What a long strange trip it's been...

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What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby Tomo » Jan 10th, '13, 17:32



I only realised last night that it was exactly ten years since I posted my first pitch for an article to a magazine editor. Two days later, he was on the phone offering me over half a grand to write it. Frankly, it changed my life forever. I left my job the following September. In the intervening years, I have been nominated for three journalism awards, and have won two of them. What a ride! If it wasn't for realising I could get out of network security and write about it instead, I'd never have had the time to get properly into magic and programmable electronics, and to combine the two with my love and knowledge of behavioural psychology.

So, if you're unhappy, unappreciated and thinking of doing something new, DO IT! THE VOICES COMMAND IT!

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby Mandrake » Jan 10th, '13, 17:39

Well done Jon! When my colleague and I took over and ran our own business it was a rough ride at times, even to the point of despair on occasions but always very rewarding. There is nothing better than being your own boss and now I'm retired I can enjoy the time and leisure which all those years or work made possible. If anyone's thinking of going it alone, make sure you know what you're doing as much as possible, have a solid base of support and help from professionals and colleagues alike then just go for it. You might blunder about and make a pig's ear of things to start with but it'll work out in the end.

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby Lady of Mystery » Jan 10th, '13, 17:53

Well done to you Jon, you've put the hard work in and deserve what you've got out of it.

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby Tomo » Jan 11th, '13, 11:27

I'd been happily pitching and writing articles for different computer magazines for a month or so when the editor who gave me my first break (Stuart Mitchell) just happened to be talking to the editor of the Linux Expert department at Computer Shopper magazine (can't call them columns, the real columnists get upset). The guy who wrote the copy for Linux Expert was sci fi writer Charles Stoss. He was leaving. Did Stuart know anyone to take over? Yes, me. The other editor is someone known to you guys, though at the time I didn't know he was a magician. His name is Simon Edwards...

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby MatCult » Jan 11th, '13, 12:03

Tomo wrote:The other editor is someone known to you guys, though at the time I didn't know he was a magician. His name is Simon Edwards...


Small world! 8)

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby DenmarkKilo » Jan 12th, '13, 19:29

Tomo wrote:I only realised last night that it was exactly ten years since I posted my first pitch for an article to a magazine editor. Two days later, he was on the phone offering me over half a grand to write it. Frankly, it changed my life forever. I left my job the following September. In the intervening years, I have been nominated for three journalism awards, and have won two of them. What a ride! If it wasn't for realising I could get out of network security and write about it instead, I'd never have had the time to get properly into magic and programmable electronics, and to combine the two with my love and knowledge of behavioural psychology.

So, if you're unhappy, unappreciated and thinking of doing something new, DO IT! THE VOICES COMMAND IT!


Congratulations, Tomo. I'm not far behind you and your 10 years of being paid to write stuff, only by a paltry 9 years and three months...

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby Ted » Jan 13th, '13, 00:16

Jon,
You were a breath of fresh air to the magazine. In contrast to some contributors (I won't say who), you actually knew what you were writing about. Commissioning editors like me find writers like you to be life-savers.
Glad to have helped, but also grateful for your work.
Simon (Ted) Edwards

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby mr invisible » Jan 13th, '13, 08:49

Nice post Tomo. And true words by you and Mandrake.. Sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns in this day and life?. Otherwise you will never know what lie's around the corner? This site really has got a mixture of characters from all walks of life. I myself have been a bio-medical scientist in Histopathology now for 15 years, and as a few of you know only started my business we R magic last April...Once again brings us back to grabbing the bulls horn? I never knew what lie's around the corner myself, but things are now just starting to pick up for me now, although have no plans to go alone with the business because it was always going to be a little side line for me, as my passion is Science... But I have given myself a little pat on the back for my achievements.. Anyway well done to everyone who has achieved that little extra in their life's, and hopefully will encourage others?
Regards Garry 8)

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby Tomo » Jan 13th, '13, 12:24

Ted wrote:Jon,
You were a breath of fresh air to the magazine. In contrast to some contributors (I won't say who), you actually knew what you were writing about. Commissioning editors like me find writers like you to be life-savers.
Glad to have helped, but also grateful for your work.
Simon (Ted) Edwards


Aw shucks. I as always terrified that I was really bad at it and used to pore over the copy for days before each deadline tightening it up. I used to wait a week before putting in invoices just in case I got an angry phone call or email rejecting it.

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby Jordan C » Jan 13th, '13, 13:30

Good on ya Jon. It's been a pleasure reading some of your articles and even being quoted in some of them. It really is true that the only way to know, is to do.

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Re: What a long strange trip it's been...

Postby Tomo » Jan 13th, '13, 14:18

Jordan C wrote:Good on ya Jon. It's been a pleasure reading some of your articles and even being quoted in some of them. It really is true that the only way to know, is to do.

It's just a pity that thanks to the internet, the market for print is shrinking so quickly. It was a real shock when PCW went under. PC Plus folding last year was also a shock, but all the titles are getting really thin now. Shopper was abut 350 pages when I started. It's about 160 pages now, and mostly reviews. Luckily, editors move on and remember their writers, but the days are gone when you could call your guy for a chat and come away with several grandsworth of new work. Diversification is the key. Always have a plan B ;)

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