On leaving The F-Word (again...)

Phones and fans, Florence + The Machine, British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 13th July

Back in February I made the decision to resign my music editor post at The F-Word.

On the one hand, this wasn't a difficult decision to make because the post is unpaid; everyone involved with The F-Word is a volunteer. But, on the other hand, I knew that I would miss the camaraderie of my fellow editors and writers at the site.

I originally worked as one of two music editors, alongside Holly Combe, between 2011 and 2013. I was then approached in 2017 in a solo capacity and asked to take on the role again but only for 12 months while the existing music editor took her turn as rotating editor. When she elected, after the twelve months, not to return to the role I was then asked if I wanted to continue on a permanent basis. I agreed but, even at the time, I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to commit for. My life was in something of a state of flux at the time so I didn't feel like I could make any long term guarantees.

The reasons I chose to resign (my actual resignation coming in May) were, essentially, because I felt as though I'd taken the role as far as I could. Because we are a site run by volunteers, and we don't pay our writers, attracting contributors can be something of a challenge. As a writer seeking paid work, I sympathise with writers who wouldn't want to write for the site as I've turned down unpaid work myself. From the editors perspective, it did mean that I was very reliant on my two regular contributors and on my own initiative. And this state of affairs did lead me to conclude, after a while, that what we really needed was new blood.

I re-vamped a few aspects of the music section while working at The F-Word this time, specifically, I introduced a monthly roundup blog post of interesting music news. The theatre section at the site has been running their own monthly roundup post for some time, and it seemed both useful and popular and, as such, something worth replicating for the music section. Due to the situation I outlined in the previous paragraph, it simply isn't possible for us to cover everything relevant to a feminist website that's happening in music land, so a monthly roundup seemed a good way to address those events and releases we were unable to cover in any other capacity.

Over time though, I began to really enjoy doing the monthly roundup post. I was also reading a lot of newsletters and, eventually, I hit on the idea of creating my own newsletter for and about women and the live music industry in the UK.

Hatchie fans, watching Hatchie, Yes, Manchester, June 2019

In another universe, I would have started a newsletter much, much earlier. Going back to 2002, when I created the first issue of my faction fanzine Harlot's Progress, I would have really liked to have done it as an email newsletter, not a fanzine. It seemed so suited to that format. Unfortunately, in 2002 newsletters weren't so much of 'a thing' and the software needed to create one was a lot clunkier than it is today, so it basically felt like a non starter.

Doing a newsletter in 2019 feels like I am going back to my DIY fanzine writer routes though. It feels outsider-y and slightly renegade, a lone wolf corresponding with anyone who cares to listen. Yes, I could one day monetise this venture by using tools and platforms such as Ko Fi and Patreon, but that's not going to happen anytime soon, if at all.

I released my first issue of the Sticks 'N' Strings newsletter in May. I deliberately chose to focus on women and the live music aspect of the music industry because this feels like the battleground for a lot of what women are facing at the moment, both as performers and as fans. You can read more about my reasons for starting the newsletter in an earlier blog post.

From a personal perspective, the newsletter gives me the freedom and space to write about issues that I find relevant and interesting as a music journalist, fan and gig attendee. I can write what I want in an organised but ultimately creatively unlimited way, I can publish it when I'm good and ready, and I don't have to waste hours trying to define a new and nebulous topic for the benefits of a series of editors who won't read my pitch emails anyway or, if they do, won't take a punt on the idea, or on me as a writer.

I will continue to pitch ideas to editors, just as equally as I will continue to write here and on Medium, but I like the structure doing a newsletter gives me, and I see it as an opportunity to learn new skills while still sharing the kind of information I was collating for the F-Word blog posts.

If you'd like to subscribe to the Sticks 'N' Strings newsletter, you can do so using this form. If you're not interested and are annoyed that I've left The F-Word, it's worth mentioning that I also write for Louder Than War and Get In Her Ears, and will continue to do so. Similarly, I'll continue to use this blog to signpost articles I've written elsewhere.