Hello!
It’s been awhile since The Galvanizers was in action: almost to the year, if we’re being exact. For this, we would like to say a big fat sorry. Our hiatus was unplanned, caused by less-flexible commitments that demanded our attention. We figure we owe you a brief recap on what kept us away this year:
Bea moved to London to study Creative Writing & Publishing. “No worries! I can co-edit a magazine while doing a graduate degree!” she thought naively. When she arrived, she realized how little she actually knew about either and was thoroughly humbled. So she shut up, listened, learned, and wrote. She did publishing internships and attended book fairs and heard authors talk. She learned how to be part of a community of young writers from all over the world. She knows more now—well, more than she did a year ago—and hopes to use what she’s learned to get rich quick. Just kidding—it’s going towards The Galvanizers!
Isa’s year was one of exploration and taking chances. She collaborated with artists and other creatives, wrote for various magazines from Candy to Men’s Health, and organized events for Better Story Project. She traveled to LA and Europe and collected stories as souvenirs. Surgery in February made her re-evaluate her life and priorities, so she took a break from the multiple teaching positions she held. After three months, she returned to teaching for what she calls “terrible but practical financial reasons” which were not terrible at all but completely sensible. She is learning to take her time with the journey of self-discovery.
So where did that leave the magazine? Throughout this time our third issue lay waiting on the back burner, two-thirds complete. Its contributors have matured and grown creatively since writing their pieces. We’re not saying that just to pay lip service, but because we’ve seen it happen in person and online. They published stories, grew in their professional fields, and took risks. As a result, their essays might feel like snapshots from the past now, but they feel as honest and meaningful as they did the day we first read them.
So, our first issue back will be our original planned third issue, Stuck/Unstuck, with all the essays that should have been in your hands sooner and a couple new ones at that! With the new issue will come a few changes.
1) Rolling Schedule
Perhaps the biggest change is that The Galvanizers is moving to a more frequent posting schedule—ideally two to three times a week. While we love the idea of dropping a complete issue every month (one reader described it like a present she could tear into in a matter of days ^.^;), a rolling schedule will allow us to deliver stories in a more consistent and timely manner.
2) Themes as Guidelines
We are keeping monthly themes, but they will act more as guidelines than rules. Features of a more general subject matter, or even recurring features will be considered for any issue, and this has been updated in the Contributor Guidelines as well.
3) More Blogging?
At the risk of biting off more than we can chew, we are hoping to cultivate a more active blog to accommodate smaller, shorter updates. We will see how this works out, given what we can do and where we hope to draw people’s attention.
That’s it for now. If there’s anything this year has taught us, it’s that you can and should take the time to do things properly—even if it means letting ideas slow-cook and simmer. We want to do right by the magazine, its contributors, and its readers. We are grateful for your readership and will happily take any feedback or ideas that you might have for us.
With that, we’re excited to move into the next phase of The Galvanizers and we hope our new direction will be worth the wait.
With love,
Bea and Isa
