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Subject:Re: Adventures in Publishing | Vanagon Magazine
From:andrewbell
Date:Thu, 10 May 2001 20:30:00 -0500

I'll subscribe.

AB

Isaac Taylor wrote:

> Hi all, longtime lurker Isaac in Cambridge here.  It struck me the other day
> while catching up on last month's listmail backlog, that there's a better place
> to do all this reading than here at my desk.  The porch, the couch, even the
> can beckon.  But without a laptop and a wireless connection, what are volk to
> do?
>
> And then it hit me: what about that other technology, paper?  Think of the
> download speeds -- you can just turn the page, and bam: more Vanagon content.
> Pictures?  Yep.  Diagrams, sure!  So here it is: I'd like to start
> brainstorming with anyone who's interested about how we might migrate some of
> the interesting and helpful content that piles up in our inboxes over to a
> newsletter, magazine or other paper-based periodical.  There's an amazing
> community here; this is far and away the most active list I have ever found.
> Despite the increasing amounts of spam and off-topic dialogue, there's a lot of
> truly useful (and often entertaining) content generated here... but I wonder if
> we could do better, or more, or at least... different than the faithful
> listserv?
>
>                                                       Some Pros
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Stable Archive     -  Useful information that fits in glovebox filing cabinet!
> Mobile Medium   -  You can take a magazine wherever you want!
> Editorial Control  -  HOT TEENS and FREE DIPLOMAS be damned!
> New Audience    -  Think of all the PC-less Vanagon enthusiasts!
> Revenues            -  Subscription and Advertising: ugly but proven!
>
>                                                       Some Cons
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Logistics             -  Printing, Binding, Delivery?
> Money               -   Are we willing to pay, and/or accept advertising?
> Green Guilt         -  E-mails recycle really, really well.
> Editorial Control - Who decides what gets published?
> Speed                -   Do For Sale, and Help Please work a month later?
> Time                  -  Who has the free time to publish a magazine?!?
>
> If any members have experience with newsletter, or niche-market publishing
> please weigh in here.  I'm also interested to hear from folks with design and
> editorial skills, and everyone with relevant small-business experience!
> There's
> a lot of smart and capable people on this list, and I'm interested to hear your
> thoughts.
>
> Isaac Taylor
> Cambridge, Massachusetts