The decision to replace Park Bench Magazines with Moreland Road was made for both practical and creative reasons.
True crime is a subject that almost everyone immediately recognises and understands. Unlike fan fiction, it requires no prior knowledge of an existing universe or characters. Readers can pick up an issue, become immersed in an investigation and enjoy it as a complete publication in its own right.
As an original publication, Moreland Road also provides a legitimate commercial product that can be sold from day one. This is an important step in building a sustainable independent publishing business. My immediate priority is to begin earning an income, establish the publishing company and create a foundation for future projects.
Moreland Road will help fund the stories I ultimately want to tell within The Euphoria Verse. Rather than rushing those stories into publication, I want to give them the time they deserve. A shared fictional universe benefits from careful planning, editorial discussion and collaboration. My ambition is to build a small editorial team that can challenge ideas, identify inconsistencies and help every story reach its full potential.
The long-term vision remains unchanged. I still intend to publish Purgatory Magazine, continue developing The Euphoria Verse and produce Alien: Breathe as a feature-length fan-made film. Achieving those ambitions will require time to establish a network of collaborators, build a production crew and find performers who share that vision.
Moreland Road is therefore not a change in destination. It is the route that makes the destination achievable.
