Could an outdoor sport mag be 'readerly'?

I'm wondering if there'd be much public interest in an outdoor sports
mag that was more 'readerly' than usual. With a focus more on stories
and adventures and readers writing in and whimsical stuff than on
serious how-to and consumer-goods articles.

I suppose I mean something like my OYB, for those of you who've seen
it. Think if I started doing it regularly that it might catch on? If
so, should it be reined in somewhat topically?

Is anyone here familiar with "Messing About In Boats"? It's the
world's best boat magazine. Very downhome. I'm wondering if there
could be an outdoor sport mag with a feel like that. Or is the boating
topic by nature more writerly, readerly, reflective, story-friendly
than something like mtbiking. Maybe the readers tend to be older,
literate. But there have to be quite a few older mtbikers as well---or
are they trying to be young and hip and thus illiterate and
uninterested in mags unless they're 'rad.' ??

What about the sense of humor factor? It's easy to find people who
appreciate a good yarn and who have perspective on their nutty
projects in the world of small boats. But what about, say, triathlons?
There we're talking self-esteem, image-worries and other postmodern
worries of a less literate nature, more fretful one might say. But I
suppose there are some jovial types in the aerobic world. The crux is:
could they be found easily enough?

The editor of MAIB and I are longtime simpaticos. He worries that it
would be too hard to efficiently FIND the literate, carefree outdoor
people. A small mag needs an easy to find readership. It's the
sink-or-swim question. He gets his readers by way of the member lists
of the couple dozen small boat clubs nationwide. The presidents
happily give him the lists because everyone knows that everyone is on
the same page. There's no high-tech fretfulness ("I'm sorry but that's
protected information.") Small boat club members are not serious
people in the hypermodern way. But triathlon club members might be, or
their officers anyway.

Just wunnerin.

--JP

On 11 Jan 2004 08:52:27 -0800, (Jeff Potter) wrote:

I'm wondering if there'd be much public interest in an outdoor sports
mag that was more 'readerly' than usual. With a focus more on stories
and adventures and readers writing in and whimsical stuff than on
serious how-to and consumer-goods articles.

I suppose I mean something like my OYB, for those of you who've seen
it. Think if I started doing it regularly that it might catch on? If
so, should it be reined in somewhat topically?

Is anyone here familiar with "Messing About In Boats"? It's the
world's best boat magazine. Very downhome. I'm wondering if there
could be an outdoor sport mag with a feel like that. Or is the boating
topic by nature more writerly, readerly, reflective, story-friendly
than something like mtbiking. Maybe the readers tend to be older,
literate. But there have to be quite a few older mtbikers as well---or
are they trying to be young and hip and thus illiterate and
uninterested in mags unless they're 'rad.' ??

What about the sense of humor factor? It's easy to find people who
appreciate a good yarn and who have perspective on their nutty
projects in the world of small boats. But what about, say, triathlons?
There we're talking self-esteem, image-worries and other postmodern
worries of a less literate nature, more fretful one might say. But I
suppose there are some jovial types in the aerobic world. The crux is:
could they be found easily enough?

The editor of MAIB and I are longtime simpaticos. He worries that it
would be too hard to efficiently FIND the literate, carefree outdoor
people. A small mag needs an easy to find readership. It's the
sink-or-swim question. He gets his readers by way of the member lists
of the couple dozen small boat clubs nationwide. The presidents
happily give him the lists because everyone knows that everyone is on
the same page. There's no high-tech fretfulness ("I'm sorry but that's
protected information.") Small boat club members are not serious
people in the hypermodern way. But triathlon club members might be, or
their officers anyway.

Just wunnerin.

--JP

Advertise in other small mags, the Utne Reader, Mother Jones and salon.com.


Build it and they will come.

g.c.

George Cleveland wrote:

Advertise in other small mags, the Utne Reader, Mother Jones and salon.com.

Build it and they will come.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work that way.

You need a definite way to find people who will definitely respond.

My MAIB editor pal gets 80% response to his mailings to boat clubs. That seems
great but in his case it is what he NEEDS. Like, if he only got 70% response,
he might go under. There is no real slop factor in the small press world.

I sent out 200 fliers to XC shops for Pete's book and got 3 orders. I then
phoned 50 of them and got 48 orders. So they want the book but there just
isn't an efficient way to get them to order. Result? Probably failure of the
mission.

One truly needs an effective structure/system of servicing ones market to
survive.

It isn't enough to just have something that people want. You have to have a
cheap easy way to get them to act on it.

Ads are known to boost image but not to provoke action. I suspect that a solid
year of advertising in those mags would cost a fortune and net a couple dozen
subscribers.

What I need is a cheap, easy way to definitely find the right market. The MAIB
editor fears that 'literate outdoorspeople' just are not locatible. Not
without going bankrupt.

Well, I'll keep working on it. I'm just wondering about first order issues
mainly: Is the general topic of outdoor sports conducive to a cozy, readerly
approach?

I don't want to try to make something fit that doesn't naturally fit.

Well, I like going against the grain. But I don't want to go so far as to
shoot self in foot.

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com
publisher of outdoor/indoor do-it-yourself culture...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies...
...rare books on ski, bike, boat culture, plus a Gulf Coast thriller
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plus national travel forums! HOLY SMOKES! 800-763-6923

"I'm just wondering about first order issues
mainly: Is the general topic of outdoor sports conducive to a cozy, readerly
approach?"

Interesting topic, here's some data for you: I'm an AVID outdoor
"sportsman," as it could be called. The ONLY outdoor mag(s) I've EVER
subscribed to are for SCUBA. Stories about divers doing stupid things (that
I can learn from, of course), equipment reviews, improving technique, new
discoveries, pictures and stories about destinations are the reasons, in
order, why I have and continue to subscribe.

Never subscribed to a running, XC skiing, downhill skiing, boating, fishing,
skeet/trap shooting or biking mag.

Guess there just aren't that many stories of folks doing stupid things in
those mags.... ;-)
--
Raider Rick
"Just ski, baby"