Five years of Wet Ink- guest post by Phillip Edmonds [29.10.2010]
Wet ink was launched approximately five years ago at the SA Writer’s Centre by John Coetzee one stifling Adelaide night. Sweat dripped down my forehead, nerves overwhelming me because I knew we had to sell a lot of copies to make the first issue work.
A committed group of us including Dominique Wilson, Simon Lownsborough, Emmett Stinson, and Sky Harrison had been plotting and planning for about twelve months before the launch. I had this idea that ‘literary’ magazines in Australia could be more ‘accessible’, look less like books, be cheaper to produce and become more sustainable in the long term. I liked the shape of both the ABR and Overland in that regard, so with Simon’s advice we decided to make an attractive magazine that could be found in more outlets than just inner city bookshops.
It would be a magazine for new writers, and where possible, publish established names alongside them. There would be creative non-fiction/ and articles, poetry and reviews. In each issue we always published ‘new’ writers, and some of those we have published are already going on to publish books of their own. We now sell copies in the United States, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Singapore, and would you believe it- Dubai!
There have been many twists and turns, such as encouraging potential advertisers to commit to a magazine they still regard as ‘marginal’, cash flow problems, distribution hassles, and wondering where we could find a greater readership. There have been a few changes in personnel, as you would expect, as new blood is essential, along with new ideas.
A few times I felt like giving it away, to be tripped up by a nice note from a contributor or a chance conversation in an unlikely place with a fan of the magazine. This forced me to have a good hard look at myself, because I still have the same feeling of excitement I had when the first issue arrived. Grounding me and the others is my co-managing editor, the indefatigable Dominique Wilson. Issue 20 is currently in the shops, and typically, it has a beautiful cover and challenging content.
The small press sector has grown since we started. I’d like to think that Wet ink has had something to do with creating a culture of daring persistence when challenges are everywhere, such as problems in the book trade and the e-book. I would like to think we also publish accessible, well written articles on aspects of Australian literature so as to engage in a debate about where we are all going. It has been a hoot. We look forward to the next five years.
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