Michael Despotovic is a » Publisher & Writer

Caitlin Press & Dagger Editions (2016 – 2018)

Mike Despotovic — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 00:53:17 +0000

Caitlin Press was established in 1977 by Carolyn Zonailo as a feminist literary press. In the 1980s, Caitlin Press expanded its mandate to that of a BC literary press. In March 2008, Vici Johnstone of Halfmoon Bay purchased the press. Under her direction, Caitlin Press continues to publish books that reflect the diverse cultures, histories and concerns of BC, bridging the gap between the urban and the rural. Caitlin also remains committed to its feminist origins by publishing bold works by and about BC women for a local and national readership. In 2016, Caitlin Press launched Dagger Editions, dedicated solely to publishing literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry by and about queer women (those who identify as queer women, including trans women, or include this in their personal history).

For three years I ran all things related to marketing including publicity, event creation/management, copywriting, website development, author relations. It was an absolute pleasure to work as part of a small team to achieve such big goals and I will cherish every memory made with the 60+ authors, editors, poets, etc.

Penguin Random House (2014)

Mike Despotovic — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:32:23 +0000

As part of the practicum semester for the Master of Publishing program at SFU, I was hired as an intern to assist the digital department of Penguin Random House Canada. During my time there, I assisted the team in research reports, asset management, and other necessary tasks needed for the main project at hand: revamping the Penguin Random House website. There were many challenges in consolidating the identities of all the imprints and making sure the vast amount of information they held was properly represented in a uniform user experience.

During my time at Penguin Random House, I was encouraged to explore advertising options for their in-house online publication, Hazlitt. Armed with their web, social, and ecommerce analytics, I’m currently pumping out 10,000 words on leveraging programmatic ad tech, inventory management, and yield optimatization using the latest strategies in remarketing. I should complete my report by December 2015.

Textbook (2014 – 2015)

Mike Despotovic — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:29:08 +0000

Textbook is a creative journal for the entrepreneurial mind. Read it. Write in between the lines. Slow down and learn something new. We believe everyone has the opportunity to step in the crossroads of creative and commercial industries and make their idea happen.

I launched Textbook alongside four other Co-Founders with the intention of connecting a community of new entrepreneurs in Vancouver, and across Canada. We published our first issue (see pictures) in April 2014 and launched our website in May 2015. We held various partnerships with organizations such as Skyrocket Digital, Creative Pulse, TEDxGastownWomen, and Burrard Arts Foundation.

I stepped down as Publisher in December 2015 to pursue other ventures, though I still sit on the Board of Advisors.

Master of Publishing @ SFU (2014)

Mike Despotovic — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:26:03 +0000

There is no better educational program out there for mastering Canada’s publishing industry. During the 16 month degree, along with my colleagues, we created: mock-publishing houses with frontlist book titles (see “Hitchhiking to Hootsuite), mock-publications in print (see BC Business mockup), and mock-publications in digital (see “Shed magazine”). We built twitter bots, ebooks, online marketing plans, and we edited a manuscript from a local publishing house. My awards and scholarships include the Graduate Fellowship (Masters) and the Catherine Anne McKay Publishing Award. My practicum semester was spent at Penguin Random House Canada.

ArtQuake Recipes for Resistance (2015)

Mike Despotovic — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:16:37 +0000

ArtQuake is a youth driven arts organization in Vancouver, BC that provides young artists and activists with mentorship, resources, and space to pursue the arts, and fosters a culture of creative political action in their communities. They approached Katherine and I on producing a custom publication in time for their 5th anniversary (Sept 2015). Given the budget and intentions, we decided to take what was initially a “handbook” style publication and turn the experience non-linear. Each recipe included a description, example, instructions, and set of ingredients for anytime action.

“Recipes for Resistance is a resource for community artists, activists, and organizers to use art as a tool to facilitate their resistance movements. Whether on campus, in classrooms, or on the streets, resistance is key to creating the just future we envision for ourselves and our communities. Art-based resistance centres our stories, solutions, and creative capacity as the driving forces of change. Use these 16 recipes for resistance to take up space, demand an audience, and disrupt the status quo.”

Mannkind Magazine (2015)

Mike Despotovic — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:14:48 +0000

As a way of thanking all their volunteers and supporters, the Mannkind Charity Organization hired me to make a 44 page flipbook to give out at an annual fundraising event. I took care of all the design and production needs leading up to printing the 200 copies, making sure to account for the low budget and speedy timeline.

If you are a goodwill or grassroots organization in need of publishing, I’d be very happy to help speak to your needs.

This is Vancity (2010 – 2013)

Mike Despotovic — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 17:21:52 +0000

This is Vancity was an online publication about creative happenings in Vancouver. I co-founded this venture with two of my closest friends, Ketan Jogia and Peter Bohdal. We took pride in digging past press releases and reaching into the most interesting and human elements behind new ideas and artistic accomplishments. Since March of 2014, we’ve archived This is Vancity and pivoted in a new direction. Check out Textbook for more information.

Between its genesis and exodus, we published around fifty articles, typically reaching around 500 words each. We partnered with FreshGigs.ca and Hey Available! for open job listings in Vancouver. We produced five out of nine #EastVanLove events, two #BehanceReviews events, and sponsored various other outings. Our pageviews and social following was modest. We hosted no advertisements. All our social media accounts have been converted to Textbook.

Lyre Magazine (2012 – 2013)

Mike Despotovic — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 20:42:54 +0000

While an undergraduate student in SFU’s World Literature program, I was heavily involved in both the student union (WLSU) and the student creative writing magazine (the Lyre). In my last year (2012-2013), I was the Editor-in-Chief of the Lyre Magazine Volume 4. I was able to increase both our editorial submissions and our accepted editorial content by four times previous years. Thanks to working with another design student, the Lyre got quite a facelift and current editors still use the same design structure for their issues.