Saying a sad goodbye to Imogen and the magazine
It’s the beginning of 2020 and we’re still reeling from a bit of a hectic and unpredictable 2019 for 404 Ink. Our 2019 sadly ended on a bit of a sad note with us quietly having to put the 404 Ink Magazine back on hiatus, this time on a more permanent basis. We realised that some might notice that our submissions window won’t open so thought it best to give you all the info.
We were unsuccessful in gaining funding from Creative Scotland to keep the magazine going and so we’ve had to make the decision to shelve the magazine indefinitely as we can’t keep publishing it without it at least breaking even in costs. CS made some very valid points into where we need to improve the magazine’s potential but we currently don’t realistically have the cold hard cash to be able to reach those goals. CS have been hugely supportive to us from the beginning and we couldn’t be more grateful for that and their realistic assessments.
This also means that our Project Officer Imogen Stirling leaves 404 Ink and leaves behind a beautiful rebranded and revitalised magazine that in 2019 was a rejuvination we were all really proud of. We couldn’t have done it without Imogen’s incredible eye for literary quality and her editorial skills to make all the pieces the best they could be. She brought a breath of fresh air that we hope to be able to carry with us.
Of course - a huge thanks to all the writers and artists who trusted us with their work for the last 3 years, from our first issue in November 2016. We popped up announcing a magazine with zero track record and literally hundreds and hundreds of you asked us to publish you. It was an honour to work with you all and we hope we did your work justice.
Opening a new year on this note is, obviously, sad and disappointing and we’ll be going into 2020 looking into what is best for 404 Ink and what we could (or should) do next. We need to think about how to use our Patreon from now on, and how this will affect some operating logistics. For now, the magazine is laid to rest. Luckily, there’s still plenty of Scottish literary magazines live and kicking for you to dig into - Gutter, Extra Teeth, Blood Bath Zine are just some you should support if you can. You’re spoilt for choice.
And please, if you’re looking for a top notch performer, poet, editor, project-managing-extraordinaire, please give Imogen a shout! We’re gutted to not be working with her anymore but it means that you could.
On a slight deviation, the end of 2019 brought the passing of Alasdair Gray, much loved by 404 Ink and if you got to the end of our magazines, you’ll have noticed that every one had a little nod to him. We wave goodbye and wish all of our readers, contributors, editors and designers of the 404 Ink Magazine a happy 2020.
