On Spec would not be able to publish new fiction and poetry without the support of our Cultural Industries grants from the Alberta Media Fund, Alberta Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women. If we were to charge our subscribers the true cost of production, the price of a copy would be out of reach for most readers.
This is the time of year when our grant application has been submitted, and we wait to learn the jury’s decision. Will we get enough to produce the magazine in 2025? This will often depend on government’s changing attitude toward the arts, the available budget, the number of eligible applicants, and even on the tastes of the juries of any particular year. We have been grateful for the ongoing support, but it’s not always a given. We can’t be complacent.
We also depend on, and appreciate ongoing monthly and annual support from our generous donors. You can join them by making a small monthly donation–even the price of a cup of tea or coffee will help to sustain us, especially in the face of increasing costs of production and declining revenues from all sources.
On Spec has been a labour of love for a revolving core group of dedicated creative people over the years. We don’t take a salary from this, but there are always costs for production, distribution and marketing.
- We pay our writers and artists, designer, and printer.
- We pay the ever-increasing costs of mailing copies ,and the mailing service that prepares copies for distribution. (You thought we did the shrink-wrapping in the kitchen?)
- We pay for insurance, bookkeeping and accounting services.
- We pay for memberships in national and provincial organizations for magazines.
- We pay costs of marketing and promotion to other groups such as Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions and writers’ conferences. This can include the costs of renting a dealer table at a convention, even though the volunteer doing this is frequently paying their own costs of travel and accommodation.
- We pay for our online presence, as well as office equipment as needed.
Just imagine if we were to add salaries and wages for our editorial staff to this!
If you are subscribing to this blog, but not yet subscribing to On Spec, maybe you can buy a single copy on our Ko-fi page. While you read this, perhaps you can think of a friend or family member who could use a subscription to On Spec for a gift. Maybe you have a lot of followers on your social media, and the mere mention of On Spec with a link could bring some of them to our web page for a look. There are many ways you can help us, and the time is always now! And we thank you for your help.
While you are at it, you could write letters to your elected representatives and let them know how important it is for government to continue supporting the arts in Canada.
