Your Publication in This Economy
Posted on Monday, June 08, 2009 at 2:54 PM
How has the present economy affected your publication? What
concerns has it raised?
By Denise Gable
It's
hard to find any business that hasn't been affected by the present
economy. With the fall in ad revenue and subscriptions, many
publications are forced to downsize staff, pages, and budgets. We asked
editors what is their greatest concern. They weighed in on how the
crisis is affecting their publications.
Reason, The Reason
Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
Circ.: 50,000
Frequency:
11 times per year
Typical issue size: approximately 80 pages
Description:
Reason, established in the revolutionary month of May 1968, is a
political and cultural magazine that explores and champions "Free Minds
and Free Markets." It is the premier libertarian journal in the world,
and has a vigorous website (including a robust video journalism site at
reason.tv) that pulls down roughly 3.5 million visitors per month.
Matt
Welch, editor-in-chief, "The great and exciting challenge of this
moment, especially for us (a magazine that has for a motto "Free Minds
and Free Markets"), is to cover the ongoing hydra-headed economic
crisis/panic/bailout in a way that makes our monthly print magazine
indispensably unique, while thrusting ourselves into the
second-by-second national conversation online. At a time when
(generously speaking) 95 percent of economics reporting is hand-waving
hokum, there is real value to be mined in trying to figure stuff out
journalistically and sharing the results with readers of all stripe. The
crisis also puts us in a position where, more than a year ago anyway, we
are asking ourselves to do more than less. The latter is less of an
issue for us than most folks because we've always had an extremely
competitive and lean mindset."
Convene, Professional
Convention Management Association, New York City, NY
Circ.:
35,000-plus subscribers
Frequency: monthly
Typical issue
size: minimum, 104 pages; average 128 pages
Description:
The leading educational magazine for the professional meeting planning
industry.
Michelle Russell, editor-in-chief, "Our concern is that we're
able to keep it whole -- that even though my freelance editorial budget
has been cut -- I'll be able to keep my staff intact. That I'll be able
to publish articles that aren't all focused on the current economy. In
other words, we'll be able to write about the really big ideas that
still matter."
PT Magazine, American Physical Therapy
Association, Alexandria, VA
Circ.: 75,000
Frequency:
11x a year (December-January is a combined issue)
Typical issue
size: 72-80 pages
Description: PT --
Magazine of Physical Therapy is the professional issues magazine of the
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Published to meet the
needs and interests of APTA members and to promote physical therapy as a
vital professional career, PT provides legislative, health care, human
interest, and Association news and serves as a forum for discussion of
professional issues and ideas in physical therapy practice. Donald E.
Tepper, editor, "Viability of the publication is our top consideration.
We've already cut back from 12 issues per year to 11 by combining the
December and January issues. We've also reduced the number of editorial
pages, from an average of 88 to a goal of 72. Since the magazine is one
of the primary member benefits, it's not likely to go away. But it might
be reduced to the point that it no longer provides value. Also, some of
the cut-back was due not to publication financial problems, but rather
to actual and anticipated problems within the organization. So we took a
significant hit in order to help preserve other functions in the
organization. [I'm also worried about my] job future, obviously."
Journal
of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (JPEN) and Nutrition in
Clinical Practice (NCP), American Society for Parenteral and Enteral
Nutrition and Sage Publications, Silver Spring, MD, and Thousand Oaks, CA
Circ.:
JPEN: 6,630/NCP: 6,000
Frequency: Both 6 times a
year
Typical issue size: JPEN has 680 pgs/volume; NCP
has 700 pgs/volume
Description: JPEN is the premier
scientific journal of nutrition support therapy and metabolic support.
It publishes original peer-reviewed studies that define the cutting edge
of basic and clinical research in the field. It also explores the
science optimizing the care of patients receiving enteral or IV
therapies. NCP publishes articles about the scientific basis and
clinical application of nutrition and nutrition support. NCP
contains peer-reviewed comprehensive reviews, clinical research, case
observations, and other papers written by experts in the field of
nutrition and healthcare practitioners involved in the delivery of
specialized nutrition support.
Bridget E. Struble, publications manager,
"We strive to be necessary -- to provide cutting edge research and
practical direction. Especially now, we must convince our readers that
only we provide the networking and professional development they need to
remain necessary to their institutions. "I, too, strive to be the best
editor, project manager, and personnel manager to prove my worth to my
organization. Excelling at my individual responsibilities while at the
same time contributing to the team remain my primary goals."
DocuMania,
E.Wallingford, VT
Circ.: 6.5 million
Frequency:
released in multiple versions over 5 seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer,
Fall, and Christmas.
Typical issue size: 108 pages
Description:
A copy-intense mail order catalogue that is released in multiple version
over five seasons.
Carolyn Haley, freelance editor, "I have already lost
more than one client over the past year, and just learned that another
one will be cutting back (or bailing out). Prior to the current economic
calamity, I began pushing hard to secure work for my normally slow
winter season -- last winter really hurt me. With my primary client, I
have also proposed a retainer arrangement instead of our usual
catch-as-catch-can deal, because that will not only serve both of us but
ensure a monthly income for me during this sure to be hairy-scary year."
Denise
Gable is managing editor of Editors Only.
Add
your comment.
Comments:
"I am so
grateful for these valuable hints in a crucial period like this where
survival for editors and publishers has become an impossible task. I
appreciate and value your guidance." --Sara Seneviratne,
editor-in-chief, Funworld International. 07-24-2009
--------------------
"My greatest concern is for our readers. They love the magazine and get a lot out of it, but we are stretched to the breaking point with constantly decreasing budgets, more work for fewer people, and management policies that seem aimed at actively preventing us from doing our jobs. We produce the magazine with two staff members and one ad salesperson. There is only so much that two people can do, and in the end it is the readers who suffer for it. Business owners, please, please remember that you have to spend money to make money, and look at the long-term picture." --Anonymous
Posted in Editing (RSS), Management (RSS)