So much for Plan A

December 11, 2011 in Personal promotion, USA | 2 comments

So, yes, it turns out that running the world’s most popular Books section (no exaggeration, I’ve seen the numbers) is somewhat time consuming.

Which means no frequent magazine-themed blogging in the mainstream for me. But I did manage to somehow squeeze one out before the end of the year, and more will emerge before too long.

For now, you may satisfy yourselves with my newest missive, “11 Amazing Magazines You’ve Never Heard Of“, a title that regular Magtastic readers will find inaccurate, and grammarians will find ends with a preposition. Still, plenty to enjoy by clicking through. It will also surprise no-one that it’s a slideshow. We have company standards to maintain, you know.

AND! It gives me a further opportunity to keep up with an annual tradition here on Magtastic, which is to remind you all that a Stack America subscription is an excellent last-minute gift for anyone Stateside. Just sayin’.

Two big announcements

August 4, 2011 in Clever ideas, Personal promotion, technology | 3 comments

So here’s something: I have a new job. And a new ebook out. The two might be connected.

The job: The image above might be a clue. Yes, from this coming Monday, I will be the Books Editor of The Huffington Post.

I’m excited. I’ve never worked full time for a major brand before. This one is, unusually in this climate, both ambitious and expanding. There’s some fascinating things that can be done in the area of online reporting and aggregation. I hope, nay expect, to be doing some of them. Give me a few weeks to get used to things, but watch this space.

The book: Somewhat fortuitously, this morning my new ebook, Reading in Four Dimensions, went live on Kindle (here’s the UK link) and Nook. People can read it via pretty much any device via the free Kindle and Nook apps.

The book – well, long essay really – looks at how the physical and digital worlds interact through the medium of storytelling. It’s an explanation of social reading, and why it’s going to change publishing. It’s a story about time travel. And it’s only 99c (or its equivalent in your territory.) There’s also a page of related links.

If you’d like to know more, below are a few Probably Asked Questions.

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New housekeeping

August 4, 2011 in Personal promotion | 2 comments

It promises to be a busy day or two on the blog, but first I want everyone who sends me lovely magazines/has me on their mailing lists to stop what you’re doing right now, and make sure you have a New York mailing address for me.

If you don’t, please drop me a line at andrew [at] losowsky.com so we can make sure that I actually receive what you send. And bless you for sending it.

Thank you!

Today, I’m mostly surrounded by debt

July 30, 2011 in Clever ideas, Death of print, Personal promotion | No comments

DEBT from Dustin Grella on Vimeo.

I’m spending today/night/morrow helping out on Longshot, the 48-hour magazine that I like to think of Stranded‘s more famous half-brother.

The theme of this issue is Debt, and there are five simple challenges you can complete to participate here. Be quick though, the clock is ticking…

Nearly back

May 29, 2011 in Personal promotion | No comments

(Image from Pulp International)

You’ve probably noticed, this blog has been a little quiet lately. A major move, connection problems, a melted logic board, and much (fun) new work are all likely parents of this newborn infant of silence, but fear not! For the baby will start to bawl again very soon, with the full force of a metaphor stretched too far.

I have news, reviews, some strangeness, and even a pending new event to announce. The Blogsplosion will be blogsploding in your face again very soon. I’ve been busy, oh yes I have.

In the meantime, why not read the magazines that some of NYC’s leading media mogels are reading, courtesy of Ad Week?

Three of the Month: April (belatedly)

May 2, 2011 in New launches, Three of the month | 2 comments

So my first Three of the Month ended up with a 33% success rate. Let’s see if we can help give a financial boost to these three worthwhile projects who need your help.

Her Royal Majesty
In these monarchical times, it seems only appropriate that this magazine is made in the capital of the French republic. Literary strangeness, artistic leanings, all sealed in with a blob of wax. Yessiree Ma’am.

Trunk magazine
I sent out the first issue of Trunk through Stack America, and it’s a hugely ambitious project: a new newsstand-quality travel and style magazine, entirely created by a small team of talented people. The founder, David, used to be photo editor on Travel + Leisure, but his own magazine is far more ambitious.

Outpost Journal
First, a declaration of interest: I’m on the Outpost Journal board of advisors (which has mostly involved helping them get in touch with other independent magazines). It’s a cracking idea, though – each issue focuses on the community-based creativity taking place in an otherwise-overlooked city in the USA. There is, it turns out, life beyond Brooklyn and San Francisco. Issue one is about Pittsburgh.

If you’d like your magazine’s campaign to be featured on Three of the Month, drop me a line – contact details in the sidebar.

Review: Carson

April 28, 2011 in New launches, Opinion, Review | 29 comments

There are a few, remarkable people who show us that there’s another way.

They take the tools from our hands, and do amazing things with them that we could never have contemplated. Where we see unbreakable rules, they see uninteresting choices. The results leave some people so affected that they never again look at their tools in the same way.

These people generally fall into three categories. First, there are those who were so far ahead of society’s ability to comprehend their efforts that their work is only “discovered” and lauded after their deaths. Kafka was one. Van Gogh another.

Second are those who break established rules again and again to increasing acclaim, yet always stay ahead of their imitators simply because they don’t know of any other way to behave. Picasso, let’s say. Radiohead, perhaps.

And then there are those people who have a single flash of genius at the very moment that society’s mirrors are perfectly aligned to catch its light. Though the rest of their work may be perfectly competent, everyone clamors for the lightening to strike again and again. It’s not these people’s fault that they can’t replicate that moment.

Given the title of this piece, you can probably see where I’m going with this one.

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