Don't panic

After a two-year run, we’re on a short hiatus. So sit tight, peruse our archives, and come back to us in 2018.

 
Illustration by Sarah Nagorcka

Illustration by Sarah Nagorcka

 

This is an editorial for the hiatus issue of Lateral by editor-in-chief Tessa Evans, whose army of editors, writers and artists are now working feverishly to bring you new stories.

I know it’s been a while since you last heard from us, but we haven’t forgotten you.

Here at Lateral, we have embarked on a short hiatus, which (sadly, for you) means you can't look forward to a delicious new theme every month to sink your teeth into. But don't worry, we'll be back in February 2018 with a new publishing schedule full of scrumptious content for you to devour. Mmmm.

In August 2015, when we launched Lateral, we only ever envisaged the magazine lasting one year. Since then, we have gone from strength to strength, publishing over 200 articles from more than 120 authors worldwide. Now that we’ve surged past our second birthday, we’re taking some time to plan for the future, to ensure that Lateral continues to grace your screens in the long term. We’re also seeking feedback from our readers: What are you most excited about? What content would you most like to see in Lateral, and what might you change?

Part of that future is securing funding that will allow us to keep paying our artists and writers. In a time of free ‘content creation’ on the web, we believe strongly that our writers and artists should be paid for their work in recognition of its worth. Shortly, we’ll be launching a new crowdfunding campaign to secure long-term funding for Lateral, so we can continue bringing you fresh science content and help science communicators get their stories out there. If you want more Lateral in your life, please consider donating to the campaign or share it with your networks to help spread the word.

We’d really appreciate that.

The relaunched Lateral will publish new themed issues every two months, rather than monthly, but with more original content per issue. We’ll also be branching out into more multimedia content, including a regular Lateral podcast. If you would like to contribute to our next issue, with the theme “Waves”, now is the time to send in your pitches.

But that’s not the only thing that has changed. Jack Scanlan, Lateral’s venerable founder and editor-in-chief, has decided to focus on his PhD (those fly babies don’t look after themselves), so I’ve stepped up from my position as a section editor to take the reins. We have a number of editorial positions available, so if you’re looking for a switch up yourself or want to gain some editorial experience, get in touch.

In the meantime, if you’re missing your monthly dose of Lateral, our faithful editors have chosen a selection of their favourites for your perusal. So sit back, explore the best we have to offer, and send us your article ideas in the new year.