How a Global pandemic Affects the Day to Day Life of an Online Magazine

Photo by Maja Kozlowski

We talked to Dan Cody of No Majesty about an online magazine focused on life, art and alternative culture with stories worth knowing about and this is what he had to say.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19Times?

Dan Cody: We are much more in control of things than we were back in April, although the ‘second wave’ definitely still causes much concern for us. Business is back to the right place, finally, so now our main problem is, like most people, staying safe.

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded No Majesty.

Dan Cody: I founded No Majesty after working in content marketing in the travel sector. I’ve always been passionate about telling great stories and wasn’t satisfied with the amount of original journalism available online that gave a voice to interesting people’s experiences.

Flash forward six years, and our online magazine has developed into a place to discover incredible stories you won’t hear elsewhere.

How does No Majesty innovate?

Dan Cody: We focus on telling original stories and taking a different approach to the stories you already know. That involves being at the forefront of new storytelling technology on social media, apps, and websites.

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Dan Cody: We rely on communication, so the coronavirus pandemic has forced us to approach our work differently. Interviews for our stories have to be conducted via video calls, making for a different experience. The pandemic is also reflected in the content people resonate with on No Majesty – our stories about mental health, for example, have an exceptionally high level of engagement.

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Dan Cody: The most difficult choice for our publication was choosing how to approach the pandemic. Do we focus on the worrying statistics and predict what happens next, or look away and try and focus on the positive as much as possible? In the end, we’ve found there’s a way to blend both positivity and information into great content.

How do you deal with stress and anxiety?

Dan Cody: By trying to only worry about what I can control. Otherwise, you become a spinning top!

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

Dan Cody: We compete with other platforms that tell stories about culture and art – Vice. It’s nice that NME is all relevant examples. The best way to compete against big names is by putting out more in-depth stories and finding the angles that they can’t.

Your final thoughts?

Dan Cody: In these uncertain times, I’d encourage everyone to try and stay positive, and remember to focus on the opportunities in front of you!

Your website?

 https://nomajesty.com/