As Editor of this historic publication, it’s my job to make sure Challenge gets published and into your digital mailboxes on time.

Sounds simple, right?

Well, it is, in theory. There are Writers. There are Photographers. There are Deadlines. There is a process: Writers write, Photographers photograph, and both are supposed to send their materials in well before the Deadlines. That way yours truly (and before me, Shelley) can give everything the appropriate Editorial scrutiny and spend the last week of the month by the pool with a mojito.

As I said, in theory.

Typically, it’s the first three weeks of the month that are vacation time as far as Challenge work goes. Classified ads need to be approved before they can be published and once in a while, an advertiser has a question about the difference between digital and print ad formats and sizes. But other than that, my official inbox is full of cobwebs. In the immortal words of Obi Wan Kenobi, “Nothing to see here. Move along.”

Then comes Panic Week.

I call it Panic Week because it’s the week when I realize I haven’t received any of the content for the issue of Challenge that’s supposed to go live in 10 days. Panic Week typically starts around the 21st of the month and continues until publication. Panic Week is (also) typically accompanied by the copious amounts of Tequila from a bottle Shelley gave me. (Coincidence? Hmmm.)

During Panic Week, I send out a gentle email reminder to anyone who’s ever contributed content in the past that if they’re planning to write something, they should do so sooner than later. The letter usually motivates people. Content dribbles in – typically 3 to 5 days before the publication date – and I and my staff (two black labs named Katie and Emma) get to work. Everything that’s submitted has to be edited for spelling, punctuation and grammar. (Thank God for spellcheck and Grammarly.) Images need to be reviewed to make sure that they comply with our privacy guidelines. Article formats have to be checked to see that they meet our style guidelines. And then, finally, the content can be scheduled for publication.

But wait. There’s more. The “Announcement” email has to be sent out.

Challenge’s announcement email is not built using your basic Constant Contact template. Nope. Our announcement email is made from a custom HTML template that was designed just for us. It’s fully responsive, which means you can read it easily on your tablet, desktop and smartphone without having to zoom in to see the text. That’s the good news. The bad news (at least for me) is that it’s very tedious and time-consuming to put together. It literally takes about ½ of a day to layout and test and retest.

More tequila.

If it sounds like I’m complaining, I’m not. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Producing Challenge is a labor of love for me, just as it’s been for every Editor before me. We might not have won an award for Challenge at Parade this year, but that’s because there literally isn’t a category for us. Of the 138 PCA clubs in North America that do magazines or newsletters, CVR is the only club to have a magazine that’s completely digital and readable on a smartphone. And that includes PCA National. We – CVR – are the trailblazers and it’s only a matter of time before the other regions follow suit.

And we’re not done pushing the envelope.

There’s a Challenge app coming. It’s already in beta and it works on both Android devices and iPhones. Once it’s approved by Apple and released, you’ll be able to read Challenge without having to open a web browser. Just tap an icon on the home screen of your phone. And, you’ll be notified instantly of any new stories. Stay tuned for more details and some screenshots.

In the meantime, where’s that bottle…

Eric