I'm just a lowly copy editor---a profession that is generally misunderstood, including by many in the publishing industry. I don't know much about the business end, and I never had much interest in production. So what I've said here should be interpreted in that light.
Boo-hoo.
PeakOil is You
Would You Subscribe to Peak Oil Magazine?
Re: Would You Subscribe to Peak Oil Magazine?
by Heineken » Fri 21 Dec 2007, 11:47:27
"Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog
"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---I & my bro.
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog
"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---I & my bro.
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Re: Would You Subscribe to Peak Oil Magazine?
by MattSavinar » Fri 21 Dec 2007, 13:35:20
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('roccman', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MattSavinar', '
')I suspect the real reason you're upset with me because deep down you know my main point is accurate: the general public is so deeply defeated and dumbed down that the PO meme is never going to enjoy any significant degree of penetration into the public consciousness, no matter what happens in the physical world.
')I suspect the real reason you're upset with me because deep down you know my main point is accurate: the general public is so deeply defeated and dumbed down that the PO meme is never going to enjoy any significant degree of penetration into the public consciousness, no matter what happens in the physical world.
And Crude Awakening fits where in this logic matty?
Actually, CA is a great example of my point. The film makers are deep in debt, they did everything they could to get it into US theaters and despite $100 oil, no go.
You would think that, if anything, on the heels of Al Gore's film it would have been able to get a big screen release.
Now it's worked out for me, I've sold about 800 copies of it. But for the film-makers it's been a major loss. That has nothing to do with the film and everything to do with the deep narcosis of the American public.
@ Aaron:
When you said "what costs?", you know what scene flashed through my head? It was the day the Crude Awakening guys showed up here to interview and one of the them said "Yeah, we're hoping for a Michael Moore type film." I thought (silently) to myself "if you think the public is going to want to watch this the way they do a Michael Moore film you got another thing coming"
I'm going to guess they figured that between skyrocketing oil prices and the importance of the the issue there would be a market for the film. There is, but the market is extremely small.
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Re: Would You Subscribe to Peak Oil Magazine?
by MattSavinar » Fri 21 Dec 2007, 13:46:56
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Shannymara', 'I') subscribe to a quarterly Nigerian Dwarf Goat magazine. There's no way they have more than a few hundred (if that) subscribers. It's $6.50 an issue and the only ads in it are for other goat breeders and such. Black and white, matte paper, thick semi-glossy paper black and white cover. The weather magazines we've been involved in were similar. I know the print costs are high on glossy color mags, but I don't see why we'd need to be that fancy, especially at first. Paying writers shouldn't be bad, at least the first couple of issues. I think between a few ads and the subscription fees it should pay for itself.
Shan,
If there were 4-to-5 big "Nigerian Dwarf Goat" websites, some of which are updated multiple times daily, plus about 50 blogs on it already covering the Nigerian Dwarf Goat beat from every angle imaginable, I doubt the magazine would have even 1/4 of it's current paying readership. That's the problem with a PO print mag: there is such an overwhelming amount of info online that people are not going to see why they should pay for content.
BTW, "Nigerian Dwarf Goat" community completely takes the phrase "niche marketing" to a whole new level!
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Re: Would You Subscribe to Peak Oil Magazine?
by MattSavinar » Fri 21 Dec 2007, 13:55:43
An angle I may have missed here
It could be that many of you here desire an "outlet" for your PO anxiety. In that case, a print mag - even if operated at a severe financial loss and with a paying readerhisp of less than 50 worldwide - may be worth the time.
I have an outlet for my PO anxiety (LATOC) so I may not have picked up on this at first.
It could be that many of you here desire an "outlet" for your PO anxiety. In that case, a print mag - even if operated at a severe financial loss and with a paying readerhisp of less than 50 worldwide - may be worth the time.
I have an outlet for my PO anxiety (LATOC) so I may not have picked up on this at first.
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Re: Would You Subscribe to Peak Oil Magazine?
by MattSavinar » Fri 21 Dec 2007, 14:44:59
Shanya,
Not trying to be a downer, just explaining the aspects of the PO "market", for lack of a better world.
Maxim and Playboy are poor analogies, but not for the reason you articulated. It's a matter of percentages:
Let's say there's 50 million American men who regularly look at free online sex porn. Let's also assume,for the sake of illustration since we don't the actual numbers, that 1 out of 100 are willing to pay for it even though they can view it for free.
That's 5 million potential subscribers.
But what about Peak Ol porn? There's maybe 20,000 people in the whole world who check the forums and sites at least 1 time per week. Probably less than 10,000 who check it 4 times or more per week. But let's be really optimistic and assume there's 40,000 people who do.
Well if 1% of peope who view PO porn online for free are willing to also pay for PO porn, that gives you 400 potential subscribers. If you can convince 200 of the 400 to pay a subscription, you'd be doing great imho. (These are extremely optimsitic numbers imho.)
Not trying to be a downer, just explaining the aspects of the PO "market", for lack of a better world.
Maxim and Playboy are poor analogies, but not for the reason you articulated. It's a matter of percentages:
Let's say there's 50 million American men who regularly look at free online sex porn. Let's also assume,for the sake of illustration since we don't the actual numbers, that 1 out of 100 are willing to pay for it even though they can view it for free.
That's 5 million potential subscribers.
But what about Peak Ol porn? There's maybe 20,000 people in the whole world who check the forums and sites at least 1 time per week. Probably less than 10,000 who check it 4 times or more per week. But let's be really optimistic and assume there's 40,000 people who do.
Well if 1% of peope who view PO porn online for free are willing to also pay for PO porn, that gives you 400 potential subscribers. If you can convince 200 of the 400 to pay a subscription, you'd be doing great imho. (These are extremely optimsitic numbers imho.)
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Re: Would You Subscribe to Peak Oil Magazine?
by steam_cannon » Fri 21 Dec 2007, 15:08:59
Steam Punk's seem to be latching onto the idea of peak oil and this is a fairly large group of people.
A SteamPunk’s Guide to the Apocalypse
http://tinyurl.com/25j4vw
This interesting publication was produced by small group of authors. They offer their magazines for free in pdf form and charge for print copies. I think this works because anachronistic types like to have a printed copy around. And so if people here are wondering what large audience would be interested in a peak oil magazine besides us, this would probably be the group. They are already showing interest in peak oil, doom, permaculture, renewable technologies and thermodynamics. And all that's stuff every issue would have...
Not that I think we need a larger audience, but they do exist.
Maybe "Peak Steam" magazine...
A SteamPunk’s Guide to the Apocalypse
http://tinyurl.com/25j4vw
This interesting publication was produced by small group of authors. They offer their magazines for free in pdf form and charge for print copies. I think this works because anachronistic types like to have a printed copy around. And so if people here are wondering what large audience would be interested in a peak oil magazine besides us, this would probably be the group. They are already showing interest in peak oil, doom, permaculture, renewable technologies and thermodynamics. And all that's stuff every issue would have...
Not that I think we need a larger audience, but they do exist.
Maybe "Peak Steam" magazine...
Last edited by steam_cannon on Fri 21 Dec 2007, 15:23:13, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Would You Subscribe to Peak Oil Magazine?
by Aaron » Fri 21 Dec 2007, 15:18:41
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Shannymara', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MattSavinar', 'N')ot trying to be a downer, just explaining the aspects of the PO "market", for lack of a better world.
Yeah, I was just kidding around. I think you might be right about the numbers, but still I think we could do it on a modest scale without getting in the hole.
You guys assume too much.
The problem is, of course, that not only is economics bankrupt, but it has always been nothing more than politics in disguise... economics is a form of brain damage.
Hazel Henderson
Hazel Henderson
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And here my brother's always calling me "Debbie Downer." 
