You know that dream job I mentioned, well it ended up being a bit of a nightmare. Imagine Publishing decided it no longer required my editorial services at (pretty much) the same time as I decided I’d be happier taking them elsewhere. I think for both parties the realistion that we weren’t a good match dawned a good few weeks back, but we were polite enough to see out the three-month probationary period in case there was a change of heart. While I would have accepted an extension to the probation on the basis of having very else little lined up, concluding the relationship was preferable to being locked into a three-month notice period. In any case the thought of not having to sit in another Tuesday morning “cover meeting” brings me more joy than I’ve known all year.

It’s been an inconsistent twelve months, to put it mildly. The closure of Eon magazine and my own subsequent redundancy delivered a crappy start to 2013, especially with a baby on the way and a new house to move into. Fortunately I was able to get stuck into a couple of publishing projects that kept me busy until Little Miss Shoe made her summer appearance. Since then I’ve mostly been enjoying the diverse and unending delights that come with cleaning up after a small human, all while plotting where next my career should head.

After briefly flirting with routes into community management and game content, the realisation dawned that in spite of some residual bitterness from my Eon experience and the continued uncertainly surrounding print publishing, the process of making and developing magazines was something I deeply enjoyed – especially so magazines about games. So with 2014 fast approaching I set about finding a dream job in time for the new year. I didn’t have to look very far, for just down the road in Bournemouth a publisher needed an editor. I applied, bought a vaguely smart shirt, had some interviews and was eventually offered the position.

I start work tomorrow.