Getting My Hands Dirty with Digs Magazine
So, someone asked me about “digs magazine” the other day, and man, that brought back some memories. It wasn’t some big, glossy publication you’d find at a newsstand, not at first, anyway. It was more of a… let’s call it an ambitious project I got roped into a while back.
How It All Started
It began, as these things often do, with a bunch of us just kicking around ideas. We were all pretty passionate about, well, “digs” – cool apartments, weird houses, DIY projects, that sort of stuff. We thought, “Hey, why not start our own online thing?” And just like that, “digs magazine” was born, or at least, the idea of it. I remember we gathered in my friend’s cramped living room, all excited, and we brainstormed for hours.
The Nitty-Gritty: What I Actually Did
My role? I guess you could say I was a jack-of-all-trades, master of absolutely none. Here’s a rundown of what I remember doing from the very beginning:
- First, I volunteered to tackle the website. We didn’t have much cash, so I dived into researching free website builders. I spent ages just trying to understand the interfaces. I specifically worked on the homepage layout, trying to make it look somewhat appealing with the very limited tools we had. I uploaded our makeshift logo and tweaked the color schemes countless times.
- Then, I took on the task of gathering some initial content. This meant I called up friends and persuaded them to write short pieces. I went out and photographed some local spots I thought were interesting, even if my photography skills were pretty basic. I even set up and conducted a couple of short interviews via email.
- I also found myself “editing.” That mostly involved me opening submitted files, reading through everything carefully, correcting typos and grammatical errors, and trying to make sure the tone was somewhat consistent across different pieces. It was a lot more time-consuming than I initially figured.
- We even dreamed about a newsletter. So, I signed up for a free email marketing service and attempted to design a simple template. I remember struggling to get the images to align properly. I think I managed to send out exactly one test email to the rest of the group for feedback.
The Reality Check
Now, here’s the thing. We were all super enthusiastic, but none of us really knew what we were doing on a grand scale. It was a classic case of “too many cooks” but also “not enough chefs,” if that makes sense. Everyone had an opinion on the design, the content, the name… everything! We held meetings that often descended into friendly arguments.
Our “platform” was a bit of a mess. We started with one free builder because it seemed easy, then someone found an article suggesting another one was better for SEO, so we tried to migrate what little we had. Content was all over the place – some people sent Word docs, others emailed plain text, a few just shared Google Docs with weird permissions. I spent a lot of time just chasing down files and converting formats. It was like herding cats, digital cats.
We wanted it to look super professional, like those big-shot home decor magazines, but we were running on fumes and good intentions. I remember dedicating an entire weekend just trying to figure out how to embed a photo gallery properly. The online tutorials made it sound simple, but for me, it felt like rocket science back then. I clicked every button and searched every forum I could find.
So, What Happened to Digs Magazine?
Well, like many passion projects, it kind of fizzled out. Life got in the way, people got busy with actual paying jobs, and the initial burst of energy waned. I learned a ton, though. Mostly about how not to launch a magazine with zero budget and a team of well-meaning amateurs. I realized that having a cool idea is one thing, but actually planning, organizing, and executing it consistently is a whole different ball game.
I still have some of the old files and mock-ups somewhere on an old hard drive. Every now and then I stumble across them and chuckle. It was a fun, chaotic experience. And hey, at least I can say I poured a lot of effort into trying to make “digs magazine” a thing!
