Visiting Professional: Liv Sidall

Liv Sidall is a writer, editor and content producer working across print, digital and radio. She is the former editor of Rough Trade Magazine and host of Rough Trade Radio, and also online editor and features editor at It’s Nice That. Liv is now freelance and a contributing editor of Riposte Magazine. 

She has written for the likes of It’s Nice That, Riposte, Printed Pages, AnOther, Dazed, The British Journal of Photography, Mr Porter Journal, Grafik, Freunde Von Freunde, Amuseum, Beyond Magazine, St James Correspondent, The Debrief, Gymclass, Rookie, SomeSuch Stories and many more.  Liv also record podcasts, give lectures and host events and panel discussions.

Notes

• Studied graphics at Kingston University - Someone on foundation said to do that instead of Illustration.
• Conflicted studying graphic design but wanting to illustrate.
• Interested in working with others.
• The course was too conceptual - Silly work.
• Just doing stuff and hoping for the best.
• Always looked at other people’s work.
• Into everyone else’s work, not own. 
• Passionate about others work.
• Considering interest in other people's work, course leader Zelda hooked her up with internship at It's Nice That.
• Stayed at It's Nice That for four years as an intern to the editors.
• Hosted events.
• Wanted to be a part of the creative world, but not making stuff.
• Liv quit and went freelance for 6 months, though found working alone lonely.
• Wanted to start own magazine, moved to New York.

Rough Trade Magazine

• Started work on Rough Trade Music Magazine.
• Record company Est. 1976/7.
• People coming together talking about records.
• Looking at music magazines in London.
• Inject fun into music magazine scene.
• What if a magazine was a person - Rough Trade customer.
• In older magazines - people could afford to be fun and have creative freedom.
• Film bands playing in the shop (Rough Trade) and interview them.
• Started a new radio /podcast for Rough Trade.
• Magazine - representing vibe of the shop.
• 5000 copies.
• 1000 budget. 
• Monthly, 64 pages.
• Bruce Usher - Designer of magazine.
• Good to make plan - refer and keep track
• Issue every two and a half weeks
• Templates - 10 albums a of the month.
• Serious doesn’t look as enticing.
• Horoscopes from bands 
• Illustrate by Adam Hicton.
• Agony aunt - Johnathan Richmond.
• Features building Up - structure.
• Brett Fandonbrooker.
• Staff picks.
• Tour documenting disposable cameras
• Art of musicians
• April this year - handed over to be guest edited by Mac De Marco.
• Staff didn’t want magazine. 
• Started to like and contribute. 
• Shop magazine.
• Involving them more.
• Made redundant August 29th.
• Cancelled magazine after issue 18.
• Some things (mags) don’t last forever - Lack of budget, Lack of time.

Advice

• Think about what you are really in to.
• What do you really want?
• Don't worry about what hasn't been done before. Do it anyway.
• If you run out of budget just do everything yourself 
• If you can’t do something, get someone else to do it.
• Ask for help all the time.
• Don’t worry too much about what you’re actually doing, just get on with it 
• Tire theory - people will want to help you more if they can see you having a go (like changing a tire).