tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63568332948486017122024-02-19T05:26:41.433-05:00Magazine DazeThe Rise, Fall, and Rise of Magazines. . .as in a look at the past and present of print magazines and the new era of digital magazines.Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-26904472328064597612009-06-27T22:45:00.003-04:002009-06-29T11:53:41.877-04:00Digital Magazines Are Taking OverrNo more crankyboots I haven’t posted here for awhile. I was tired of being cranky. All that “When oh when will publishers see the light?” stuff. And “When oh when will they prepare themselves, their staffs, their partners and their readers for the obvious crossover to digital?” Let’s not forget ”When oh when will they realize that the magazine format doesn’t require paper clothing?” Blah. Blah. Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-16214319755362356922009-01-16T23:29:00.003-05:002009-01-16T23:33:16.723-05:00Route CauseKnowledge@Wharton has delivered just what we need—one more wakeup call for the publishing industry: And no, don’t reach for the snooze button. The report, “Urgent Deadline for Publishers: Find a New Business Plan before You Vanish,” quotes a number of Whartonians from various disciplines. It was published: January 07, 2009. We thank Bob Sacks for distributing it. The lead paragraph sets a toneNorman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-66620028978680729532009-01-05T22:29:00.001-05:002009-01-05T22:32:34.840-05:00The Earview MirrorWhich would you prefer? The ear half empty or the ear half full? Digital Media Wire Daily reports that 2008 music sales reached 1.5 billion units, beating the 2007 total by 10.5%. This data, which encompasses the sales of songs, albums, vinyl, music videos and ringtones comes from Nielsen SoundScan. According to the article, “Sales of physical albums like CDs fell 20%, to 362.6 million, and Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-6088603233088106832009-01-03T12:51:00.006-05:002009-01-03T13:05:32.523-05:00Of Buggywhips and Manifestos Two recent posts in Samir Husni’s Mr. Magazine blog are informative, fascinating and unintentionally poignant. The earlier (18 December, 2008) is an interview with Time magazine Managing Editor Richard Stengel. It mostly discusses Time' s 2008 "Person of the Year" selection and issue. Near the conclusion, Stengel points out that this issue did very well on the newsstand and uses this as a Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-45206816355482400582008-11-06T08:54:00.004-05:002008-11-07T10:43:58.608-05:00Checking in on the Endangered ListOn the heels of US News & World Report's frequency change to monthly, Media Life's Diego Vasquez interviewed blogger The Grim Reaper, who presides over Magazine Death Pool. (Need we say what material the blog covers?) Ostensible Topic? “Which consumer magazines are the next to fold?” And the discussion looked at the health of the already fragile magazine industry during this current Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-43708744375592666312008-07-18T20:58:00.003-04:002008-07-18T21:14:18.001-04:00The Punted WordAnd we're back!Associated Press writer Ted Anthony finds much to cheer for in his review of the new anthology 85 Years Of Great Writing In Time (Time Books, 560 pages, $26.95). As the title, imprint and probaby copyright policy indicate, the book is a compilation of pieces that first appeared in Time magazine. Anthony seems to feel that the collection is a good counter argument to the present Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-38248563422943576802007-12-27T23:12:00.000-05:002007-12-27T23:21:39.724-05:00DIGITAL, DIGITAL, DIGITAL (AND PORTABLE TOO)In his Advertising Age article (“Trends to Watch in 2008”), Bob Liodice, president-CEO of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), follows up on Steve Ballmer’s claim that all media is going digital. He notes the richness of digital features —including the portability — and wonders if marketers are skilled enough to take advantage of this rapidly changing landscape?” We might ask the same Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-32160932873370750942007-12-24T23:07:00.000-05:002007-12-24T23:11:40.851-05:00Paradigm GainedHappy Holiday! Digital music downloads march on as this Independent article attests.Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-16350849321581637342007-12-19T12:56:00.000-05:002007-12-19T13:04:48.334-05:00Australian Bookseller offers Dutch ebook ReaderThe Australia’s Herald Sun reports that bookseller Dymocks is selling ebook reader the iLiad. The device which uses the mobibook format also accommodates a variety of formats including html and pdf. A nice twist to the iLiad is that the screen is touch-sensitive and — with a supplied stylus — you can do such things as Suduko and crossword puzzles, make notations or sketch. It’s a pricey $899 Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-10818886525274680532007-12-06T12:54:00.000-05:002007-12-06T12:58:46.635-05:00It's Eisie's Birthday Today is the birthday of Alfred “Eisie” Eisenstadt, referred to in his 25 August, 1995 New York Times obit as the “quintessential Life photographer. One of a band of Leica-bearing photojournalists, Eisenstadt made some of the pictures that became cultural icons. This was back in the day when magazines, particularly Life were considered mass media. Most notable among these was his Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-80930921134858596722007-12-06T11:41:00.000-05:002007-12-06T11:47:08.010-05:00Magazine Hunting SeasonBack on 30 November “Magazine Death Pool” blog’s The Reaper announced that the next 60-90 says are “officially magazine hunting season and” offered these telltale signs. Take a good look. Many ads? Can you get the same stuff easily on the web? Does the content seem pointless? It may be time to start saving back issues as souvenirs of the "good old magazine days." We would add the following: HowNorman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-7103467201745937602007-10-24T22:32:00.000-04:002007-10-25T10:36:35.425-04:00A New Kind of Hope<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><!--[endif]-->In his latest “Bo Sacks Speaks Out,” Bob Sacks tells of the plaintive reader requests for good news about the survival of print. He honestly and sympathetically explains that he tries to find positive gems and that he does pass along what he finds. But there isn’t very much.He says: "So in my writings and my daily newsletter, I am offering a new kind ofNorman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-56083913498995768862007-10-15T22:56:00.001-04:002007-10-15T23:08:05.461-04:00Digital, Digital, DigitalSteve Ballmer of Microsoft delivered more than a keynote at the opening of the Association of National Advertisers conference last week. He delivered a shot across the bow of traditional media, including our friend the print magazine. He stated that in 10 years, all media would be digital and delivered over the Net. Advertising Age reported the following: "What if in 10 years we can give you a Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-15324708395949827772007-10-03T13:26:00.000-04:002007-10-03T13:32:14.712-04:00Cell Phone NovelsIn Web mag 3:AM Roland Kelts tells about how the recording industry is trying to cope with the downloadable, digital sea change. Kelts, author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US, suggests the US publishing industry might be in worst shape than the music biz. US book publishers, he suggests, are in denial. He cites as contrast the Japanese embrace of “cell phone novels.Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-32823968515738852842007-10-03T11:57:00.000-04:002007-10-03T12:05:43.612-04:00Indicators, ShmindicatorsThere’s a simple formula that always helps when writing a blog about magazines. Just start with the phrase, “Samir Husni writes, “ . . .” and then blithely go on to agree or disagree with quoted comment, while adding a riff of your own. What’s the point of being involved with magazines if you can’t be formulaic? So here goes. In yesterday’s Bulldog Reporter’s Daily’ Dog, “Samir Husni writes, “Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-7439433680471357892007-09-29T22:14:00.000-04:002007-09-29T22:28:48.892-04:00Finding a PulseThe 28 September issue of PDNPulse (published online by Photo Dsistrict News) offers encouraging news to magazines — and I don’t agree with a word of it.It quotes the Economist. To wit: There are good reasons why magazine owners should not feel despondent … many of the pleasing characteristics of magazines—their portability and glossiness, for instance—cannot be matched online. And magazines are Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-45741755707453012802007-09-29T18:24:00.000-04:002007-09-29T20:01:33.725-04:00CommentsIt's been a bit since the last post but here I am. again. I thought I might call your attention to two comments about my 24 June post. It's called "SubHub's Super List" and ventures one guess about the future of custom publishing. See below.Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-4359343988039545942007-08-07T12:04:00.000-04:002007-08-07T12:16:54.886-04:00CDs and MagazinesThe London Telegraph has a story about the magazine business in its business pages today (7 August 2007). Philip Aldrick reported on declining revenues, at EMI. His lead is "The demise of the CD is accelerating. EMI yesterday revealed that its first-quarter revenues from the music format had dropped by nearly a fifth." Okay, the article is about the recording business, but we should take heedNorman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-90991491802849845592007-07-30T17:48:00.000-04:002007-08-07T12:04:24.410-04:00Good and Bad News for Print from DeloitteAn Advertising Age article, cited by Bob Sacks, contains some very good news for print magazines; but it also is spiced with a bit of foreboding. The piece ("Who Still Reads Magazines? Just About Everybody" by Brian Steinberg) reports on a study of media consumption by Deloitte Services' Technology, Media & Telecommunications group. The study reveals that while the various generational cohortsNorman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-70733223263558058772007-07-27T15:13:00.000-04:002007-07-27T15:16:13.422-04:00New portable, digital magazine mediumTexterity has released a new platform to access publications on your Apple iPhone (not my iPhone because I don’t care for one just yet), according to knowledgespeak.com (which covers the scientific, technical and medical (STM) publishing sector. The digital edition readers see emulates the magazine, as published. It’s a beta test and 20 publications are taking part and providing free iPhone Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-72651129700269701002007-07-23T16:01:00.000-04:002007-07-23T18:10:18.648-04:00From toys to mags…is it the new convergence?Samir Husni, Mr. Magazine, offers the existence of two new magazines --- Barbie and Hot Wheels as proof that print has many days left. He says:For anyone who still doubts the future of magazines, and print in general, here are two new magazines that were launched this year celebrating toys, yes toys…So if a company invests money in an old technology, then that technology is safe? Putting the Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-78651309564479748092007-07-21T16:45:00.000-04:002007-07-23T15:16:01.922-04:00Magazine CityWe know two things about the above photo.I should forget about photography as a career. The picture is a metaphor for the print magazine's downfall (and perhaps a snarky photo op).Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-19287399361402337522007-07-16T22:36:00.000-04:002007-07-16T22:46:14.302-04:00Kids to Print Media: Well . . . DuhSome years ago, while at a magazine industry conference, I sat at a breakfast table with a bright young man who worked for a wholesaler. “Within 15 years,” BYM said, there won’t be any newspapers.” “Sure there will,” I said. “We just don’t know what form they’ll take.” As it turns out we both may be proven right. The New York Times reports that “Only 16 Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-34170021802783257692007-07-01T22:20:00.000-04:002007-07-02T10:00:29.749-04:00Er-uh-excuse me. The ship is sinking.Bob Sacks reports back from the Periodical and Book Association of America(PBAA) meeting. He and Samir Husni had a stimulating debate. There were some thoughtful and hope-inducing presentations. But there also was a shocking supply of self-destructive conventional wisdom. It was as if some industry people thought it okay to steer through the icebergs. Apparently there was a supply chain panel Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356833294848601712.post-35170978681228665932007-06-24T22:08:00.000-04:002007-06-24T22:10:48.248-04:00SubHub's Super List SubHub is stating a simple truth about digital publishing when it compares conventional printing on paper to the Internet. The lessons are here not only for conventional publishers but for custom publishers as well. Custom publishers — companies that create and manage publications (i.e. marketing tools) for nonpublishers — are an esteemed part of our community. They provide service, Norman Schreiberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09751894805846993400noreply@blogger.com2