OFF MENU #1

An honest look at what it takes to rebuild a print magazine

Editor's note: OFF MENU is where I share what doesn't fit in the magazine—the messy truth of running Edible San Francisco. Consider it the staff meal of newsletters.

The comedown is real.

Two weeks ago (the high): Crowds of people celebrating at our relaunch party and June issue. PR folks congratulating Edible San Francisco’s return. Hospitality greats literally reading our pages—not Instagram posturing of them just holding it. The cheers of “print isn’t dead” reverberate through clinking glasses.

This week (the low): me staring at a blank spreadsheet titled Fall Issue #72. Next issue due in 59 days. The impostor syndrome is accelerating.

Real moment: I ate half a container of roasted pumpkin seeds (my only source of fuel) while responding to 47 messages about our social media strategy. Leaving my desk feels criminal. Tried journaling, but my frantic penmanship irritated me. Stopped before the crash-out.

What they don’t tell you about being an EIC & Publisher: Everyone thinks the hard part is launching. Wrong. The hard part is Issue 2, when you have to prove that Issue 1 wasn’t a fluke. It’s choosing: pay writers or pay printers? It’s negotiating ad sales while your inbox is on fire. Hauling magazine boxes across the city. Do I show up polished (cool) or in sweats (approachable)? Still figuring out how to cash in that first-impression value.

The thing that keeps me going: Someone printed my editorial essay and pasted it outside their wine shop. Feels good, in an embarrassing way.

What I’m learning: Leaning into a creative void is the fastest way to punch through it. I’m empty now, but I’ve been here before. See you in 59 days.

—M

P.S. Fellow publishers, EICs, or anyone fighting blank pages—reply and tell me I'm not alone. And subscribe if you want to follow the journey.