The next issue of Magdalena Tarot Magazine is in review with Amazon as we speak. I’ve been reflecting as I wait for it to hit the digital shelves.

It is so trippy that I have a staff of 5. I’m already putting together the next issue of Magdalena Tarot Magazine and getting a schedule out to the team so everybody knows what is due and when. Look at me managing shit. haaaa. I’ve always been a lone wolf and never a leader so this is new to me.

Honestly this magazine has been nothing but pleasant surprises so far. Any obstacles I encounter from health emergencies to delegating tasks always work themselves out. And I really can’t say enough good things about my staff.

So I feel really blessed and I really do feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing with my life…

Putting out the magazine has brought back some distant memories — like when I tried to start a Save The Earth magazine in 3rd grade.

Or when my friend and I wrote “The D-Files”, embarrassing paranormal fiction inspired by the X-Files featuring people we didn’t like when we were 10.

I did put out several issues of a gender bending indie comic book with some friends in high school. I was inspired by Stephen King’s stories about the zine he ran when he was in high school, so I proposed to my two good friend that we run an indie comic. We printed copies on my friend’s grandpa’s printer, assembled them and distributed them around town at record stores. We also let several copies loose at school and lots of people read it. But we were quiet about being behind it because we clowned EVERYONE.

Then, my writing and entertainment aspirations crossed paths in Dubai when I was on study abroad in college.

I was offered a position as an editor of an entertainment magazine but it wasn’t time. I couldn’t come up with the money I needed to drop out of school and stay in Dubai. My parents refused to help and my boyfriend at the time was 100% against it. So I had to come home with my tail between my legs.

I did get to be an editor when I came back to my home college campus. I was the chief editor of the opinion section of my college newspaper. My column was popular and I got loads of hate mail I never read. But I was good at eliciting an emotional response from the student body. Lol.

Sadly, I couldn’t break into journalism so I shifted my focus to entertainment.

If you’re a woman, you have a shelf life in entertainment. So when I hit my expiration date, I went back to writing. I almost got published a few times but I refused to sell out.

It took a while to swallow my pride and go indie but when you have a big mouth and a lot of controversial stuff to say, sometimes indie is better.

So I guess Magdalena Tarot Magazine has been a long time coming … things work out when they’re supposed to I guess …

Now the next step: getting a grant so I can start paying my staff.

I think the primary things I want to ask for money for would be to pay my staff, distribution cost for hardcopies and money to pay for advertising. Luckily I have friends in the magazine industry who can help me outline a budget for a grant proposal.

It would be just a dream come true to be able to get a grant so that I can take the next step and pushing my promising baby publication forward.

No one is making any money off of this right now (including me) so I need someone to invest so we can branch out more.

My sister said that she thinks one day running this magazine will be my full time job. My sister is really insightful and she also makes six figures so I trust what she sees in the potential for what I’m doing.

The goddess knows I’ve had my fair share of setbacks, so I really love that my little magazine is already such a force. People enjoy it and look forward to it. The staff enjoys working on it. And I think that joy it brings to people is what is helping it grow so fast.

As always, thank you for your support 💖

Image courtesy of Bellawillow Photography