Merry Christmas From Stiff Jab
First, I wanted to thank all of you for everything you have contributed to Stiff Jab, not just this year, but since our founding in 2010. The site began as just a Tumblr account I started when I got into boxing writing. While I learned a great deal by contributing to excellent sites like BoxingScene and The Queensberry Rules, it soon became clear that I needed to start my own outlet to pursue my particular vision of covering the sport, focusing on fights and fighters far from the lights of TV.
Since founding the site, the hardest part has always been finding writers who meet our high standards. The result of those efforts is our staff, who I consider the smartest and most talented group of writers in the fight game. The only reason our small site, which publishes infrequently, is read, credentialed and recognized by the biggest networks and promoters in the sport is because of the high quality of coverage they provide.
Some highlights from 2013:[[MORE]][[MORE]]
What’s Next:
As proud as I am of what we’ve accomplished so far, there is room for growth. Doubtless you’ve noticed in recent weeks that I’ve been largely absent. That’s because I recently changed jobs myself, which has demanded my full attention since returning from Vegas in September. While I’ll be writing again regularly in 2014, it’s undeniable that I won’t have as much time to travel or shoulder the load of coverage during the week.
That’s why I’m happy to announce a reorganization of Stiff Jab, as we transition to a full-fledged professional fight magazine. Professional means getting paid, which is exactly what we will be doing from now on. We will be paying for all original articles and fight reports, and anything that involves our staff committing reporting in the name of our site. That means we will be widening our pool of writers to accept new freelancers, who fit with what we’re trying to do. If you’ve got a pitch or story idea you think we’ll love, email us.
Pay will be commensurate with experience, but you can be sure that our longtime staffers will be still be the most prominent. We’ll also be taking on new sponsors to support the endeavor, so you may notice new ads on the site in the coming months.
We will also be launching a podcast under the direction of The Fourth Judge, who will anchor the show live from Brooklyn. This is a new experiment for us, and will likely help with my plan of moving our coverage from boxing to other areas. Doubtless the podcast will feature more of the deranged humor that we all know and love from our friend. More on that as the new year approaches.
Since my new job takes up so much more of my time, Anna John has accepted an offer to edit the site on a contract basis. She’s an old hand here, so the transition should be smooth. Anna will be managing our freelance staff, and making sure things are humming during the week. I’ll still be covering fight cards and writing my column on the weekends, but she will now be in charge of much of the day-to-day administration of the site. I’m confident Anna’s leadership will help take the site to new heights in 2014.
2014 promises to be a great year for Stiff Jab. I’m confident this is the year Stiff Jab will get the credit we deserve as home of some of the best fight writing on the Web. In addition, several of our staff members have exciting projects going, such as Kid Moe’s plan to open a brew pub in Oakland, Calif., or Sarah's continuing work with the Atlas Cops & Kids Gym. This year we hope to highlight these efforts at length, while also shining a light on the other friends we have doing cool and interesting things.
In short, the hiatus is over, and Stiff Jab will be back and better than ever in 2014. We hope you are all enjoying the holiday season with your friends and family. Take care, and we’ll see you at the fights.