What can you contribute to this plan for the future of my magazine?
Asked by
kevbo (
25675
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August 4th, 2015
from iPhone
I’m now the editor of the official magazine of a twelve-step recovery program (similar to Alcoholics Anonymous). The magazine is one of many “tools” that members of this program use for recovery. The primary concept for the magazine is “a meeting on the go,” so it includes submitted stories of individual members’ experiences of recovery which are edited to fit the magazine issue’s theme and for readability.
The subscriber base is very small compared to the overall membership (maybe 5% of US membership). Of this base, 80% subscribe to the print version, and 20% subscribe to the electronic version, which is distributed solely in PDF format. Print subscriptions are barely above the threshold for viability of the print issue with respect to favorable postage rates. That said, the magazine has probably never broken even and the majority of the cost is in the labor to produce it. So keep in mind that it’s not strictly a bottom line that is driving this particular magazine, which is also ad-free. Also, we produce 10 issues a year.
So, all that said, we would like to offer a better e-reading experience than PDF, and the design elements are generally stories (text) accompanied by stock photo images. My thought is to use Adobe Indesign (our current platform) to continue creating the print and PDF versions and then also use Indesign and Calibre to output MOBI and EPub formats to create better reading options for users of e-readers, tablets, and smartphones—essentially, formats that allow for the reflow of text on various screens.
Do you have any experience with this as a reader or a content producer and what can you add to this plan? If you were a hypothetical subscriber, what would you need as a reader? Is there an awesome reading experience out there that you would recommend?
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11 Answers
I should add that I don’t yet know how to output to those other formats. This is all new territory for me.
Have you considered scrapping the magazine concept and offering content on a website that is available behind a paywall for those subscribers?
On a screen, reading static files is tiresome compared reading a web page, which automatically adjusts to your screen size.
A blog or web site organized with a Content Management System (CMS) like Wordpress or Drupal would be the only way I would publish.
@DoNotKnow Not formally. Things move slowly with this org, which is controlled by a board that represents the membership. We’re an appendage of the board and serve at their pleasure. The e-magazine is behind a paywall, but we only produce a PDF format of it, which is not really mobile/e-reader friendly.
Also, the 50th anniversary issue publishes next month. Again it’s a bit of a legacy piece.
Maybe you could propose it. Like @jaytkay said, using a modern way of delivering content is the way to go. There are many people – myself included – that would never consume a static file, but read websites all day long. If they’re committed to a method of delivery that will exclude a large group of people, it might not be worth their time.
We could do both potentially. This group does read e-books.
The more responses the merrier. I’m wide open on this one.
I would like if there are two ways to read it. One way is the website way, and one way is as if you are scrolling through a print version of the magazine.
I hate PDF and you’d never get me to ‘read’ a magazine in that format.
It’s like you’re rummaging in a Sub-Zero fridge loaded with fresh foods and suddenly grab hold of a can of peas.
Like you’re trolling on a beautiful lake and you’re suddenly beached on an unseen sandbar.
You need to be interactive. Need a bookmark. Something that will take me to where I left off, but let me go back and forth.
@kevbo:
At this point using Indesign CC 2015 (and maybe earlier?) also outputs to EPub, which covers a lot of bases and retains most of the formatting. (I don’t about mobi, though. I can play around tomorrow.). Also, I believe you can embed Edge Animate (Adobe’s animation software if you’re not aware) files to get some animation and interactivity cooking. Again, I’ll play around. Anyway, I’d like to talk about pitching in!
@serenityNOW, yeah I’m on CC 2015. I haven’t done anything with Edge Animate, but I’d be stoked to hear more. Thanks for investigating. PM me if you want to connect.
I don’t know how I forgot to mention this, but I was thinking of just using Calibre to output to MOBI (for Kindle).
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