We talked to Boris Maksimović, one of the creators and an editor of magazine “Talas”.
Can you explain our readers, what exactly is „Talas“?
„Talas“ is a quarterly magazine dedicated about creation and creators. When we say creators we don’t necessarily mean just artistic creation. Yes, we write a lot about books, music and art in general, but you can create much more, small family business, healthier life environment or something else. To us, every person dedicated to improvement of its own microcosmos is a creator. And we see ourselves as someone who will put their stories in the spotlight. Long story short, „Talas“ is a magazine that brings you inspiring and positive stories about those who struggle to make this world better. We don’t write about everyday politics, we don’t have not one inch of celebrity content and we absolutely avoid every form of defeatist point of view.
How did you come up to the idea of creating this magazine?
Almost accidentally. After I founded publishing house „Imprimatur“ I had some business to do in print shop „Grafid“ in Banja Luka where my friend and colleague Srđan Ivanković suggested me this project. That’s how it all began. He said he was contemplating the idea of this kind of magazine for a long time, but he needed an editorial figure. That’s where I jumped in. Together we decided which values we shall advocate, what exactly is our target group, frequency of publishing and many other things. I formed a team, talked to many, many people trying to bring them in and I managed to do that. Many people I appreciate shared our vision and contributed with their texts or in some other ways. Then there was the task of finding the funds. Microcredit company „Mikrofin“ decided to support us and that was the crucial moment. After that, we published the first issue of magazine and started with the promotional activities.
How many people are included in project?
Let’s say it’s around 15 people. Some people come and go, some contribute to every issue, but there are many outsiders who are not strictly part of the editorial team, but want to help and often manage to do it. They share with us contacts, advices, they try to help us with the painful task of gathering the money and many other things. They’re one of the reasons why this all makes sense. There is a lot of good people without whom it would be almost impossible to finish all that it takes to put the magazine in the hands of the readers.
What were the problems you faced during the initiative? If you had it all…
First and foremost, there is always the problem of funding. We are a new magazine and a lot of people still don’t know about us. On the other hand, there is a problem that many advertisers don’t see any future in print advertising. I know this is not just our problem. Every newspaper and magazine have the same problem but if you run an independent magazine with a lot of content dedicated to culture, this problem gets really big. For now, there are a couple of partners that helped us and really dedicated audience, but it is an open question what will happen in the future.
Source: TST
