First, and most important, Python Magazine’s premiere issue has been unleashed!
I love this business. Doing all of the negotiations, the communications with authors, coordinating with layout and contract people, web administrators, tech editors, and the like, can get pretty chaotic. It’s sort of like managing…. a tornado. And, like a tornado, one second you’re not sure you’re going to make it, and the next everything is just fine. Finally, at some time after midnight yesterday, I looked up at my TODO list and realized that Python Magazine’s premiere issue was complete.
I didn’t know what to do. “Do I just… go to bed or something?” When you do what we at MTA like to call “marathon editing”, the moment you stop you get this weird sensation – like the one you get if you go roller-blading for two hours and then take a walk immediately afterward. Your body has to get used to *not* roller-blading.
About the First Issue
So, the biggest news associated with this first issue is that it is completely, 100% free. That’s right! You can go download the PDF at will, sans payment of any kind. This is big news for a couple of reasons.
First, the magazine costs money to produce. We pay our authors very competitively, and there are also editors, layout/design folk, and other people involved in the production. The business plan for producing a magazine where people get paid for what they do involves selling that magazine to (at least!) cover the costs. The idea that we’re giving the first issue away for free is, if nothing else, a testament to our commitment to and confidence in the product, as well as our stability.
Second, giving away the first issue means anyone can get their hands on it, read it, share it, print it, leave it in the coffee area at work, and do pretty much whatever they want with it. This means more people will see it, and see what we’re going after, and give us feedback so we can make it better.
Third, of course, we hope it means more subscribers, so that we can have the support we need to make the magazine better, and to give more back to the community by providing more services and whatever else we can.
Participate!!
Please send feedback! I want feedback! We all want feedback! Send it to editors at pythonmagazine dot com
Also, write for us! Never wrote before? Don’t know where to start? No problem – drop us a line (editors at pythonmagazine.com) and let us know what your thoughts are, what you’re doing with Python, how it’s helped you, etc. We’re happy to help you develop the article idea, and get it ready for publication. If you’re intimidated by writing – don’t be. There are lots of authors who have already submitted articles to us who are doing really cool things with Python, have never written for a publication before, and their articles are being published – and they’re great articles!
Anyway, go get the first issue. Let me know your thoughts. 🙂