Jake Scott (PhD POLSIS) talks about life as managing director of political publication 'The Mallard'

Jake Scott (PhD Political Science and International Studies) is the managing director of publishing business called the Mallard which features political commentary both on-line and in print. 

'The Mallard' in its own words is 'for people of all persuasions, who are unimpressed with current political parties' with ideas that do not necessarily fit with established political characterisation.

Jake: The Mallard Publishing Group, the business that owns the political blog 'the Mallard' is intended to fund projects that offer young and emerging voices in political commentary a platform to get their work into the public eye. 

The Mallard has existed for five years, but the business was established to fund further projects; many writers who were published with us for the first time, have gone on to write for established newspapers or set up their own publications.

'The Mallard' blog (www.mallarduk.com) began as a political blog in 2016, and was taken over by the existing Chairman in 2017. A small dedicated team has continued to grow the publication to reach over 12,000 people a month, and we decided that, to try and provide a more consistent and reliable platform, we ought to incorporate as a Ltd Liability Company, to raise capital and create a legal entity.

The B-Enterprising team were fantastic; they agreed to offer us £500 to cover our start-up costs (website hosting and domain purchasing, as well as paying some writers to generate early content).

What are the best and worst aspects of running your own business?: 

Best: meeting many talented and incredible young writers across the political spectrum who just want their start in writing.

Worst: it is extremely time-consuming, but it is a labour of love, so I have borne that mind, and it has always been extraordinarily rewarding.

Copyright. At one point, we were sued for copyright infringement on image usage, something I had absolutely no idea about. Fortunately, the community that surrounded the Mallard by that point helped us to pay the cost, but it made me question the whole project.

Organisation is essential - missing emails (pitches, replies to interview requests, etc.) because they went into Junk is frustrating, but knowing when to look, follow up, or set your own deadlines is very helpful. Advice for starting a business? If you think it will be worth it - go for it!

Visit 'The Mallard' website here

With thanks to Jake Scott - Managing Director of the Mallard
Compiled by Bob Lee (B-Enterprising)