Magazines

[MarkWildey]

Issue 1 was September 94

The editorial started......

No doubt it will be a challenge, but in it's own small way, I hope it will always endeavour to capture those special ingredients that make this modern form of boating unique

Amongst the contributors was a Mr Alan Priddy….

[Mike Garside]

Originally posted by Keith Hart
RI claims a world-wide readership of 30,000. Of course this is not the number of copies sold. There is an accepted formula in publishing regarding the relationship of number of readers for each copy sold.

Depends how desperate the publisher is, Keith. An average ball-park is 10:1 in this sort of situation.

However, there are no hard and fast rules. Actually, it is just as many as the publisher reckons he can blag his way through. For example: "It's in hundreds of doctors/dentists waiting rooms. Each copy there is read by about 100 patients."

Or, "Most readers share it with members of their dive/freefall/tapestry club. We estimate that to be 25 readers per copy."

"Readership" is an unaudited totally meaningless number.

Copies sold or given away free can be audited, and usually are because advertisning rates in most national circulation publications are based on £s per 1,000 copies sold.

If I was an advertiser, and there was no circulation audit certificate, I would ask to see a copy of the print bill and then get the permission of the publisher to have this guaranteed in writng by the printer.

That's a tough one to duck.

[Daniel]

Mine's only read by me, so assume the 30,000 is based on a 1:10 ratio it should only really be 29,991!

Anyone else care to update the figure...


...this could take a while!

[Keith Hart]

I've never seen a copy in my dentist's waiting room so I guess that takes it down to 29,891!

Keith (not one in the vet's either) Hart

[Mike Garside]

Knock out mine, too. At some point one helluva lotta people gotta be sharing a copyto get to that 30grand total...

[Daniel]

Just caught my cat reading it - cheeky puss! Looks like the figure is on the increase again

[Brian]

One for Sherlock Hart really.
Mike isn't there an organisation that publishes the audited figures for publications. Isn't it AGB ? or ABC ? or something. Certainly national dailies are for ever quoting their "audited" circulation figures.
I we could know it's name, we could get on the web and hunt down the numbers.
If we can do this before we forget why we asked the question to start off with..... by the way, why do we want to know?

[GraemeCooper]

There are several organisations that offer 'audited circulation figures'.

The ones I have found are all 'subscription' services, and have to be paid for by the magazine. In return they get to quote the figures to up their adverising costs.

Down side is that as it is paid for by the Magazine results are usually favourable, or look on the bright side shall we say - otherwise they woulnt use the service again!

[Alan Priddy]

Now I am going to tell you a story!

Back in 1991 a guy called Martin Critchly and myself set about publishing a magazine called "Rib and Small Boat". At the time it didn’t seem there was enough interest to guarantee sufficient advertising revenue so we put the project on the shelf for a while.

A couple of years later HMS found himself needing an extra income and asked if I could help in any way.

By this time the market had changed, and after several meetings "Rib and Small Boat " was put together. The idea was to build up the magazine and sell it to a larger company. All went well for the first year or so until HMS changed the name of the magazine to RIB International, and claimed it was a completely separate venture!

I have never received a penny from HMS for anything I have done for him. It was originally my idea to have a RIB Show and it was me who set up the move from Weymouth to Southampton for him! What do I get in return? F~~k All!

I dared to criticise his Round Britain for very good reasons, and I suspect that he will never print anything about what I have been trying to do.

Alan (I have done it once, perhaps it is time I showed him how to do it properly) Priddy

PS If I do start a new mag I will use a spell checker!! Not like this piece

It’s OK, I’ve sub-edited it! Al, If you do start a magazine you’ll never be allowed to write for it unless someone checks it first - I might apply that rule to your forum postings too! JK

[Keith Hart]

PS If I do start a new mag I will use a spell checker!!

Alan GO FOR IT.

If you want a column on SIB's, I'm your man.

Keith (Sib Editor) Hart

[narked]

Go for it, I'd subscribe! And also lemme know if you need any help with it, I work for free on this kinda stuff that interests me.

Matt

[Daniel]

Alan,

Go for it - I'll buy it AND i'll write some stuff for free (for a while at least!). You should have enough to write for several issues yourself!


Dan

[Viking]

When Stuart originally wound Mike G up about Rib International he had hoped that Mike might decide to publish an alternative. This is sounding very good and totally has our support.

I have worked in magazine advertising sales in the past and know how to sell space. I am willing to help.

We would also undertake to sell an amount of copies for you. Let us now if you go for it!

good luck

I