A few words to you all, at the end of Film Stories’ first full year.
Dear readers of this website/our magazine/listeners to our podcast/attendees of our events/chums,
Well, crikey.
It was back in the summer of 2018, when life was going very wrong for me on more than one front, that I sat one day and recorded my very first episode of the Film Stories podcast. Then not long after, had the idea of launching a new print magazine. This time last year, the first issue of Film Stories had been released, and I’d recorded around 25 podcast episodes.
One year on – and heck, it’s been quite a year – I sit here half way through working on Film Stories issue 13, Film Stories Junior issue 3, podcast episode number 92, and a range of new live events.
And it’s all because of people like you. Independent publishing, without any kind of publishing company behind me, has been incredibly difficult, and only made possible by the kindness and support of the people who have supported the whole Film Stories project.
This letter is thus very much about saying thank you. It sounds all cliched to say that I couldn’t do this without you all, but it’s absolutely 100% true. I can’t thank you enough for your support, encouragement, good wishes and, most of all, your kindness.
And Film Stories couldn’t be done without the people behind the scenes who help me run through metaphorical walls to make it happen. A massive thanks too to Rachel, John, Hedda, Clare, Irene, Charlotte, Dan, Mike, Eddie, Sarah, Jen, the wonderful army of writers and designers, and anyone who’s given us a lift up over the year.
I’ve tried always to be open and honest about the trials and tribulations of Film Stories, and will continue to be so. But for now, I’m just staggered by how much we’ve been able to do this year with your support. This very website, for instance, I’ve ramped up since September, and the onrush of traffic has been hugely appreciated.
I’ve got yet more plans for 2020 too. If all goes to plan, you can expect more live events for a start on top of what we’ve been doing this year. Plus there are one or two pie in the sky ideas that I’m desperately trying to make happen.
Please be assured that everything Film Stories does will be grounded in a few basics, too. Articles, not content. Stories, not clickbait. Opportunity for those struggling to find opportunity. Readers, not clicks. And a core of – hopefully – treating people right.
Film Stories is going to wind down a little over the Christmas period. As per last year, there’s a six week gap between magazine issues (issue 13 lands towards the end of January) before we pick up the monthly publishing cycle again. This website will have skeleton updates between now and Monday January 6th 2020. The podcast is back in January.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I have no idea why you support what we do, and I’m not fishing there. I’m just absolutely thrilled and honoured that you do.
The best of the festive season to you all,
Simon Brew
Editor & founder, Film Stories
Image: BigStock
—
Thank you for visiting! If you’d like to support our attempts to make a non-clickbaity movie website:
Follow Film Stories on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.
Buy our Film Stories and Film Stories Junior print magazines here.
Become a Patron here.
See one of our live shows, details here.
