Great Book: Work/Life

Work/Life is a lovely directory of Canadian illustration and photography published by janine Vangool of the UPPERCASE gallery in Calgary, AB. What makes this directory different than other catalogues are the ingenious profiles and interviews with designers and tastemakers working in the industry. We find out what inspires them, how they select working partners, how to make a name in the graphics industry (be it magazines or otherwise) and more. Vangool says, "[Work/Life] delves into what fuels a creative life. Participants were interviewed about their creative focus and artistic technique...Sketchbook pages, studio shots, inspirational objects and personal photography allow us to peek into their work and their lives."

We found this an engaging and--dare we say it again--inspiring read...if you're interested in getting your own copy (which would be a nice addition to any creative office), visit the UPPERCASE gallery to buy online.

Call for Jury Members for OMDC Magazine Fund...

Application deadline: July 8, 2008 by 5pm

OMDC is seeking applications from qualified industry professionals for a jury pool for the OMDC Magazine Fund program. The program is adjudicated by three jurors comprised of two industry experts and one OMDC representative.

The OMDC Magazine Fund was developed to increase the financial viability of Canadian magazines from Ontario-based magazine publishers. Funding will be provided to support projects that have clear, objective and measurable results that will support the overall business growth of the magazine publisher.

Juror Responsibilities:

• Thorough knowledge of the program.
• Attend one pre-jury meeting to discuss roles and responsibilities of the juror.
• Enter into a Juror Agreement and a Confidentiality Agreement with the OMDC.
• Individually review all eligible applications received for the program as provided by OMDC.
• Assess each application based on specific program criteria and assign a numerical score accordingly based on the forms provided by OMDC.
• Attend one full day Jury Meeting with other jurors to jointly review the applications and determine final decisions.

Time commitment:
It is estimated that the reviewing process may take up to 50 hours, spread over a 4 week time period between July 11, 2008 and August 8, 2008.

Juror Requirements:

• Wide-range of experience in a senior position(s) in the Canadian magazine publishing industry: well-rounded experience essential;
• Maintain in strict confidence your role as Juror until after the adjudication process;
• Maintain in strict confidence all Confidential Information and take reasonable precautions against accidental disclosure of same;
• Not directly or indirectly use the Confidential Information for any purpose, except in the performance of your duties for the OMDC;
• Not directly or indirectly disclose the Confidential Information to any person, firm or corporation, except with the prior written consent of the OMDC or as required by applicable law, and
• Declare any conflicts of interest that may arise and / or indicate if you are associated in any way with any applicant company or principals of a company that is eligible to submit to the OMDC Magazine Fund program.

“Confidential Information” means all information (whether oral, written, in computer readable format or otherwise), data and material acquired by the juror from the OMDC or in connection with the performance of their duties for the OMDC.

Additional Information:
All application material is to be returned to OMDC upon completion of the review process.
The jury members will not have access to an applicant’s corporate financial statements.
Jury comments may be relayed to the applicant.

Evaluation forms and jury comments may be available through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

Juror names will be released once all decisions have been made.

Application Process:
To submit an application, please complete the online application form at www.omdc.on.ca under Programs > Apply To Be A Juror On OMDC Programs > Application Form For OMDC Magazine Fund. You will be asked to upload your resume into the document.

OMDC is grateful for your interest in participating in this important process. It is anticipated that a substantial number of industry experts will respond to the Call for Application. In light of this, only those selected to serve in the 2008-2009 cycle of the OMDC Magazine Fund will be contacted.

More Information
For more information contact Matt Hilliard-Forde, Program Coordinator, Industry Initiatives
Phone: 416-642-6632
Email: mhilliard-forde@omdc.on.ca

Excellent Vancouver WOTS By Wire Offer From BCAMP...

Calling all magazine publishers!

Are you interested in gaining some profile at Vancouver’s The Word On The Street festival but are located in another province and/or can’t afford to staff a booth all day? Are you already exhibiting but wish there was some way to get your publication more attention elsewhere on site? Here are a couple of new programming initiatives to profile and promote Canadian magazines at Vancouver’s favourite bookand magazine festival on Sunday, September 28, 2008:

MAGAZINE LIFE Tent

A large event tent with stage/mics and seating, thisvenue will feature demos, presentations, performancesand more all day. We’re looking for twelve 25-minute events* that demonstrate what’s exciting, unique andinteresting about Canadian magazines. From gardening advice and dance performances to fashion shows and how-to demos, we would love to see a contributor to your publication show-and-tell the audience what makes yourmagazine a must-read.

You get:

• Promotion in our official program (20,000 copies around Vancouver through Starbucks, libraries andbookstores and on site) as well as our website and on-site signage. Our publicist will be looking for ways to promote WOTS events so there’s the potential for prefestival exposure too.
• 25 minutes on high-profile stage at the Magazine Life tent, for your contributor/performer to talk up your magazine, perform and interact with the audience, as well as direct folks to your exhibitor booth if you have one
• $150 honorarium paid to your contributor/performer. All day long, they will also have access to the VIP Lounge for beverages and light snacks.

You provide:

• (pending approval) name, contact info, etc. of your contributor/performer to appear at the festival; for example, a gardening magazine might enlist a local gardener to demonstrate the best way to plant a container or bring a selection plants to discuss. The more visual and hands-on your event, the better.
• One free subscription to be handed out to a member ofthe audience at the end of your event
• Fliers with special WOTS-only subscription deal and/or sample copies for audience members to take home (min.50 please)

STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN

We’re bringing it to the streets with poetry readings and more to showcase Canadian literary magazines. At scheduled times, throughout the day, at two mini-stages on site, we’ll bring literary performers face-to-face with festival-goers. This is not for the faint-of-heart. We’re looking for outgoing, outrageous and outstanding talents who will make passers-by take notice. Music and/or props encouraged but not required.

You get:

• Promotion in our official program (20,000 copies around Vancouver through Starbucks, libraries and bookstores and on site) as well as our website and on-site signage. Our publicist will be looking for ways to promote WOTS events so there’s the potential for prefestival exposure too.
• Two 12-minute sets (one on each mini-stage) for your contributor/performer to talk up your magazine and perform (e.g., reading directly from your publication, cover out to the audience), as well as direct folks to your exhibitor booth if you have one.
• $150 honorarium paid to your contributor/performer. All day long, they will also have access to the VIP Lounge for beverages and light snacks.

You provide:

• (pending approval) name, contact info, etc. of your contributor/performer to appear at the festival; forexample, a popular performance poet or a fantastic speaker with something interesting to impart.
• One free subscription to be handed out to a member of the audience at the end of your event
• Fliers with special WOTS-only subscription deal and/or sample copies for audience members to take home (min.30 please)

*Have an idea that will take more time than 25 minutes or require more than one person? Let’s talk! If we think your staged event idea will attract an audience, we’re open to ideas.

Contact Liesl Jauk at 604-632-9910 or liesl@rebuscreative.com by Friday, July 11, 2008.

FUSE Launch July 3, Toronto...

Fuse Magazine and Toronto Free Gallery present:
THE FUSE MAGAZINE LAUNCH PARTY for Cash, Culture and the Ethics of Equilibrium
Thursday, July 3rd
Doors Open @ 8:00 pm till late
Admission: $5- $10 (includes the current issue hot off the presses)
Location:Toronto Free Gallery
1277 Bloor Street West

DJs Isabelle Noel & Winnie LukA Raffle! Sponsored by Grolsch beer!

Fuse Magazine is proud to launch our summer issue: Cash, Culture and the Ethics of Equilibrium, which considers critical questions about how we value culture. In this issue:Seth Porcello considers the implications of CRTC regulation enforcement on a Vancouver community radio station and the sometimes arbitrary nature of Cancon policies. Mark Campbell considers the historical constraints of colonial geographies and economic systems. Diana Sherlock interviews the Demos Institute's John Holden on the Valuing of Culture in a climate of Neo-Liberalism. Reviews by Heather Igliorte, Deb Kirk, Tomas Jonssonand Milena Placentile. Short Fuse: Art & Virtue by Chris Gehman. Artist projects by Rocky Dobey and Alejandra Labastida.

Geist and SFU Presents Web 2.0 Workshops...

Geist magazine and the SFU Writing and Publishing Program are presenting one day of three workshops on using social networking tools to get your opinion heard. About Taking It to the Net, they say, "in our noisy, rapidly changing world it can seem as if one person’s opinion doesn't count, but the growth of citizen journalism and participatory media tell us otherwise."

Instructors: Shannon Rupp, Alexandra Samuel, Gary Shilling

When and Where:
Saturday, July 12, 2008 Listel Hotel, 1300 Robson Street, Vancouver
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

How much:
$99 per person (includes a subscription to Geist magazine)

OMDC Magazine Fund Deadline

The deadline for applications to the OMDC Magazine Fund is June 26, 5:00 PM. OMDC has launched a call for applications for the OMDC Magazine Fund. This program was developed to increase the financial viability of Canadian magazines from Ontario-based magazine publishers. Funding will be provided to support projects that have clear, objective and measurable results that will support the overall business growth of the magazine publisher.

Successful applicants will receive funding up to $25,000. Publishers may apply for one of several projects outlined in the OMDC Magazine Fund guidelines.

Please note that the program will continue to be a competitive process with the number and amount of awards contingent on total demand and the funds available.

TIMELINE

The deadline for applications is June 26, 2008 by 5:00 pm.

GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION PROCESS

Complete Guidelines and Application Forms are posted on the OMDC website (www.omdc.on.ca – under Programs / Content and Marketing Support / OMDC Magazine Fund). To link directly to this information click here: Guidelines and Application Forms.

For further information on this or any other OMDC program, please contact the Coordinator, Industry Initiatives at:
175 Bloor Street East, South Tower, Suite 501
Toronto, Ontario M4W 3R8
Direct Phone: 416-642-6632
Main Phone: 416-314-6858
Fax: 416-314-6876
Email: programs2@omdc.on.ca

www.omdc.on.ca

MagNet Feedback Survey

Did you attend this year's MagNet conference? If so, your comments would be much appreciated by Magazines Canada. Please take a few minutes to fill out our online survey. Thanks!

DCH Planning Cultural Olympiad

The Department of Canadian Heritage is currently planning a series of festivals to capitalize on the run-up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Between 300 and 400 different shows and events will take place in the Vancouver "corridor," showcasing Canadian culture, including magazines. The first festival is slated for 2008, with another happening in 2009 and then a major event in 2010. Magazines Canada invites its members to take part in this initiative by creating a magazine-themed event, the details of which will be planned in the coming months. If you are interested in taking part in the Cultural Olympiad, please let us know. This could be an amazing opportunity for art, literary and cultural magazines to raise their profile among Canadians and visitors, and there may be funds available for magazines participating in this promotion. Stay tuned--more information to follow shortly.

Big Changes to Magazine Pricing Proposed by CPC...

This member alert was just released by Magazines Canada:

To all members,

Magazines Canada opposes the introduction of "Distance-Related Pricing" (DRP), and believes Canada Post should delay these plans indefinitely.

The Facts
Each year, in June, Canada Post Corporation (CPC) decides the rates it will charge for magazine delivery the next year. For January 2009, CPC is planning to introduce "Distance-Related Pricing" (DRP) on all magazine rate levels including LCP. DRP exists currently only in the NDG category. The result: all magazines will pay more for the part of their circulation that is mailed out of province and nationally.

Based on the pattern set by CPC in the past 4 years, rates may increase by 4% in 2009. For magazines with significant "regional" and "national" distribution, the increases could be higher, perhaps as much as 8% for national copies as a result of DRP.

What is Distance-Related Pricing (DRP)?
Until now, the vast majority of magazines have been charged the same rate by CPC, regardless of the distance the magazine is shipped. This is just like mailing a letter. Today, it costs $0.52 to mail a letter, whether it is across town or across the country, and whether you mail it from Ottawa, Halifax or Prince George. With DRP, rates will increase depending on the distance a mailing is travelling. The proposed pricing structure would break down as follows:

Local: Distribution within a city/municipality
Regional: Distribution within a province (Exception: All distribution within Atlantic Canada originating from Atlantic Canada is "regional")
National: Distribution which crosses a provincial border

Earlier this year, CPC began showing the local, regional and national distribution breakdowns of your magazine on your Statement of Mailing. By reviewing your statement, you can determine how CPC is categorizing your magazine's distribution.

The actual rates CPC will charge in 2009 and the differentials between these rate categories are not yet known.

Magazines Canada's Position
Magazines Canada opposes the introduction of DRP and has asked Canada Post to delay these plans indefinitely. Our views are:

• This is a revenue grab; DRP is just another increase. We do not expect DRP to be revenue neutral -- rates for "local" are not likely to go down.
• DRP runs counter to Canada's cultural policy which seeks to provide access for all Canadians (no matter where they live) to Canadian magazine content.
• Both Canada Post's mandate and the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) are under review. CPC should not move unilaterally with substantial pricing policy changes prior to the completion, within the next year, of both these reviews.

What Can You Do?
1. Do the math. Consult your CPC Statement of Mailing to determine the breakdown of you distribution by local, regional and national.

2. Write to Canada Post and let them know your point of view. Contact:
Ms. Moya Greene
President and CEO
Canada Post Corporation
2701 Riverside Dr.Ottawa, ON
K1A 0B1

3. Copy your letter to the federal Minister responsible for Canada Post. Contact:
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon
Minister Responsible for Canada Post
Place de Ville, 330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5

4. Send Magazines Canada a copy of your letter to the address below.
425 Adelaide Street West
Suite 700
Toronto, ON M5V 3C1

5. If you have any questions or comments, please email us!

Musicworks and EMF Present Birdcage...

Musicworks is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a very cool event, produced with EMF. Happy anniversary, Musicworks! What better way to commemorate the passing of time than a concert of music by John Cage? Details below....

CAGE MATCH
Featuring John Cage's BIRDCAGE & HPSCHD

Be in the audience of freely moving people or relax in the balcony or lounge.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
OCAD AUDITORIUM 100 McCaul Street, Toronto, ON

7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Bird Cage

8:00 - 11:00 p.m. HPSCHD

Admission is $20 at the door

The evening features original Cage collaborators Joel Chadabe, (sound), David Eisenman (visuals) and Donald Gillies. Musicians include Eve Egoyan, Marc Couroux, Casey Sokol, Tania Gill, Gregory Oh, Gayle Young, George Boski, William Blakeney, Robert Wheeler (Pere Ubu), Bob Doidge, Amy King and more. The complete presentation will last for 4 hours, but visitors are invited to come and go at will, something Cage, no doubt, would have approved of.

World-renowned composer John Cage (1912-1992) composed BirdCage in 1971, working with Joel Chadabe, the founder and president of the Electronic Music Foundation. Cage's composition consisted of 12 half-hour tapes with three tracts of recorded sounds: the chirping of birds in aviaries, the electronically treated sounds of Cage reading words from Henry David Thoreau's ''Walden,'' and fragments of found sounds and ambient street noise. In ''performing'' the piece, Cage operated a matrix mixer to select from the various tapes at random. Joel Chadabe has prepared a ''spatialized, new realization'' of the work for a digital age in which a computer software program continually, and randomly, selects from the recorded materials.

HPSCHD, by John Cage and Lejaren Hiller, is arguably the wildest composition of the 20th century. Big, brash, exuberant, raucous, a performance involves hours of ongoing high-level intensity. The sound is a mixture of seven amplified harpsichords playing computer-generated variations of Mozart and other composers along with 51 computer-generated tapes playing what could be off-tuned trumpets sounding some musical charge. The thousands of swirling images, overlaid and mixed, of abstract shapes and colors and of space imagery from slides and films borrowed from NASA, create a chaotic riot of shifting form and color. Visitors can peruse a small gallery of the historic Fluxus posters and artwork created for the debut performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May, 1969.

For more information about the event, contact Gayle Young of Musicworks.

Distribution Meet 'N' Greet...

A breaking news item from Magazines Canada distribution to its clients:

Have a Beer With Your Distributor!

WHEN: Thursday June 5th at 7pm, following the MC Volunteer of the Year reception at MagNet.

WHERE: The Village Idiot Pub (23 beers on tap including Boddingtons and Bud Light)
126 McCaul Street at Dundas. (5 blocks west of MagNet, across from the AGO)

RSVP to Chris Chambers, Manager, Retail Accounts if you have a moment.

Plan Your Business and More at MagNet...

Spots still left in these great sessions!

Unless you're totally out of the loop, you'll know that every year, Magazines Canada presents MagNet: Canada's Magazine Conference. It's the country's largest consumer magazine conference and offers dozens of seminars, special events, celebrations and policy discussions, all of interest to the magazine cultural industry.

Now. At this point, many sessions are starting to sell out, but several have lots of spaces left, specifically a few of interest to independent magazines:

Business Planning Essentials
Volunteer Management
How to Manage Your Workflow with Open-Source CMS
Buyer Beware: The Growing Implications of Fair Usage

Think about it! You'll definitely learn a lot from the marvelous presenters of these sessions, and what's more, you'll be at MagNet, meeting hundreds of your publishing peers.
Sign up for sessions today at www.magnet.magazinescanada.ca and don't forget to ask at the registration desk for a travel bursary form for magazines with circulation < 50,000.

Andris Taskans Receiving Lifetime Achievement Award...

Many, many congratulations to Andris Taskans, Editor of Prairie Fire, for receiving this year's Lifetime Achievement Award from the Western Magazine Awards. His award will be celebrated at the Magazines West gala, on June 20. (Tickets are still available.)

Magazines Canada salutes Andris for his incredible skill as an editor, and his devotion to literary publishing. Always a pleasure to work with, Andris is a fount of knowledge and a gem in our industry.

Incidentally, this is not the first award of this kind for Taskans, who was last year's Manitoba Volunteer of the Year.

Literature Officer Position at OAC...

Attention, Ontario-based literary types...the Ontario Arts Council is seeking a Literature Officer. Details available on the OAC website.