This is a fortnightly newsletter from Galah's editor Annabelle Hickson, made for our Galah subscribers. You are our most valuable supporters. You keep the lights on and the engine room running. Thank you.
I’ve received many lovely messages and emails about the latest issue of Galah. In particular, the Butchering Betty, Dale Frank (I have to upload it before I can link to it) and Mungindi Shrek Effect stories are getting a lot of love.
Unfortunately, I can't bask in any of this glory because I'm too busy freaking out about what will go in the next issue. I am dressed in full armour, ready to fight the next battle in the War of the Relentless Publishing Cycle.
When it was just me at the editorial helm, my hair started falling out with the stress of it all. Now Galah’s editor extraordinaire Helen shares the load. In fact she carries more of it than I do. I keep a beady eye on Helen’s head in our weekly Zooms to make sure my regrowth hasn’t come at her hairline’s expense. She really does have lovely hair.
But even with Helen as co-pilot, I find it tricky to manage the feeling that there’s not enough: not enough stories lined up, not enough time, not enough money or energy or contacts, and on it goes. There’s always another issue to publish, another newsletter to write, another Reel to post, and with it, the sense that we have to grind and fight and accelerate to get it all done.
I know this is called scarcity mindset because I keep listening to podcasts that tell me it’s called scarcity mindset. I don’t want to have a scarcity mindset.
I particularly dislike the feeling of stories being something to “get”, as if they are a product when really they are people and their lives. I hate worrying if other magazines and publications will “get” them first, because I genuinely do want there to be lots of voices and platforms from or about regional Australia. And I really hate that meagre-minded feeling that Galah is only as good as its last issue and that we constantly need to keep churning stuff out or else shrivel up and die.
Is there another way?
For the first few years of my marriage it really bothered me that Ed was not into planning/buying/giving me presents. He wasn’t actively against it, he just always seemed to run out of time. My birthday would arrive, he’d realise he was too late, I’d get cranky or upset and we’d both feel awful.
