It's New Year's Eve and a few things are happening all at once in some amazing conflugerance (I don't think that's a word) of cosmic proportions. It's about three years since I realised I wanted to publish something myself. It was going to be a book about my friend Dan Walsh's moto-travel writing, but then he got picked up by a big publisher and offered a cash advance he'd have been insane to turn down. His book has been in the Top 10 non-fiction titles in the UK charts this year.
I love books, but I understand magazines so I spoke to Ben Part (a photographer who'd never designed a magazine before) about producing a magazine focusing on flat track racing and related street bikes. He came up with the name Sideburn and we started work. There was no business plan. It takes up too much time, but we're always happy with the results and people who buy it like it on the whole, so it spurs us to make another.
Then I came up with the idea of doing a blog to keep the Sideburn name in people's minds inbetween making the magazine, but professional pride has meant we want to post every day. And we do. Now there's a risk of it taking up valuable time we should be using for the magazine. And that's were the conflugerance comes in - today, New Year's Eve 2008, we will post our 500th post (this one) and have clocked up 100,000 clicks (according to Statcounter).
Thanks to all the visitors. Now please buy the mag, T-shirt, stickers...
Thanks and happy new year, GI
a happy new year and so good road under your wheels ;-)
ReplyDeleteHay guys keep up the good work...HAPPY NEW YEAR to ya both..!!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY NEW YEAR to you GARY & BEN AND YOUR FAMILIES FROM ze LASTchanceGARAGEdu78 & ze FATCLUB :)
ReplyDeletekeep on slidin' !
We're all the richer for what you're both doing. All the best for 2009-let's just slide those credit woes away!
ReplyDeleteKeep up to great work, guys!
ReplyDeleteI check your blog everyday and I often find sweet inspiration photos!! I hope to show the Ducati and the Harley Dirttrack on your blog during 2009! Cheers, Marcus
(www.marcusmotodesign.com) PS. Thanks Ben for your kind words on my V1000GT!
Right! Keep up the good work and don't worry if you miss a day or two on the blog, the mag is the money maker.
ReplyDeleteBest in the new year, tear up some dirt!
Keep it up lads. I'm full of admiration for both the blog and the mag, even if it doesn't always seem like it. It's a beautiful thing you're doing, here's to a great 2009.
ReplyDeleteHi G&B, happy new year and enjoy your dirty rides.
ReplyDeleteDear GI & BP
ReplyDeleteThank you for dusting off happy memories, blowing on the embers of a bygone sport, and calling to arms a nouvelle vague.
x Dee
I, for one, have been LOVING the ride so thanks heaps guys, keep going and have a great new year. 2.
ReplyDeleteI check your blog every day and I can't wait for issue no 3!
ReplyDeleteHave a great 2009.
/D
You say you don't know books? Seems to me you have been producing one without realising it. OK, so it is a collection of short stories and tales, but lots of authors do that very well, and make money. I always look forward to the issue updates on the website, only recently discovering the blog and its insights into a world I have never lived. The "magazine" brings me a bit closer to tasting the dirt, feeing the sting of it on my hands and face, and smelling the burnt hydrocarbons.
ReplyDeleteYou and Ben are doing a great job, please, both of you, keep finding the time for us. We need the read.
Very Best for 09, from my family and me, to you and yours.
Happy New Year, Gary and family. Love the mag, love the blog, and love you, man. You were right - I should have stayed independent. Punk rock and roll swindle smash-mouth and lolly-grab backfired and the book was soiled-stupid by big business bad faith and bullshit. We could have retired - instead I lined the pockets of gombeen men and snakeoil salesmen. Which is nice.
ReplyDeleteCan I post a pic? Full size image available for your blog if you like it - not a drift, but a great piece of Cuban design - ideal for this 50th anniversary of Cuban independence and self-determination.
Suerte, Dan Walsh
PS - Answer is 'no, i can't post a pic...
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s258/sandino79/562384758_76ed58075f_o.png
What does conflugerance mean? I was just thinking about a friend that writes stories- and heard the word- conflugerance. When I googled it I came to your website. Conflugerance- what does it mean?
ReplyDeleteUsually I never comment on blogs but your article is so convincing that I never stop myself to say something about it. You’re doing a great job Man, Keep it up.Hand painted Original Murals
ReplyDelete