Striking a Chord
Text by John Lampard
Word of month is not only a way of promoting an idea, it can also act as a catalyst for change.
When brothers Zac and Zolton Zavos of Sydney, first started producing their online newsletter Lost At E Minor in May 2005, it was as an email attachment sent only to friends. But as more people became interested in their project they realised some changes were necessary, say Zolton.
“Word of mouth started to spread pretty quickly and before long we realised that we needed to get serious about how we presented the content and how it was sent out. So Zac researched the most effective methods, and the template as it now stands was born.”
While Zac works as a consultant, and Zolton is editor-in-chief for national publications RIOT magazine, and Hot press magazine, they were both keen to find a project they could work on together, says Zac.
“There was a desire to do something in the online space. I’ve been a consultant for a number of years and felt it was about time I did something myself. Also, I wanted to do something collaborative with Zolt, who was feeling the same way about doing our own thing.”
The first online edition appeared in June 2005 and has been published weekly ever since. Zolton sources much of the newsletter’s content online, or through his magazine work, and they also receive ideas from artists asking to have their work profiled.
And although the emphasis is on providing recognition for Australian artists, they are also happy to feature international work, says Zolton.
“I’ve long been interested in pushing the talents of Aussie artists, photographers and musicians into areas where their work is not being seen. So we definitely have an agenda to concentrate on promoting good local talent,” he says.
“But we don’t limit ourselves here, and we get submissions for inclusion from literally every corner of the world including Russia, Africa, Europe, Asia and America. So that’s exciting for us to see first hand the reach of the newsletter.”
But the global reach of the newsletter is not the only satisfaction the brothers derive from publishing “Lost At E Minor”. Reader response is also important, given the amount of their spare time they devote to it, says Zac.
“Zolt and I put in dozens of hours each week into the newsletter, and there’s a certain satisfaction you get when you read the comments we get back,” he says.
“We’ve generated dozens of sales of art after we’ve featured an artist, we have people say how much they look forward to receiving the email each Thursday. And then there’s the enjoyment of just doing something which isn’t work, but is positive and fun to do.”
Going forward, Zac and Zolton would like to see greater interaction between their readers and the artists they feature. They are hoping to achieve this with the implementation of a Content Management System in the near future.
They have also recently started working a with a mentor, Jennifer Wilson, an experienced digital publisher, who is advising them on the strategic direction of “Lost At E Minor”, says Zac.
“We think our content is pretty unique, so when you have access to all this great talent, there are so many avenues you can take it. But we are focused on keeping our priorities in check and executing strongly.”
