We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mitch Rafter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mitch below.
Mitch, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
When it comes to magazines in general, not just horror magazines, they all pump out magazines without a thought about innovation. When I first started my magazine I pulled ideas from other print media, such as comic books, trading cards, etc.. to help set my magazine apart from the rest. All of my efforts went into doing things the others didn’t and taking advantage of being a small independent magazine. This allowed me to do small print runs of gimmicky issues the others wouldn’t be able to touch. Creating coffin shaped magazines, scratch’n’sniff, gold embossed, 3D, and blood filled covers just to name a few. My mind has always been on bringing to life a magazine issue that I’d want to purchase. if your only thought is “what will other people buy” you’re not staying true to yourself and that will show in your product.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am at my heart, a creative entrepreneur who has been publishing an independent horror magazine for the last 11 years. From when I was a child I was always into print media, starting off with comic books, and later wanting to publish a magazine to write about all the things that I love. All my life it’s been about my passion surrounding the things I love, and connecting with others who share that same passion. There’s no easier way to bring people together and make connections than with a magazine, which at it’s heart is a stage for people who might not have had the spotlight otherwise, or at least that’s how I treat it. There’s something different about printing a tactile magazine that people can pick up and read, find in a store, and physically feel. It makes it so much more rewarding for those that I get to feature, when they can show off a copy of the magazine that they’re in. The other side of things is vending at horror conventions where I get to recharge with all of the kind words that customers and future customers shower me with.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Social media is a huge resource in our modern world to help show your possible customers what your “brand” is all about. The ability to post photos and videos on Instagram for example allows people to feel like they’re part of the family as they follow you through the years. There really is no substitute for face to face time however, and going to conventions and throwing our own events has been a great way to take the time to show our fan base what we are all about.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Print costs have never been cheap and for a small magazine, it’s even harder. I, unlike some folks, did not grow up with money and I had to fund our first issue with presales, and the investment of a few close friends who believed in what I was doing. Over the years I’ve utilized crowdfunding, presales, as well as, friends and my own investments. It really does take a lot of people to put something like a print magazine together and I couldn’t have done it without all the people who I call my friends and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: gorenoir.com
- Instagram: @gorenoirmag
- Facebook: facebook.com/gorenoir
- Twitter: @gorenoirmag