So, here we are. After months of planning, this will be the first article posted on Outloud Magazine. It’s actually kind of hard to believe that this has finally come to fruition! I’ve wanted to start a magazine since my first ever blog (and if you’ve known me a while, you’ll know there have been a few over the last ten years!), but this concept came to me last summer.
If you want to know more about our concept, check our about page.
I have known for a long time that I have a tendency to rush things, so I sat on the idea for several months before I dared to write anything down. It stewed patiently in the back of my mind, ageing like a whiskey, developing and growing every time a new idea appeared. It was like the ideas were coming to me, and not the other way around.
Outloud Magazine – Getting Started
Around September I started mentioning it to friends, but without a brand or even a name, it was nothing more than an abstract concept.
In October I opened the notes app on my phone and started to make a short list that eventually grew into the Notion teamspace we’re now working with.
November brought dark moments for me, but it also brought my birthday. I travelled to Birmingham by train from my parents’ home in Sheffield to have dinner with Zsofi, one of my closest friends. Before the dinner, we’d set ourselves a mission: to name the magazine. We were (unsurprisingly) unsuccessful, but something more interesting happened.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to write a food column.”
It instantly made sense. In the short time I’ve known Zsofi, I’ve probably tried a wider range of cuisine than I had in my whole life beforehand. And there I had it: my first columnist!
Things moved quickly from there, and by the end of the year we were a team of five. These people really have been instrumental in the development of this project in many ways far beyond writing articles. (Mostly notably in candid feedback and emotional support). I thought it was only fitting to give them each the introduction they deserve in the very first article here on Outloud Magazine.
Columns and Columnists at Outloud Magazine
Zsofi’s Corner (by Zsofi Elek):
Zsofi has already had a modest introduction, but there’s so much more to say! Zsofi was born and raised in Hungary but has also lived in Brazil, Scotland and Portugal, and now lives in England. I’m sure her love for moving around has inspired her passion for trying an endless list of cuisines and dishes, and I hope she never stops!
She also has an infallible passion for bubble tea, which I’m sure you will hear plenty about as her column develops. Zsofi is incredibly smart and very funny, and I really think her unique take on the culinary arts is going to be a hit here at Outloud.
My goal for Zsofi: to send her up and down the country on under-cover review missions.
Bea the Bud (by Beatriz):
Beatriz is a linguist currently studying for her master’s degree in Stockholm, and our resident sex and relationship columnist. She’ll be discussing the trials and tribulations of being overtly bisexual in your twenties and sharing her musings on stigma and shame in sex. She’ll also cover more serious topics from time to time, like contraception and HPV.
Amongst these insightful takes, she’ll also be sharing her most bizarre dating stories; buckle in for this, because it’s bound to be quite the ride. Think less Carrie Bradshaw, and more Georgia from Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
My goal for Beatriz: To get her on the PR list at LoveHoney. 😉
Lauz Explores (by Laura Nurse):
Laura is a budding British influencer, with one of the most aesthetically pleasing Instagram pages I have ever seen. (Seriously, I would put a link in here but then you’d never make it back to the magazine. Just kidding). There she posts mostly about hiking, climbing and the van conversion she is working on with her partner.
She lives in the Peak District, UK (which is where the incredible Instagram aesthetic comes from) and often shares local hikes and viewpoints. Occasionally she’ll post about her international adventures, which will be the primary focus of her column on Outloud.
My goal for Laura: to send her on an all-expenses-paid (by the brand) trip abroad to write me sixteen hundred incredible articles.
Ask Anything (by me and Hannah Bruce):
Hannah and I have known each other for less than a year. We met in a hostel in Brighton and instantly spent basically every day together throughout the summer of 2022. We mostly bonded over the latest series of Love Island and the sheer lack of romantic prospects in the local vicinity.
She now lives in Edinburgh, whilst I live in Lisbon, but we have cultivated a full-time long-distance friendship through insanely long voice notes (or love letters, as Hannah likes to refer to them!). I’m looking at my phone right now, and the last series of voice notes she sent me is a total of fourteen and a half minutes. And yes, this is one of those never-ending conversations that’s been going on since she came to visit me last August!
Although our status as advice-givers is entirely self-proclaimed, I can tell you from experience that Hannah gives the best, most thoughtful and un-judgemental advice. I’m really excited to work on this series with her so we can spread our (mostly her) wisdom further afield!
My goal for Hannah: maybe our own advice-giving podcast?!
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Going forward with Outloud
I cannot tell you how excited I am to get started on this project and give a voice to these talented people. I’d also really like to expand our team, so if you know any budding writers please send them my way! There’s more information here about becoming a writer.
You can write to me at isabella@outloudmagazine.com at any time, and not just about new articles. This magazine is designed to be collaborative, for real people, by real people. That means any ideas, suggestions, feedback and criticism are all gratefully received.
Welcome to Outloud Magazine; I hope you enjoy it. Over the next two weeks, all of our columnists will be posting their first articles. I’m so excited! You can check back here in a week for my update on how our first week as a published digital magazine went.
Speak soon,
