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Feedback/Ideas for New Magazine?

Hi Guys,

In perusing the forums here at A-gon it is very apparent to me that many of you do not trust commercial magazines and reviewers. Obviously, with any magazine the derives its income mainly from commercial advertising, questions always arise regarding reviewer bias and the mag's political slant. I constantly see the question, "Why are there no negative reviews?"

Having been a reviewer for 4 magazines, I know the insider's perspective of why there are very few negative reviews published. In life, it is true that you get what you pay for, and since many of the e-zines are free and the print mags are very inexpensive because they pack in lots of advertising dollars to cover their costs, this maxim holds true.

More and more lately, I've been leaning toward starting my own audio magazine, which would allow me the freedom to be unusually candid and truthful about the topics and review gear the magazine covers.

My question, is: "Would you be willing support a magazine that is mainly funded by subscriptions if you had to pay a minimal yearly fee for it?" Please be honest, because as much as I'd love to start a venture like this, there's no point in doing it if there won't be a market for it. I'm speaking of an online publication to begin with; print would come much later, if at all.

Let me know what you think, and feel free to e-mail me privately if you prefer.

Thank You!
plato
plato OP
1,543 posts
 
Pmkalby, you really had me going; hey, maybe you could do an audiophile-humor column for me! I thank you for that bit of fun and for your suggestions.

Unsound, I enjoyed learning about your meager expectations and I will certainly take your advice and sentiments to heart. Your encouragement is very much appreciated, as are the ideas and suggestions of all the A-goners who replied.

So, may I put you on my e-mail list?

Frank A :)
mhu
102 posts
 
Your e-zine sounds like a great idea, and it seems like you will gain a niche market. From a business standpoint, why not take advertisements from non-audio gear companies to avoid conflicts of interest?
I understand that non-audio businesses might not have an interest in advertising with you, but if you were to do a thorough market research, you might be able to come up with hard data that might be convincing to some of these companies. I'm sure audiophiles have a life and do other things, or have other interests and needs, (stretching...but you get my point). A couple of things I can think of are softwares, beverages, maybe furniture (chair for the sweet-spot), firearms,etc... Ok., maybe not firearms, but there have been times where some of the things that I've bought seem to serve no purpose other than target practice.
Just a suggestion, as I would really like to see something like this take-off. Maybe you can use Audiogoners as a focus group (which I understand you are right now), but with an emphasis on how you can gain advertisments from non-audio gear companies.
Now..., back to reality. What else do I buy besides audio gears?
unsound
7,338 posts
 
Plato, how could I refuse someone with such a gift for humerous diplomacy?
plato OP
1,543 posts
 
Mhu, that's not a bad idea, in fact, I thought of it the other day and then forgot about it. One of the books I've been reading on successful marketing states that any site that has a certain amount of traffic could be used to derive income from banner ads and such. If the companies are not audio companies, then there should be no conflict of interest. There are potentially many other businesses, like the ones you suggested that may be open to advertising once I get an established flow of traffic. I think maybe sporting goods/wear, automobiles, watches, wines (thanks Slappy!), and many other types of non-audio-related industries would lend support and advertising dollars once I cross the required hit threshold. Good point!

Unsound, that's right -- you can't refuse; it is not permitted! I'll add you to my list. Thanks :)
pragmatism
11 posts
 
I would be interested in everyone's views of an opinion piece I wrote recently in UltraAudio on some of these issues. I have no doubt that there is a degree of cynicism about the review process and some of it may in fact be warranted, but let me know what you think. the link is www.ultraaudio.com It is a part of the Soundstage network. Once you enter the Ultra site go to the Opinion section and look for my piece which was published on October 1. The piece is called Obligation and Integrity in the Audio Community (or something very close to that). I actually briefly discuss the idea of a subscription based magazine. Others I know are toying with the idea and have even more substantial plans than those outlined in this thread. I am very interested in what members of the community think
Thanks,
Jules
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