by Alessandra Wike, @alessandrawike
The people of Austin love to make their voices heard. From activist to musician, foodie to wine connoisseur, the voices of Austin are a force to be reckoned with. Talented, hard-working and unceasingly creative, the media of Austin works to recognize the accomplishments, oddities and dreams of our unique city. PR by the Book has begun talking to Austin’s awesome local media to find out what goes on behind the scenes at these important organizations.
Since it’s founding in 2001, Tribeza has been an avenue for Austin’s local social, cultural and artistic stars to shine. After Editor-in-Chief Paula Disbrowe took over the magazine earlier this year, we were excited to talk to her about her new role. The following is an edited transcript of our conversation:
PRBTB: What does a typical day look like for you?
Paula: Every single day is chasing a deadline and working on the current issue. We just closed October, but we’re simultaneously looking ahead for ideas for November and December. I’d say our team comes up with most of the ideas based on what we’re seeing in the field and by engaging with the industry. We’re always paying attention to packaging our stories in a unique way.
We have a team meeting every Monday that’s an update on our editorial and sales side. It’s also our weekly brain dump to find out what everyone is working on. Beyond that, the day is a mix of being tethered to the computer and doing other tasks. I do a lot of writing but also a lot of assigning, answering questions, editing stories and being out and about in the industry.
PRBTB: What inspired you to become a cookbook author?
Paula: I’ve been cooking and writing since college and it was what I was drawn to when go to New York. I used my experience with food to break into the magazine industry. My first job was as an Assistant Food Editor.
PRBTB: What’s your favorite thing to cover about the city in Tribeza?
Paula: Food and travel. Before this, I was the Travel Editor at Southern Living and a cookbook author, so I feel most at home there. I like other aspects of culture as well. Our October issue was devoted to architecture, so I got to interview the world’s most famous architect and some of Austin’s own architects.
PRBTB: What about personally? What do you do love to do in Austin?
Paula: I spend time with my kids and exercise by running at town lake. I’m also taking a yoga class. I love to go out to restaurants and be in beautiful green spaces in Austin.
PRBTB: What are you most proud of about Tribeza?
Paula: The editorial content. We produce an enormous amount of work for our small team. We have a lean staff, but produce content that’s relevant, smart and interesting.
PRBTB: What’s a piece that you’ve written/edited that you were most excited about covering?
Paula: Well, we’re expanding our travel coverage. We’re going to do an arts and tequila tour in San Antonio. It’ll be a great local and visually beautiful piece. We just did a piece about a local architect and designer who has transformed a barn into a creative think tank. The story was such a surprise, but it came together. It was fun and funny and had really interesting photos.
PRBTB: Do y’all have any fun/quirky office traditions that you would like to share?
Paula: We have a fair amount of happy hours, for sure. We’re close to Salvation Pizza, so it’s a common afternoon lunch meeting place. We have fairly frequent team building off-site for creative inspiration. We love épicerie, Vino Vino and San Miguel.
Often the theme of our issue leads us to a new place to meet.
PRBTB: How often do you get pitches from freelance writers or PR companies?
Paula: We work with them very rarely. We pay for most of our photography and work locally. Almost all of our images are originals, but once in awhile we pull images from other places at our discretion. Most everything is produced in house. I get pitches all the time. My inbox is flooded, but its rare that an idea immediately takes hold. The stars might align and it might be just the sort of thing we’re looking for or missing in an issue, but usually it’s not.
PRBTB: If you could give one piece of solid advice to PR companies and to freelance writers what would it be?
Paula: Become as familiar with the magazine as possible. Read it monthly. Get a copy of the editorial calendar. Our next issue is devoted to night life, knowing that would help someone ensure that their pitch or photography is thematically consistent with our issue.
The post The Voices of Austin: Q&A with Tribeza appeared first on PR by the Book.
