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> Fourteener Motoring Magazine - UPDATE
stevegm
post Dec 21 2014, 12:04 PM
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See Post #457 for update
_________

JANUARY ISSUE IS OUT

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/fourteenermotoring.files.wordpress.com-17633-1454589762.1.jpg)

_______

I hope I don't regret asking. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I am looking for feedback on the magazine. We now have an automated distribution system set up, so that should be fixed and you should see a large improvement with the upcoming issue.

I am particularly interested in feedback on content. Here are my questions:

Content - The most important thing is - what do you think of the stuff we are covering? Is it what you want to read? What would you like to see added?

Then beyond content here are some things that I am pondering:
A. Balance between features, tech, and news/events. Do you like the balance?
B. Balance between photos and text - What do you think?
C. Length - We are at 44 pages now, but, we have very few ads. Most magazines run at least 50% ads. So from a content standpoint, I don't think we are doing too badly for a brand new magazine. I'd like to add 4 pages soon, but, I may wait until the January issue to do that, unless you give me feedback that there isn't enough in each issue.
D. Size - this is an important one. I went with the small size for two reasons: 1: I like it and think it is easy to carry around with you. And then 2: Cost. It cut our print costs almost in half. But, the size makes for doing full stories difficult. As a solution, I have considered doing a more detailed story on the website and readers could go over to the website for more photos, build sheets, etc. But, I wonder how many people would actually go from the magazine to the website to read more.
E. Overall feel - it is important to me that the overall feel be that of a professional magazine. Are we accomplishing that with the size and length? Is there anything we can do to improve in this area?
F. My original intent was a more "tech-related" magazine than say a Pano or Excellence. Not just features, but, useful info. Have we accomplished that? Do you value that angle?
G. What other resources would you like to see included in the magazine?


Any other comments? The magazine is about you. So your feedback is really important to me.

_______

I wanted to make sure that you everyone saw that the downloadable PDF of the July issue is available on the website. Just go to - FourteenerMotoring.com - and click on - Read Issue 2 in the menu.

The print version of the October issue goes to press September 7th, and will be mailed October 1st. We have moved all of our deadlines up to make sure these go out on time. If you want a subscription to the print version of the magazine, you can subscribe here.
________


UPDATE:

Last call to subscribe and get the second issue. After August 15th, new subscriptions will start with Issue 3 (October issue). We also have a limited number of copies of the first issue. So, if you want your subscription to start with Issue 1, PM me.
________

UPDATE:

Last call to subscribe and get the first issue. We will have some of the first issue available for sale as single-copy back issues. But, we are closing out the first subscriptions. So, subscriptions after this week (May 10th) will start with issue number 2.

________

We are excited to announce that the the first issue is done and will be mailed out the first week of April. Thank you for your support. The magazine includes:
    Feature stories about 914s and their owners
    Event coverage
    News
    Product Reviews
    Tech articles
    Project cars
    and more
There are two ways to subscribe. We offer the quarterly print version of the magazine, mailed to you for $19.99 per year. Or you can receive the electronic version for FREE. We want everybody to get it. Warning - the print version is awesome. When you see the print version we know you will want it.

If you would like the to receive the magazine you can subscribe here:

PRINT MAGAZINE - Subscribe to Print version

ELECTRONIC VERSION - Available at FourteenerMotoring.com

If you have a 914 story that you think should be told, or are interested in writing an article (or two, etc.), covering events, or helping in any way, please PM me or email me at - stevegm@mac.com

In particular, we are looking for the following stories for upcoming issues. If you are interested in helping with any of these, or would like to be featured, please let us know.

Feature car - Subaru conversion
Feature car - Original six
Tech article - Six conversion
Tech article - Megasquirt conversion
Racing stories
Product reviews


(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-17633-1427586748.jpg)

------- OLDER POSTS -------

UPDATE:

The Fourteener Motoring Magazine website is live. It is a "soft launch," and is by no means complete. The website will carry articles between issues, long running series' (like project cars), and the articles from issues after they are published. The first issue of the print magazine ran behind because of design conflicts (we are using a unique format that took some working out). We have worked them out now. In addition, given the importance of the Amelia Island honoring of the 914 I thought it would be good to include it in the first issue. The first print issue will be out the first week of April, and will include Amelia Island, Eric's Trip, and some other great stories. We will be sending emails out to subscribers in the next couple of weeks. We have decided to provide the PDF for free, and the print version for a subscription of $19.99 per year.
___

In assembling the 914 calendar we just finished, I had the opportunity to go through a lot of pictures of great 914s. They were very inspiring. In addition, a number of people sent me the "story" of their car. What struck me the most was that each car is a work of art (regardless of its current condition), with a story behind it. A story that should be told.

I decided to take on the project of creating a print publication dedicated to the 914, called Fourteener Motoring (since the car was called the "Fourteener" internally at Porsche). A decade or so ago I founded a small, industry magazine for the field I was involved in. It is something that I think will fit in the 914 community well.

The magazine will be published quarterly, at least initially. I am using a small format that will fit in the glovebox. It will include feature stories, tech articles, product reviews, racing coverage, as well as event news and stories. My goal is to put something out closer to the magazines that were actually fun and useful to read when I was getting into cars in the 1970s.

A traditional magazine revenue model would likely not work in this small of a niche. So, I am going to do it a little differently. Subscriptions are FREE, at least for as long as I can make that work. I will evaluate it more as time goes on. But, I would like to try a free model.
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Krieger
post Dec 21 2014, 12:09 PM
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Cool! I think I subscribed. Thanks for doing this
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Mark Henry
post Dec 21 2014, 12:23 PM
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Free will work with this crowd (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

So I take it by "free" you are hoping that adverting will cover the costs?

What about to Canada and foreign countries?
Of these owners the Canadian following is the biggest with the rest of all foreign around the same size of a group. In all I'm guessing this is about 5% of the total 914world members/subscribers.
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stevegm
post Dec 21 2014, 12:32 PM
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QUOTE(Mark Henry @ Dec 21 2014, 01:23 PM) *

Free will work with this crowd (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

So I take it by "free" you are hoping that adverting will cover the costs?

What about to Canada and foreign countries?
Of these owners the Canadian following is the biggest with the rest of all foreign around the same size of a group. In all I'm guessing this is about 5% of the members/subscribers.



One of things that bothers me about current magazines is that 50% or more of the pages of a modern magazine are advertising. I like ads. Some are helpful. But, I don't want to have to hunt between them for useful and interesting stories. I am sure that we will do some ads, if someone wants to run one. But, that isn't the goal. I'd like to see if we can create an old-school, interesting and useful magazine for the 914. And I still believe there is a place for paper (if only a a small place), in the right context. By only doing it quarterly, and formatting it to fit in the glovebox, I can get the cost down pretty good. Also, by making it free, it isn't a "business," and stays fun for me.

I will check on the postage to Canada and elsewhere. Assuming it isn't too much, we will mail it there for free as well. One of the first articles we have lined up is about a car in Great Britain. We want to include everybody.
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mgp4591
post Dec 21 2014, 01:12 PM
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Instead of print, would it be a benefit to you to have it in PDF form and we can download and print from there? Save you on paper, etc. and postage would be no problem. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)
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stevegm
post Dec 21 2014, 01:25 PM
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QUOTE(mgp4591 @ Dec 21 2014, 02:12 PM) *

Instead of print, would it be a benefit to you to have it in PDF form and we can download and print from there? Save you on paper, etc. and postage would be no problem. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)



I considered that. Quite a bit. It saves a healthy amount in shipping and paper. But, I wondered whether most people would print it. And even if they did, they would end up with lose paper. So, most would likely just read the pdf on their device, which brings it back to a similar medium as a website.

I also considered doing a straight website. But, I still believe that paper has value, particularly for a car magazine. You can take it to the garage, or wherever, and if your like me - keep it. I'd like to try traditional paper, and see where it goes. It really depends on the size of the subscription base. The more the better. But, this niche is very small, in magazine terms.

I am certainly open to comments and suggestions, though. Tell me what you think.
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mgp4591
post Dec 21 2014, 01:32 PM
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QUOTE(stevegm @ Dec 21 2014, 12:25 PM) *

QUOTE(mgp4591 @ Dec 21 2014, 02:12 PM) *

Instead of print, would it be a benefit to you to have it in PDF form and we can download and print from there? Save you on paper, etc. and postage would be no problem. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)



I considered that. Quite a bit. It saves a healthy amount in shipping and paper. But, I wondered whether most people would print it. And even if they did, they would end up with lose paper. So, most would likely just read the pdf on their device, which brings it back to a similar medium as a website.

I also considered doing a straight website. But, I still believe that paper has value, particularly for a car magazine. You can take it to the garage, or wherever, and if your like me - keep it. I'd like to try traditional paper, and see where it goes. It really depends on the size of the subscription base. The more the better. But, this niche is very small, in magazine terms.

I am certainly open to comments and suggestions, though. Tell me what you think.

Interesting... being a "magazine", even in PDF form, you'd still have editoral content control and it would be your domain whereas another website is just another website- we've got a damn good one here. A printed download wouldn't look as slick as your professional touch sounds like it would but printed off we'd still use it in the garage. I'd like to see you print one up! Digging up info and pics for us to submit would be a challenge also, make us think about what content we'd like to see also.
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rick 918-S
post Dec 21 2014, 01:38 PM
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Another thing to consider is the vendors that you will eventually ask to support your effort. Most slightly more than hobby shops with thin margins. They donate their stuff for events throughout the year, some donate to toys for tots so they can get a banner here. Not trying to discourage you but IMO your dipping into a shallow well.
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stevegm
post Dec 21 2014, 01:40 PM
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QUOTE(mgp4591 @ Dec 21 2014, 02:32 PM) *

QUOTE(stevegm @ Dec 21 2014, 12:25 PM) *

QUOTE(mgp4591 @ Dec 21 2014, 02:12 PM) *

Instead of print, would it be a benefit to you to have it in PDF form and we can download and print from there? Save you on paper, etc. and postage would be no problem. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)



I considered that. Quite a bit. It saves a healthy amount in shipping and paper. But, I wondered whether most people would print it. And even if they did, they would end up with lose paper. So, most would likely just read the pdf on their device, which brings it back to a similar medium as a website.

I also considered doing a straight website. But, I still believe that paper has value, particularly for a car magazine. You can take it to the garage, or wherever, and if your like me - keep it. I'd like to try traditional paper, and see where it goes. It really depends on the size of the subscription base. The more the better. But, this niche is very small, in magazine terms.

I am certainly open to comments and suggestions, though. Tell me what you think.

Interesting... being a "magazine", even in PDF form, you'd still have editoral content control and it would be your domain whereas another website is just another website- we've got a damn good one here. A printed download wouldn't look as slick as your professional touch sounds like it would but printed off we'd still use it in the garage. I'd like to see you print one up! Digging up info and pics for us to submit would be a challenge also, make us think about what content we'd like to see also.



Very good points. Ya, we already have the best forum in the world right here. We don't need another one. I am more interested in helping deliver stories, how-to, event coverage, etc. Short and long-form articles. I considered doing a "website" - i.e., an online magazine. But, I still think print has value in this niche. We will give the print a go, and see where it takes us. If the subscription base stays small, we would look at either a pdf to print, or charging a small fee or something to cover shipping down the road. But, right now, I am committed to doing it out of pocket in 2015 and seeing where it takes us. I love an adventure.
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stevegm
post Dec 21 2014, 01:50 PM
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QUOTE(rick 918-S @ Dec 21 2014, 02:38 PM) *

Another thing to consider is the vendors that you will eventually ask to support your effort. Most slightly more than hobby shops with thin margins. They donate their stuff for events throughout the year, some donate to toys for tots so they can get a banner here. Not trying to discourage you but IMO your dipping into a shallow well.



I know. A very shallow well, indeed. My wife and I discussed that extensively when we considered whether we wanted to give this a go. But, I have a day job. This isn't about the money for us. It is just something we'd like to do; a hobby or project for us as well. Although we will let vendors advertise if they want, ad income is not part of our basic model. We'd like to get some of these stories out there, and see where it goes.
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JRust
post Dec 21 2014, 02:03 PM
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Just subscribed. Looking forward to it
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warpig
post Dec 21 2014, 03:41 PM
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Just subscribed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) I think this is a great idea. It will be nice to have something to hold in my hand and read for a change.
Going to go wait by the mailbox now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)
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Big Len
post Dec 21 2014, 04:50 PM
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Asking for donations wouldn't be out of the question.
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dudzy's914
post Dec 21 2014, 05:15 PM
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Will this be 1 issue or something like a quarterly?
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pvollma
post Dec 21 2014, 05:24 PM
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Here's a niche magazine for a similar number of enthusiasts, done on a website with the option of downloading a PDF. Very few ads, no subscription fee. An email is sent each month with a link to the current issue:

Mooney Flyer

Once the mechanics are set up on the website, it looks like just PDF skills would be required.
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stevegm
post Dec 21 2014, 05:28 PM
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QUOTE(dudzy's914 @ Dec 21 2014, 06:15 PM) *

Will this be 1 issue or something like a quarterly?



Quarterly, at least initially.
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A&P Mech
post Dec 21 2014, 05:56 PM
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Just subscribed! Love the idea of a dedicated 914 print magazine. I am assuming articles on Subaru conversions could be included? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)
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Ansbacher
post Dec 21 2014, 05:58 PM
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Stevegm you sound a lot like me- you have a healthy aversion to "committee" work. I believe you should just have sprung this on us with a printed copy ready to go. As soon as a good idea is made public it immediately gets watered down with everyone else's opinions. Go for it the way you envisioned it; its your idea and labor.

Ansbacher
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mgp4591
post Dec 21 2014, 06:04 PM
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Subscribed! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)
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stevegm
post Dec 21 2014, 06:07 PM
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QUOTE(A&P Mech @ Dec 21 2014, 06:56 PM) *

Just subscribed! Love the idea of a dedicated 914 print magazine. I am assuming articles on Subaru conversions could be included? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)



Absolutely.
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