Gents:
I must ask your serious opinion. I am seriously thinking of publishing a quarterly digital magazine solely on double rifles--history, ballistics, care, research, hunting, reloading, etc. In a nutshell, anything and everything double rifles. I have the magazine laid out, titled, etc. I'd appreciate your comments on the following issues I am dealing with:

A digital format is cost effective. A print copy is far too expensive and even more so originating in Alaska. Personally, I prefer to turn pages but this is not possible financially.

Due to set up, marketing, digital layout, internet, and bank and other financial fees, a yearly subscription of around 20$ per year is doable. Maybe a bit more depending of internet payment options and ordering through a computer, deposits, etc., Issues would start at 60 pages and increase as material warrants.

Would any of you gents consider submitting articles on your doubles and/or your hunts with them? From my library of material I can supply enough articles for a few years but no one (including myself) wants to read a magazine just with my stuff. I will need articles, pics and data of your favorite doubles, your experiences, technical data, reloading, etc. I prefer to only contribute two articles per issue.

Next week I plan on meeting with a young computer wiz who can give me information of layout, sending the magazine out to those who subscribe via the internet, security precautions, payment options and methods, etc. If all goes well, depending of the feedback from AR readers, I could be ready with the first issue in January.

I don't expect much advertising until the magazine proves itself so all setup, internet, and billing costs I will cover. I'm willing to do this if the interest is there.

Thanks for your thoughts, gents, and I look forward to reading your replies.
Cal
PS. Here is one of the caribou I took last week. Rifle is my .450-400 Harrison and Hussey ble. Range was a measured 140 yards. Woodleigh 400-grain soft entered left shoulder, quartering on, and exited back right side.

Cal, I would for sure subscribe. Next July I am taking my W.J. Jeffery .450 No. 2 to Zim for buffalo. I would like to give a try at submitting photos.

Awesome caribou by the way.

I have very little interest in an e-magazine unless it was very cheap. With online publishing, you are competing with the internet.

Have you looked into on demand publishing?

A very quick look found a 60 pg magazine could be published for about $9 per issue for 25 copies. Cheaper if you had more.

Good luck which ever way you go.

quote:

Originally posted by Duckear:
I have very little interest in an e-magazine unless it was very cheap. With online publishing, you are competing with the internet.

Have you looked into on demand publishing?

A very quick look found a 60 pg magazine could be published for about $9 per issue for 25 copies. Cheaper if you had more.

Good luck which ever way you go.

Duckear:
Good thought. I can't publish books via on demand as it is basically a color photocopy. The best price I can come up with offset publishing is about 17$ per issue for a run of 1000. I will check in AK for on demand so see what is up here. At 9$ per copy plus postage that may put the cost too high. But, I will look into it.
Cal

real books are the only thing that has much interest for me, at least. I like flipping back and forth and seeing pages.

To sit in front of a computer scrolling up and down just has no appeal, personally.

Good luck with which ever way you go.

Cal, I like the idea.

I have enough print magazines already, electronic suits me fine.

I do like hardcopy fine books though.
Cheers, Chris

Hi Cal,
I am am of the same opinion as most others. Even though I travel a lot and should read everything on my iPad (and can get work to pay for access)I like paper and rarely look at digital magazines. Good luck!
Best,
Greg

I'm in - both digital and paper. Digital will be future - you can print articles you want to bring for " paper " reading.

I understand the comments on a paper version, but digital is future because it is cost effective and effective distribution world wide.

Ps
Nice caribou and nice meat Understand your plans for a 300 Flanged VC Using the 450/400 is a canon for these caribous !


Morten

I would most certainly subscribe! If possible in the setup of the format it would be nice to be printer friendly, so that the magazine could be printed off and bound if desired. I don't mind digital but it would, in my opinion, be nice to have paper copies to add to the library.

Cal - whichever way you go with this, count me in as one of your subscribers. I look forward to your first edition!

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:
Cal - whichever way you go with this, count me in as one of your subscribers. I look forward to your first edition!

DITTO/

Hi Cal,
I'm in also.
Regards,
Hollis

Cal,

Please count me in as well. I do have an affinity for hard copy as it is nice to be able to flip through the full sized pages. The reality is that for the most part I lack the space and desire to store those hard copies. It is quite easy to store e-copies and thus I am more likely to retain them for future reference. If formatted properly the e-copies come pretty close to behaving like hard copy when viewed on my iPad. I can flip back and forth through the pages. With proper formatting this can be done on the PC as well. My iPad reads PDF which is a fairly universal, easy to use across multiple platforms, format. The hard copies also get damaged when I travel despite my best efforts to prevent this. E-copies do not tear, fade, wrinkle, etc. It is easy to "carry" 20 e-copies but more than two or three hard copies is a hassle.

Eric

Count in on both,book and magazine.

Cal,

I will both subscribe and forward articles to you for publishing. It would be my honor.

I'm in as well!

I too like paper but understand the internet is the way of the future! My participation will depend on the method of payment choices! If one of the choices of payment is by money order for an annual subscription, then I’m in. If payment is limited to internet payment then no! I do no financial business by internet. For me the internet is entertainment only!

I’m looking forward to your new book, and will order as soon as it is available! Good luck with your internet magazine!

....................................................................

Cal,

Check out these guys.

http://www.lulu.com/

All you do is create the content. They handle most everything else.
Plus, they run the 'store', so you are not running to the post office and trying to mail stuff across the world.

They also support e-publishing.

Not sure it would support a subscription model, but does offer worldwide distribution via Amazon, Kindle, etc, etc. Pick up some one-off business as well as push notifications via email when new editions are available.

Good luck.

I'm in.

Dutch

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
real books are the only thing that has much interest for me, at least. I like flipping back and forth and seeing pages.

To sit in front of a computer scrolling up and down just has no appeal, personally.

Good luck with which ever way you go.

Cal, count me in.

Rich... the hypocrisy is hilarious.

Cal,

Having been to your website and blog, I would be interested as well. However, like a couple of other members, I prefer to hold it in my hands and flip the pages. Maybe I am archaic as I don't own an I-Pad or I-Phone, like to turn my cell off on my weekends, and really don't care to read anything other than a short post or e-mail on a computer screen.

I think the publishers of my favorite read, The Double Gun Journal, ventured into the digital realm without a lot of success.

There is one place where I can see the advantage of technology... 20 years ago I packed for Ken Fanning in the Alaska range and being the junior member, I got to carry the CAR BATTERY that powered our SAT phone in my pack. I am thinking that better solutions have developed since then!

Lee

http://baumgarthandmadeknives.blogspot.com/

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
real books are the only thing that has much interest for me, at least. I like flipping back and forth and seeing pages.

To sit in front of a computer scrolling up and down just has no appeal, personally.

Good luck with which ever way you go.

Cal, count me in.

Rich... the hypocrisy is hilarious.

I'm about to die from acute irony overdose......

Brett

Count me in!

Hi Cal. I would be in for the paper version. Good luck!

GREAT Idea!! I despise digital magazines, but I am still in.....hoping for good print options in the future!!

Cheers,

cal I wish you the best,and add me to the list
For both the book and the magazine.

Add me to the list!

Count me in too...

Good hunting,

Cal,

I am in. I will even put in an article from time to time...Wacked this guy with a 470..



Ed

I would be in. I don't get near the opportunity to hunt so many species of game as a lot of the guys but do hunt what and when I can. My passion is developing loads and the study and interpretation of ballistics. I would be interested in doing some articles if either of those topics would generate any interest.

Monday night I spent about 4 hours with a friend of mine who is starting a hunting magazine in Europe. It will be printed.

Not having a printed magazine will mean it goes no where.

Good luck on your endeavor. I just can't see any future in a magazine we can't physically hold.

Gents:
Thanks for all of your comments and encouragement. A computer wiz has agreed to be hired for the technical end of the project. Next week I depart for a moose hunt (I don't expect much success as I will bring the open sighted .600 Wilkes). Upon my return I will begin to develop the first issue.

I agree with many of you who prefer a hard copy and the ability to turn pages. You are preaching to the choir. However, it is financially impossible to produce a print issue now. At 17$ per issue for a run of 1000 it is too much of a gamble to bet 68,000$ for the first four issues as I will be starting off with few subscriptions and little to no advertising.

What I can possibly do is this: after the first few issues of digital format I could possibly offer POD (print on demand) hard copies to those what want it. This, and many other areas I will be looking at in October. I am still planning the first issue by January.

Again, thanks for your input. I appreciate all comments, even negative, as I learn from them. My goal here is to produce a product so we can share all double rifle info.
Cheers, mates.
Cal

Harald Wolf is probably the only guy I know of with a darn near 100% him magazine. I don't think he prints it anymore, and I have spoken to him in a few years.

He'd be a good contact on how to get advertising and subscribers.

He tried the e-magazine thing too, it didn't work.

Cal think of it his way.

You are asking people to pay for what they already get on AR in the form of hunt reports and rifle reviews.

That and if they ask a question they get a response, albeit often a bullshit one.

One of the things my Danish friend told me the other night is that because the hunting magazine world is so crowded and the number of do-it-yourself hunting celebrities is so huge now that getting advertising is damn near impossible.

Not only is impossible, but getting an advertising agreement is even tougher.

Emmanual Kappe (spelling) of Wyoming and a former South African photographer started a new hunting magazine in the past couple years. You might call him and ask for advise.

quote:

Originally posted by Matabele:
I would most certainly subscribe! If possible in the setup of the format it would be nice to be printer friendly, so that the magazine could be printed off and bound if desired. I don't mind digital but it would, in my opinion, be nice to have paper copies to add to the library.

I'm with Matabele. I'd also like to see a section dedicated to the use of DRs in North America, on North American game.

I would rather pay $30 for paper than 20 for computer. Look at the BP News Magazine printed by Steve Garbe; it is quarterly, for $24 a year. Slick paper magazines, which us older guys like to save. I would consider quarterly rather than monthly; I think new material would quickly dry up on a monthly basis.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
Monday night I spent about 4 hours with a friend of mine who is starting a hunting magazine in Europe. It will be printed.

Not having a printed magazine will mean it goes no where.

Good luck on your endeavor. I just can't see any future in a magazine we can't physically hold.

Actually, the internet is slowly but surely killing the print magazine. Even the big publications are slowly dying and many of the smaller publications have gone the way of the dodo. Clearly the interactive nature of the online magazines is a big draw for advertisers.

I work in this industry and I can tell you that I too prefer print magazines, however, they are dying on the vine. Printing costs are so high now that they are too cost prohibitive unless you have a lot of ad dollars coming in. The boom in the industry is slowing down drastically and the advertising dollars are quite scarce today.