> I think we probably would go for a PDF edition, as well as or instead of a > print edition.
Wise choice. I have nearby, cheap tree mills. 8-). > There are two problems, though, with electronic publishing. > People don't expect to pay very much, which is a real problem in a niche > market. We'd expect to pay contributors about $40-50,000 a year in total - > how many potential subscribers are there willing to pay anything at all? I'm willing to pay a comparable amount to a typical yearly paper magazine subscription -- in the $25-30 range for near-mainstream technical publications -- if the content is as good as VM/Update was, and especially if I can download the example files (or cut and paste them from a PDF w/o having to type everything in). The subscription price is what killed VM/Update for me -- much as I loved the magazine, it's hard to justify $135/yr for a print magazine with "limited" interest (manager words, not mine). At that point, you need about a thousand subscribers to get in the ballpark range you're looking for, and if you ask the subscribers to do their own printing, you should be able to keep the costs pretty reasonable. It's also a lot easier to store back issues...8-) > And electronic publications are very easy to pass along to others (unless > we inflict an intrusive security mechanism on our subscribers, which would > not be very popular!). A GPG-armored zip file of the PDF keyed to the paying recipients and received via email wouldn't be a major hassle for the intended audience, and isn't tough to produce on demand. Sure, once it's unwrapped, the person can send it to anyone, but isn't that what they do with the paper copies too? At some point, every scheme is breakable -- better to burn the skull sweat on something productive, like scaring up good content. Take a hard look at what Baen Books is doing with a number of their authors. They're taking the chance of putting entire novels -- full text in HTML and RTF format -- for free download. Their theory (and so far, they seem to have been proven right) is that if you get a taste, you'll want more and buy more, and the more friends you give it to, the more chances they have to sell books. You burn your own toner and paper to give it a whirl. The idea of unique codes for advertisers (or hyperlinks in the PDF that trigger counters on your web site that the advertisers could see as a reader comment/more information request) is a good one. (In fact, Baen is even binding CD-ROMs into books, including other novels by the same author -- and a selection of other authors in their stable -- to spark interest; check out David Weber's latest Honor Harrington novel for a example. There's over 80 full-length novels on that CD, plus the one you spent your $27 on (which is *also* on the CD). Gutsy as hell, but it seems to be working. (And yes, I liked the book. Recommended...8-))) > Also, the truth is that most people still prefer a printed journal. Mainstream publishing, yes. Technical publishing, I'd probably argue the point. Let me print it my way, and pass the cost savings on to me, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. -- db
