Chickweed's Future.

^Above is the mix enclosed with ISH8 of Chickweed called "liveTHROUGHthis"

Recently a woman paid me $20 to reprint each of the thus-far ten issues of Chickweed, my zine. Today I spent all day re-burning mixes, re-dubbing cassettes, and reprinting the zines. It took HOURS. I did it wrong. It cost me an ink cartridge, 6 blank CDs, a blank cassette, and $4 in last-minute printing costs at the library when my printer ink ran out. When I take the package to the post office it will likely cost at least 6-10$ to mail them. I discovered ISH5 is missing. It was the one printed right before the tornado...maybe it was in my car or sitting out in my office or next to my destroyed typewriter? I've never done a second printing before. I figured it would be easy to just print one copy of each zine. Nope. Not easy at all.

I decided I won't be doing this again. I'll likely eventually scan in the originals and post them here so they can be viewed digitally whenever anyone wants to see them.

I've saved a lot of money since July 2014 when last I printed a zine. Each issue's costs look something like this:

*photocopy: 80cents
*blank CD: 50cents
*CD holder: 10cents
*mailer: 10cents
*cardstock for cover: 5cents
*mailing costs: 1.50

So each copy costs me about $3 if I have to mail it, $2 if I don't. I usually print 50 copies of an issue...so yeah, each issue costs me around $125 all told. AND I get half off copies at the library. It's just not worth the money anymore to make the zine.

Also, I haven't made one since July 2014, which is when I started Mixtress Radio. It seems my radio station has taken the place of creative outlet that the zines once occupied in my brain. I'm really glad I made Chickweed and I'm really happy I saved an issue from each original printing for myself, but this blog costs me NOTHING and reaches more people. The radio show costs me roughly $1.50 per week and I can say more and play a LOT more music, every WEEK.

I'm not saying I'll never make another issue of Chickweed, but I don't see it in my near future. Sad to see her fizzle after only ten issues, but she served her purpose and she's there if I ever need her again.

Thought I'd let y'all know, in case you miss Chickweed. I mean, if someone raised $125 for me to make an issue, I'd start it Friday afternoon but it just costs too much to do when you're a broke ho, ya know?

Self-Promotion

I'm kinda terrible at it. I do have a few things that I'm doing with my creative life. I feel kind of good about the things I'm doing. I realize that the name Mixtress Rae is in like a LOT of places (and it's all ME!), but I don't really tell people about it. I am actually starting to get a few followers in some of these places.

Today is a day in which the output of words I type feels juvenile, like the words I typed years ago. It's a regression day, but I still need to get my words in for April's CampNaNoWriMo, so I type on. I need to get about 1500 words a day the last three days of the month to hit my goal. That's a LOT, if you want quality...but wait, I don't do QUALITY work. Pfffft.

I'm going to use this opportunity of having no desire to think about the damn TV shows, just for one day, to get some words in promoting myself. Without further adieu/word dribble, I give you...the places on the internet that MixtressRae hath infiltrated:

Instagram: instagram.com/mixtressrae
     {Did you even know Instagram has a website now?!}

Facebook: facebook.com/mixtressrae
     {Ok, a small informational statement on Facebook. I kind of hate it. I mean, I love how useful it is and that everyone is accessible and everything, but there's just something icky about EVERYONE being at the same site all the time. I feel creepy using it sometimes. I'm a child of the '90s! I want to hide behind my username in vampire chat rooms, gawwwd! Ok, that's really just too much information. What I really mean to say is that for some strange reason Facebook repulses me so I don't use it that much. I deleted it from my phone a couple of weeks ago. I do still have the messenger app, however, so if you ever need me to see something on Facebook, MSG it to me and I'll get it.}

Tumblr: mixtressrae.tumblr.com
     {Tumblr is the place that I spend most of my online-time. I don't post a lot of original content here, but I reblog cute gifs of kittens and feminist rants a lot.}

YouTube: youtube.com/user/mixtressrae/videos
     {This is where I'm posting my ASMR videos. I've made a deal with myself that if I don't have 25 subscribers a few days after posting my tenth video, I'll stop. I've got three more videos to shoot and only have 19 subscribers. If you please, check out my channel and subscribe if you like it. Thanks!}

Last.fm: last.fm/user/mixtressrae
     {This is the place where you can see ALL my music stats, almost everything I've listened to in the last 4 years! What, that doesn't sound exciting to you? Why not? I wanna know what YOU listen to! Seriously, if you have a lastFM, tell me!}

I also have a zine called Chickweed. You can submit entries for the next issue until about May 15th via mixtressrae@yahoo.com. I don't yet have a theme...I think the next one will be a lot of ranting and vadge-talk, as per the usual. The next issue will be out June 1st! Yeayyyyy! If you want to give me money for the production of my zine, there's a PayPal donate button to the right somewhere.

Ok, self-promotion over!