~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”
William Shakespeare
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BoSacks Readers Speak Out:
RE: Newsstand Sales Slump Now Over Two Years Old. Will They Recover?
Bob, Between Harrington and Baird Davis, those of us who think in a positive manner call them “Mr’s doom and gloom” they are helping without realizing it putting the magazine and book business in a downward spiral. There comments wind up going to CEO’s and buyers of most major chains we do business with. What do those people then think when reading “DOOM & GLOOM”. Why not spread the Joe Berger blog “The Titanic”
We are in a very simple and complicated industry, and the simple has been taken away. The industry has never needed a rocket scientist. Oh I forgot “practical between simple and complicated.
Sure things are not going well for most of the ABC titles, but many of the non-reporting titles are showing signs of life. One my my clients has grown from an avg of 15,000 sale to 50,000 in less than five years, and it continues the upward swing, as most wholesalers have finally caught on to it. Anderson never did, but then the last 3-4 years they did not have many clues on what was or was not working. hence bye, bye, and many of us do not miss them.
(Submitted by an Industry Consultant)
RE: Newsstand Sales Slump Now Over Two Years Old. Will They Recover?
Bo: As usual the important sell through number for newsstand sales was not included. Last time I saw the number it was a terrible 25% with the balance being thrown away. These numbers did not include Walmarts sell through numbers. I do not know if they make them available. Also, the last time I saw numbers Walmart contributes over 25% of total newsstand sales.
The sell through number is very important because it would help explain the 80% difference between the magazine price on the newsstand and subscriber rates. Submitted by a Retired Paper Guy
Re: Google CEO Talks Future of Publishing
Eric Schmidt’s definition of serendipity is not all-encompassing, and does not cover everything that print can do. For instance, looking up “real estate investment trust” in the encyclopedia might bring me a few pages beyond, where I come upon the entry for “Richard III.” If I choose to take a moment to read that entry, I become not only more educated in history but perhaps interested in buying Shakespeare’s version too. That is a type of serendipity that an electronic database supposedly containing the sum total of my interests cannot replicate. Schmidt isn’t wrong–but he is presenting his house of cards from a certain angle.
(Submitted by a Senior Editor)
Re: Go to Australia to learn what’s right about Publishing on Paper
what? content matters? who woulda thought!
(Submitted by an Industry Consultant)
Re: The Ad/Edit Wall Worn Down to a Warning Track
Bob: My Pandora streaming music account was free, but with ads. Given the chance to upgrade to better quality audio signal, and NO ADS, I happily paid $35 for my annual “subscription” and I will renew every year without question. My home delivery payments for The New York Times provide unlimited internet access to their electronic edition; I can check for news by day, by category, by individual, or whatever. Unlike the paper edition, there are NO ADS. I’ll happily pay extra for any media product which contains NO ADS. The dike has been breeched, prepare for the future. Even my cable company provided DVR allows me to watch whatever I want, effectively with NO ADS (fast forward). Welcome to the Brave New World.
(Submitted by a Senior Production Director)
Re: The Ad/Edit Wall Worn Down to a Warning Track
You can put feathers on a pig and call it a goose, but it’s still a pig. The same goes for advertorials. No matter how you dress them up they are still advertising. Moreover, the use of advertorials is intended to sell something. Why? Because advertisers know that the public generally believes the editorial content of newspapers and magazines. It’s about the power of print – power that has been built on “maintained credibility.” The problem with advertorials is that over time, if the practice continues, it will ultimately diminish the believability of true editorial content. Erosion occurs. There are some things with which you cannot tinker without serious consequences. Lastly, I ask two questions: “Why would an advertiser of any worthwhile product or service need to resort to advertorials?” and “Why would any reputable publishing company want to sell its editorial services to advertisers?”
(Submitted by an Unknown)
Re: The Ad/Edit Wall Worn Down to a Warning Track
As much as I agree that print advertising needs as much assistance as possible, Scholastic’s blurring of the lines between ad and edit does not serve our industry well at all. Just like one can’t be a “little pregnant” picking and choosing which ads based on their value to the reader does not make this effort at all “kosher”. Shame shame on Scholastic’s editor.
(Submitted by a Senior Production Consultant)
Re: Figuring out Magazine Subscriptions in the iPad Age
Bo, This is much ado about nothing. I am certain that the market will do what it does and some will buy a ‘magazine’ printed on paper and some will buy (or steal?) a ‘whatever you call it” on an e-device. Leaving only we industry insiders to wring our hands about what to call it. Doesn’t make any difference. Same will happen for all other ‘printed’ communication. Whether it is (was) LCD, Plasma, cathtode ray tube, LWC, SCB, or town crier it is all the same….communication.
For me, at my age, I prefer paper. And i know it can be ecologically friendly and i am comfortable with it. For my kids it is alternative sources, but the same information. My conversations with them about what is ‘better” -a landfill of well sourced, partially recycled paper or a landfill of plastic and lithium batteries that have consumed fossil fueled energy for their entire lifespan is a different matter. I know, I know…….I am in the paper business so my comments may not be valid.
(Submitted by a senior paper person)
Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Jousting at Paper Windmills Bob, I’m glad you’re up and about and feeling better.
I don’t think that any serious minded people in our industry are really asking that things go back to where they were. But I do think that what some people are asking of the people who write about our business is that they take a little time to understand what we do and how we are trying to move into the future. We’re asking for a little respect. And we’re asking that we don’t completely throw out the baby with the bathwater. Especially seeing as how the new tub of water isn’t really warm enough to bath in.
And I also think that those of us who are privileged to work with smaller publishers are asking, demanding, that we be included in these discussions about the future of our industry and included in the planning. Because a lot of what I see happening out there suggests that there are corporate giants who would be happy to see us leave and not mess up their big, bold plans.
(Submitted by an Industry Consultant)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
