Ok, scratch that. This is actually The Real Life of an EIC/Publisher of a Black, woman-owned, indie magazine. Because those specifics matter. TL; DR: Issa lot. LOL.
I got the idea for Sesi one random night back in 1998. I was 17 years old, and I was lying on my bedroom floor, flipping through about half a dozen back issues of Seventeen, YM, and Teen People. Looking at all the covers, I realized there were very rarely any covers with girls who looked like me, same for the inside spreads. That's when a full-sentence thought went across my mind that said, "If nothing's changed by the time I'm done with school, I'll just start one myself."
I kid you not. That fully developed thought came out of nowhere. I was like, Ok??? I didn't even think about it again until I was about to graduate college. I wasn't ready to get a job, so I was looking at grad schools. But to study what? A full-sentence thought again. This time, "What about that magazine thing?" Seriously. This happened. I legit felt led to do this work, and no lie, I avoided it for awhile. I dipped my toe in for three issues in 2009-2010. Then, went all in in 2012.
A typical day for me begins with making my mug of chai -- I actually don't like the taste of coffee (I know, I know, ironic because this platform, but coffee is a metaphor here, so...). Then, I answer emails, edit, write, or plan out the next issue. Really, every day is different because since Sesi is an indie mag with no corporate backers -- just runnin' on donations and my three side-hustles -- so, I'm more than the EIC/publisher, which in itself is already two very different jobs: the lead of the creative side and the lead of the business side of the mag. I'm also a writer, proofreader, fact-checker, talent booker, accountant, copy editor, PR person, social media director, marketing director, ad sales rep (I try, anyway), fundraiser, and production director. (This is all on top of my three side hustles as a writer and proofreader.) Thankfully, we have a crew of three freelance designers, as well as a freelance photo shoot team, because design and photography are, as one of my BFFs would say, "not my ministry." 🙃
My favorite jobs? The editing and writing, obvi.
But let's run it back real quick to my ad sales rep role. I get sooooooo many questions about whether I've reached out to this company or that company. And Y'all. Yes. I lightweight guarantee you if you name a brand, I've reached out to them about advertising at some point over the past 10 years. And yes, even after hella major brands claimed they'd start increasing their spend with Black-owned media last year. A couple examples of what's gone down:
On a video call, Verizon told me, "We have a lot of money. We have the money [to advertise with you]. But we don’t do print.” I explained our data that 97% of our readers choose the print version over the digital option and actually pay attention to and take action on the ads in the magazine. Verizon then told me, “Teenagers don’t influence purchase decisions.” [insert eye roll here because are they serious rn?]
In 2016, a rep for Mielle Organics told me they were “only considering advertisement in mainstream print publications unless there are options to be featured in the magazine.” (Features are free publicity in a magazine. So, we're not as valuable as a mainstream mag to pay for advertising, but we're good enough for them to let us feature them for free...) I reached out to them again recently to see if anything had changed, but never heard back.
I do want to shout out Kinky-Curly, though. This is the ONLY brand that has advertised in Sesi consistently. They've advertised with us in every, single issue since 2018! They are awesome supporters and our readers have noticed -- and written in about how happy they are to see the brand in our pages and how they love their products.
I would list all the companies I've reached out to since 2012, but there are literally hundreds. But, if you're curious, message me and ask, and I'll give you the scoop.
Even with all the struggle, I feel blessed to be able to see this dream to fruition. I absolutely LOVE being able to provide the kind of magazine I longed for as a teen to teenagers today. But I can't do it alone. Community funding through sites like this one is crucial to ensure Sesi can stay in print and never have to shut down. It helps our team continue our mission of giving voice to Black teen girls in a media space where they are virtually invisible. It allows us to let them be seen, heard, and represented to the fullest. ❤️