MX Magazines dying?

gt80rider
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gt80rider 6/24/2009 4:19pm
6/24/2009 4:19pm
Moto East Mag wrote:
The whole print industry is undergoing a huge transformation. You have big papers that have been here for 100 years that are folding. Print ads are...
The whole print industry is undergoing a huge transformation. You have big papers that have been here for 100 years that are folding.

Print ads are crazy expensive. Also, there is no way to measure your results (unlike counting clicks from a banner ad). Print costs went way up in the last five years-- And the recession has slashed advertising budgets.

The scale of advertising is changing. It cost $100,000+ for a full page ad in Golf Digest for example. That whole world is changing.
As you know Spinner- I used to put out a 96 page glossy. Now I am evaluating the online method. I haven't really figured out the best angle.
on-line is All About Clicks....... you can have the best pics, the best opinion pieces, etc... but if you don't have the clicks, selling advertising is nearly impossible.....

that's why sites like Vital, who get a ton of hits on it's board, can make more money than a full on "magazine" type website that only get a quarter of the clicks....
72kiteboarder
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72kiteboarder 6/24/2009 4:28pm
6/24/2009 4:28pm
I love Magazines when I am on the Crapper. Other than that, they are cumbersome.

On a side note, You know why the toilet is called a crapper? Well the man responsible for making the toilet popular was Thomas Crapper.
Moto East Mag 6/24/2009 4:35pm
6/24/2009 4:35pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 12:34am
Moto East Mag wrote:
The whole print industry is undergoing a huge transformation. You have big papers that have been here for 100 years that are folding. Print ads are...
The whole print industry is undergoing a huge transformation. You have big papers that have been here for 100 years that are folding.

Print ads are crazy expensive. Also, there is no way to measure your results (unlike counting clicks from a banner ad). Print costs went way up in the last five years-- And the recession has slashed advertising budgets.

The scale of advertising is changing. It cost $100,000+ for a full page ad in Golf Digest for example. That whole world is changing.
As you know Spinner- I used to put out a 96 page glossy. Now I am evaluating the online method. I haven't really figured out the best angle.
gt80rider wrote:
on-line is All About Clicks....... you can have the best pics, the best opinion pieces, etc... but if you don't have the clicks, selling advertising is...
on-line is All About Clicks....... you can have the best pics, the best opinion pieces, etc... but if you don't have the clicks, selling advertising is nearly impossible.....

that's why sites like Vital, who get a ton of hits on it's board, can make more money than a full on "magazine" type website that only get a quarter of the clicks....
There is one big "but"-- is there a single stand-alone motocross website that makes tons of $$$$?


What has happened is the value of information has become extremely diluted. People don't want to pay for information (or music, or movies) anymore. It's just the way it is. It's really up to the industry to adjust, because the customers are always going to take the path of least financial resistance.

But the Internet also offers advantages. You obviously can't embed video or hyperlinks in a print zine. It's also near-free distribution and a much, much lower cost of entry. It's really more of a free, open market, which is supposedly the American way.


SweetDaddy
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SweetDaddy 6/24/2009 4:42pm
6/24/2009 4:42pm
Still subscribe to Dirt Rider and to the local paper - both more convienent than the laptop...

The Shop

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Pdub
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Pdub 6/24/2009 4:55pm
6/24/2009 4:55pm
It's either about content, or it's about being an advertising medium. Commercial magazines try to walk the tightrope between the two, and many have done so successfully for years. But 24/7 online access to content has changed everything, and the advertisers have reacted to the dwindling circulation numbers and the cheaper online ad rates.

Soon, the only magazines that will survive will be those dedicated to providing unique content to a dedicated audience willing to pay directly for it. They will not be big money-makers, more like labors of love. Watch what happens when "Time" magazine goes online-only...
The Rock
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The Rock 6/24/2009 6:08pm
6/24/2009 6:08pm
Digital will never replace the hard copy version for me.
ProMed
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ProMed 6/24/2009 6:12pm
6/24/2009 6:12pm
The last mx mag I subscribed to was MXi, thankfully I only did the one year deal instead of the two...
RNagy052
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RNagy052 6/24/2009 6:26pm
6/24/2009 6:26pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 12:34am
zjbell wrote:
I stopped renewing my subscriptions last year. The magazine websites have become too good, along with Vital it really makes it un-necessary to purchase a physical...
I stopped renewing my subscriptions last year. The magazine websites have become too good, along with Vital it really makes it un-necessary to purchase a physical copy. A few years back I had 5 or 6 subs of various magazines, now I don't have one.


The only mags I read over the past few years were Nerds and TW, it's been awhile now and I don't miss the subs all that much. I would've kept my sub for MXi but it folded up before it became an option.


I used to renew MXA and DirtRider because it was incredibly cheap even though I would read maybe 1 or 2 issues a year...for me the last few years DirtRider and MXA are painful to read.


Like you said Chuck, I don't think it's just the MX pubs taking a hit. Two of three of the major flying mags have been non-existent at Barnes and Noble and Broders for the past 6 months. I think the net was killing sales to begin with and the soft economy is putting the nail in the coffin of the weaker pubs..
I don't know about that, taking my laptop with wifi into the shitter just doesn't seem right.

As long as guys have to sit down to take a dump, there will be a need for printed mags.
disbanded
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disbanded 6/24/2009 6:43pm
6/24/2009 6:43pm
I subscribe to Racer X, Transworld, MXA, Dirt Rider and Dirt Bike - and it still isn't enough reading material to get me thru one month of taking dumps.

My favorite thing about any of those magazines mentioned - The Racer X Crossword Puzzle. It is the only puzzle I have ever been able to finish. And I bet those New York Times puzzle types couldn't finish half of one.
gt80rider
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gt80rider 6/24/2009 6:47pm
6/24/2009 6:47pm
The Rock wrote:
Digital will never replace the hard copy version for me.
unfortunately, you aren't going to have a choice in the next 5 years... the choice will be made for you, and you aren't going to like it.....

on-line mag sites aren't about getting subs anymore..... like Moto East mentioned, nobody is willing to pay for info anymore.... on-line mag sites (many of which have not realized this yet) aren't going to make a profit from subs ever again...... the only way is from pure clicks.... doesn't matter if they get them from crazy weekly columns (everyone is abuzz about Jody's column and his opinion, my opinion is he was only saying what would get the most clicks, regardless of his real personal views), nude chic pics, or from a war zone forum.... right now, forums generate the most clicks in most genre's, therefore, they make the most ad money, and getting an active forum going is the number 1 goal of every print mag turned E-zine on the planet....

are websites a lot cheaper than print rags to run??? yes, yes, yes...... but a successful site isn't nearly as cheap as most would think.... the bigger the site, the more raw manpower is needed, plus bandwith, plus you still have office costs, travel costs for trade shows/races/events.....

are there any stand alone mx sites raking in lots of cash?? i have no clue.. i don't work in the mx website biz..... but in the genre i work in, Hell yes there are.... in my genre, a banner ad at the top of a page costs as much per month as a two page color spread in the former leading print rag... and the sites have dozens upon dozens of advertisers... essentially as many as the print rags used to.... they are getting just as much ad revenue as the print rags used to, but at a much lower cost to produce.....
JOHN CHOATE
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JOHN CHOATE 6/24/2009 8:10pm
6/24/2009 8:10pm
I know when my new issues are due in the mail and I feel like a kid again every time I open my mailbox and find the latest mag. On-line will never replace a hard copy for me either. Next!!
swizcore
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swizcore 6/24/2009 8:29pm
6/24/2009 8:29pm
I just get digital subscriptions, I cant justify all the work that goes into the printing/shipping of a mag that I read once then toss.
Crossup
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Crossup 6/24/2009 8:44pm
6/24/2009 8:44pm
disbanded wrote:
I subscribe to Racer X, Transworld, MXA, Dirt Rider and Dirt Bike - and it still isn't enough reading material to get me thru one month...
I subscribe to Racer X, Transworld, MXA, Dirt Rider and Dirt Bike - and it still isn't enough reading material to get me thru one month of taking dumps.

My favorite thing about any of those magazines mentioned - The Racer X Crossword Puzzle. It is the only puzzle I have ever been able to finish. And I bet those New York Times puzzle types couldn't finish half of one.
Its funny, I use to subscribe to them all and dropped them one by one. I still get Racer x and MXA more for nostalgia sake. I like the RacerX crosswords too and save them for flights.
volcati
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volcati 6/24/2009 8:48pm
6/24/2009 8:48pm
This was all obvious...oh 10 years ago? Everyone knew it was coming.

RR Donnelly the biggest printer in the world, I think? They've lost their asses by 3/4's.

I think all the major rags in MX have set themselves up well on the net for the full transition. Had a site like Motonews been more professional...they had a the potential to be a major player. But that's what happens when amatuers run the show and let ego in.

BY the way...Vital is doing things perfectly, IMO.
dirtbikersa 6/25/2009 4:54am
6/25/2009 4:54am
got a copy of RacerX before flying the other day at the airport and I really enjoyed reading a mag again... it had been a couple of years since I had bought any.
KAWboy14
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KAWboy14 6/25/2009 5:56am
6/25/2009 5:56am
dirtbikersa wrote:
got a copy of RacerX before flying the other day at the airport and I really enjoyed reading a mag again... it had been a couple...
got a copy of RacerX before flying the other day at the airport and I really enjoyed reading a mag again... it had been a couple of years since I had bought any.
i was at several airports last week and not one of them had a racerx......they had everything else tho.
Shenzi
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Shenzi 6/25/2009 6:32am
6/25/2009 6:32am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 12:35am
I still find MXA, dirt Rider and TWMX at my Barnes & Nobles and never found any other MX/Dirt mag there in the last 5 years. The number of street magazines is growing though and there's a shit load of those on the shelves.

In TX I found the very good British magazine Moto in B&N's in San Antonio and Ft Worth.
Chris_ONeal
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Chris_ONeal 6/25/2009 6:34am
6/25/2009 6:34am
Sometimes I keep a issue of Dirt Rider or Dirt Bike in the bathroom. Never know when your going to run out of ass wipe! Those magazines are the worst by far.

Pit Row

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BobbyM
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BobbyM 6/25/2009 9:44am
6/25/2009 9:44am
is OUI still around?
Sledneck
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Sledneck 6/25/2009 10:42am
6/25/2009 10:42am
I miss MOTOcross and MINIcycle racer.
ZEDHED
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ZEDHED 6/25/2009 11:02am
6/25/2009 11:02am Edited Date/Time 11/15/2010 8:05am
BobbyM wrote:
is OUI still around?
Racetime
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Racetime 6/26/2009 2:05am
6/26/2009 2:05am
alphado wrote:
I used to keep pretty busy doing freelance stuff for a few magazines. Unfortunately that has all pretty much dried up. I haven't written anything in...
I used to keep pretty busy doing freelance stuff for a few magazines. Unfortunately that has all pretty much dried up. I haven't written anything in months.
The Rock
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The Rock 6/26/2009 8:01am
6/26/2009 8:01am
swizcore wrote:
I just get digital subscriptions, I cant justify all the work that goes into the printing/shipping of a mag that I read once then toss.
The ones I don't keep I give to friends or leave them at the YMCA......try to never put them in the trash.
The Rock
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The Rock 6/26/2009 8:03am
6/26/2009 8:03am
ProMed wrote:
The last mx mag I subscribed to was MXi, thankfully I only did the one year deal instead of the two...
DC gave people credit on the Racer X subscriptions or started new subscriptions for the MXi subscribers that weren't Racer X subscribers.......
ProMed
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ProMed 6/26/2009 10:07am
6/26/2009 10:07am
ProMed wrote:
The last mx mag I subscribed to was MXi, thankfully I only did the one year deal instead of the two...
The Rock wrote:
DC gave people credit on the Racer X subscriptions or started new subscriptions for the MXi subscribers that weren't Racer X subscribers.......
Yes he did, but I was already subscribed to RX at that time and wasn't looking for an extension. It all worked out and I enjoyed my one year of MXi. It was one of my favorite mags.

I am now just buying whichever mags looks most intersting each month at the grocery store. It's usually at least one or two mx/ off-road mags, some firearms rag, a pc or camera mag, and the occasional MTB/ ATV/ or street bike mag. This certainly isn't the most cost efficient, but it is the most interesting for me.

The only subscriptions I have left are Popular Mechanics, Popular Science and, ahem, Southern Living and Cooking Light.
Pdub
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Pdub 6/26/2009 12:19pm
6/26/2009 12:19pm
volcati wrote:
This was all obvious...oh 10 years ago? Everyone knew it was coming. RR Donnelly the biggest printer in the world, I think? They've lost their asses...
This was all obvious...oh 10 years ago? Everyone knew it was coming.

RR Donnelly the biggest printer in the world, I think? They've lost their asses by 3/4's.

I think all the major rags in MX have set themselves up well on the net for the full transition. Had a site like Motonews been more professional...they had a the potential to be a major player. But that's what happens when amatuers run the show and let ego in.

BY the way...Vital is doing things perfectly, IMO.
hey volcati, nice to see ya around!
breck
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breck 6/26/2009 12:28pm
6/26/2009 12:28pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 12:36am
ImpoundMX.com looks good on my iphone while taking a shit!
Spinner
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Spinner 6/26/2009 5:04pm
6/26/2009 5:04pm
ProMed wrote:
The last mx mag I subscribed to was MXi, thankfully I only did the one year deal instead of the two...
The Rock wrote:
DC gave people credit on the Racer X subscriptions or started new subscriptions for the MXi subscribers that weren't Racer X subscribers.......
I subscribed for 2 years to MXi (mainly cuz Steve's a friend and wanted to help out even a little) and didn't get anything after he pulled the plug.
Steve's still a friend though.
Spinner
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Spinner 6/26/2009 5:10pm
6/26/2009 5:10pm
volcati wrote:
This was all obvious...oh 10 years ago? Everyone knew it was coming. RR Donnelly the biggest printer in the world, I think? They've lost their asses...
This was all obvious...oh 10 years ago? Everyone knew it was coming.

RR Donnelly the biggest printer in the world, I think? They've lost their asses by 3/4's.

I think all the major rags in MX have set themselves up well on the net for the full transition. Had a site like Motonews been more professional...they had a the potential to be a major player. But that's what happens when amatuers run the show and let ego in.

BY the way...Vital is doing things perfectly, IMO.
I used to run a lot of RR Donnelly's shit for them out of Chicago last year when I worked for my old company (hot shot transport stuff) and they were the biggest pains in the ass in North America to deal with. Funny thing though, I always got to see the RacerX covers before just about anyone else.

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