Self Publisher! Magazine Returns!
(Even further!)

And SO! The question is, how can a Website be a Magazine, and a magazine be a website? SP! Has repeatedly tried to get a PRINT version running regularly, only to have it grow TOO BIG to actually print ALL the news and ALL the reviews, and do everything that we wanted it to do...while still keeping it accessible, cheap, and readable. So I have been mulling over the prospect of there being a new series of PRINT magazine issues, drawing from the SP! Website. How do we make it work, how do we keep it in control and how do we make it as widely READ as possible. To that end, I have some ideas. I don't know if they are perfect ideas, and I expect that we will have to adjust them as we go a bit. But the ongoing idea will be to make the whole thing WORK for us all. If we ALL work for it!

The basic idea: to start a series of Self Publisher! Primer, digest sized issues. Yes, digest sized, not magazine size. Why? Because we are not going to be the ones to print the copies. That's right, we're not going to do the whole subscriber/mail out copies routine that takes so much time and effort. Instead, what we are going to do, is make a system where YOU will get to PRINT YOUR OWN COPY. And since most home printers are set up for 8.5x11" printing, the digest size will serve us the best. Of course, you may need to invest in a long-neck stapler to staple together your copy properly, but there is no self respecting small presser out there that shouldn't be able to handle that. We will also make a simple screen-readable PDF version for those that just want to read it, not print it...so the idea there is that we will have people able to make copies of SP! all over the country, and the world for that matter. We are thinking that we will make the authorization to download the set-up-for-print version as simple as the person becoming an SPA Gold Member. This, because we do want people who are printing their own copies, to care about and support the SPA at least in a minimal way. And no, I have not set up any new Gold Member guidelines yet. I'll listen to a bit of feedback on the idea before I do.

Now, if you can print one copy for yourself, why cant you print more? For a normal magazine, this would be a logistical problem that would hurt their bottom line. Instead, we're going to encourage it. SP! Primers will be intended to be free, and say so on the cover. So print extra copies, give a few to your local comic shop to give away, give a copy to each local library, whatever, every extra copy is more eyes reading about the people in the issue, finding out about the Self Publisher network, and getting all of the creators involved, more potential readers of their work. I had thought about a return to a program we used back in the early 00's where we authorized Regional Managers for the SPA, who would be responsible for printing Local Editions of SP! and they could then get local advertising to pay for editions, and also sell copies to comic stores for resale, etc. We had some limited success with that kind of model, but, at least for NOW, it doesn't seem practical, and that we would get more readers giving away, than trying to fund with Local Editions systems. I think it would be easier to give permission to a store to print and give away copies of SP! as part of a "Join your local SPA chapter" program...and have a kit we can give the store to use to teach kids how to print, assemble SP! as a way to teach new creators how they can make their own books, with support of their local stores. Building community that way, keeps the stores involved...and if it can be used to help bring new people to the store as well, then all the better. Say, we also make available fill-in-the-blanks fliers for local groups to pass out to comic reading friends, etc, about the program. We'll see how it develops...

We also want to make it possible for SP! to sponsor print runs that will target specific events. As in, we want to see XX number of copies to be given away at YY show. So how do we accomplish that, with no budget, and giving the magazine away free? Well, there is only one way: Advertising. However, with no current idea of how well this will all work, or how far the readership will reach...asking for advertising - wont work. I know this because, we have tried to get advertising a few ways over the decades, and, you NEVER get advertising for the first few issues no matter what. So, for now, as we get this concept going and off the ground, we are going to be offering FREE ADVERTISING, on a first come, first served basis, for each issue. We're going to develop over a couple issues, an idea of how much advertising the print issues of SP! can hold, versus how much news and reviews, and at some point set an issue SIZE LIMIT. Once that is set, the website will ALWAYS have more news and reviews in it than the Primer...but that's ok, cause the primer is intended to be the WAY IN to the network, not the whole thing itself. Advertising rates once we're filling up each issue, will be set on a by demand system, we don't want to price anyone out of being able to afford advertising, so we will do everything we can to keep YOU in the loop, and make sure growth does not strip us of the ability to showcase the newest of new creators for free. Advertising is one of those necessary evil things, that will help us be able to promote everyone overall.

Well, that is my basic layout of the way I think we can take SP! Magazine's website to the next level. Remember, we are now posting news releases and reviews on a steady basis. When will the first SP! Primer issue be put out? I will probably wait till early October, to do it. I am planning to put a cumulative number on the issue, so it would be like issue #56 or something, so that we can tie in the idea that SP! Magazine has a long history covering small press. And frankly because, what would a new #1 issue do or mean in the long run? I think nothing. So, until then, watch for more news about it, watch for an official call for free ads, and, COMMENT about this.

CLICK HERE!

Strategic Partners:

Dimestore Productions is at: P.O. Box 214, Madison, OH 44057

ARCHIVE (Past Issues)