tifosiman

If someone has the cajones to start up a webzine finally, I have 3 articles that I wrote for the other aborted effort that I can donate.

triscadek

If they don't wind up in the correct area you'll hear about it.

tifosiman

????

Stan944

I subscribe to this, especially .pdf (or www equivalent) version in the beginning!

Tom R.

In the march issue of C&D they reprinted the 1973 article on the cannonball rally. I read it on the train in the am, then read it again in the PM.

I haven't had the desire to read an article other than some Peter Egan articles twice in twenty plus years. I do remember reading C&D and R&T over and over as a kid. Does the FAQ or option code list count as an article, if so edit the above comment.

It would be cool if I read something and enjoyed it so much I wanted to read it again.

streckfu's

Hopefully, the content can be provided by us. I don't entertain being on the same level as Peter Egan, but this should be worthwhile just because of the archival possibilities. Imagine all the information, lessons learned, and tech wite-ups you read on the forums. Now put that in a nice magazine structure.

UDPride

Speaking from purely a sales standpoint, one thing to keep in mind is if it starts out as PDF, you dont want one person purchasing a PDF and then making copies to 25 of their friends. If there is a way to abuse the system, the system will be abused. Thats my theory.

Im not saying PDF is a bad idea. Actually quite the contrary. But its something to keep in mind when deciding how to sell and distribute and what to expect. People arent going to photocopy an issue of Road & Track. Too much trouble.

Im strung out time-wise as it is, but put me down for a column on general interest potpourri stuff.

This really isnt as hard as it sounds. Using Pagemaker or something (sorry my version is old, not a candidate), you can form up a 10-15 page zine pretty quick.

Id start out 6 issues a year until the kinks are worked out. Youll be pressed for time in the beginning because everything is new.

Junk never sells. I dont care how much effort is put forth, if the writing stinks and the layout and "eye candy" looks like it was done with crayons, no one will latch on. Even when you are starting out and know nothing, you have to "appear" like you do. Image really is everything. If you look polished, people give you the benefit of the doubt. If it looks like amateur night at the Crabtree household kitchen computer, people will go elsewhere.

As for actual content, since we cover the entire nation, on-site article should be ad naseum. You are already at a concours or a dealership, might as well write about it and ask a couple questions. Im a pretty good con artist and could probably get the local Porshe dealership to demo cars for writeups. Maybe maybe not, but I think I could in the name of journalism. Enough to do some nice photo shoots. (schwing!).

Two schools of thought on writing. Get people decent enough to edit their own writing. Or get people to subtley rewrite others articles. Some people are great techies but cant put it on paper. Others like me can write but dont know how to install a gas cap. So you cover each others weak spots.

One more thing I think is important is consistency. You want to make the reader comfortable. Same design, same layout. Get it right the first time. Very important. Than stick with it.

Our local PCA newsletter is printed on glossy paper. Its all black and white except the PCA region logo masthead on the cover. Its maybe 18-20 pages total. There are several ads in it. I think you definitely want to at least attempt to sell ad space. Even if its peanuts. But everyone will be contributing for peanuts so it wouldnt take many.

Cater to peoples stengths. Someone who makes a living designing and doing layout should be in charge of it and little else. Writers should write, marketers should market.

I think every issue should have at least one article on a 914, 944, 928, 911 variant. Perhaps broken down into a section titled "By the Numbers" or something.

horsepowerfarm

Tom, that is a mouthful! Peter Egan has always written the best column, sort of like you are right in the garage with him on a cold night in Wisconsin. He owns and works on cars that regular guys could own and relate to." Grassroots Motorsports" is sometimes that good also.

Someone mentioned the demographic, I think you have to ask the question how many 944 variants are still on the road, and of those, what would be a reasonable market penetration. When we (PES) bring a product to market we try to fill a void in an area nobody is playing. The way I see it, if nobody is playing, there may be a real opportunity. It is obvious by the number of posts in the 944 areas that there is a real demand for information. I think if you have the "where can I get the best price on a_______ " (fill in the blank) column it will be cost justifiable to the cheapest 944 guy.

So, I say go for it, I would be willing to write a column monthly just to stir up some s#@t, and yes it would be written in my garage amoung real cars that regular guys own, fighting regular and irregular problems that a dedicated motor head faces in his own garage. It will never be Pulitzer material but what the hell, I can read the NY Times for that.

my84-944

Peter Egan is perhaps the yardstick to measure all writers in the automotive field. Mostly because of the fact that he writes from his life experience. I think that there are some here that would be able to write from their life experiences with the 944. Not that it would be as great as Egan's stuff, but imagine what it would be like.
I am in if it goes (as a subscriber anyway).

Operator

dunno how serious this whole idea is but if you (Dilberto) do decide to try and get this off the ground I can take a crack at the design/layout of it. what UDPride said is true, if it looks pro people will be more likely to latch on to it. I honestly dont know if what I can whip up will be pro/snazzy enough, but it's worth a shot. anyway pm/email me if you ever decide to start it up

yoyoguy2

this is a great idea i think, i'd be interested in contributing based on what i know of the cars and such, for both technical and amusement value. i'm an incredibly **** and obsessive compulsive shopper, always wanted to do product reviews on all sorts of stuff, but i could do whatever. I've also got a good friend who's a professional (albeit starving) writer, doesn't know jack about cars but could be talked into editing the work of myself or others. I understand the desire for a print publication, but as it has been pointed out, the publishing costs are pretty high for a startup with a fairly small market, and the "ezine" can be done on the cheap. if you get a base of contributors or whatever together let me know, yoyoguy2@gmail.com.

Z-man

My $0.42:

A 924/944/968 magazine won't fly. There is too small an audience and it will not be profitable. Companies won't spend advertizing dollars on a magazine whose focus is on a ~15 year old car. Companies like Stable Energies, Mid-America, Brey Krause already get plenty of 944 dollars from their ads in Excellence, Pano, and the like - they won't spend $$ on such a narrow audience minded mag. And granted, Rennlist and Pelican have a lot of 944 enthusiasts, but let's face it, we're just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the automotive industry!

Without funding, the magazine will flop.
Again, just my opinion.
-Z.