This is the kind of blog post I hate writing. I try hard to make sure all the i's are dotted and t's crossed when getting this publication together to go out the door to the printer. I have to do so much communication with the editorial team, authors, interviewees, sponsors, stockists, our printer, and the owners of certain images we’d like to publish. Then there’s a whole list of folks I am in contact with about merchandise and supplies ordering, taxes, bookkeeping, etc. Then the packing party adds a whole new dimension to the communication demands.
It’s usually just when I feel like I might finally have all things afloat that I realize I’ve dropped the ball somewhere. Sometimes it’s on friends.
A few weeks ago, I had to write an email with my tail between my legs to Mark Hicks, owner of Plate 11 Workbench Company. Even though Mark gave his enthusiastic “yes” to my asking about sponsorship, I failed to follow up and his listing was mistakenly left out of the Issue Two Sponsor Directory. Fortunately for me, Mark is a forgiving man. I’m not going to give you all a phony “Plate 11 is wonderful” spiel to try to make it up to him. The indisputable reality is that the Roubo benches Mark sells are awesome. That’s exactly the reason I sought him out for sponsorship. I think Mark offering high-level precision hand-tool woodworking benches at an affordable price is something our readers need to know about. No BS... His benches are massive, solid, and drool-inducing. If you’re looking to buy a bench, I highly recommend you look at Mark’s options.
My apologies for dropping the ball on this one. It’s the failure that hits friends that stings the most.
- Joshua