A Q&A with our readers

After we announced the Independent's return, we got a slew of e-mail. Publisher Michele Meek answers the most common reader questions here

After sending out our email blast to over 10,500 former AIVF members andIndependent subscribers, I was pleased to receive an influx of enthusiastic emails. There were also a lot of questions that came up, and I figured it might be helpful for me to answer some of them here for everyone to read.

Is anyone from the AIVF Board ever going to stand up and explain how the Board neglected its responsibilities and allowed such a venerable institution to fail? Would appreciate any insights there….(from Greg in New York)

In response to this, we went ahead and posted some of the articles in the final issue of The Independent, including The History and Legacy of AIVF (Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers), Getting Perspective, and others. Since I was actually on the AIVF’s board for one year (2004-2005), I probably know too much for my own good and much of it I am obliged to keep confidential. However, you can read my comments (and those of other former board members) in the piece on my other site NewEnglandFilm.com: https://newenglandfilm.com/magazine/2007/02/after-aivf

Who’s the new re-constituted board? (from Jean in Kentucky)

Actually, Independent Media Publications has taken over the publications of the former AIVF, and it is a completely separate and new organization. You can learn about our board members by reading their bios on themasthead page.

Is there still a magazine that can be delivered via snail mail or is it all online? (from Beth in New Jersey)

Currently there is only an online magazine. With the scarce resources and time that we had, it made the most sense to get the magazine up and running online first. However, all of us are very eager to begin republishing a print magazine. If you would be interested in subscribing when the time comes, make sure you are subscribed to the e-mail newsletter (create an account if you don’t already have one). We will be sending out a special offer to e-mail subscribers if and when we produce a new version of the print magazine. In the meantime, I’d love your feedback on whether you think the publication would be as useful as a quarterly or whether the 10 times per year format was best. Post a comment.

Hello, I’m interested in writing for your magazine. To whom should I send my queries? What is the general word length you expect from feature articles? (from Sean in Indiana)

We are always looking for new writers and contributing editors. Send us a brief but detail-rich note telling us what you want to write about, and why you are the ideal person to write about it. In terms of length, we’d like most articles to come in around 1,000-1,500 words.


About :

Michele Meek, PhD is a writer, filmmaker, educator, founder of NewEnglandFilm.com, and a former publisher of The Independent. She published the books Independent Female Filmmakers: A Chronicle through Interviews, Profiles and Manifestos and The Mastermind Failure Club. For more information or to contact her, visit michelemeek.com.