Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks?

BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks?
www.bosacks.com
I received a letter from a reader who said that some of his friends have stopped reading BoSacks because of all the bad news. I wasn't shocked at the note, but I admit that I was a little disappointed. I thought that my position was clear. I wrote back that I did not think that the industry is in death mode, nor has that ever been the intent of my coverage. And I also wrote that I try my damnedest to find positive and uplifting news.

Indeed I am very upbeat about our industry, and I see a bright future for the industry and the people in it. But there are a few things that have to be stated. The industry is never going to be the way it was; it is not even going to be the way it is. But I think the stories I send out give our readers a chance to see how the future may bend, blend and re-form, and hopefully offer a place of steady employment, if you are smart enough to read between the lines.

The industry is radically changing. So what? Why do you find that so depressing? I do not. Change is an elixir, and should be treated that way. The possibilities of information distribution in the next few years will be nothing less than staggering. Quite possibly we could be heading into the great, golden years of publishing. Is that a downer? Not in my book. There is more reading material available now, to more people than ever before in the combined history of man.

There are no age qualifiers on my web site when you sign up, so I'll ask this question: What were you doing five years ago? If you were in the business, what were you doing ten years ago? Are you doing the same thing now that you were doing then? I doubt it. What do you think you will be doing ten years from now? Do you think it is possible your job description and responsibilities might change? What might they be?

Our technology is growing exponentially. What used to take ten technologic years to advance now takes five, perhaps even less. My advice is to be very prepared to face the future with full frontal aggressiveness and make it your friend, not your combative enemy. If technology and the future are not your friends, you are fighting a battle you can not possibly win. As I have said before, the future is here now; it is just not widely distributed yet.

There are two options -- we can stick our heads in the ground in denial and hope that the industry problems will somehow go away and we will be able to continue to do what we have been doing, or we can do our very best to stay informed about the industry as it changes and grow with it. The choice is ours. Information is our power. That is why I am bullish about the publishing industry. We own the content. I do not care how we distribute that content. Some of it will always be on paper and some will be distributed electronically. So what? Once writers needed quill pens to write. Many years later came fountain pens, and then typewriters. Now we have computers. Are my words typed on a laptop and distributed by electrons, any less important because of this method of delivery? The reading of the written word is what is most important, not the pathway to receiving them. The truth is those words are more important when they are as fresh as possible and only a few electronic minutes old.

The bottom line for us all is to try to stay employed as long as we wish to work. The only way to that end is to work hard and be as informed as is possible.

Oh, yes, and I might mention that I do try my hardest to find articles that are positive and uplifting about our industry. They do exist from time to time; it's just that they are very few and far between. When I find them, I send them. I also think most negative articles are not fully understood by the authors and are written with a very narrow perspective. But what I do send out is important to anyone in the industry. That is my criteria and the only reason I send anything out. I think it is important to know. Remember, this industry's future is your future. The world of publishing is not going to evaporate. I think it will grow and prosper, in fact, I guarantee it.

Well, there you go. Am I wrong? What do you think?

Publishers on Redefining the Role of Print

Publishers on Redefining the Role of Print
Outgoing ABM Chairman: If we don't change, we're 'in trouble.'
By Matt Kinsman
www.folio.com

LA QUINTA, California-The tagline for American Business Media's Spring Meeting is "New Paths To Success." And while much of the conversation revolves around expected topics of video and social media, the changing role of the print product is accounting for much of the conversation as well."There's a lot of talk about Web 2.0 but there is very little talk about Magazines 2.0," says Hanley Wood CEO and outgoing ABM chairman Frank Anton. "If the magazines published two or three years from now aren't different, we're in trouble. "The current magazine model won't take us into the next five years, let alone the next 100 years."

Magazines need to be rethought from top-to-bottom-editorial approach to circulation to folio size, Anton says. "We need to let readers decide the content-instead of one version for 100,000 readers but a lot of custom versions," he added.

"Circulation needs to be reviewed. It's bloated-in some cases by 60 percent or more. Maybe we need to move away from controlled circulation and have people pay for products."Nielsen chairman and CEO David Calhoun said magazines have to be approached in terms of how they complement other media. "I don't believe publications are going away but if they don't understand their role in relation to other media, they will lose," he said. "I hate reading about one form of media losing out to another, and print is always thought about in terms of competing with other media.

In the evolution of the magazine, print will have to assume a role in the bigger scheme. What are its interactions with other media? Each reinforces the other." Limiting Magazine Size and SponsorshipsThick magazines may indicate publication health but they may not be serving time-pressed readers, according to Anton, who says publishers should start thinking about limiting folio size."Our biggest magazines going forward will be 96 pages," says Anton. "Publishers should consider exclusive sponsorship to one advertiser rather than selling many window advertisers."

Brands are interested in becoming part of the conversation both online and in print, according to IBM vice president of marketing Edward Adams-who stressed that doesn't mean violating editorial autonomy but didn't offer an example. "Magazines are important from that independent, authoritative perspective," said Adams. "How do I get embedded in a way that's less an advertising approach? I'm not talking about crossing the church-state line but how do we participate?"

BoSacks Readers Speak Out: Jobs, Mags, and our Future

BoSacks Readers Speak Out: Jobs, Mags, and our Future
www.bosacks.com


Re: BoSacks Readers Speak Out: Jobs, Mags, and our Future
Your "loyal reader's" (below) comment reminded me of the experiences I have frequently had during the past few years with our magazine wholesalers and retailers. It led me to pick up an article in last week's Newsweek Magazine entitled "Era of the Super Cruncher". The gist of the article is that "expertise and intuition can be replaced by objective, data based decision making. Those who control and manipulate this data will be the masters of the new economic universe," according to the article.

This seems to tie in with "loyal reader's" statement that once he was a craftsman, now he is overhead.

The same could be said for newsstand distribution. Representatives of the publishers and national distributors used to rely on instinct, intuition, a study of past sales and like titles in categories and then work their business relationships with wholesalers who (at least the good ones) had long term ties to the communities and retail locations they serviced.


Now everything is managed remotely by people who have no ties to the retailers or the communities they service and the deliveries are, frequently, third party. There is no room for intuition, experience, salesmanship or even relationship building. The numbers are the numbers are the numbers (Of course, if you give us a little more discount and buy this promotion - which we won't guarantee full distribution on, we can change your numbers...). If this is progress, perhaps we should see what our sales efficiencies were before consolidation and after.


As a representative of smaller publishers, I can't change the distribution paradigm. I can believe in the Tooth Fairy and be all I want to be, but I can't change the paradigm. But I can and do work in and around it. I passionately believe that print and web and and should work together and can sell each other - so, I just try to live in this brave new paradigm and hope the bean counters keep thinking I am worth keeping around.

(Submitted by a Newsstand Guy who was also recently reminded by upper senior executive level "my stocks worth more than yours" management that he, too, is overhead)



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: On Media Buyers, Mags, and Football
While you are correct that publishing a Sport magazine like a (Football Fantasy) is difficult to have timely information; you don't need e-paper to rectify the problem. All you have to have is a web-site that consumers can down load (print on dead tree paper) the most current information.

You remind me of those dorky kids that took metal lunch pals to school. Us brown-bagger don't want to walk around holding my e-paper all day. That is the beauty of recycle paper, I don't need to worry if it stolen, broken, etc. When its usefulness is done, I toss it out.

Besides, the new I-pods now will have Internet access, which have already made e-paper obsolete. The beauty of Magazines and down loaded printed info is the transportability of it. Like everything in life e-paper will work on certain categories and not on others.

Keep up the good job, enjoy reading your point of view.
(Submitted by an Unknown)



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: On Media Buyers, Mags, and Football
Bo, I have three sons; ages 18, 16, and 12. All three read paper magazines about their chosen interests. The fact that in two out of three cases those interests are *electronic gaming* does not stop them for wanting to curl up with an ink-on-paper magazine at the end of the day.

Unless and until an "e-paper" solution has all the virtues of paper: portability, ease of

reading, disposability, low-cost of use, low entry cost, low risk (read in the bathtub, like I

read magazines and my husband, too) etc. I don't think niche/passion magazines will be dinosaurs.
(Submitted by a Multi-Title Publisher)



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: On Media Buyers, Mags, and Football
I stopped buying the fantasy football pubs a few years ago. The online sites (I like thehuddle.com) are simply better sources of information and are up-to-the-minute regarding the latest player developments. The price for the online service is probably comparable to what you paid for three fantasy magazines, and it includes weekly match up forecasts and daily player news throughout the football season (after all, a fantasy owner's job is just beginning at the draft!)

Is this yet another indication that print is dead? No, it's an indication that for the very latest news and information, the web can't be beat. I am a firm believer that in-depth reporting and full-length magazine narratives will always be best received on a dead tree.
(Submitted by a Publisher)


RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: On Media Buyers, Mags, and Football
Thanks bo, It's readers like you that continue to support my titles. I publish several small niche titles for readers just like you. Your description is my mission. I publish titles that my readers feel they must have. It's all about understanding your clients and never, ever forgetting that without passionate readers you have nothing.
(Submitted by a Publisher)



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: On Media Buyers, Mags, and Football
Great to hear about your love of football. Maybey ou can add a summary of game results on Monday morning? Or better yet add a demo based on the city you live to get your insights on upcoming games!

Forget about epaperm watch the next iPod for the first real digital handheld device for reading that will be sold to the consumer. This time next year, you will see kids reading on iPods! Schools are already purchasing ebooks for iPods.

The problem with epaper is there is no system to deliver the data. ITunes handles the delivery very well except you need to connect to a computer. With the iPhone you will be able to get away from the computer.
(Submitted by a Global Procurement manager)


Re: Bauer Upping Most Low-Cost Weeklies' Cover Prices
Bo, this is detrimental to true market demand and not good for unit demand. The consumer has determined Bauer's success, which has always been recognized by the publisher. The model works for the publisher, and you know what they say if it aint broke. The dollars will look good but it will again lead to a major decline in unit sales on an industry wide level and especially at publisher level. If a consumer chose a Bauer publication based on price over the competitive titles will they now chose to buy nothing as the price creeps closer to the competition? If so, how does this model work for the distribution channel? Essentially, when a newsstand customer purchases a low priced Bauer publication they are hiring the product to do a job........supply chosen edit content, which ever it may be, at a low cost. Clearly Bauer has carved our a niche. Wholesalers understandably want to carry less on their trucks of titles that do not sell, not less on there trucks of what used to sell.
(Submitted by an unknown from a major Publisher)



Re: And now, Grim Words from The Reaper
I've read with interest the Speak out series that gives everyone an option to vent their thoughts and opinions. Our industry changed years ago. Once the large became larger and the publisher and yes printers (accountants started to think pennies and not nickels) this industry changed.


Not being able to see beyond ones nose, thinking that if I can save a penny it will better the bottom line and more importantly having individuals in high management positions who do not have a complete understanding of our industry put another nail in our industries coffin. Sounds awful doesn't it. It is.

I've always respected the production people I've spoken to over the years. But the one's who know their stuff are disappearing or retiring (?).

We're losing the knowledge and expertise we one had. Too bad.
(Submitted by a Printer)



RE: My former employer
I just wanted to tell someone today that I am eternally grateful for my life as a self-employed writer. We all have our difficult spells, but I thank the gods and goddesses that I'm no longer at a newspaper.

My former employer, The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville just had a major shake up. On Friday, they announced the abolition of Metro, Lifestyle and Features departments in favor of interest "groups". They also abandoned most of the existing beats--no more movie reviewer, no more music writer. All the existing reporters now have to reapply for newly created positions. So the guy who's been doing movies for 10 years and the guy who's been doing music get to both apply for one "entertainment writer" job which doesn't include reviewing at all. The former Home and Garden editor can apply for the "nesting" writer job or just become a GA. All this in an atmosphere where people dare not complain because there are been plenty of layoffs in other departments.


When I left there in 2004, I was the Features editor and I'm cannot tell you how happy I am to have been spared all this. Apparently, the Atlanta paper did a similar thing a couple of months ago
(Posted by a Writer)


Re: The Worst PR Debacle in History
Two points appear to be lost to the "media" etc.


1) That even though there should have been no lead in any of the paint no child was killed, injured or maimed. So where is the actual damage--except to Mattel.

2) That Mattel is supposed to be taking a sample from each day of production and sends them to lab --one in China and one in the USA. How come both labs didn't find the paint problem?

The fault should not be with China but with the American mfg that allowed this to happen.

(Submitted by a Toy Consultant)

10 obvious things about the future of newspapers you need to get through your head

"All the great things have been denied and we live in an intricacy of new and local mythologies, political, economic, poetic, which are asserted with an ever-enlarging incoherence."

Wallace Stevens (American Poet whose work explores the interaction of reality and what man can make of reality in his mind. 1879-1955)


10 obvious things about the future of newspapers you need to get through your head

Posted by Ryan Sholin
http://www.ryansholin.com/2007/06/02/10-obvious-things-about-the-future-of-newspapers-you-need-to-get-through-your-head/



1. It's not Google's fault. Get over it, professor. Blaming search engines is like blaming the library. "Oh no, please don't let readers actually find stories from my newspaper and then click through to my site to read them, anything but that!" Forget it.


2. It's not Craig's fault. Newspaper classifieds suck and they have for years. Either develop simple database applications with photos and maps to let your users actually find what they're looking for, or partner with a good third-party vertical who can. Anything less is a waste of your time.



3. Your major metro newspaper could probably use some staff cuts. If you're not writing about local news, your paper's readers are probably getting what you do from somewhere else. Get over it. CNN and ESPN are not new, and nytimes.com wasn't far behind. Write local. There are plenty of cooks and painters and poets in your neighborhood. Go out and meet them.



4. It's time to stop handwringing and start training. If your editors are still writing navelgazers about the cataclysmic changes in the business instead of starting training programs to teach some new tricks to you and that guy in the cubicle next door, that's a problem. Stop whining and move on.



5. You don't get to charge people for archives and you certainly don't want to charge people for daily news content. Pulling your copy behind walls where it can't be seen by readers on the wider Web. Search rules. Don't hide from it.



6. Reporters need to do more than write. The new world calls for a new skillset, and you and Mr. Notebook need to make some new friends, like Mr. Microphone and Mr. Point & Shoot.



7. Bloggers aren't an uneducated lynch mob unconcerned by facts. They're your readers and your neighbors and if you play your cards right, your sources and your community moderators. If you really play it right, bloggers are the leaders of your networked reporting projects. Get over the whole bloggers vs. journalists thing, which has been pretty much settled since long before you stopped calling it a "Web blog" in your stories.



8. You ignore new delivery systems at your own peril. RSS, SMS, iPhone, e-paper, Blackberry, widgets, podcasts, vlogs, Facebook, Twitter - these aren't the competition, these are your new carriers. Learn how to deliver your content across every new technology that comes into view on the horizon, and be there when new devices go into mass production.



9. J-schools can either play a critical role in training the next generation of journalists, or they can fade into irrelevancy. Teach multimedia, interactivity and data, or watch your students become frustrated and puzzled as they try to get jobs with five clips and a smile.



10. Okay, here comes the big one: THE GLASS IS HALF FULL. There is excellent work being done in the new world of online journalism and it's being done at newspapers like the Washington Post and the Lawrence Journal-World and the San Jose Mercury News and the St. Petersburg Times and the Bakersfield Californian and all sorts of papers of all sizes. You don't need millions of dollars or HD cameras or years of training to make it happen; all you need is the right frame of mind. So let's stop writing and groaning about how things used to be different, and let's start building our own piece of the new world of newspapers brick by brick, story by story.

BoSacks Readers Speak Out: Where are Today's Mentors?

"Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three." Confucius (China's most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist, 551-479 BC)

BoSacks Readers Speak Out: Where are Today's Mentors?


Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
You struck a nerve. I take for granted all my graphic arts knowledge though think back to times when I knew far less and read ever pocket pal, SWOP manual and took a loop to every color bar to be sure all materials were in compliance or just to see how another prepress shop prepared their materials. You state you were inquisitive though I don't find this to be the general sentiment out there these days. It is more let me program my itunes, download my custom ring tone on company time and IM or text my buddies then get some work in between these activities. Attention span deficit! The people who take the time to think about how their activities in NY can make or break hours of production at some midwest printing plant are the rare ones. I have to fight the same inclination myself sometimes and get sidetracked too.

Usually if I make a press check, I realize what a tightly integrated thing this publisher/paper manufacturer/printer/distributor/consumer business this we take part in and those are not even all the stakeholders involved. A lot of jobs depend on it.
(Submitted by a Publisher)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
I wholeheartedly agree. I too had many mentors and one in particular was George Carl Sr. He was inquisitive about everything and as such was a very detail oriented person. He made me aware of the things I had to know to do my job properly. Consequently ink was not just ink but a liquid that was made of chemical components for different printing processes, also paper was not just paper and printing plates took many forms.

I was also fortunate to have been in the business when there was more than one printing process. I made it my business to pass this information along to others. In all my dealings with my fellow workers I made it imperative that when they were taught something it was their responsibility to pass along what they learned.

It was why I enjoyed being so involved with the APPM and being Program Chairperson at least 5 times and President twice, it was a great association for learning. It has been 7 years since I retired and I know for a fact (and you have confirmed it) that there are no more mentors- they seem to have disappeared with the advent of computerization-I guess now we will have to rely on robots! Keep up the good work.
(Submitted by a retired Production Director)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
Bo, I couldn't agree more with the article concerning mentoring. I was fortunate to have several mentors on my way up the corporate ladder and nurtured those relationships to maximize what I could learn from them.

Much of what I truly learned about the publishing business and people in business came from my daily interactions with my mentor in NYC. I spent three years learning from him, being challenged by him and often being frustrated or anxious with him. Adolph Auerbacher (Meredith Corporation) was one of the last of a dying breed of classic publishing mentors. He taught his lessons through parable and personal experiences. He often didn't answer the question or critique the decision made, but would get his message across through example or a story. You always wanted to do your best because you knew he expected it of you.

I find today many people are too busy making a name for themselves through their "hard work" or "last big sale" and miss the opportunities to listen and learn.

The idea of an internal publishing school makes lots of sense and was initiated at Meredith back in 1989. Their "publishing college" program continues today and has spawned many great careers, including mine.
(Submitted by an experienced industry veteran willing to mentor)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
I completely agree where are today's mentors? You are right there does need to be a broader understanding of the roles and functions and cross pollination within publishing organizations.

I think more importantly the question is why does the industry limit itself by not developing and reaching out to those that get less exposure or are one level down within an organization. The industry continues to tap into the same key leaders. The future leaders are there Bo and ready to take a more upfront role in the industry. Tap into it.
(Submitted by a Director of Mfg. & Dist.)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
The mentors are here, Bob. There are a lot of people like me who spend a great deal of time teaching and helping anyone who asks. But, a couple of things have changed in this industry - and not for the better, I'm afraid.

Companies aren't so willing to invest in training employees now - they don't send them to conferences or industry luncheons and events or pay for subscriptions to the trade press or encourage others in the company to help train the staff. The truth is there is not a lot of inhouse training going on in most companies today. I see it all the time in client companies and hear about it from other consultants to the industry. Too often when training is offered, some employees resent it because it "adds to the work load and stress". Yes, I just heard that sad story this week. Amazing, isn't it?

The trade press has stopped publishing real "how to" articles that concentrate on building core skills in each important publishing area. It's weird. No pme thinks it's important to understand the basics of anything anymore. A foundation for your profession just isn't exciting to most. It goes along with the attention deficit syndrome most people seem to value now.

Events managers expect seasoned professionals to show up a conferences on their time and dime to make money for someone else's company. A lot of experienced, talented speakers and seminar leaders have gotten off the speaking circuit because after 40 years, we think it's important to be compensated for travel expenses, if not for our time. So what I'm seeing now at these events is a lot of sales presentations for supplier's companies or the wisdom of people who haven't much experience. This type of conference content is a real event killer.

Lots of people mentored me. I owe my career and my business to them. I'm willing to do the same for others but often help is not wanted or easily available to those who do want it.

I hope you're able to encourage the industry to find a solution.
(Submitted by an Industry Consultant)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
Right on. I've been in sales for more years than I want to remember. But, before I went into sales I was in magazine and book production. The knowledge I gained, the mentoring I had, is no longer there.

The problem goes beyond magazines, it's in book publishing also. Both magazine and book production are the very similar. Technology has encroached upon both. Publishers are scrambling to figure out what is happening to their business models.

Look at books. Google decides to scan books and the major book publishers raise the flag to say, you can't do that. But, Google did. The technology was there, but book publishers either did not know about it, did not understand it, or could not see the application.

How many publishers, magazine or book, understand XML?
(Submitted by a Printer)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
Well said, Bob. My belief is that companies have cut "to the bone" and we're all working so much and at a fast pace that there is not time for mentoring & coaching, much less the quiet time for deep thinking about strategy development. The "younglings" are not able to learn about developing and maintaining relationships that will can them when its crunch time or they're in crisis, either personally or professionally. They don't know how to properly communicate verbally or in writing and rely too much on emails; all of which actually hurts their interpersonal skills. In fact, we just lost a young sales rep in training since he could not get over the fear of talking to people, relied too much on email contact, and lacked the business maturity to operate effectively in an office environment. A "very young & immature" 30 years old, did he not spend enough time being mentored or coached?

So how will business find the time to develop better mentoring programs? That's the $24 million question that could hinder business overall; not just the publishing industry. Thanks for your insightful musings. Keep up the good work!
(Submitted by a 20+ year employee on both sides of the printing and publishing industry)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
I completely agree where are today's mentors? You are right there does need to be a broader understanding of the roles and functions and cross pollination within publishing organizations.

I think more importantly the question is why does the industry limit itself by not developing and reaching out to those that get less exposure or are one level down within an organization. The industry continues to tap into the same key leaders. The future leaders are there Bo and ready to take a more upfront role in the industry. Tap into it.
(Submitted by a Director of Mfg. & Dist.)

Re: BoSacks Speaks Out: Where are Today's Mentors?
Bob, I consider myself one of the real lucky one's. Your mentorship of me back in the mid-1980's at xxx- xxx publishing, was excellent. You opened my mind to ways of thinking that were extraordinary then and now. The two most special golden Bo-rules that I remember are the following:

Never panic. . . there is always a solution if you look in the right place and ask the right questions.

And my very top favorite Bo-ism, that I have used in every application wherever possible is:
if something isn't working, see if it's plugged in.

That little gem is as deep and as good as anything Aristotle ever said and I have put it to good use over the years.
(Submitted by a Senior Director of Mfg and Dst)