About our publication: El Ojo del Lago
I get quite a few questions about how El Ojo del Lago works. So today I thought I’d share a bit of our magazine’s backstory. Established under the auspices of the Chapala and Ajijic offices of Coldwell Banker, we are published by David Tingen. The project began 40 years ago with David’s father, Richard Tingen, at the helm. In the beginning, the Ojo was a 4 page, 8 ½ x 11 paper hand out. It has grown to a publication of up to 120 pages in full color and is the largest English language magazine in all of Latin America.
I am the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine and have worked with the Ojo since 2008 as a columnist, writer, proofreader, Associate Editor and now Editor. As Editor, I am responsible for all the content printed in the Ojo. My multifaceted job includes soliciting and reviewing content for each issue, fielding questions, ideas, and concerns about the magazine, and directing content to the proper staff members. My personal mandate is to make sure there is a little something for everyone to enjoy in every issue.
Our Associate Editor resigned last month. This vital position operates as the Editor-in-Chief’s right hand. In addition to excellent editing and proofing skills, the person in this position must also share in the staff’s vision for the magazine. Anyone who matches this skill set and would like to hear more, please contact me at victoriaAschmidt@gmail.com.
Our Special Events Editor is Don Beaudreau. He ably handles our popular Lakeside Living section. His many and varied connections throughout our area make him perfect for this position.
Arts are spearheaded by Helen Gallagher. Her job is to cover all the artistic endeavors in our area. She either writes articles or finds subjects for other writers to cover.
Mel Goldberg is the Poetry Editor for the Ojo and he is in charge of the Poetry Niche section of the magazine. He is uniquely qualified as he is former teacher, an author of many books, and has been awarded both national and international awards for poetry.
And of course, there are our writers. I am always looking for content and new writers. Our current stable of writers keeps us busy, but the need for new material never ceases. There would be no magazine without the writers and there is no shortage of talent lakeside. If you are someone who enjoys writing and would like to submit articles or be available to work on stories/articles for assignment, please contact me. When someone writes for the Ojo, the initial printing of the article is copyrighted to the Ojo. After that, it automatically reverts to the author. We do not accept AI generated material.
Finally, there is the Ojo production staff. Roberto Rojas Reyes and his assistants lay out and do the graphics for the entire magazine. We offer print and online issues. This talented staff is excellent at their work.
Ultimately, we would have no magazine without our advertisers. They make this entire process possible. No one services our advertisers better than our Sales Manager, Bruce Fraser, and his assistants who also work in concert with the production staff. Finally, we have support staff who handle errands, deliveries, distribution, and work in the offices.
As our masthead proudly proclaims, we are “the best publication money can’t buy.” Our near 40 years of providing lakeside readers with quality content at no cost would not be possible without the dedication of our mostly volunteer staff. We look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence for years to come.
- Editor’s Page – March 2024 - March 28, 2024
- Editor’s Page – February 2024 - January 30, 2024
- Editor’s Page – January 2024 - December 26, 2023