Thirty years after the publication of the journal "The Cultural Friend" (run by the Thanh Hoa Department of Culture) in 1964, thanks to the efforts of the Standing Committee of the 4th term, chaired by Mr. Le Xuan Giang, the Thanh Hoa Literature and Arts magazine received a license from the Ministry of Culture and Information for official publication in 1994. From then on, the Thanh Hoa Literature and Arts Association had its official mouthpiece.
Following the 5th Thanh Hoa Arts and Literature Congress (January 1997), along with the reorganization of the Association, the Thanh Hoa Arts and Literature magazine was authorized by the Provincial People's Committee to establish an editorial office (March 1997). From this point on, the Thanh Hoa Arts and Literature magazine had its own organizational structure, editorial office, seal, bank account, independent accounting, and operated as a journalistic agency. The editorial office was separated from the Association's office.
When we started "living independently" (as we often jokingly called it), the magazine was very poor. Since the Association was poor, the magazine certainly didn't have any surplus funds (the magazine took over a few single-story houses allocated by the Association, along with some old tables and chairs...). The Editor-in-Chief, writer Tu Nguyen Tinh, along with the magazine's staff, truly started "fighting a battle with bare hands." That's when we began to roll up our sleeves and get to work... From installing a landline telephone, buying a tape recorder and camera... to requesting the Provincial People's Committee to provide a computer, a car, and a fund for royalties... The Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department and the Provincial People's Committee were very supportive of the magazine.
Improving the quality of the Thanh Hoa Literature and Arts magazine was a major concern for the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial staff. Editor-in-Chief Tu Nguyen Tinh and Editorial Secretary Thanh Son traveled to the southern provinces to learn from the experiences of other magazines and expand their network of contributors and distribution. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Manh Le, along with Lam Bang and Phuong Thuy, took a train to Vinh and Hue to seek knowledge. "Traveling a day's journey teaches a lot," but applying the wisdom of others to Thanh Hoa proved difficult. The Song Huong magazine (Thua Thien - Hue) had a strong reputation since 1983, with a nationwide distribution network and even reaching distant France, its own editorial office, and hundreds of millions of dong annually allocated by the province (at 1998 prices). The Song Lam magazine (Nghe An) required all party branches, in addition to the Party newspaper, to subscribe to the Song Lam magazine. Therefore, each issue of Song Lam magazine has a print run of up to 4,600 copies (After printing, the printing house sends them to the post office , and the post office then delivers them to readers. The editorial office only needs to sign the register to confirm receipt. The editorial office does not directly distribute any magazine).
The first "lesson" was finding a printing place with reasonable prices to reduce the cost of each magazine issue. At that time, the magazine secured a year-long printing contract at a price less than two-thirds of what the previous printing company had offered. However, the editorial staff also faced additional hardship due to the long distances and difficult transportation. I remember the first time we went to sign a printing contract at the Nghe An printing house. When the old, dilapidated vehicle of the Association reached Cau Bung (Nghe An), it suddenly broke down and refused to move. The sun was scorching, the intense heat of Central Vietnam combined with the hot, dry winds, and everyone was exhausted. Thanh Son and Lam Bang had to take a bus to Vinh to meet the deadline for delivering the manuscript. Editor-in-chief Tu Nguyen Tinh stayed behind waiting for the bus to be repaired, and in the end, he had to take a motorbike taxi to the printing house. For five years (from 1997 to 2002), every month Lam Bang would take the manuscript to the printing house by bus, then take another bus to pick up the magazine. It's a bit of hard work, but it's rewarding, rewarding because every month we get a beautifully designed and elegant literary magazine delivered to our readers regularly.
Distribution was incredibly difficult. From the Editor-in-Chief to every staff member, everyone was racking their brains trying to come up with solutions. They raised the issue with the Education Department, with the districts and towns, and with various sectors. They contacted every agency, factory, and enterprise... Then, motorbikes from the editorial office sped off to the districts and government offices... everyone carrying a huge briefcase containing dozens of magazines. It was truly exhausting. Holding the literary magazine, every director and head of department praised its beauty and quality. But when it came to buying it, everyone complained: "The budget is too tight." People could spend millions of dong on a single "entertainment," but when it came to six thousand dong a month (the price in 1997-2005) to buy a literary magazine, they'd still say, "The budget is too tight." It was a bitter pill to swallow.
Looking back a little to remember the "early days...", it's true that the early days of Thanh Hoa Literature and Arts Magazine, now Thanh Hoa Literature and Arts, when it first started operating independently, were truly difficult and arduous. Later, the magazine was provided with a car by the province (it has been upgraded twice), and acquired journalistic equipment such as cameras, audio recorders, three computers, a photocopier, and began in-house page layout.
A very important achievement was the support of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Post Office, which enabled the magazine to be distributed to over 600 community post offices throughout the province.
During those years, the Literature and Arts magazine of Thanh Hoa province was evaluated by the Central Committee for Ideology and Culture (at that time) and the National Committee of the Union of Vietnamese Associations of Literature and Arts as a local literature and arts magazine with top-quality content and artistry nationwide.
“In the beginning…”, the journey was full of hardships and challenges, with successes and failures, achievements and also much joy, sorrow, and concern. We believe that in this new phase, with renewed enthusiasm and momentum, Thanh Hoa Literature and Arts will continuously innovate and improve in both content and form, continuing to be a literary and artistic forum and a close friend to a wide readership both within and outside the province.
Lam Bang (Contributor)
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/cai-thuo-ban-dau-217130.htm
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