looked like a well-read man. He sounded completely earnest. I think I melted a little bit. I regret not sticking around to talk to him, asking him about himself. Ask him why he appreciated the magazine so much, sure, but also just connect more like, as a human. My star-struckedness kept me from chatting like I usually would. He’ll remain a mystery in the distance until I can go there again.

And then, exhibit 2: People I work with or already know. Kelly Moffitt, who also went to Mizzou, knew about the magazine and invited me to talk about it on St. Louis Public Radio’s St. Louis on the Air, which feels like a huge break and really thrilling opportunity. I’m so grateful to Kelly for reaching out. She got Hug #1. Then, I was joined in the interview by Kella Thornton, a writing professor in the St. Louis area who shared a Mizzou mentor with me a few years earlier. At the start of The New Territory, she graciously agreed to help edit stories and is working on a killer lyrical essay for Issue 02: In Defense. She’s been great to collaborate with on the phone, Google Docs, Twitter and Instagram, and it was so good to meet her in person! Hug #2. We got lunch at a really sweet bakery wonderland and talked for probably two hours. I could have stayed longer. There can never be enough creative, enthusiastic people in my life.

On a sidenote, I also stopped in Chesterfield to set up my next tattoo (!).

As I write this, I flick my screen to Twitter and Facebook, yearning for social interaction, and avoiding Gmail because it reminds me of all the things I have to do that aren’t related to the magazine. I could edit and email writers 100 hours a week and not get tired. I don’t have stamina for much else these days. It’s the people and this network we’re creating all across the Midwest that makes the project real and worth it to me. I’m so happy to connect, redistribute wealth where I can, and prove this region is strong with inspiring people.

Imagine a world without journalists

Just a note to say why I’m committed to supporting a journalism community, now more than ever.

Reason #1: Launch-party-inspired warm fuzzies turned to hard cash reality when I got to pay the remainder of our printing bill from my personal funds. “Got to” is sincere; I can’t feed the project very much, but I’m grateful for circumstances that allow me to make these kind of sacrifices. Magazines create communities, and reading a physical copy is like holding hands with other readers. I will stand by this simile.

Reason #2: I got to spend an entire week with about 20 smart, compassionate, curious and unrelenting journalists on a trip with the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources. They got us out in North Dakota, where I’d never been and most of my colleagues hadn’t either. That’s the whole point of this field-based reporting organization. We emerged with vivid stories and photos, and a stronger context for stories related to habitat conservation, fracking, agriculture and geology. I also came away with a love for all the great journalists out there. Best to check out our Instagram photos.

Reason #3: Earlier, during a week wrought with high-profile accusations that the media sucks when they are actually doing their job, I saw these three points of light:

First, on the 5th anniversary of the Joplin tornado, The Columbia Missourian posted this cover story from that day. My friend Justin designed the page. He had some really beautiful things to say about what it meant to him:

“I never went down to Joplin to see the aftermath of this one firsthand; the only tornado damage I covered in person was in high school in Nixa, but I still feel for everyone on the receiving end of storms like that.

And finally, even though I usually try to steer clear of the political threads on Facebook: In this year of people blaming “the media” as a monolithic evil responsible for so many of the country’s ills, let’s all try to remember that “the media” isn’t just the faces on TV talking about this candidate or that candidate for giant companies you might dislike; it’s also the countless other people, including in towns in Missouri, trying to help make sense of any number of the other crazy things going on in this world of ours. I hope that page helped someone who needed it.”

Then, Sarah Kendzior re-shared a clip from an opinion article I loved reading earlier this March. Titled, “Who won the Midwest? Not the people who live in it,” the piece was about Missouri’s unfortunate status as an irrelevant and predictable Red State. But what she retweeted, and what particularly struck me after thinking about Justin’s reflection, was this:

“The story of the Midwest remains largely untold. All candidates court the Midwest by bemoaning its loss of industry, but one of the main industries it lost is media.”

She goes on to talk about how unless there’s a crisis in Missouri or the Midwest, our everyday struggle gets ignored, leaving the region as a whole heartbroken. I feel that. That’s why I love Belt so much. That’s why I started The New Territory.

I have to admit, I really want the NT to run more journalism than it does, do better journalism. I think we’re getting better in subsequent issues and I’m trying to not be too hard on myself. I’m working to find outside funding so we don’t hit a plateau. The longform reporting and writing I’m asking for from these people takes a lot of time to find the right sources, do research to back it up, and then produce something beautiful. Visuals are another big investment. Part of why our cover price is $15 and not something like $5.95 is that most of the burden of paying for these stories goes to the reader. But, readers aren’t trained to do that, and that may be why we don’t sell as fast as I wish we were.

It’s hard to convince many people anywhere to fund good journalism, and especially hard when people perceive “media” and “journalism” as the bad guys promoting bad behavior in our culture.

Finally, Joy Mayer examined eight stories in a post, “What have journalists done for you lately?” I like that she doesn’t highlight the latest big investigative reports or cutting-edge infographics. Considered individually, these pieces of media may seem small or insignificant, but Mayer makes a case for each one being valuable in her life and the spirit of each story having universal significance. But how can we support creators?

“And it all takes an investment on the part of an organization or an individual. None of it comes free.

If journalists want people to value their work, they need to work on telling its story.”

Read her blog for prompts on how to start communicating media’s value. It’s something I’ll certainly take to heart and will try to do more.

So, I still have some boxes sitting in my apartment of a magazine about finding strength. I even have a web page set up where you can buy it. And if you buy it, you support future journalism from the region. You help yourself and the community make sense of the Lower Midwest. And, you have something pretty to brag about.

If you already subscribe, then consider some handmade leather goods or locally roasted coffee. It’s a double-whammy of supporting local artisans and kicking another percentage of proceeds to NT. There’s the marketing speech.

 

My interview on the ShowMe Food Podcast

Here’s an interview about The New Territory just before its release.

The Goat Trail

Dan Holtmeyer is a kind man, a smart journalist, and talented photographer. These shots from a hike in the Buffalo National River area have so much texture! Wood smoothed by the hands of hikers, wind and water. Landscapes shaggy with bare branches and green cedars. I think my own hike in Arkansas is in order…

Viewfinder

Buffalo National River’s bluffs, the 500-foot walls of sandstone and limestone that run along much of the river’s length, seem to shepherd the meandering turquoise water. Most of the time, hikers and kayakers can see the bluffs only from above or on the water. But there’s one trail that turns right onto a bluff’s face: the Goat Trail.

Officially this trail got its name from the feral goats that have been spotted nearby, but it also might have something to do with the mountain goat-like steadiness, not to mention comfort with heights, a hiker needs to reach the bluff at its end. Outdoors writer Flip Putthoff recently promised a spectacular view there and said winter was the best time to see it, so I took a shot at it Sunday for my first-ever trip to the Buffalo.

If you’re not on the water, getting to the bluffs means going down bluffs…

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Finding a printer for my magazine

I Googled this subject line. Results include:

• A Wikihow page riddled with exclamation points by an author who maybe has published a Zine or taken a marketing class.
• A magazine startup guide on MagazinePublisher.com. MagazinePublisher.com’s logo uses the Impact font.
• Various businesses offering to print your magazines.

Of course, these never answered, “How much will printing a magazine cost?” How could they? Every publication is different. When I searched for a printer for The New Territory, I didn’t use any guides and didn’t bother with services online. In fact, I probably spent relatively little time deciding. That said, I humbly offer this case study as an alternative to generic instructions.

Mock cover of The New Territory, designed by Kerri Voyles.

How we decided how our magazine would look

Woo, hey, this is important: What’s the footprint (dimensions) of the magazine, and how many pages are you going to print?

Over the holidays, Katie—yes, the Katie of roadtrip fame, and now NT’s creative director (!)—and I fanned a couple dozen magazines over a table in a coffee shop. We talked the tactile aspect of magazines (likes: Offscreen’s size and subtle embossing, how ink soaks into non-gloss paper like the great photos on The Outpost; dislikes: Fast Company’s sandpaper cover, the disposable feel of Harper’s despite some of the most timeless and valuable journalism). We walked away with some pretty firm priorities that helped limit our decisions.

1. Quality material: While I’ve been leaning toward a higher-end feel to the printing, the democracy-loving journalist in me cried a little. But, as Katie’s business-savvy husband coached, the magazine is a product, and to convince people to buy it, it needs to feel special. We can still post policy-important stories for free online, but the print product will be exclusive. So, thicker paper, perfect binding (versus stapled or saddle stitched), here we come.
2. Size: Small-size publications that would fit well on a bookshelf just feel permanent. Since we’re indie, quarterly and longform, this seems like the right size for us at this time. If we increase frequency, we might redesign to mimic regular magazines, but for now we’re going small and thick.
3. Local: The only firm focuses of NT is our regional scope, so we want to source locally whenever possible. And, it’s been really nice to visit printers in person, touch all their papers, see their titles, get good shipping rates, and know that if when I have boxes of leftover copies, I can just go pick them up and not have to pay for shipment.
4. Responsible paper sourcing: We all come from strong roots in sustainability, so if possible, we want to lighten our environmental impact.

What printers offer, and how much they cost:

Turns out, mid-Missouri has several businesses in the national magazine printing scene. I researched a few and visited two. I share the following information for your comparison purposes:

Printer A: 96 pages, with a 60# soft gloss paper and 80# matte cover in 8.5″ x 11″*
* This company runs a web printer, so setup costs are high. The sales rep told me we could go as small as we want, but the web printer doesn’t have a lot of flexibility and whatever margins we slice off would end up recycled. And we’d pay the same price either way. So we were only quoted for a standard paper size.

1,000 copies: $5,306.16 (or $5.31/copy)

2,000 copies: $5,784.35 (or $2.89/copy)

My takeaway from this company was that they were really good, and they’re really well equipped to do big print runs. But, they said, until we can print about 5,000 copies, they aren’t able to do any custom orders on paper. The basic paper options were either too glossy or too low-budget-feeling for our tastes, too. So, the search continued.

#magazines #printing #printingpress #paper #ink #midwest #midmo

A video posted by Tina Casagrand (@gasconader) on Oct 23, 2015 at 8:01am PDT

 

Printer B: 96 pages, with 60# offset paper and 80# accent opaque cover in 8.5″ x 11″*
* Listing here for comparison purposes.

1,000 copies: $4,394.26 (or $4.39/copy)

2,000 copies: $5,432.80 (or $2.71/copy)

in 7″ x 10″*
* This printer does sheet printing, so they could fit more pages onto a sheet if we go this size or smaller.

1,000 copies: $4,332.98 (or $4.33/copy)

2,000 copies: $5,326.03 (or $2.66/copy)

Of course, I understand knocking down the size means less space to put words and pictures—and thus we are actually diminishing our potential by rolling with 7×10. But it’s a principle and damnit, we’re standing on it.

Also, since this printer has equipment more attuned to smaller print runs, we save a lot of money on the upfront cost. “Once you get to 20,000, you might want to explore other options,” the sales rep told me. I’ll be super happy if we can get the first 1,000 in peoples’ hands for this first issue, so that is a-ok for now.

Visiting another printer. This one is much more modern, built in 2000, and well equipped for a small size, tactile little quarterly. I’m stoked!

A photo posted by Tina Casagrand (@gasconader) on Dec 15, 2015 at 3:00pm PST

 

I also noticed that even though I told my sales reps we would be printing 128-page minimums, which is still within their 16-page signature standard, I always got quotes for 96 pages. I don’t know if that’s to not lose us at sticker shock, or if 96 is some sort of industry standard. But just so you know, we do hope to be thicker than 96 pages.

Other things to keep in mind when choosing a magazine printer:

1.) How the company will ship. Both these printers are equipped to take your mailing list and ship it out under their media license (Printer B even had a USPS office on-site), so they were pretty equal in that category.

2.) What other custom printing options they can offer. Do you want blow-in cards (those little subscription cards that fall out whenever you pick up magazines from the grocery store)? Do you want your magazine packaged in a poly bag, so you don’t have to design a name label on the cover (Printer A charges $50/1,000, plus a $75 setup fee)? Special inserts? Custom covers? Printer A prints its special covers through a “mothership” partner the specializes in yearbooks. Printer B has a little machine that can do embossing and metallic foiling on-site, but they still have to order die cuts for the process. These are all things you ought to consider ahead of time and ask during a visit.

Another option for self-publishing:

Like I said, I didn’t bother looking at online options, but when I scanned a few sites today, it looked like they were targeting companies just printing magazines as a sidenote, AND the sites charged more upfront than the local presses.

However, if you’re lucky enough to live near an “Espresso Book Machine,” that might be an option for a micro-run of a magazine. The Mizzou Book Store has one, and it does good stuff! The quality feels a little homespun, and the cost per copy is going to be higher, but the store keeps all their projects on file and can print on demand for you anytime. When I taught writing at the Missouri Scholars Academy last year, we got 25 copies of our class book proofed and printed in the span of 3 hours, and with the university discount, it cost just under $5 for a ~60-page book in 7″ x 10″. Not too shabby!

Alright, that’s all I know. Or–is it? I bet if you have questions, I have an answer. Leave me a comment!

{ Podcasts, Fall 2015 }

On our roadtrip this summer, Katie asked me to make a list of podcasts for her. But she never gave me a deadline, and my tastes kept changing, annnd now it’s almost November. As a former data entry assistant, girrrrl, I know podcasts. There’s the Podcast as Educator, Podcast as Time-Waster, Podcast as Conversation with Person Who Could Be Your Best Friend.

My podcast docket changes based on life circumstances. Data entry is different from driving or cleaning house (for instance, I used to binge listen to Marc Maron interviews but not that I don’t have much time, I choose shorter and finer podcasts). But hey Katie, here. Here’s your list. For now. You can search on the iTunes store for each one.

Longform: Always a favorite, each episode is an hour-long interview with a longform journalist. I learn about writing, finding story ideas, struggles the writers have that I can relate to. Sometimes they even talk to editors, which is worth its own post on this magazine blog. But lately I haven’t been listening to Longform because it makes me want to jump out the door and write when instead I should be working on my magazine.

On Leadership: The Washington Post did this podcast with interviews from creative and business leaders. As a baby publisher, I love learning from people who have “made it” (and that they weren’t all instantly successful).

Press Publish: Nieman Labs revived this podcast that talks about innovative technology and journalism. Recent interviews include BuzzFeed’s audio director on targeting diverse audiences and TheAtlantic.com’s editor about bringing blogging back to the website.

Another Round: I usually dismiss “talk” podcasts as obnoxious chatter (most notably one I tried of a Southern couple reviewing wine), but Heben and Tracy are vibrant and interesting and, importantly, not in the middle-age-white-guy demographic that tends to control most podcasts. So I learn about their worlds, and it makes my world richer. So I like it. You would like it.

99% Invisible: You’ll like this one. It’s all well-produced stories everyday cultural phenomena, like office chairs or horror movie music.

This American Life: Classic. Unlike some more experimental podcasts, this delivers a predictable format that mixes serious journalism with entertaining weirdness. No one does storytelling better.

Death, Sex & Money: Yay, another one-on-one interview format. The title determines the subjects, which are inherently fascinating.

Stardate: What’s happening in the night sky!

Tara Brach: My friend Harum recommended this while we were on our trip, and I’m so grateful she did. The author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge, Tara Brach gives weekly talks on emotional healing and spiritual awakening using Buddhist mindfulness and science to teach new ways of thinking. I’ve learned new vocabulary for dealing with pervasive struggles we all endure and continue to grow as I listen and put the concepts into practice.

Honorary Mentions: Snap Judgment, WTF with Marc Maron, Serial (come back!), The Story Collider, 99u, Radiolab (but mostly because my homegirl Abigail Keel is working there right now)

{ How to run a one-man magazine show }

Kai Brach is founder and publisher of indie mag Offscreen, a print book about the tech world. On its website, Brach blogs often about magazine making in a much more informed and succinct manner than I. He also gives talks on his process, and I’ll dissect one because I listened to it this morning and loved every minute.

Things he does that are different and/or practical and/or rad

• Make a spreadsheet of the content plan! Ah, if only I could zoom into that video.
• Use Google Docs as people enter their contributions.
• Make a calm, sophisticated, thoughtful, approachable and friendly layout, to counter the hyperlinked world of the Offscreen audience.
• Use 100% recycled paper! It even has woody debris?
• Replace advertising with unified sponsorships. A reader told him they read every single word of the magazine, including the advertisements. Brill. Eee. Ent.
• Go through stockists rather than traditional newsstands. I have put blinders on the idea that distributors take 20% of your cover price, and retailers keep another 40%. Plus, once it’s off the newsstand, the issue is sent to the crematory. “I don’t want to see my babies destroyed,” he said. Neither do I!!
• He asks his subjects for photographer suggestions. Since this is an international title, it makes sense that you wouldn’t have a robust global network, especially at first. Could still apply to a regional magazine.
• He also, somewhere in there, mentioned that he found people much like I’ve been finding people: Twitter, clicking links, reaching out. That’s encouraging, too. 🙂

And here’s a more recent talk, just as open and interesting as before.

Offscreen is donating $10 of all single issue purchases to help refugees in Europe, hopefully through the rest of the day (it’s already Thursday in Melbourne, oops).

Kai! You’re an inspiration! Keep doing what you do, and I intend to join your print club soon.

{ How To Make Money With Magazines: A Dreamer’s Guide }

Whaddup, readers. If I’ve been a wee bit absent, it’s because, this time, I’m actually moving forward with making a magazine instead of just blogging about magazine-making.

Cue the trumpets: We’re calling it The New Territory, and it’s going to feature the south-central U.S. in full color: a general scope of genres and topics, with a proudly regional focus. Of course I’ll discuss my process here, but The Gasconader will remain first and foremost a cheering/advice section for all kinds of magazines and Midwest art projects. To follow progress on The New Territory (TNT) specifically, subscribe to my new newsletter, The Roar of Discovery.

So. The last newsletter’s subject was getting “Down to Business,” and I highlighted some ideas for generating revenue for this title. After several years working in and around nonprofits as well as small businesses, establishing TNT as a self-sustaining for-profit company is important to me. Going for-profit is a rare approach for magazine focused on meaningful storytelling (rather than lifestyle, say), especially in our region. The only one that comes to mind is This Land Press in Oklahoma. Columbia Journalism Review did a great story about them back in 2012.

While I try to keep a close eye on both editorial and business ends of magazine-making, there’s still a ton to learn. I’m taking a moment today, using The New Territory as an example, to discuss different approaches to revenue and profit. If you want a primer on why it’s a good idea to diversify funding strategies, start with this Nieman Labs article, “The newsonomics of small things.”

Here’s how I weighed each idea, and keep in mind, I have raised precisely -$300 for the project so far. So maybe you should be schooling me.