For magazine publishing ninjas
I am a small and independent publisher...and damn proud of it!
I just finished reading the latest issue of Folio. The numbers in there are staggering...Millions...billions....it's enough to make your head spin.
Don't get me wrong - Folio is a pretty cool mag - and there are always some great ideas in there. But for the most part, it's about BIG.
Well, I am small. My revenues are not over a million dollars...and newsflash...they probably never will be.
It's me, a freelance designer and a network of folks who help (and occasionally get paid for a photo or two).
I didn't know what area to put this rant in...but I figured why not put it in the news section.
So, here's the news:
Small is beautiful.
Don't get me wrong - Folio is a pretty cool mag - and there are always some great ideas in there. But for the most part, it's about BIG.
Well, I am small. My revenues are not over a million dollars...and newsflash...they probably never will be.
It's me, a freelance designer and a network of folks who help (and occasionally get paid for a photo or two).
I didn't know what area to put this rant in...but I figured why not put it in the news section.
So, here's the news:
Small is beautiful.
Views: 1
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Linda Ruth on -
Hi Michael. I couldn't agree more. Especially as most of the growth in magazine sales over more than a decade have come from small and medium sized independent publishers. And virtually all the loss we keep hearing so much about comes from the industry behemoths. Clearly there is a model here that some members of our industry are still catching up with.
Anyway, thanks for starting this discussion thread. I'm going to put myself down for "follow"--so I get inbox notification when other people weigh in.\
Best,
Linda
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Permalink Reply by Michael Brooke on -
thanks Linda
I think a lot of folks who work in big publishing companies like Time/Warner would dearly love to throw in the towel and begin a career at a magazine they owned. Big is big...you have that going for you. Of course, big can invest $100,000 in making the cover more appealing and don't get me started on "value add" with ad agencies.
So, yes, as a small publisher there is stress at trying to get some of the table scraps, but in the end, I feel comfortable in my own environment of niche. I just wished Folio would spend a little more space on small indy publishers.
Hey, maybe that's an idea for a magazine???
© 2012 Created by Linda Ruth.
