All change at Classic Porsche magazine...

[KS]

Thanks Roy - I've been in touch with the new editor (Dan Furr - currently editor of GT Purely Porsche and past editor of the ill-fated Ultimate Porsche) and I will probably contribute on a more ad hoc basis. He plans to do most of the magazine himself as the budget will be so low. That's part of the reason why I didn't want to carry on under the new ownership...

He's going to be a busy man as he will also be editor of 911 & Porsche World magazine...

[Bootsy]

Oh well, it was good whilst it lasted

[stichill99]

I see two become one before too long!

[gridgway]

Presumably there just isn't enough money in paper magazines for them to be viable these days? Then the content gets poorer, the circulation and revenue drops and the vicious circle continues.

It's a great shame as I don't enjoy online magazines, especially where they are plastered with adverts as that's the only way to make revenue.

Hey ho!

Graham

[stichill99]

I wonder if there is a market for an upmarket magazine along the likes of Magneto ,Airmighty etc. A more expensive but quality product?

[Bootsy]

There’s been a few attempts and there’s this https://duckandwhale.co.uk/

[stichill99]

I have the first 5 issues of Duck and Whale but poor quality paper in a lot of it and to be honest I didn't think the writing was that good!

[KS]

Presumably there just isn't enough money in paper magazines for them to be viable these days? Then the content gets poorer, the circulation and revenue drops and the vicious circle continues.

It's a great shame as I don't enjoy online magazines, especially where they are plastered with adverts as that's the only way to make revenue.

Hey ho!

Graham

It was Covid that did the damage to small publishing houses - WHSmith shut, Barnes & Noble shut in the USA... A long story but I'll tell you over a beer one day...

[Sam]

It also has the name of a shite gastro pub.

I fear I judged it harshly on that and assumed the content would be as poor as the name choice.

[hot66]

The road rat seems to be doing OK ... but maybe it’s not reliant on numbers

[stichill99]

I know nothing about publishing but when a vw magazine like Hayburner is free for £7 postage for 4 issues(Yes I know that there are more adverts than content) you would think there would be a margin at a fiver when to be honest some months a few of the car mags can be quite threadbare aswell!

[KS]

The road rat seems to be doing OK ... but maybe it’s not reliant on numbers

It's called vanity publishing (ie, produced at a loss just so the owners have the pleasure of printing the magazine they always wanted).

I know nothing about publishing but when a vw magazine like Hayburner is free for £7 postage for 4 issues(Yes I know that there are more adverts than content) you would think there would be a margin at a fiver when to be honest some months a few of the car mags can be quite threadbare aswell!

Ever done a word count? Also, bear in mind that some of us have to actually make a living. Mags like Hayburner don't pay anyone for the features they write, relying on them to supply stories just so they can say 'Hey, look, I write for a magazine!'. Can you imagine LJK Setright or Denis Jenkinson doing that?

[majordad]

Certainly not Jenks anyway!

[jamie]

Keith,

Dreadful news, and I absolutely understand your decision.

I started my career with Unity (working for Elliott Roberts on Performance VW, then Louise Woodhams on PBMW, Stu Gallagher on GTPP, etc) and absolutely -loved- it. I had been working at a paper in London and knew I didn't want to do that forever, and this was the perfect out.

There's no way I could have gone that route if Kelsey had owned the magazines - not even a chance. I was lucky to have caught the last wave of demand for quality photography, paid well enough to sustain a decent existence (it helped that I was in my early 20s and was willing and able to work non-stop. But I really had a great time and was able to make a good living from it).

I admire your relentless pursuit of quality, and ability to continue producing a valuable product way past the time when others gave up. With your experience and overview of the publishing landscape, and I'm sure you'll work it out and smash it again

[KS]

Thank you Jamie, coming from you, that means a helluva lot. I'm still trying to come to terms with the situation, but let's see what the future holds...