Re: Speaking of magazines

**"* G* <d*@gmail.com>**

Susan:
I don't for one moment underestimate the issues involved in the distribution
of print materials - I've done it on a very small scale and can hardly
imagine the complexity of a large business such as BH&G and the distribution
system they must have in place.   I posted that url to show that there are
developing models of information distribution even in this interesting
economic climate we find ourselves.  There are many examples just like this
of folks finding new ways to collect and distribute information.

I didn't respond to your post last year - I read the articles (interesting)
but wasn't sure I had much to contribute that would be of help.  I'm still
not convinced I can answer your query. However....

I'm not convinced there's "an" answer to your question.  I've seen a lot of
examples of things garden writers are doing that are both innovative and
interesting on the Net.  Very interesting stuff although I'm not privy to
their economic model.  I'm more than impressed with things members on this
list are doing - for example, I learned some good things at the website
presentation at Portland this year that I'm working on myself.

I do however think there's an unlimited number of information channels now
(websites are numbered in the billions) and there's a model for everyone.
:-)   The trick is in finding and establishing your niche channel and
providing the content that folks want.   Interestingly enough, there are
likely enough economic "solutions" as there are models of
information-exchange.  The problem of course is that you never know what
works until you do it and measure it.

I wrote to a friend offline and said that this was a serious paradigm shift
for writers used to the old model.  I confess it took me a bunch of time to
even begin  to get my head around what I needed to do and there's more than
one blind alley out there with my nose-print firmly etched into the end.
 There are probably as many solutions as there are good writers to use them.
  For a very small example, we can all use similar software (blogging as an
example) but we all have different writing skills and biz skills.  So this
means that every blogger is using the software for entirely different
methods or with different success with different economic models.  There's
nothing guaranteed but we each have to find our own voice and our own
channel.  It's the same thing with websites.  A thousand different gardening
channels with their own voices and each having a unique way of generating
income is how I see it (at the moment).  I'll get back to you next week on
this one. ;-)

That's speaking strictly as a freelancer of course.  I have absolutely no
idea how a large publishing corp is going to handle this transition to a
multiple info-channel voice.  I suspect they have some advantages and
disadvantages in this kind of thing but most of my own work is in trying to
figure out where I think the Net is moving and whether I have the skills and
ability to move with it.  And it's taken me down some very interesting
channels and learning curves.  I've moved from being a nurseryman to writer
to publisher to marketer to video-maker, social networker (jury's out still)
and now conversion and web writing architecture and some weird combination
of all of the above.  Given 23 years as a nurseryman,  a writer for much of
that but the others in the past three years, and the last in the last three
months,  I can only wonder what I'll have to learn in the next 6 months and
what I'll have to do in order to continue my preferred lifestyle.  Five
years out - who could possibly know?  I haven't the foggiest.

Can I "cobble together a vision that makes money for a lot of people?"  If
you mean a lot of people doing independent things - then yes, I have no
problem with this model. (I'm doing my version of it now and I know of
others doing similar things. )   If you're talking about a large biz model
employing lots of people - then I haven't gone down that road and tried to
figure out how a publication like BH&G or Horticulture or anything else
would take.  I'm sure there is one - it just hasn't been part of my world.

It's an interesting world out there right now.  I see a lot of very positive
things happening and I firmly believe there are opportunities if we make the
right decisions.  The problem of course is in the transitioning - holding
onto some income while moving and generating a new stream.  But the
opportunities, like the web itself, are endless imho.

All the best

Doug

-- 
Doug Green
Editor-in-Chief
SGF Publishing  www.simplegiftsfarm.com  @douggreen
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