These threads are why MNSpeak can be the bomb. For my three cents, Industry is one of the better reads around town. The topics are always clever and relevant, and it’s great to have profiles on the people around town who are up to cool things.

I hear what NYer is saying about coherence, but I also appreciate the different areas that Industry tackles. Also, copyediting is always good.

*You did not see the worth of a copy editor after having one on staff for five issues. It took a message board full of dissenters for you to notice your error in judgment. Basically, you were taken back, in the span of one issue, to the level of polish in Issue 2. To me that sounds like regression, not learning, and to me it’s unprofessional.

*You failed to respond to my e-mails from Glasgow, all of them (four) asking for your attention. You passed this off in your above response as simply your own sage decision to unbind me, so to speak. Uh, no. Either you can’t work your e-mail program, which would fall under the category of “incompetent,” or you consciously chose to ignore and bury my inquiries–this is “unprofessional.” I guess I’ve got you wedged here.

This, for the people still reading, is criticism. It’s not a discussion. It’s my experience. I suggest, Tricia, that you not rebut. Last time you rebutted, without any reason to (other than that knee-jerk I spoke about) and you now have no legs to support you. I wasn’t trying to break you down, just inform, as I said. With that, I’m leaving this board.

I think that maybe the hyper-slickness of the images (mostly the photographs) is tonally at odds with the writing. Perhaps that is why the writing caused such a commotion in the earlier comments on this site. For me, the writing wouldn’t be an issue if the images had some quirkiness or were a little “de-slicked.” Alternatively, if the writing were as polished and suave as the photographs it would also be less jarring. As it stands, the photography feels so glossy relative to the text that it feels like either one or the other is somehow disingenuous in its intents and message.

I guess ultimately my comment is that I would like to see Industry work on creating a vision that is cohesive in voice, image, and ideology.

I wish everyone at this publication much luck and look forward to seeing future developments.

Thank you

I also want to add, having been in the similar position of starting a new publication, it is HELLISH — so PLEASE, let’s cut a little bit of slack here. Nobody is claiming perfection, but there are certainly people out there who are TRYING to achieve it, or at least something close.

I’m getting pretty tired, in general, of hearing everyone bitch and moan all the time. It’s so easy — and such a cop out. Try something constructive! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for constructive criticism — but please consider the efforts as well. After all, what has been taken from you? How have you been betrayed? Is it wrong for someone to want to offer something different — even if it’s not yet the best that it can be? How much did you pay for the last issue, that you have the gall to be so offended. Should we begin to tear apart mnspeak — or all the blogs out there — because every aspect doesn’t meet our lofty demands? Let’s put things in perspective people!

If you’re even thinking of doing a seminar with your writers, which I used to regualrly do with my writing staff, who were similarly inexperienced, I would be happy to help. I can be emailed at hipminnesota@gmail.com.

1. Cristina has offered to help with copyediting. Which we have taken her up on.
2. We’re in the process of fixing the website so it appears clearly and readable on any computer screen.
3. We are investigating why the rotating pictures include only women from our fashion spreads, and are missing the rest of the photography we originally intended to have in those spaces.

I do feel the need to speak on here now, because I feel that Andy has stepped a bit out of line in calling us “unprofessional and incompetent.”

What we go through every two months to put out this magazine is more difficult then anything I have ever tried to do in my life. All nighters? I can’t even being to tell you about the endless nights Aime, the art director, and I have stayed up to get this magazine to print. But we do it because we love it. And as you can see from some of the magazine contributors who have posted on here, they do too. We are constantly changing and learning, and mistakes we have made in the past are being worked on. If we’ve accomplished anything with this magazine, it is the ability to learn and improve. In communicating with Cristina, I laid out our timeline, so that she is aware of the amount of time we have. I have tried to be sensitive to her schedule and make sure that no matter what, her helping us does in no way inconvenience her. I think her past experience makes her fully aware of time crunches when going to print. I think it was a low blow to rule out the chance that we may be trying to do things differently since you moved, Andy.

I apologize for the imperfections in the magazine, and any stress I may have caused anyone who has dared “wade near the wake of Industry.” I don’t remember ever being unkind or ungrateful to you, Andy. I appreciated everything you did for us. I didn’t keep you involved with the magazine when you moved because I did not want to burden you, working on your masters. Given our issues with time and doing things last minute, (often not by choice), it probably wouldn’t have worked with you across and ocean and time zones away. From your post, it seems like you are better off without us.

The bottom line is this; everyone who works on this magazine has a life and a job outside of the magazine. Articles and photo spreads are often not turned in on time, as people are busy. It’s hard to demand much more when you don’t pay them. My art director works around about five other freelance jobs and a part time job. We don’t have an office, and the entire magazine is produced on my designer’s tiny Mac laptop. We’re doing the best we can. I hope that’s better then not doing it at all. We don’t claim to be anything we’re not. Cut us some slack. We’re trying. I appreciate the support we have gotten from many of you, and I appreciate the criticism, it’s helped motivate us to improve further. Is what we are doing so wrong? Does every new publication ooze with professionalism and endless resources from day one? I know I have heard somewhere that every great accomplishment is a series of mistakes. Or something like that.

Hopefully someday we’ll be able to please everyone. And possibly make some money. That would be nice.

Tricia Heuring
Editor-In-Chief
Industry Minne-Zine