In this post, we’ll be hearing from Alanna Rusnak, Author of The Church in the Wildwood, Owner & Operator of Chicken House Press, and Founder & Managing Editor of Blank Spaces Magazine. Curious in knowing the origins of the beautiful Blank Spaces Magazine? Want some insight into what it takes to branch out on your own in the publishing industry? In this interview, Alanna tells us all about these things plus talks about her current work-in-progress and more!
So, you wear a lot of hats, Alanna. Tell us a bit about your average day or work week.
Because I am balancing many business responsibilities I function on a highly systems-based schedule that is constantly being adjusted to serve me better. An annual calendar, a monthly project map, a weekly break down, and daily focused to-do lists ensure I am meeting my publishing markers (which are established up to two years in advance).
An average day might look like this:
7:30 a.m. Put the coffee on!
8:00 a.m. I am in my office and spend at least half an hour on my personal writing projects
8:30 a.m. Administration: checking and responding to email, processing any orders that came in overnight (admin can take anywhere from half an hour to all morning)
9:30 a.m. I might be recording/editing a podcast, writing a press release, or responding to a submission
11:00 a.m. Marketing focus: preparing a social media post or drafting a newsletter
12:00 I leave the office and return to the house for lunch. I usually listen to a business podcast (currently enjoying The Bossbabe Podcast and Earn Your Happy)
1:00 p.m. Afternoons are usually dedicated to editing or layout/design work
3:00 p.m. I may have a Zoom meeting with an author to discuss whatever stage of publication we’re at, a potential author I am interested in signing, or one of my writing mentorship clients
5:00 p.m. I return to the house between 4 & 5 and make supper. Usually I allow myself to be done work for the day at that point unless…
7:30 p.m. If there is a sports game on that my husband wants to watch (every Raptors game, sometimes hockey or other sports if it’s playoff season) I will sit with him on the couch as he watches and I will either work on my own writing, a line-edit of a proof, a manuscript structural edit, or a final proof-read of an upcoming publication
What tips do you have to share about managing work-life-family balance for others in the writing & publishing industry?
I am in a unique position because I’ve created a career into which my own pursuits as an author can fit AND my children are old enough that they don’t need constant care. As someone running their own business, it did take a while to find the work/life balance that best suited me and I’m sure it will continue to shift over time. I am very lucky to have my office in an out-building on my home property. This delineates easier boundaries for me than if I was set up in the house. I currently try to be very strict about my Monday-Friday office hours, making family dinner a daily priority, and leaving my weekends open. If we don’t have weekend plans, I find it hard not to open the computer so I will often distract myself by pulling out a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle and putting on an audio book. I also do not have the Chicken House Press business email on my phone, so if the computer is closed I am not available.
Are you writing a manuscript right now? What can you tell us about your work-in-progress?
I am! I am currently 72,000 words deep into the first book of an intended trilogy called The Path That Takes Us Home. It is about the small pocket of survivors who have to navigate the grief of a destroyed world and the burden of rebuilding it. This is a story I began in 2016 but only started pursuing it aggressively in 2023. When I launched into publishing full time in January of 2022 it was with the naïve belief I could dedicate every Friday to my own projects. I quickly learned, that in order to generate enough income to sustain a full time business, I needed five days a week dedicated to client projects. This was a sacrifice I was willing to make – but only for a time. On the cusp of burnout, I decided to give the first half hour to hour of my day to my own writing. Essentially, I added work to my already too full project load BUT, I discovered that by serving myself first, I was able to show up for others in a reignited way. (I did also quickly make the decision to no longer accept freelance editing projects as a way to balance out this time discrepancy.)
As a way to keep myself accountable, I started a podcast series called Racing Home (a series within the existing Chicken House Press podcast, Writer’s Chat) and I have been posting an update on my writing progress every Tuesday as well as diving into things like process, frustrations, and fears.
It is my ultimate goal to release the first book, When the Trees All Burned early in 2025.
What was the main driving factor that motivated you to launch Blank Spaces as an independent magazine?
Back in 2016 when I was trying to break in with my debut novel, The Church in the Wildwood, I saw a large gap in the industry. The demand for a resume didn’t make sense to me. From literary agents to ‘The Big Five’ and even down to smaller presses – everyone was looking for a list of degrees, accomplishments, and the social proof of past publications that I just couldn’t provide. I wanted to create the platform that I wished had existed for me when I needed it and so I launched Blank Spaces with the vision of building a stage that would allow creatives a place to begin building their portfolios.
Launching it as an independent magazine wasn’t an intentional decision and I put it out into the world as an experiment. I don’t think I really believed it would gain any traction, but when the first submission arrived within days of launching the website, I thought I might be onto something. Blank Spaces has been entirely self-funded since the beginning and it is supported by a beautiful team of generous volunteers who help me with editing, proofreading, and contest judging. I have explored the idea of seeking charity status or investors, but I think a lot of its charm lies in its boutique feel and homegrown roots. I don’t want to lose that by opening it up to a board of directors.
Blank Spaces is known for its beautiful print quality and colourful pages. What has been the most surprising thing about managing this magazine?
I was surprised at how wholeheartedly my vision was embraced. Almost eight years later and people are still expressing how the mission resonates with them in their cover letters. One of my greatest joys is when I open an email from a past contributor who says Blank Spaces was their first publication with an announcement of their upcoming book release. I am so proud that I’ve been able to play a part in so many creative journeys!
Chicken House Press is thriving. It’s hard to believe that it’s been only two years since it opened its doors. What specific things did you do to ensure you could hit the ground running?
I pursued publishing as a side-hustle for six years before embracing it full time. For six years I was constantly learning while building my network and my portfolio without the high stakes of depending on it for income. I was always working towards the goal of going full time, but it wasn’t until I could prove with realistic projections that I could replace my existing income, that I actually handed in my resignation. So, while it looks like Chicken House Press is only 2 years old, it’s actually 8. So much hard work happened in the background to make this sustainable. Most significantly, I focused on developing a system that would force productivity and then, in my final year of employment, I took the entire month of August 2021 off to test that system and to test myself: Could I stay on track? Did I like going to my office every day? Could I stand not leaving my property for days on end? Did I miss co-workers? That test satisfied any hesitations I felt. I confidently ended my employment on December 30, 2021 and stepped into my home office ready to go on January 3, 2022.
What can we expect to see from you in the near future? Any new developments?
I have a real vision for my local community and am leaning into building relationships and collaborations with hopes that will translate into events and opportunities. And books, of course. Many more books.
Is there anything else you’d like to share or promote?
I would love to invite people to sign up for the Chicken House Press newsletter as well as subscribe to the CHP podcast.
Find Alanna Rusnak’s updates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alannarusnak
Check out the Chicken House Press Website: https://www.chickenhousepress.ca/
And find Chicken House Press updates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chickenhousepress
Check out the Blank Spaces Magazine Website: https://www.blankspaces.ca/
And find Blank Spaces updates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blankspacesmag
Cover Image: Photo by Monica Silvestre on Pexels.com
Pauline Shen 