Timber And Smoke Magazine

[warren]

Out of curiosity, why do you think the mag is expensive? What kind of price point would you expect for someone self-publishing a magazine?

Enough to pay the bills and possibly a wee bit for profit, to be shoveled back into production. Production costs simply require a price I'm unwilling to pay. I consider a dollar an issue to be too much to pay for information which can be found at no cost. Magazines are obsolete in my opinion. Professional journals are a different animal of course. Sure, there are still people who enjoy reading print as opposed to staring at a monitor. But, I doubt there are enough to support your undertaking. You might pull it off though. I wish you luck!

 

[warren]

Oh, I think your magazine title is a bit obtuse. It should immediately inform the viewer what the magazine is all about, pique interest and all that. Anything that appeals to the interests of a prospective reader. Timber and Smoke immediately suggest to me a magazine abut wildfire fighting, not pipes and tobacco. Simply my opinion though. Also, basic marketing strategy.

 

[The Benedictine]

Oh, I think your magazine title is a bit obtuse. It should immediately inform the viewer what the magazine is all about, pique interest and all that. Anything that appeals to the interests of a prospective reader. Timber and Smoke immediately suggest to me a magazine abut wildfire fighting, not pipes and tobacco. Simply my opinion though.

I thought camping when I first seen it

 

[huntertrw]

Print magazines have gone with the wind.

But remember the immoral (I mean immortal) words of Scarlett: "Tomorrow is another day!"

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

Just watch for the believers of:

Today is the first day of the end of the world.​

 

[Sigmund]

Id think about biting but I dont want to pay international shipping and VAT.
Its just more trouble than I would go to.

Id entertain a lower price on a kindle version.
Its nothing I need but Id probably grab it out of curiosity.

 

[Mike N]

I enjoy reading the print articles in the quarterly publications of the North American Society of Pipe Collectors and the Pipe Club of London. I am glad it looks like pipe smokers may have a chance to peruse yet another publication. Print may be old fashioned, but in lot of ways so am I. Thanks for the effort, Timber & Smoke.

 

[boston]

Tough crowd with some responses. Why not applaud something new to a hobby? And to the guru's out there, entrepreneur work is tough. And you know what? The entrepreneur knows it.

If you were one that started something you would know. And you might recall how demoralizing it was to hear people shoot down your idea. Trying to help? It's very easy to warn people. Harder to offer some navigation....when invited to do so.

One doesn't need to subscribe if one doesn't have the time or $, or prefers digital. But being tough out of the gate speaks to a community that prefers the status quo. Is this pastime so "thriving" that we need to discourage someone from adding to it?

 

[georged]

Tough crowd with some responses. Why not applaud something new to a hobby? And to the guru's out there, entrepreneur work is tough. And you know what? The entrepreneur knows it.

If you were one that started something you would know. And you might recall how demoralizing it was to hear people shoot down your idea. Trying to help? It's very easy to warn people. Harder to offer some navigation....when invited to do so.

One doesn't need to subscribe if one doesn't have the time or $, or prefers digital. But being tough out of the gate speaks to a community that prefers the status quo. Is this pastime so "thriving" that we need to discourage someone from adding to it?

I put this ^^^^ into Goggle Translate.

I didn't realize pics are now possible answers (when did that start?) ---

 

[boston]

I put this ^^^^ into Goggle Translate.

I didn't realize pics are now possible answers (when did that start?) ---



View attachment 404840

Good idea, that would have required less typing....

 

[Pypkė]

Not knocking the guy or what he's trying to do, but I'm not interested in any of that "influencer" type of thing (at one point he mentioned his Instagram)—it's just not for me. Same with YouTube pipe videos.

Similar to me... I don't give much credence or pay much attention to the mores of the "modern" pipe smoker. You have to have this and you have to do this and you must smoke in this manner and you have to hold these sentiments... blah, blah, blah ... or you are just not doing it right.

 

[Sig]

Its kind of odd to me that so many here are knocking this guy's venture before knowing what's going on.
I personally love reading or listening to stories about pipe smoking, from pipe smokers. He said the magazine is stories and tales written by various pipe smokers, and probably some other content.
Instead of embracing the guys idea and seeing where it goes, some here are just "i dont like this".
The dudes just trying to show his love of the hobby in a way to share with others. Dang, give the guy a chance.
Every year our clinic does several free spay/neuter days, several free vaccination days, and several free vet care days.
Every event there will be at least one...usually more people who just complain.
"You should start earlier", "you should run later", " you should have a pick up/drop off service", "you should do MORE", "the incision is too big", "why aren't the follow up meds free?".......
I just smile and thank them for their advice. These people do not bother me, im doing it for the beasts, not the humans. I work all year to pay for these free services. Im not complaining, I love doing it and it does make a difference...for the animals, I dont care so much for most of the people.
But if I were doing a service for humans who were just negative, It might dissuade me from trying.
Just saying.

 

[pappymac]

Thank you! I'm currently waiting on more to arrive from the printer as I sold the initial run I got. I'm told that they will be here this week, and all orders in my queue will be shipped this week as well as long as they come in

I was the managing editor of a monthly magazine owned by a printing company for 10 years. I also consulted with a number of people interested in starting print magazines for small demographic groups. The following is based on my experience...

Producing a print magazine is hard work and is expensive.
I applaud you for making the effort and wish you well.

At first, $13 to get a printed copy of a magazine may seem like a high price. Without knowing your printing, production and mailing/shipping costs, it would be hard to estimate what you would have to charge per copy to make a profit.

I don't know how large your first print run was but I do know that, depending on the printer, doing a second print run will cost you as much as your initial print run. Printing companies will often set a price for a minimum run of say 1,000 copies. For example, a printer may give you a price of $1500 for a 1,000 copy run. That cost will include their costs for ink, paper stock, labor and shipping. After that initial 1,000 copy, the cost for additional copies (per thousand) will decrease as they are then charging for only the ink, paper and run time on the press.

I would suggest that you look at the total number of magazines produced for this first issue (both run) and order at least 25% more for the next issue you produce.

 

[admin]

Jeez! There sure is a lot of negativity here. Give the poor guy a break.

Print media has been on the decline for a long time, but so has pipe smoking ... but it is also still going and I'm really glad for that.

The odds are against a new print magazine succeeding, but there's no need to piss on a valiant effort.

If you listened to my interview with Brian on the podcast you would know that I got some of the same kind of response when I started this site 16 years ago. Who's thinking "I told you so" now?

Anyway, it might not last, but here's applause for your effort Michael.

 

[pappymac]

Jeez! There sure is a lot of negativity here. Give the poor guy a break.

Print media has been on the decline for a long time, but so has pipe smoking ... but it is also still going and I'm really glad for that.

The odds are against a new print magazine succeeding, but there's no need to piss on a valiant effort.

If you listened to my interview with Brian on the podcast you would know that I got some of the same kind of response when I started this site 16 years ago. Who's thinking "I told you so" now?

Anyway, it might not last, but here's applause for your effort Michael.

I agree.
From my perspective, the decline in printed material of any kind began around 25 years ago as the internet was growing into the beast it is today. That being said, there are still niches where print publications are still viable if they are built to succeed. Most well done hunting and fishing publications I am familiar with are still making a profit because of their target audience and because they can be found in places where internet access is limited or non-existent - like hunting and fishing camps. I also see a lot of print magazines available in waiting rooms.

 

[Sig]

Honestly, reading anything on a screen for more than a few minutes bugs me. I've tried the blue filters and eye relief lighting....screens just bug me. I 100% prefer paper in my hands.
About 10 years ago my sister bought my dad and I an Amazon Kindle, and the book service for I believe one year. My dad downloaded several books, but eventually gave up, and went back to his paper crime books.
I downloaded one book, read 6 pages, read 4 more weeks later, haven't touched it sinse.
Even being on this site for more than 15 minutes is tough.
Its nothing to do with my vision, its just a natural aversion to screens.

 

[Kobold]

$13 for a magazine is pretty affordable. Most small press magazines go for around $20. Might be fun to check out.

 

[sablebrush52]

Tough crowd with some responses. Why not applaud something new to a hobby? And to the guru's out there, entrepreneur work is tough. And you know what? The entrepreneur knows it.

If you were one that started something you would know. And you might recall how demoralizing it was to hear people shoot down your idea. Trying to help? It's very easy to warn people. Harder to offer some navigation....when invited to do so.

One doesn't need to subscribe if one doesn't have the time or $, or prefers digital. But being tough out of the gate speaks to a community that prefers the status quo. Is this pastime so "thriving" that we need to discourage someone from adding to it?

I suppose that I'm part of the "tough crowd" but I'm also someone who co-founded digital effects units at two major studios, Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers Pictures, as well as four walling a full effects studio for a feature film that was a development site for a new suite of tools that ultimately became an industry standard.

So I do know a bit about the process of starting something new. It is hard and demanding. I spent many a night sleeping under my desk so that I could be on site when something went wrong, because there's no forgiveness when something goes wrong.

People are, to put it politely, dubious and reluctant to send you work when more established companies are in existence. You have to to show excellence right out of the gate or you're likely done then and there. You have to make a 200% effort, even if you have an excellent track record and a lot of contacts, as I did. You have to demonstrate something new and unique that sets you apart and offers your market a reason to support you. For example, I wouldn't simply announce that I'm starting a new publication, I would present a fully polished article, a sample for people to see what the publication has to offer.

Maybe the standard is more lenient with this market. I can only go by my personal experience.

 

[warren]

If one has the funds to be altruistic, more power to them. I'm very "tight" with a dollar and simply dislike seeing someone, perhaps quixotically, put out hard earned monies needlessly. So, put me in the "tough crowd." It's a crowd I'm happy to join. I'm aware there is a thin line between venturing capital and wasting it. I think a "dead tree" publication to be... well, a risky venture in this age of "electronic media.

 

[ssjones]

I admire the effort necessary to create this product. I used to love printed magazines, car and motorcycle products. They've all now but disappeared (my beloved Autoweek, Road&Track is a glossy advertisement now). Pipe smokers are pretty traditional, so if anyone has a shot at a printed magazine, it is this genre.

I've been a member of the NASPC for over a decade and enjoy their printed newsletter (now getting the mailed edition). For $20, I get six issues, that are mailed to me. They are black & white (PDF was color). I think they are struggling to get content and the issues are smaller. However I believe supporting their organization is important to our hobby.

On first blush, I would replace the two cigar pictures on your landing webpage. In the "About" section, I assume you are pictured with a cigar. I suggest keeping it cigar centric.

Good luck!