What are you up to in 2010?

I’m always loathe to write these sorts of things, but lately I figure why the fuck not. There are some cool things coming up this year, and it’s sometimes nice to share them.

So, what am I up to – in the short-term for 2010 at least? Here’s what:

• Re-focusing my business.
  For the past couple of years Brascoe has kind of cruised along without any real direction. Well, not no direction, but we’ve kind of tried to be everything to everybody, and it’s the first lesson in fail in business to do that. Given that I’m so one-eyed about critique, I’m thinking that one of the best things to do is to simply narrow everything right back to the niche. My goal is to produce great works of insightful critical writing, such as critical essays and works about criticism; to support the work of critics of all kinds locally and internationally.  BUT I want to do them as ebooks primarily, rather than in print (or rather, ebooks before print copies are produced). I want to be able to share the love and the information as far as possible, and ebooks seem to be the best way of doing that.

  The adjunct services that we provide at Brascoe, like self-publishing, editing and – increasingly – copywriting, will continue, but I’m even thinking of shaving these down to what we’re really fucking good at: editing and copywriting.

• Celebrating Metal as Fuck‘s first birthday this coming March.
  We’re gonna throw a party for the magazine’s birthday, and develop some nice little things to go along with it; I’m already talking to peeps about venues and dates, possible good funs. I’m also thinking right now of a limited edition MaF Annual, in print, hand-numbered, of the best works produced by the team in 2010 – from photographs to features and reviews. If nothing else, I want a copy for myself… and with the mag’s birthday coming up, we may as well do it eh? Plus the merch is on the way and lots of other exciting things besides.
• Participating in the 2010 Format Festival.
  Format is a DIY/artist festival that happens in Adelaide every year; it’s similar to This Is Not Art, which is held in Newcastle (NSW). In 2010, we’ll be present at the zine fair if I get my shit together, and I’ve been asked (and have accepted) to take part in a skillshare workshop (probably focused on online publishing) and sit on a panel (probably a panel on critique) during the books & writing program the day prior to the zine fair. I feel really very honoured and excited to be able to take part so actively this year, especially given I missed the November submissions deadline! Wow!
• Writing for a new street rag.
  Late in 2009 I was headhunted to write a metal column for a proposed new street rag that is planned to hit the Melbourne streets this year. Not only is it a metal column, it’s the Metal as Fuck column, or something similar. But, it will be about Australian metal, with gigs and etc focused on the Melbourne scene. So, I’m looking for news from Aussie bands!! Hit me up if you want to find out the best ways of getting your material to me.
• Working with Hard Rock Radio Live.
  Also late last year I got into talks with DJ WrathChild at Hard Rock Radio Live, the brain and entrepreneur behind the entire operation. As you may (or may not) know, HRRL is one of the foremost internet radio stations – I think it’s actually in the top five globally! So, if everything goes well, I’ll be hosting a metal show on HRRL this year: keep your fingers crossed for me. Additionally, I’m good friends with a band manager and publicist in Greece, DJ Painkiller, and it looks like I might be guesting on his show from time to time as well. That would be too awesome.
• Producing Music Journalism 101 course as an ebook.
  As you’d know from my previous posts, I’m going to be producing my course – for which I’ve had great feedback from its readers – as an ebook, free to those who want a copy, under a Creative Commons license. It’s given me great pleasure to write, and to hear back from those who read it and get something out of it, so sharing the information freely will be the cream and cherries on the cake for me. I’ll be blogging updates about this, too.

And so on. There’s other stuff going on, but it’s probably not that relevant here because it’s all to do with my personal life. And it’s not anywhere near as exciting as all the above.

But suffice it to say that big changes are afoot in all sectors in 2010, and from the way the year has kicked off, things are looking positive for me all round.

How about you? What are you up to this year, so far?