The end of Longberry

The time has come to formally shutter the short-lived publication that was Longberry Magazine. We started it as “an occasional journal of coffee”, with some strange ideas about not having any ads in it, and trying to pay people well (or at least better) for their work.

It lasted all of two issues, both of which I am proud of. Perhaps, prouder than I really have any right to be considering my contributions were so much smaller than my colleagues who edited and designed it. If I am honest, I found it frustrating that it never really managed to connect meaningfully to its audience. I was always surprised that it didn’t stir more reactions, more conversations, more thought.

It was never a viable business and was never really meant to be. It was a spare time project for three people with very little spare time. I will miss it, I will remain frustrated that it never really met its potential or found its audience, but I learned a lot in the process and more than anything I really enjoyed reading it. There was a part of me that wanted to dive deeper into why it didn’t work, why it failed – because I think those things are interesting and worth talking about – but it didn’t quite feel right. Perhaps saved until another time…

Thank you to everyone who supported it, bought it, read it, shared it and enjoyed it.