An Open Letter to the Transgender Community
What Happened to Cross-Talk?By Kymberleigh RichardsEditor/Publisher Cross-Talk I have been noticeably silent in the past few months regarding the absence of Cross-Talk from our community. Out of concern for my reputation, I've been offered this opportunity to break my silence and give an explanation of what has been happening here. I thank TGForum for giving me the ability to reach many people who are understandably concerned. First, I would like to confirm what I am sure many of you have already presumed; the cash flow in the past several months has fallen far below what is necessary to cover the costs of publishing and mailing Cross-Talk. In fact, in the past five months, we have taken in what we normally would have taken in for six weeks. Given this gap and my own personal finances, I have had no choice but to place the magazine on hiatus until such time as I can reorganize financially. Issue #86 (what should have been the December 1996 issue) was printed and presently sits -- in the original shipping cartons from the printer -- in a corner of my living room awaiting the moment when funds become available for mailing. However, it is obviously more important for the rent on said living room to be paid (not to mention utilities and the like) than for the magazine to be mailed, and so it has sat for better than four months. I am certain you can understand that finding an "extra" $200 for this purpose is a futile undertaking when one is otherwise unemployed (and with efforts to rectify same meeting with little success, such is the present state of the job market in Los Angeles). For what it is worth, I have only narrowly avoided eviction on three occasions this year (and it's only May!). I have heard that criticism is being leveled at me for not, at the very least, sending some kind of notice to subscribers explaining the situation. Unfortunately, my bulk mailing permit is not set up for letter-class mailings, and at 32 cents per letter, sending such a notice would cost as much as mailing the magazine itself (which I find preferable, as I suspect most of you do). This is also why I have -- sadly -- found it necessary to leave inquiries sent by subscribers unanswered, and long distance phone calls unreturned. I simply have not had the money to "do the right thing". Those of you that have contacted me via e-mail over the past few months have received replies, so you know my silence has not been complete. Nevertheless, I feel I must apologize for leaving the vast majority of you in the dark regarding our problems, and I don't blame the community for thinking badly of me under the circumstances. I know that several of you had hoped to talk with me at California Unity about Cross-Talk, and I am sorry that I had to disappoint you. I am also battling some health problems which are going to demand attention before I can even begin to address the rest of the problems in my life (which include not only the magazine, but finding steady employment to avoid further financial difficulties). It is my goal to eventually get #86 out to the subscribers. Beyond that, it is my strong desire to resume publication, less frequent but with a slightly higher page count (perhaps in newsletter format to cut production costs), and hopefully shifting that portion of the subscriber base that has Internet access to receive us through that medium. In the past few weeks, Trish Anderson has transferred to me full operating control of Cross Connection BBS, and it is my hope that the two entities (Cross-Talk & Cross Connection) can be merged to a greater degree than was possible in the past. I will give subscribers every option possible, once I am able to mail #86 and determine what is feasible to keep this venture alive. However, I can tell you up front that refunds are not likely to be one of the options, given the deterioration of my financial situation in the past year. I will strive to ensure that every subscriber receives full value for whatever credit balance they have with us, and I will be able to say more about that at whatever point sending the long-delayed December issue takes place. In the meantime, if any of you are able to forgive me for the way I have had to handle this difficult situation, I appreciate it. If some of you cannot forgive me, I will think no less of you.
© 1997 by Kym Richards & 3-D Communications, Inc. |