Jim Harris (left) and Mike England Living (and promoting) the Bozeman lifestyle by Marjorie Smith After graduating from MSU, Mike England, '98 Eng., wanted to use his writing skills to stay in Bozeman, where he lived as a child, moved away from with his family and came straight back to after high school. "I had a vague idea for a magazine," he says. In 1999, working as a bartender, he got talking to customer Jim Harris, '95 MTA, who knew exactly the magazine he wanted to publish if he could find an editor. "We just clicked," says England. "I learned digital photo techniques from Rudy Dietrich (now MSU professor emeritus), and I had a stock of photos I'd taken. But I needed a writer," says Harris. The conversation took place in January, and the first issue of Outside Bozeman came out in May. It's a glossy magazine with full-color photos, good writing and solid advertising. "We started publishing twice a year," says Harris, "a summer issue and a winter one. Two years ago, we went quarterly." "Two issues seemed oriented mostly toward tourists," says England. "Now that we're seasonal, the magazine is more useful to residents." With five years of publication behind it, the magazine is financially in the black and has a circulation of 20,000 copies per issue. England edits text, Harris photo-edits, and they are co-publishers. They agree that selling advertising is the hardest part of the project. Both men maintain "day jobs," although England recently went to half-time as a technical writer for Zoot Enterprises so he can enjoy the active Bozeman lifestyle the magazine promotes. Harris has worked for Rocky Mountain Timberlands since graduation, first in sales and photographing properties, now as a manager. He also has his own real estate company, a wife and son (with another due in August), and "I still fish a lot." The cover story of the fifth anniversary issue of Outside Bozeman focuses on canoeing the wild and scenic Missouri River and is the furthest outside Bozeman they've gone, editorially speaking. "Next spring we're going to Miles City," Harris promises. He has been gratified by the number of high quality photos he can choose from for each issue, while England is proudest of the response from established writers like Greg Keeler, Tim Cahill, David Quammen and Rick Bass, all of whom are willing to have their work published in Outside Bozeman. They agree that they get burned out. England says, "We swear we'll give it up after each issue goes to press. But there are so many other people involved now, and so many readers looking forward to the next issue." The staff includes interns, drawn from MSU and across the country. "I run one little online ad and get two or three applications a week from people looking for an excuse to come to Bozeman," England says. Although the magazine is distributed for free around Bozeman, they also mail to subscribers. The Web site is www.outsidebozeman.com.