Looking for a little feedback on a print publication

[Cycsk]

As someone else said, what is it going to have that we can't get here? That would be a sticking point for me. That and cost.

It would have well-written, well-edited content by informed and intelligent writes. It would have idiotic posts removed. And you don't have to go through cumbersome search or scroll processes to find the good stuff. Plus it would look cool on the coffee table.

 

[Skyh13]

I think it's a neat idea. And considering this would be coming from the same company that runs a news website, a yearly preview is about the only type of publication that makes sense. Would I buy one? Perhaps. I'd probably do it if for no other reason than to support CF.

I think the people saying that they would just get everything off the internet are missing the point -- this isn't about news, it's about analysis.

 

[demoncore1031]

personally, i like print. i would definately buy a copy

 

[CykoAGR]

Chris,

I would stay away. You said it yourself. U cannot lose money. Unless you HAVE to take the risk for some reason( my impression is that you don't) then don't take it. Only jump into a situation like this when you CAN lose money once you are in a better financial position to do so and at that point decide if it is something to pursue.

Everyone you talk to will say that they would be interested in buying one, but none of them have a vested interest. YOU do!

Printers will tell you that this is a slam dunk, but again, they do not have a vested interest. They don't stand to lose anything. YOU do!

Look at the costs, set some goals to get to a point where you CAN risk losing money and reasses at that time.

Probably more advise that you were looking for but advise none the less. Good luck with your decision.

Advice from someone who can't spell it. Hard to take it serious.

 

[wright4cy]

I cant get enough Iowa State stuff I would love something like this !Esp. after such a great year of growth!!

 

[Cy94]

You may not have to necessarily make money directly from the publication if it is viewed as marketing to increase exposure to the site.

I would like to see alot of good pics & graphics. Behind the scenes type of coverage.

 

[kilgore_trout]

"Point is, we cannot afford to lose money on this"

lol. unpossible.

Fanatics -

I'm looking for a little bit of feedback from you today. I've been tossing this idea around in my head for a while and was curious as to what you think. I do ask for no wise guy responses to this thread. Please keep your comments honest and serious as I'm going to use this feedback to help make a decision for our company.

Would you support us and purchase a print publication - a football preview magazine?

My theory is that we'd do this first-class. Meaning it would include original content, color photos, the works. I'm not sure how much it would cost. I'm frankly not even sure what it would include. I'd like to get some guest columnists, etc. but we'll have to wait and see.

Point is, we cannot afford to lose money on this. We live in an Internet world so this project would be a bit of a risk. But I also know that once June rolls around, we all go out to the local book store and stock up on annual college football mags. I figured that there might be a demand for an Iowa State-only type of annual to put on your coffee table. Let me know. Thanks in advance.

 

[josh4isu]

From a cyclone fans standpoint, this is an awesome idea. As far as the business side of things, I have a hard time seeing this making any money. You would have to make it super cheap and sell a ton of them. In my opinion, that would be very hard to do. ISU has a great fanbase, but it certainly is not huge by any means.

 

[uthaman]

Print is dead. The people that are on this site who will be your primary customers share one thing in common besides the Cyclones. We all like digital content!

Don't you already have an Android and iPhone app? Build on that. Produce a digital book thru Lulu and have it published on the iPad, iPhone and Nook. Amazon has a separate system, and I would do that too...

Apple takes its 30% cut, and Lulu takes a cut too. So, a $20 price tag would net you $12.50. Amazon takes a straight 30% cut.

Lulu will even create hardcover books for those still in the non-digital age. 250 hard back copies of a 100 page book will cost you $7,000 to make and Lulu would sell them for $28. You make 80% of the sale price. From what you have said coming up with that $7,000 upfront might stress your budget. Come out with the digital formats first and then take firm orders on a hardcover version.

 

[BigDogCyclone]

Test drive this idea with a digital magazine, that way you can invest in your content without the overhead of printing and distribution costs.

 

[longtimeclone]

Not sure if this has been pointed out but I wonder about the fans that don't use CF. Obviously all the users on CF have access to a computer and possibly may be on the internet quite a bit which is their main source of information, but what about the people that don't have access. I could see this being good for younger fans(not yet really reading things online) if it had a lot of pictures and maybe older fans(who may not have or want to use a computer) because it would give them some good content that they might not get in a newspaper or other magazine.

I would probably buy one for myself and maybe give one to two away as a gift. I wouldn't want to spend anymore than $20 for a copy.

 

[im4cyclones]

Print is dying but I still buy football preview magazines!

I would buy. Here is what I would like to see... 1. An honest and in-depth breakdown of the team by position groups and 1st and 2nd string players. 2. A breakdown of the cyclone schedule - not a prediction but analysis of potential player matchups, historical trends, etc. 3. Behind the scenes look at spring football and fall camp - photos, interviews, etc.

 

[VAClonefan]

As an out of state ISU fan, who rarely gets to a game to pick up a program, etc., I'd love to have a copy of something like this to throw on the coffee table. Probably would by one for a couple friends/family too.

 

[Cycsk]

CW,

What are your thoughts about a premium CF membership?

I'm thinking about something that repackages or adds features: access to private threads, access to threads that include guests (Coach Rhoads, Austin Arnaud, Ben Bruns, etc.), invitations to private parties with same guests, merchandise and publication discounts, blocking certain posters, email alerts tied to posting criteria, etc.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

What are your thoughts about a premium CF membership?

He and the owners have stated more than once that CF will remain 100% free.

 

[Cycsk]

He and the owners have stated more than once that CF will remain 100% free.

That is quite a limiting business plan!

P.S. Keep the forums 100% free, but add auxiliary services for premium subscribers.

 

[Trainer]

I would be in for the $20 range, and my family would be interested in 1-3 more. The reason is that not everyone is computer savy. I know I know, they should be, but both my father and older brother follow ISU football but do not have the time (or know how in my fathers case) to use Cyclone Fanatic.

Just roughly guessing here, but I could see both of them using this to know who the program is highly touting. Who are there up and comers, and also what the players think and feel about the upcoming season. Even if there is some old news in it, not all ISU fans can stay up to the minute like some of us on CF. I think this is a great idea.

I also like the preorder idea as well. This is a big risk, and I don't want CF to take a hit.
-My 2 cents.

 

[SeeJay420]

Print is not dead. Sure, its not what it was 10 years ago, even 5. Or maybe even 2. But -- you produce a quality publication that hits a niche market (perhaps a rabid fan base of a particular college football team) and can have enough unique/original content that creates enough interest, it will sell. Covering your expenses... their's certainly going to be space within the magazine for advertising? That can help offset print expenses quite a bit. The purchase price is one that's tough to gauge unless you can find similar print publications in the size and circulation that you aim to hit. Pre-orders could be a great asset to you, as well as locking in some businesses commitment for advertising. You might be able to grab some that have previously said No to advertising online.

Call up ISU Printing Services in Ames. Get some price quotes. If you're not having much like Chris, send me a private message and we could explore some more details on this. I work directly with publications for Iowa State. Our online content is exploding and we have ePubs for all devices (both free and for sale) ... but our hard copy sales remain very strong. It's all about having the right product for the right audience at the right price and in the right medium.

This dream of your's may be quite successful and reach the most Cyclones through a printed pub. As others have commented, there are plenty of Cyclones out there that do not have the means or know how to get to our beloved CF and all the great content that's here.
Putting a quality pub like you want to publish in their hands can only strengthen the CyclONE Nation. I look forward to seeing it available, no one would cover the Cyclones better than CycloneFanatic.

 

[SC Cy]

Pictures, pictures, pictures. When I purchase pre-season magazines I am easily swayed by the publication with the most crisp, clean photos. Information in print is outdated the day it is printed. If this became an annual "Collectors Edition" hardcover this could have some serious legs.

Seriously, photos make or break magazines for me. When I get Sports Illustrated in the mail the first thing I turn to are the full-page photos near the beginning.

 

[Big12Fan]

I'm a CF from Eastern Iowa and would definitely buy a publication like this; we need all the Cyclone material we can get!