An Interview With Jim Idema
Earl: So Jim, tell me, how did it all begin?
Jim: HP began when I submitted a sample to be a Tech Writer for this up-and-coming mag called Hot Psychology. The “owner,” Jason Zorn (a psych grad student) was trying to put it together and was collecting writers. As it turned out, he ended up handing the whole thing over to me when he discovered he didn’t have time to continue. The mag has gone through a lot of ups and downs since then, but I think we’re on solid ground now.
Earl: Cool. So what about the name, “Hot Psychology?” What’s the story behind that?
Jim: Not much of a story, really. Jason was a psych grad student and was looking for something that addressed the issues we all experience in everyday life, yet wasn’t something clinical. After taking it over, I just kept the name.
Earl: Neat! So hey, just what exactly does an Editor-in-chief do?
Jim: Oh my god, there is so much! I’m responsible for all the writers and editors, making sure they write and edit with the quality we expect. I’m also responsible for layout of the magazine, story ideas, editing (of course), advertising, marketing, sales and even the website. It’s a lot to do but we’ve been lucky that our staff editors have lent a helping hand.
Earl: Hmmm. Now, how about the focus. What’s your goal with Hot Psychology?
Jim: The goal is to voice those thoughts and feelings we all experience, but sometimes tuck deep inside our psyche. For example, if someone experiences a death in the family, I’d like to think we can voice the sadness one feels in that situation and maybe even suggest ways to preserve the memory while still moving on with our own lives. It’s not easy to do since we as humans deal with a zillion different emotional issues, but I think we do a pretty good job.
Earl: Exciting! So tell me, what’s the most tedious part of managing such a complex project?
Jim: The most tedious part is clearly editing and layout. It takes a good two weeks to edit and place articles in such a way that our readers will be able to easily find and read the articles. Marketing is a bit tedious, too, but that has its fun, too.
Earl: …And what do you speculate the future holds for Hot Psychology?
Jim: I predict we’ll find our niche out there and people will ultimately flock to us looking for opinions or discussions they just aren’t finding out there anywhere. It’s an uphill battle, no question about it, but I believe that with the talented writers and editors we have, we’ll get there.
Earl: Awesome. Now, for our readers with a creative streak out there; is Hot Psychology accepting new articles or looking to bring on new writers? What’s your policy toward new content?
Jim: We’re always looking for talented writers. If anyone wants to write for us, they can send us an email to info@hot-psychology.com and put “Prospective writer” in the subject line. We also have a particularly pressing need for graphics people (web designers) and we encourage those people to apply as well.
Earl: Ok, Jim, well, it’s been a pleasure talking with you; anything else you’d like to add before we go?
Jim: The pleasure is all mine, Earl, and if I were to add anything, I’d add that those looking for great national exposure from an up-and coming magazine should drop us a line.
