Sunday, 11 May 2008
The good ship Fighters Only
I've titled my blog and monthly column for Fighters Only 'Notes from Ringside' for obvious reasons. As you would expect, it's where I spend quite a bit of time. I used to go to a lot of fights. Recently, I've been more selective over which events to attend, simply because of the sheer number out there. It went from being one event every few weeks into one every weekend, and sometimes two or more on the same day. Being unable to split myself down the middle or send a golem type creature, I've had to send some of the many wonderful and very capable freelancers I have on my books in my place.This weekend there was a big event in the UK, namely Cage Rage's first foray outside of London, and I didn't go. I know this irked a few people, but I had my reasons. There was some pressing personal stuff that had to be dealt with that I simply couldn't put off any longer. Then there was some more, rather unpleasant, personal stuff. And, of course, there was work - always work - to be done.
As editor of Fighters Only, people expect you to go to certain events. I'm not just a glorified project manager - I'm a representative of the company I work for and the magazine itself. Quite often, if people don't see me, they don't see Fighters Only.
In the case of this weekend's Cage Rage, I sent two very capable up-and-coming freelancers to provide coverage. Between them they delivered the goods and met all expectations, but to people at the event, they may not have stuck out among the many journos in attendance. That's understandable. I've been around a while and people know me. Sometimes I'm conspicuous by my absence, even when there is nothing untoward in the fact I'm elsewhere.
So I was in the shower earlier and I was thinking over this subject, and the best analogy I can come up with is that Fighters Only runs like a ship.
As editor of the mag, I'm the captain. I'm answerable to my publisher, the admiral of the fleet, who makes the large-scheme strategic decisions and assigns me 'missions'. I'm responsible for the safety and smooth running of the HMS Fighters Only, while coordinating all aspects of our ongoing mission.
As captain, I have a wonderful team of people I reply on, everyone from trusted lieutenants to deckhands. We all play a part in the running of the ship, and I keep an eye over all of them as we sail the sometimes choppy waters of the MMA world.
To steal a geeky quote loved by Star Trek fans, you don't put all your officers in one shuttle craft. This is another way of saying don't put all your eggs in one basket, but at the same time, it could also mean that you don't have to send a team of ranking personnel when there are other equally capable individuals able to
perform the same task.
As editor, I can sometimes feel obliged to go to certain events for the reasons stated above, but what I've learned is that I don't always have to be there. By delegating the coverage of Cage Rage to others, I've managed to get loads done this weekend, tasks that would otherwise have built up and threatened to overwhelm the fragile balance of things.
And so the ship sails on...
posted by Fighters Only Mag Editor at Sunday, May 11, 2008 << Back To Main Page
1 Comments So Far:
On May 13, 2008 2:43 AM,
Patrick said...
"I've always enjoyed what goes on behind the scenes of anything creative whether they be publications, broadcasts, live events and such. Without a doubt, being editor is an extremely busy job. Thanks for the glimpse of what it takes to be the captain of a fine ship."
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