Alt Scribe Is One Today – But We Need To Grow Up
At Alt Scribe, we’ve regularly marked album anniversaries so it would rude of us not to celebrate our own. However, just like how we critique other people’s art on its birthday, we’re not about to go all giddy just because of a date. Instead, we will be just as critical as ever and use today to improve.
Alt Scribe may be one today but we are still at the very beginning. If you’d have asked us a year ago where we would be now, we would surely say that we would hope to be bringing you news every day, interviewing all the breakthrough bands and providing you with so many interesting articles that you would struggle to read them all. But we’re not. Instead, I, Amy Jo as its founder, got slowed down by this bizarre concept previously unknown to my naïve eighteen year old self – real life. No doubt that it was the same thing that struck down our talented but time limited contributors who emailed in their dozens when the site launched, then understandably struggled as the months passed.
Thankfully, we have had the joys of Hungarian music coverage from the ever loyal and reliable Dóra Udvardi and regular retrospectives from David J. Lownds and David Handley to keep the site afloat but we can be so much bigger.
When you first start a website, the problem is that nobody is reading it. The problem with nobody reading it is that you lose interest in writing it, but then how can you gain readers when you’re not writing? That’s the vicious cycle I’ve found myself in. Combine that with studying for a degree, a part-time job and – to be frank – simply just growing up, and Alt Scribe has been more or less neglected by me. However, I promise to be a better parent over this next year. We have some great content and great writers and we will grow. Our second birthday will be a celebration. Why? Because here’s what we’ve got planned for the next year.
1.MORE WRITERS
We have great writers but we don’t have enough, nor do we have enough time. We want to become a better writing collective so if you want to write about anything at all to do with music, drop me a line at amyjo@altscribe.com or tweet me at @amyjosays.
2. LESS NEWS, MORE OPINION
Ok, so we probably couldn’t have any less news than we do right now but until we can cope with reporting more regularly, our focus is going to be on opinion pieces – rants, reviews and retrospectives. We have realised the internet is inundated with 1000s of music news sites and if you can’t be the best one, you may as well not be one at all. However, we still have voices that can be heard.
3. MORE BALLS
Honestly? A list of just two things seemed odd so I felt obliged to add a third… However, “more balls” is still a valid point as we want to cut any bullshit (not that I think we had any anyway) and stick to being honest and brave in what we write.
Anyway, Happy Birthday Alt Scribe – I’m sorry to lecture you on your special day but it is only because Mummy wants you to be the best you can be.
So thank you to all the contributors and readers. Stick with us for another year and we’ll make it worth the wait.
