Film Stories magazine: a statement

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A statement from editor Simon Brew about Film Stories magazine.

Back in November 2018, a successful crowdfunding campaign brought Film Stories magazine to life. I’m still a bit overwhelmed by the support that it got. I’m also very proud that our small team not only managed to get the magazine in people’s hands within two weeks of our Kickstarter ending, but that we’re just finishing off issue 7 now. I believe we’ve stuck to the promises we made to you. And your support has been amazing.

However, in the spirit of honesty, it’s been very, very difficult. I’ve jokingly called it career and commercial suicide. Although it’s not entirely been a joke.

Launching an independent magazine was always going to be tough. I knew that. I’ve worked in magazines a long time, and know that many of them are struggling. But lord, has it been really tough. It still is.

That said, I’m immensely proud that we’ve been able to give so many people – from so many backgrounds – paid writing opportunities. By issue 7, at least 26 people will have had their first paid writing work, and we’ve bought articles off around 100 more. I’m immensely proud too that we’ve delivered on our ‘nobody works for exposure, everybody (but us) gets paid’ rule. And I’m really proud of the variety of films and filmmakers who have appeared on our covers, and the subjects we’ve dealt with inside the magazine.

But it has come at a cost.

Film Stories is around 2-300 copies a month from breaking even, and the cost of that comes not from a massive publishing company, but our own pockets. It’s agonisingly close to breaking even, but hasn’t broken even. It would allow me a lot more sleep if it did.

Anyway, enough about that. Because the link below is what’s happening next.

>>>> THE LINK <<<<<

Hopefully, that link is self-explanatory.

Hopefully too, you can support it. Because the budget on Film Stories goes to paying people, it means we don’t have money for marketing. We rely on word of mouth. Anything anyone can do to spread the word, to help put us in front of interested people, would be amazing.

Also: for those within the film industry, who control marketing budgets to some degree. If you’re thinking of supporting us, or believe in what we’re doing, this really is the time. Long-term, we can’t go on without support.

I heard from so many within the industry that they wanted something for and by a younger audience. I heard before that that they wanted a magazine that explored smaller rooms in multiplexes (no slight on other publications there, by the way – I’ve just picked up the new issue of Empire and it’s depressingly brilliant!).

I’ve put my own money where my mouth, heart and belief is. I’m indebted to the financial support that StudioCanal, Picturehouse and Arrow have shown us, expecting nothing but an advert in return. Likewise, organisations such as Raindance and the BFI have been wonderful.

But please let me ask this of others in the industry: if you believe in what Film Stories is doing, in any form, do support it. If you can invest a lot of money in it, so we can build it further, that’d be amazing. But every advert, every retweet, every time you buy ten copies for the office? It all helps. My email address is simon@filmstories.co.uk if you’d like to talk more.

Either way, Film Stories and its small team are pressing ahead with this. It’d just be much easier with more of the UK film industry – who we’re trying to support and promote too – behind us.

Simon Brew
Editor & Founder
Film Stories

You can subscribe to Film Stories magazine here: https://www.webscribe.co.uk/magazine/filmstories

You can buy individual copies here: https://film-stories.myshopify.com

Or take out a digital subscription here: https://shop.exacteditions.com/gb/film-stories

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