Many of you reading this message know Instigatorzine as the best place to find Literature and Art in Jersey City (and eventually the world!), but to me and the rest of the IZ staff, it's been three years of hard work.
In 2012, we saw our largest, fastest growth in regards to exposure and content. Many new faces have joined and left our ranks, while past Instigators have returned to help us create the best magazine we can. And how can we forget the massive love and support we've received from the Jersey City! Surely IZ wouldn't be here without your warm embrace.
Of course, Instigatorzine isn't without faults. Throughout 2012, there have been schedule concerns with subscriptions. While it is inexcusable, our lateness is due to our small staff. Some members have had to juggle multiple responsibilities, and a tight release schedule didn't make things easier. However, like all mistakes and failures, we can find an opportunity to learn from them and perform better.
In 2013, IZ will shift to a subscription-only, quarterly schedule (March, June, September, and December--now you can hold us to it) to allow more breathing room for us to develop what will ultimately be a better product overall. We will be delivering exclusive content like limited-edition stickers, artist prints, writers' chapbooks, and a free digital copy to subscribers, offering more bang for your hard-earned buck.
Did we mention digital? You read correctly. Although we still love physical products, the future is here, and we're embracing digital. While you'll only be able to receive the physical magazine and all that awesome, exclusive, bonus content, you can still purchase digital singles through our new website debuting next month. What? New website? (I'm dropping bombs in this post!) Our new website will be fully functional and will be the primary source for all your IZ needs.
This shift in publishing obviously raises questions regarding our current subscribers who have yet to finish their subscriptions. Current subscribers will be “grandfathered” into the new system. This means if a person signed up for One Year (6 issues), they will still get those six issues beginning with the first issue they’ve received. I understand that some of our magazines have been late; I am addressing this conflict personally, since it’s fallen into my lap anyway. We want to make sure subscribers get the full value of a subscription with IZ. If there are any conflicts I have not mentioned in this message, please send me a message: narciso@instigatorzine.com.
With this year coming to a close, we're looking forward to 2013 and a mightier Instigatorzine. We couldn't have gotten here without your love and support. Thank you.
Happy New Year, INSTIGATOR!
-Narciso