FOLIO: mediaPRO Group Discussions

Integrated Sales

Brett Bonnville — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:17:22 -0800

For those of you who sell or offer integrated media packages, I am wondering what you use as an introduction or leave behind on a sales call? A customized marketing brochure that gives a snap shot of success stories or capabilities would seem to be the best answer. Leaving a magazine and/or business card often pigeon holes us as a one element media company in the mind of the prospect, which then requires more contact time to reposition what we are really about.

I'd like to hear how others address this.

Thx.

Searching for independent sales rep.

Tenisha Anderson — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:18:52 -0700

I'm starting a uniquely formatted fashion publication, and though I do not want my publication to solely depend upon ad sales for revenue, I do know, being realistic, that ad sales is apart of building revenue especially for a new publication. As a start up with very limited funds, how can I go about hiring an ad sales rep? It would definitely have to be commissioned based, but what is the average commission percentage for commissioned based sales reps? Where can I find commissioned based independent ad sales reps? Thanks!

Magazine looking to add indendent reps

Jim Hargrove — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:27:10 -0700

I need help. We publish a successful regional horses magazine but I feel our growth is limited. We have one sales person in house who averages $35,000 month and two other part-time ones. Can anyone give me advice or input on finding and hiring a rep firm? Or independent rep?
Jim Hargrove

Ad sales management structure

Ben — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:14:22 -0700

We're going out to tender to publish our member magazine - a 130,000 run in the finance and business sector - and we have an opportunity to recut our ad sales management structure with a publisher.

We currently have a straight up ad sales management fee with a guaranteed minimum revenue (which is low to the point of irrelevant) and no commission structure.

We want to strike the balance between the publisher taking on at least some risk so they are motivated to work hard and profit sharing so we can have a positive business relationship over the course of the contract.

Does anyone have any success stories or any best practice recommendations on which direction we should go?

This may seem dumb, but...

Michael Zingalis — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:28:22 -0700

Is anyone using dual ad zone sales: IE: 1 ad zone for a button on the site or the advertorial at a flat rate AND an adzone on completion of a contact form in association that charges per impression? Any succes stories in selling ads in this format?

Interactive Yearbooks

David Baker — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:38:07 -0700

I am looking for GO green companies to get on board for sponsorship and product placement --for one of the first to be done in the NYC area --
Several schools are onboard in what we have done to further the tech world - the best part about it GO Green and the Price --

2nd I am looking for sponsorship for a May 9 Cancer event in the park
3rd looking for sponsorships for the Super bowl of Parades the Puerto Rican day parade in NYC June 14

Consumer Directory

Nicole Louderback — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:29:37 -0700

We curerntly use the Pharmaceutical Marketers' Directory quite a bit. Does anyone know if there is a more general directory out there for the consumer world?

---------------------CRM------------------------

SamGreg — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:24:30 -0800

Why can’t I get pricing up front from so many of these CRM companies?

Media Kits for web sites

Leslie Laredo — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:35:36 -0800

The media world is getting so complex…reps must know how display ads work with search, social media and mobile platforms. Media sellers have to know much more than their editorial calendar and their audience stats. The reps need more support and their site media kits have to morph into more of a pre-sales educational presentation or presentation, providing more than basic stats like page views and unique visitors. Media kits need to represent digital products with more dynamic information, competitive perspectives, how all the media pieces work together and that integrated media is more than combining pages and banners into a proposal. I am creating new content on this topic and would love to see some best practices and examples of great media kits...can anyone point me to these?

Commission structure for independent sub-agents?

John Holmes — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:24:10 -0800

Hello!

We are international media representatives for leading consumer and trade print media. We are looking to outsource ad sales to independent sub-agents on a commission basis. What is the industry standard commission structure?

Thank you!

Aveda Environmental Award Application Announcement

Frank Locantore — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:01:34 -0700

WHAT is the award? Created in 2004, the Aveda Environmental Award celebrates environmental leadership and achievement in the magazine industry.

WHO is eligible? Any consumer or B-to-B magazine that uses environmentally responsible paper/production practices. There are three categories:
A) “New Launch” for magazines launched after Jan 2007
B) “Improved Commitment” for magazines that have improved their magazine’s environmental characteristics since Jan 2007
C) “Long-time Leader” for magazines or publishing companies with demonstrated environmental leadership for at least five years.

WHEN is the deadline? Friday, October 30, 2009 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time

WHERE is the application? Click: http://betterpaper.ning.com/page/aveda-environmental-award, or paste it into your browser.

WHY should you apply? It will show your readers and advertisers your environmental leadership and commitment, will be a great announcement on your social networks, and help make you eligible for promotions at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other sales outlets.

HOW can I apply? Fill out all the applications for which you’re eligible, pay $50 for your first entry and $35 for any additional entry, and do it by Friday, October 30, 2009 by 5:00 PM Pacific Time.

• Aveda staff will not be involved in the judging.
• All applications will be kept confidential.
• The judges have over 60 years combined experience in paper and publishing

Multi-channel publishing: Final layouts to PRINT, WEB PDF, and HTML for web site

James Baran — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:35:59 -0700

I am looking for a software product that can work with InDesign, a CMS, and output to multiple channels: HTML, Web PDF, and Print PDFs. Word on the street indicates that some programs will automatically create the web-ready rgb graphics, tag them, store them for the CMS, but I haven't found a good match yet.

I am looking at Pectora, but this software will involve a complete overhaul of our workflow.

Leads and advice are appreciated.

MediaFreak: Why are the smallest magazines the ones using the best recycled paper?

Frank Locantore — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:13:50 -0700

September 11, 2009 - MediaFreak
Once again, Barnes & Noble is giving special promotional space to magazines that use recycled paper. And once again, the month-long promotion is as much a shout-out to those titles with environmentally friendly practices (Natural Home, Mother Jones and The American Prospect are among the 10 featured this year) as it is a slap at their bigger brethren that don't. Since the promotion launched in January 2008 with Green America's Better Paper Project and Next Steps Marketing, the biggest publishing companies' titles have been conspicuously absent. There could be factors other than their commitment to being green (only magazines that voluntarily submit information on their recycled-paper use are considered for the promotion), but publishing companies have long complained that they can't afford to print on recycled paper. So ... publishing giants can't afford to use recycled paper, but indies like Mother Jones can? Somehow, that doesn't pass the sniff test.
-written by Lucia Moses

Carbon Neutral Paper Webinar

Frank Locantore — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:29:34 -0700

Carbon Neutral Paper: Creative Accounting Goes Green
How to accurately determine greenhouse gas emission from your magazine

Climate and forest expert Jim Ford, Director of Climate for Ideas, will help magazine professionals learn the facts about greenhouse gas emissions from paper production, the science of measuring magazine paper’s carbon footprint, and the necessary methodologies for calculating carbon emissions accurately and thoroughly.

The Webinar is on Thursday May 7th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, register here: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/1lqyv7vhikzl

“Thankfully, increasing numbers of magazine publishers are paying attention to the serious issue of climate change, and some are even doing an audit of their emissions,” says Frank Locantore, director of the Green America Better Paper Project. “Unfortunately, many past carbon audits exclude the carbon emissions resulting from logging the forest. Climate for Ideas research has been an important factor in helping to account for that errant omission.”

Mr. Ford is the main author of reports for the Cascades Fine Paper Company’s Carbon Footprint Report (2008); the Book Industry Study Group, Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts (2008); and, the Environmental Paper Network Carbon Neutral Paper: Fact or Fiction (2009). Prior to starting the international non profit, Climate for Ideas, Mr. Ford was the senior researcher for other non profits, ForestEthics, and Borealis Centre, and graduated with a Masters of Public Administration, Masters of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Indiana.

This is the latest in the Green America Better Paper Project Webinar series that is helping magazine executives learn about important environmental issues facing the industry, how to improve single-copy sales, and ways to authentically market environmental commitments. For more information about future Webinars visit, www.BetterPaper.org.

What Makes Better Paper Better?

Frank Locantore — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:23:11 -0700

April 2, 2009: This month's Better Paper Project Webinar builds on January's event, "Building Blocks for Wise Environmental Publishing,” with a discussion explaining the key components of the environmental papers for magazine publishers. The Environmental Paper Network (EPN) will be co-hosting this Webinar, explaining what makes better paper better and how to use the EPN’s Paper Steps from the What’s In Your Paper Web site.

What Makes Better Paper Better is Thursday April 2, 2009 at 2:00 PM Eastern.

Register for the Webinar at: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/5yhs82m5ulz7

Joshua Martin, director of the EPN will explain how their new What’s In Your Paper Website provides clear “Paper Steps” for paper users, and Frank Locantore, director of the Green America Better Paper Project will focus on the action steps that magazine publishers can take to begin using “better paper.” Question and answer period to follow presentation.

Looking Good, Paying Less

Matt Kinsman — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:11:12 -0800

What steps have you guys taken to reduce your paper costs while still “looking good?” At Folio, we switched from 60# Somerset to 60# Liberty gloss because it saved us $2,500 annually across three magazines: Folio, Event Marketer and Event Design.

I can tell a minor difference in the feel but I think the “look” of the magazine hasn’t really changed. We’re also looking at reducing trim size of our titles by 1/4”. If we do this with Folio, we’ll save about $7,500 annually on paper.

What’s worked for you?

How has your art role changed?

Dan Trombetto — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:13:46 -0800

I'd like to hear how some of your roles have changed over the past few years, and how you see them changing in the next 3-5 years.

Are any of you still doing print-only magazine work? Are there particular skills and software you have learned, either by choice or by necessity, in order to remain a viable asset to your publishing department?

Cartoonist available

Dan Rosandich — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:44:52 -0800

Quick note to anyone seeking assistance on humorous illustrations for your next or current publishing project that I might be able to assist you with. Visit my http://www.danscartoons.com/custom_cartoons.htm and I have existing images that can be licensed for any application - i.e. web, direct-mail pieces, for an email template, brochure or cover design etc. Email with any specific questions. Sample here....

Soft Proofing Conundrum

James Baran — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:04:18 -0700

I am attempting (yet again) to go from paper proofs to soft proofs, and before I jump off the top of the mountain I want to know that my parachute and landing are not going to create problems. My goal is to eliminate hard proofs on all our editorial pages, so that I can save on those costs.

Workflow: We're using InDesign CS3, I have my editors using InCopy, and nearly all our ads are submitted as PDF/X-1a files. Currently, we submit native layout files to our PREPRESS vendor, who puts the FRACTIONAL ADS in place and saves each page as a PDF for upload via INSITE to our printer. I USE A PC, and MY COMPANY DOES NOT SUPPORT MACS.

Recommendation from printer: My printer's team has said I should just get a good monitor, like an EIZO CG241W or CG21 and use KODAK Matchprint Virtual Proofing software, JUST LIKE THEY DO. Printer has Apple Cinema Displays and the Kodak Matchprint Virtual software.

Problem: KODAK's software is ONLY written for the mac. Printer's tech reps tell me there will be POTENTIAL problems with color matching if don't have a mac. Having found this difficult to believe in today's technological universe, and after some research on my own, I have found the X-RITE i1Display 2 color-calibration device which works in a Windows XP environment (good for me). Now, having explained this to my printer, they tell me we'll just run an occassional hard proof to make sure our systems are in sync so that I can do soft proofing.

Solution/and REQUEST FOR ADVICE: Is it really this simple now? Will we get good color match with this setup? I want to ensure that I don't create any production workflow, color matching and output problems by moving to soft proofing. Can anyone advise me if I'm missing anything, and what problems I can expect? I am hoping that I'm headed down the right road now.

MANY THANKS.

Online Portfolio

Sean — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:54:30 -0700

Can anyone recommend a good site to post a design portfolio...I know I should have my own website, but I don't yet. I'm about to be on the job search and need a place to post my designs. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Multi-channel publishing: Final layouts to PRINT, WEB PDF, and HTML for web site

James Baran — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:35:02 -0700

Advertising File uploads directly through your web site

James Baran — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:05:42 -0700

I am interested in finding out what magazines are enabling advertisers/agencies to upload files directly to ad preflight/production via their web site. If you are able to do this, what workflow changes, web site interface changes were necessary, and how successful is it?

Any information is greatly appreciated.

The Borg That Roared: ESPN Attacks Local News

CK Thurber — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:35:10 -0700

The working title for this post was “The Mouse That Roared,” a riff on the mascot of ESPN’s majority owner, Disney. But there’s nothing mouse-like about ESPN. And, unlike the film of the same title, ESPN isn’t marching on newspapers’ turf with white flags at the ready. The 30-year-old network calls itself the “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” a nearly irrefutable claim when one tallies the Borg-like reach of its cable channels, local radio affiliates, blogs, international sites and more.

Accordingly, tremors from Sunday’s news that ESPN is adding local sports coverage – with plans to go hyper-local (think softball leagues) – have rippled well beyond editors’ offices...

Read more: http://budurl.com/borg

Production Management Software General Featureset

Bert N. Langford — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:37:24 -0700

I'd like to elaborate on featuresets for the ultimate Production Management applications, where available today or offered as future concepts. I'm curious what others would like to see that I haven't covered or for which there is a better idea.

There have been other postings about "pagination software", which as an identifier is misleading as it can be interpreted in a couple of ways. Better in my opinion for what I'm writing about below is "mapping software": the determination of each page's ad vs. editorial content taking into account all the factors of print: magazine printer as well as advertiser requirements and each issue's P&L. And today, modules supporting the publisher's web-site. To me "pagination software" would include, primarily, Quark Xpress or Adobe InDesign.

Having said that, I and a friend (since retired) had collaborated on such an electronic capability going back to 1978, before Windows and the Mac. Even took a stab then at such a product but the DOS interface was simply too primitive and would require a GUI to be built from scratch.

Fortunately, several mapping software products are available now, and for disclosure's sake, I am retained by one software vendor who offers a very elegant and customizable map (JournalDesigner @ www.dataplan.de), but who is taking its companion product, JournalProducer, much further than my own original vision.

What was originally a single concept has grown to include a number of software apps related to magazine production, most recently including now an interface with magazine printers.

So, in categories, what is the ideal composition of software features benefiting the publisher in magazine production, including not only print but also websites? I'll give you my list but am interested in what you would include as well (or your challenges to ones I list):

SOFTWARE INTEGRATION by or with the Master Production System (MPS) I am covering, must be available to interact with publisher's other software systems and where possible, in real time and exchanged dynamically: i.e., at the moment a change is made in one system, it immediately becomes know to other systems impacted by the initiating system, including with your printer. Such integration for the production department includes to and from,

1) Accounting.

2) Editorial: both page layout (e.g., Quark and InDesign) including the ability to auto-paginate an issue for template-driven pages; editorial planning/management (e.g., QPS, K4 and Woodwing) and Content Management systems.

3) Advertising: where an ad system is available to feed and read from that system to avoid redundant entry. And, Ad Portals and other ad file receiving/validation systems. Plus electronic insertion order and production acknowledgments with advertisers/agencies. Support advertiser requirements like the Ad Index. And a map that ad system integration enables the importing of ad insertion information (including actionable placement instructions) as well as exporting to the ad system of such information as page folio(s) upon which each ad resides.

4) Export ad billing information, including electronic tearsheets, to Accounting's A/R system.

5) Separate Editorial and Ad Booking system modules in the event of no separate system.

6) Circulation could also be integrated where such an existing system is available, or provided as a part of the MPS. Enables creation of the Print Order the publisher sends to the printer, along with supporting cost-effective geo/demo planning (including press ganging) through the map.

7) Magazine printer integration to export the map, wherein the MPS also creates and exports electronically Purchase Order or (where under printer contract) Production Order, and all specifications and requirements impacting the printer, including the aforementioned Print Order breakdown.

A COST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM initiated by the publisher and continued by the printer (both working off the printer's rate tables as a part of the publisher's contract with its printer) that is both comprehensive and customizable to accommodate, e.g., binding slow-down penalties/premium. Such a cost system would accommodate:

(a) for the publilsher, annual budgets including updates down to the magazine issue level and which can be consolidated/rolled-up into Group, Division and Enterprise level budget summaries. Further, can create estimates automatically while mapping the issue; or including templates and job cloning abilities, can create the estimate manually for special management or other requests. Finally a "Pre-bill" that would become part of the Purchase/Production Order transmitted to the printer. Such budgets can including not only Manufacturing expenses but (optionally) Distribution.

(b) For the printer, a reduction in pro forma requests from by the publisher. AND, can automatically feed all production and billing requirements to related printer MIS systems, including CIM support, with the appropriate filtering to ensure, e.g., validating correct machine use and covering when an item is out-of-spec for immediate auto-notification to the publisher for resolution. Such information assists the printer in correct scheduling and with the publisher's Pre-bill serving as the first step in composing the printer's invoice with enabled real-time collaboration when printer and publisher are not in sync.

c) Integration with Production Scheduling to ensure publisher and printer are in sync not only in terms of factors impacting deadlines but also correct machine use.

PRODUCTION SCHEDULES: Publisher can create and update production schedules in real-time and including interaction with the printer for back-and-forth collaboration. the publisher's Production Schedule module can also provide prompts (pre-set and on-date) of each scheduled item. Further, can record actual dates of each deadline for further scheduling refinements.

PAPER MANAGEMENT (when supplied by the publisher): maintaining publisher-set minimum requirements by paper lot for all magazines using it through reminders, purchase order preparation et al, posting of mill's manifest, import lot usages by printer to publisher's PM system, and incorporate user-customizable contract paper reconciliation: contract to actual usages. With overview of all publisher-furnished stock by printer location to ensure using up discontinued paper lot balances as feasible.

CONTACTS MANAGEMENT: with names, job titles, contact information and market(s) served and business transactions history with each as well as their current status with the publisher (e.g., vendor, client, and others).

I'm sure this listing is incomplete and I have not included system architecture or support. I am anxious to see what capabilities others would either add or take objection to.

Bert Langford
blangford@dataplan.de

software for managing client specs?

Bandini — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:23:21 -0700

I'm exploring ways to manage client specifications. My company produces custom publications for more than 100 clients, all with scores of editorial specs regarding text styling, spelling, punctuation, etc. Is there software out there that would allow us to automate this step of manually editing all copy to conform to a particular client's specs?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Does this idea make any sense?

Michael Zingalis — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:05:10 -0800

When you are finished with the issue and it's ready to print, how about a system that lists all the ads with the:

Company name (for a keyword match on the site)
A yes / no switch - IE: Will they be advertising online this month
And other keywords that the client wants to buy, at additional cost, with cross-referencing for duplicate keyword buys.

Then your sales people do a round with the client to see who wants their ad in the online version for that month, and every block of text that matches the company name or the keywords purchased will get a re-sized version of their print ad at web quality on the site...with the tracking / reporting of an ad banner manager type system.

So once the selling is done, (email / phone / etc.) an xml document is created with all items for 1 shot import into your text advertising glossary for that month.

Basically text linking that is directly associated to your advertisers, and sellable at 100% profit by your team, without the need to share with a company that would post semi-relevant text ads at best....they are your advertisers, shouldn't you have control over them on the web as well?

True Software Integration

Bert N. Langford — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:19:33 -0800

Curious as to how successful publishers have been in truly integrating their software applications. By "truly" I mean where data is seamlessly passed back-and-forth in real time, even between different vendor apps, dynamically so that the receiving application can act upon the sending app's data where it makes sense.

Primarily interested in vendor-to-vendor integration, naturally.

And anyone's wish list where their applications fall short.

Soft Proofing Conundrum

James Baran — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:44:18 -0700

I have been successful in implementing the soft-proofing/full pdf workflow. Software we use: InDesign-InCopy for internal alts. Kodak InSite via RRDonnelley, utilizing Eye-One Match 3 software and and Eizo ColorEdge CG241W color correct monitor. Great workflow now! Saved over $40,000 this year so face in proofing charges.

(This is same discussion I have setup in the Design & Production Group, but I have not had any responses yet, so I'm trying it in Technology)

I am attempting (yet again) to go from paper proofs to soft proofs, and before I invest my precious budget dollars and staff training, I want to make sure we are aware of any possible problems. My goal is to eliminate hard proofs on all our editorial pages, so that I can save on those costs.

Workflow: We're using InDesign CS3, I have my editors using InCopy, and nearly all our ads are submitted as PDF/X-1a files. Currently, we submit native layout files to our PREPRESS vendor, who puts the FRACTIONAL ADS in place and saves each page as a PDF for upload via INSITE to our printer. I USE A PC, and MY COMPANY DOES NOT SUPPORT MACS.

Recommendation from printer: My printer's team has said I should just get a good monitor, like an EIZO CG241W or CG21 and use KODAK Matchprint Virtual Proofing software, JUST LIKE THEY DO. Printer has Apple Cinema Displays and the Kodak Matchprint Virtual software.

Problem: KODAK's software is ONLY written for the mac. Printer's tech reps tell me there will be POTENTIAL problems with color matching if don't have a mac. Having found this difficult to believe in today's technological universe, and after some research on my own, I have found the X-RITE i1Display 2 color-calibration device which works in a Windows XP environment (good for me). Now, having explained this to my printer, they tell me we'll just run an occassional hard proof to make sure our systems are in sync so that I can do soft proofing.

Solution/and REQUEST FOR ADVICE: Is it really this simple now? Will we get good color match with this setup? I want to ensure that I don't create any production workflow, color matching and output problems by moving to soft proofing. Can anyone advise me if I'm missing anything, and what problems I can expect? I am hoping that I'm headed down the right road now.

MANY THANKS.

Pagination Software

wade franks — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:13:54 -0700

My group has been tasked with converting our booklet style instruction manuals to map style. In short, it's been a nightmare to lay these things out and review because of the large format and crazy page orientation. Is there software that would be able to convert the booklet style layout into a map as the last step?

Will this help or hurt?

Patrick Becker — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:07:23 -0700

I have asked a few colleagues, clients and friends to comment on this recent press. I thought I would put it out there for the mediaPro tech community.
This was published a few weeks ago...

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=42057&c=1

It has sparked some very heated responses, some good, some bad and some ridiculous.

Aveda Environmental Award Application Announcement

Frank Locantore — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:08:27 -0700

MediaFreak: Why are the smallest magazines the ones using the best recycled paper?

Frank Locantore — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:15:02 -0700

Webinar | Cost-Effective Audience Marketing Strategies for Greening Circulation

Keaty Gross — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:08:33 -0700

July 16, 2009 from 2pm to 3pm Eastern Time

Mike Popalardo and Thea Selby present responsive and cost-effective audience marketing strategies for greening circulation, along with techniques for growing and renewing subscribers. They will highlight new greener print methods for direct mail and ways to build subscribers through online marketing.

Questions can be submitted in advance to Máire Walsh at Maire@nextstepsmarketing.com

To register, please visit
https://cc.readytalk.com/r/1h5m3zix5gq3

Interactive Yearbooks

David Baker — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:40:25 -0700

Carbon Neutral Paper Webinar

Frank Locantore — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:00:10 -0700

Carbon Neutral Paper: Creative Accounting Goes Green
How to accurately determine greenhouse gas emission from your magazine

Washington DC – May 7, 2009 2 PM Eastern – Climate and forest expert Jim Ford, Director of Climate for Ideas, will help magazine professionals learn the facts about greenhouse gas emissions from paper production, the science of measuring magazine paper’s carbon footprint, and the necessary methodologies for calculating carbon emissions accurately and thoroughly.

The Webinar is on Thursday May 7th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, register here: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/1lqyv7vhikzl

“Thankfully, increasing numbers of magazine publishers are paying attention to the serious issue of climate change, and some are even doing an audit of their emissions,” says Frank Locantore, director of the Green America Better Paper Project. “Unfortunately, many past carbon audits exclude the carbon emissions resulting from logging the forest. Climate for Ideas research has been an important factor in helping to account for that errant omission.”

Mr. Ford is the main author of reports for the Cascades Fine Paper Company’s Carbon Footprint Report (2008); the Book Industry Study Group, Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts (2008); and, the Environmental Paper Network Carbon Neutral Paper: Fact or Fiction (2009). Prior to starting the international non profit, Climate for Ideas, Mr. Ford was the senior researcher for other non profits, ForestEthics, and Borealis Centre, and graduated with a Masters of Public Administration, Masters of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Indiana.

This is the latest in the Green America Better Paper Project Webinar series that is helping magazine executives learn about important environmental issues facing the industry, how to improve single-copy sales, and ways to authentically market environmental commitments. For more information about future Webinars visit, www.BetterPaper.org.

What Makes Better Paper Better?

Frank Locantore — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:17:33 -0700

Newsstand Webinar on State of the Industry, Challenges and Opportunities

Frank Locantore — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:48:07 -0800

The Green America Better Paper Project hosts a Webinar to help magazine publishers understand the impact of latest developments in the newsstand distribution channel, during the State of the Industry, Challenges and Opportunities webinar, this Thursday February 26, 2009 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time.

Register for the Webinar at: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/1dn6t6la2kqzo

The one-hour Webinar will feature four industry experts as they discuss newsstand market developments, challenges and opportunities. Panelists include—
• Lisa Scott, Executive Director, PBAA.
• Máire Walsh, Director, Client Services, Next Steps Marketing
• Heather Harmon, Circulation Director, O’Reilly Media

The panel will be moderated by Thea Selby, Principle, Next Steps Marketing.

This Webinar will address:
• What does further integration in the channel mean to publishers? In particular small and medium sized publications?
• How can publishers limit their exposure while the current uncertainties in the newsstand channel remain?
• What does the current economic environment hold for retail magazine sales?
• What opportunities exist for publishers?
• What steps can publishers take to reduce costs on the newsstand? How can smaller magazines with limited budgets thrive?

Webinar is on Thursday February 26, 2009 at 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM PST.
Register at: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/1dn6t6la2kqzo

Green America Better Paper Project
For More Information: Frank Locantore
Frank@GreenAmericaToday.org
202.872.5308

# # #

www.BetterPaper.org
The Green America Better Paper Project provides free assistance to magazines looking to do better by the environment. The Better Paper Project has helped over 100 magazines and organizes promotions at national bookstore chains like Barnes and Noble to support magazines using recycled paper.

Webinar: Building Blocks for Wise Environmental Publishing 1/29/09 2 pm EST

Frank Locantore — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:57:09 -0800

Jan 29, 2009 Webinar sponsored by the non-profit, Better Paper Project (www.BetterPaper.org)

Question: Is recycled paper the most important element of environmental publishing?
Answer: Yes, but there is more.

Using recycled paper is a necessary but not sufficient component of wise environmental publishing and this Webinar will be an overview of:
- developing a policy to guide implementation
- working with staff and supply chain
- setting priorities from among environmental options
- implementing and improving practices
- marketing achievements and goals

Anyone who is in the process of exploring and implementing environmental practices, or those who are wondering how to get started will learn the key elements to include in your plan. Future Better Paper Project Webinars will dig deeper into each of these elements.

Webinar is on Thurs Jan 29, 2009 at 2:00 PM EST.
Register at: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/is171dp0568q.

Folio: Special Green Report

Dan Trombetto — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:16:01 -0700

Hi folks,
Have a look at FOLIO:'s report on what it really means to be Green in the publishing world. It's pretty good, if I do say so...

http://www.foliomag.com/2008/what-does-it-mean-be-green

What do you think? Feedback is welcome!

SALES INCREASED?

Richard Michem — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:29:26 -0700

Has anyone notice that when they switch to environmentally responsible printing and using recycled paper. Have your sales increase, or decreased? Some recycled papers, you can tell are just not the same high quality as the original, finish.

White Papers - rates

Keith Gregory — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:46:15 -0700

We're in the process of launching a white paper section for our website, and am just wondering if anyone has any feedback on the rates they charge?

I'm personally in favor of a per lead rate - or at a minimum of a dual model of flat rate vs. PPL. On PPL, typically I have seen ranges of $30 to 80 from publishers.

Site is:

AviationWeek.com

Content Repurposing Service offered

Polymathea — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:05:04 -0700

Looking for transcription & content repurposing assignments.

Pls do have a look at my profile for complete reference & work history details.

Thx!

How have predictions about media technology turned out?

Martha Spizziri — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:42:21 -0700

Take a look at yesterday's post on the American Society of Business Publication Editors' blog, "Back to the Future." It's interesting to see how many of these predictions from a 1999 ASBPE newsletter article have come true -- more than you might think. Harry McCracken has posted a response to the ASBPE blog entry on Technologizer, "The Future–August 1999 Style!" He points out how some of the predictions have become reality. Others, not so much.

softwares for creating virtual magazines in-house

jody — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:24:11 -0700

What are the best softwares in the world for creating virtual magazines in-house?

I've already found these links, but was wondering if anyone here has had any experiences with these softwares or other softwares that are specifically for converting your PDFs to Digital Editions. Could you share your good and bad experiences?

Digital Magazine Software

Desktop Author:
http://www.desktopauthor.com/default.asp

Dotminded:
http://www.dotpapers.com/home/

3D Issue:
http://www.3dissue.com/

eMag Creator:
http://www.emagcreator.com

LCM Digital Media:
http://www.lcmdigitalmedia.com

Paperator:
http://www.paperator.com

Page Gangster:
http://www.pagegangster.com/

The Borg That Roared: ESPN Attacks Local News

CK Thurber — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:38:04 -0700

software for managing client specs?

Bandini — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:19:17 -0700

Forms Management

Michael Zingalis — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:59:52 -0700

What are the best applications out there for web based forms management, and why do you think they are the best?

Invitation to Join: Darien, New Canaan & Rowayton Media & Marketing Group.

Phil Ripperger — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:05:59 -0800

We're pretty much open to anyone working in the category who lives or works in lower Fairfield County, CT or Westchester County, NY--Folio's own backyard: http://tinyurl.com/bczveu

Nearly 2M higher income 18-35 heavily engaged shoppers

Katja Burnett — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:52:20 -0800

We don't belong to an ad network because of the exclusivity issues and ...well...crappy ads that aren't quite in line with the income level of our demographics. We have a very established social shopping site with steady traffic. We'd like to simply find an entertainment company or two that would like to buy 3M or more impressions per month that they can use for their content as it is produced. Any ideas of who might be interested/who I should contact? Thanks.

Google's New Magazine Archive Project

Cara Showers — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:21:07 -0800

I'm really stoked about Google's new magazine archiving project. http://www.foliomag.com/2009/google-magazine-project-no-cost-digital-archive-so-far

Has anyone had any luck actually getting a response from Google about this project? I've contacted several people at Google who all send me to someone else until I get to a person who doesn't answer their phone. And I've emailed even more people @google with no response. The most I can get is an automated email pointing me to an automated form online that I filled out and it told me "thank you and we'll be contacting you if we think you're worth" (basically).

Is there ever a time when you feel the content of your publication hurts your ability to develop your audience the way you want?

Ellis Curlee — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:19:13 -0700

As an Audience Development professional, is there ever a time when you want or need to give feedback as to the content of your publication?

I read an article today that made me wonder how many times Audience Development managers get feedback from their audience as to specific content they want to get from the publication. Is that something that is regularly captured and relayed to anyone?

Or am I just a noob who is asking a noob question? :)

Content Repurposing Service offered

Polymathea — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:59:36 -0700

Pls do visit my profile page for knowing ways of repurposing & monetizing your content.

Thx!

US publisher list wanted

Don Brown — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:21:31 -0700

I'm looking for an email list of US-based magazine publishers - MDs and Circulation directors - so I can try to persuade them to sign up for www.magazine-group.co.uk

We're the number 1 subscription website in the UK and I want to attract more non-UK titles; given the (almost) shared language, US magazines should be able to sell subs over here, particularly B2B and specialist consumer.

Anyone know of any lists out there?

Distribution 101

Julie Wilson — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:16:25 -0700

Can anyone offer insight into distribution-speak? Perhaps a Web site with the basics? I recently moved from association publishing to a consumer title and need some education. Thank you.

Become A Fan of Audience Development on Facebook!

Chandra Johnson-Greene — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:18:21 -0700

Just a quick note to let you know that Audience Development is now on Facebook!

Become a fan now by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/n47km5

Cheers!
Chandra

Audience Development Magazine subscribers....

Melissa Virk — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:53:38 -0700

A sample of Postcard+ is in your June issue of Audience Development Magazine. Postcard+ is a proven direct mail solution to boost your response rate. Visit postcardplus.net for information and see the live Postcard+ sample in your AD Magazine!

Digital Magazines - paid model

Christine Oldenbrook — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:43:08 -0700

I would love to hear from anyone that has launched a digital magazine for a paid publication.

I see this as being pretty straight forward. Promote the digital magazine as paid, perhaps discounted, promote the benefit of receiving the issue before anyone else, stop killing trees, searchable, etc. Maybe offer the digital magazine at 50% discount from the domestic print rate. Internationally maybe offer the digital magazine at the print domestic rate, the faster delivering will be a very attractive benefit for the intl market.

I've just heard of a model that I don't completely understand and agree with and that is offering the digital magazine free to everyone (domestic and intl)...period. There was even discussion of offering the digital magazine option on a paid sub insert card, the thinking being that "no one will take advantage of it".

I can understand identifying a controlled-circ group and offering them digital only for free but I don't understand the objective behind devaluing our paid content by offering a digital magazine free. You aren't charging the sub price to just cover your print/mail costs - there is at least the perception you are paying for the content.

I would love to hear theories, case studies, etc. Thanks!

Audience Development 2009: Conference + Expo

Mike Schneider — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:23:40 -0700

From June 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Riverwalk, navigate your way through the media maze with the most extensive curriculum anywhere on audience growth and management. The program includes 30 sessions in three tracks (audience development, circulation concentration, larger-market marketing and trendwatch salon) and keynote addresses from Brian Wolfe, Executive Vice President, Consumer and Marketing Sales for Time Inc. and Gordon McLeod, President of the Wall Street Journal Digital Network. For more information and registration, please see www.audiencedevshow.com or call 817-635-4145.

Can anyone recommend a good printer in New York City and California?

Shannon Aronson — Wed, 20 May 2009 08:44:00 -0700

Thank you!

Circ Director Job Opportunity in Denver, CO

Eric Rutter — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:23:31 -0700

Hi. This may not be the right venue for this type of posting, but in today's difficult economic climate, I'd imagine that many people would appreciate hearing of a job opportunity. I'm Vice President of Audience Marketing at Reed Business Information, based in Highlands Ranch, CO. We're looking to hire a Circulation Director with at least 7 years paid circulation experience. If you know anyone who may be interested, please have them contact me at erutter@reedbusiness.com.

Thanks

Eric Rutter
VP, Audience Marketing
Reed Business Information

Do you publish articles in full, online?

Melissa Gillim — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:45:59 -0700

Hi fellow City & Regional associates,

My conversation starter is about publishing articles online. Do you publish articles in their entirety on your website? If so, when do you make them available online? My company puts the articles online before the issue hits the newsstands (but right as subscribers are getting their copies).

Special advertising section featuring women in business profiles?

Debbie McCaffrey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:33:59 -0700

I'm looking for samples of a special advertising section featuring women in business profiles. Trailblazer awards, Athena, Realtors, etc. Anything you can share is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Audience Development 2009: Conference + Expo

Mike Schneider — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:14:30 -0700

From June 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Riverwalk, navigate your way through the media maze with the most extensive curriculum anywhere on audience growth and management. Events include 30 sessions in four tracks (audience development, circulation concentration, larger-market marketing and trendwatch salon) and keynote addresses from Brian Wolfe, Executive Vice President, Consumer and Marketing Sales for Time Inc. and Gordon McLeod, President of the Wall Street Journal Digital Network. For more information and registration, please see www.audiencedevshow.com or call 817-635-4145.

NEWSPAPER vs. City magazines

Richard Michem — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:33:26 -0700

How much, do you people feel, that local newspapers, are hindering the growth of cities magazines? Or is the fact that local newspapers are losing ad dollars and readership helping city magazines?

Same city name magazine

Richard Michem — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:32:20 -0700

Anybody ever have the problem, of starting a city magazine, with your cities name, only to discover,that somebody else, in another state, living in a city with the same name as your city and magazine, was publishing a mag?

First things first...

Jimmy Dean — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:14:17 -0700

Hello all,

Having watched this group grow to over 50 in less than a month is pretty good, I guess. I've been watching for someone to step out...my friend and colleague here on Florida;s glorious gulf coast floated a "group ad effort" post a while ago...other'n that this has been a quiet group.

I'd like to suggest a first action item of a group comp sub swap?

Anyone know of a good online way to post our info that'd make it super easy to import to our people?

Hope we can get off to a decent start...and experiencing one anothers' books is an excellent way to do that, no?

Coalitions to attract advertisers

Jeffrey R. Orenstein, Ph.D. — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:15:39 -0700

As publisher of a suburban Sarasota, Fl regional magazine, I've been told that our 30,000 circulation isn't nearly big enough to attract national advertisers.

How practical would it be to assemble a coalition of non-competitive regional or city magazines (say, upscale FLorida magazines, in my case)? I know the tracking and rate allocation might be a nightmare. Is there anybody out there doing it or provinding this for a reasonable fee?

City & Regoinal PROS, Sign in and Introduce Yourself

FOLIO MediaPRO Team — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:09:55 -0700

Please take a moment to sign in to the group and introduce yourself. Tell us a little about your background and what topics you are interested in discussing and sharing ideas and perspectives within the community.

Repurposing Content into POD Books

April Miller — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 07:25:25 -0700

We are looking into repurposing content from Golf Event magazine into POD books via Amazon's CreateSpace. This will be the first time we've done this, so I'd like to hear from anyone who has repurposed content and/or worked with CreateSpace.

Editor's Continuing Education

Seiche Sanders — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:54:35 -0700

I'm the editor of an association publication, and am looking into masters' programs (in tough times, might as well take advantage of benefits such as tuition reimbursement). My undergrad is, predictably, in Journalism with editorial emphasis. I am wondering if a master's in journalism makes more sense, or an MBA. Any advice?

How do you manage copy length/image ratio per article?

Joshua Thomas — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:54:38 -0700

I know this is a very BROAD question and the answer differs between magazines, articles, publishers, edit/art workflows, genres, etc. but I'd like to hear about how other publishers handle the text vs. artwork ratio. Or more to the point, on average, how many pages do you allot to an article and why? And is the math always based on word count?

Who Should Decide the Editorial Decisions?

Richard Michem — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:32:28 -0700

Who do you people believe should be the deciding factor in Editorial judgment at a mag? Should their be a team approached, or one God like editor who make the decisions and sticks hard by then?

Story Lead: Unique comics art books published by former dotcom entrepreneur

David Willson — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:09:18 -0700

I don't know if some of you will object to this post. I am not a PR person. I am the former editor of a (now defunct) Wall Street small-cap/lifestyle magazine. Currently I'm a freelance designer, writer and illustrator.

One of the better stories I covered in the last several years was about a dotcom entrepreneur who became obsessed with the idea of reintroducing modern audiences to Winsor McCay's Little Nemo, one of the first and finest comic strips ever illustrated in a daily newspaper. He faced numerous obstacles and was often advised that his goal of faithfully reproducing the strip as it appeared to readers 100 years ago (it filled a 16" X 22" page of the newspaper) was impractical.

The story is ongoing. Briefly, he published the book, sold out two editions and won awards and accolades from comics community. Having published several other anthologies in the last two years, he recently released a sequel with another full collection of Little Nemo. For the details, I'll send you to my blog (which has links to the publisher's Web site, and a pdf of the original story I wrote).

I'd be interested in your feed back if you followed up on this and used it — and if you think it is a good idea to share leads this way in the forum.

Who's using Twitter and how?

Sara Tambascio — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:28:21 -0700

I've tried to Twitter from the last two trade shows I attended. I've found it tough to be so brief and I don't think I have any readers following me yet. Is anyone else out there using it on a more regular basis? For what? And how are you letting readers know about your feed? Thanks.

Need editor for children's book

Elizabeth Shugg — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:02:11 -0700

Hi there. A friend of mine is in need of a children's book editor. If anyone has experience with that and would be interested in me having her contact you, let me know. We're in the Raleigh, NC area.

Ad Sales Plummeting?

Marlene L Hendrickson — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:24:20 -0700

It's easy to find coverage of consumer and b-to-b ad sales challenges/slumps in the tightening economy - but not a whole lot of talk about how association mags are doing. Any association publishers/editors out there suffering through this? Strategies for surviving?

Conducting Focus Groups

Christine Schwerin — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:44:08 -0700

In late July we are planning to conduct a focus group and I want to make the most of this opportunity. We are redesigning one of our magazines and are looking for targeted feedback so that we can be as useful as possible to our audience.
We are on a small budget and have to manage this project in-house. I'm working closely with our marketing manager on exactly what we plan to discuss. I'm wondering if any of you have conducted focus groups..? Any advice?

Site reviews

Adrienne — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:22:45 -0700

With this post, I would also like to encourage others to submit their web sites for peer review.

I would greatly appreciate your feedback and input on www.iimagazine.com.

Site Review
What is the site doing right?
What is the site's most fatal flaw?
What 3 features (technical or editorial) would you add or eliminate?

Benchmark study for online subscriptions - please take quick survey

Anne Holland — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:26:19 -0700

I'm about to publish a Benchmark Study on online subscriptions including pricing stats, marketing response rates, etc. I'd be happy to send you a copy of my new research (for free) if you could help out by taking a 5-minute survey for publishing executives. The survey is at http://www.subscriptionsiteinsider.com/survey/survey.html

Note: This is a real research project for the publishing community! In the past I founded MarketingSherpa. This research is my next project, basically payback to the community I know and love. Anne

Interactive Yearbooks

David Baker — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:36:58 -0700

What forms of media do buyers rely on?

Bill — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:20:59 -0700

Does anyone know if there is research on what forms of media buyers rely on when making a purchase?

Also, is there any research that discusses what type of media generates the initial interest in the buying process.

Bill

Invitation to Join: Darien, New Canaan & Rowayton Media & Marketing Group.

Phil Ripperger — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:09:02 -0800

Really, we're pretty much open to anyone working in the category who lives or works in lower Fairfield County, CT or Westchester County, NY: http://tinyurl.com/bczveu

B2B Magazines and Webinars

Michiel Bom — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:33:35 -0800

I publish quite a number of B2B magazines and I'd like to start using Webinars as a brand extenstion for my audiences: readers, authors and advertisers. Can I learn from any of your experiences in the US or else? Thanks in advance!

Tough times, Financial Crisis? (Read on and thoughts please)

Sachin Ghodke — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:07:20 -0700

In these tough times of financial crisis the world over, how are you coping with the outsourcing part of the business plan? Do you think it makes good sense to outsource and is the risk worth taking? Is your company thinking of outsourcing to increase revenues and lower overhead costs? How as the global recession hit your business and how has it affected the publishing industry?

Magazines that are up in print

Jason Fell — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:51:50 -0700

With the news yesterday from PIB that overall consumer ad pages were down 12.9 percent during the third quarter, I'd like to speak with some B2B publishers, and smaller consumer publishers, who are bucking the trend and are up in print ad pages--and how they're doing it.

Does this describe your company?

What do you think? Leave a comment or send me an e-mail at jfell at red7media dot com.

Enterprise level e-mail marketing recommendations

Stephanie Martinez — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:34:28 -0700

I am interested in recommendations for hosted/3rd party e-mail marketing service providers. I have used http://icontact.com for small business e-mail lists with great success but in looking at a solution for a much larger list, I would like to evaluate several vendors. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Stephanie

CAN-SPAM applicable to editorial, opted-in enewletter?

Aneel Tejwaney — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:42:22 -0700

What are your interpretation on CAN-SPAM law against editorial enewsletter?

Our publication here in SourceMedia are split in the way we let users unsubscribe. Some pubs use single unsubscribe link and others make people login to manage their email settings.

I looked at iContact and eTrust just to get some general best practice here is what they said:
--eTrust: (http://www.etrust.org/certification/privacy/privacy_requirements.html)
----"All newsletters and promotional email messages that are sent to users, apart from the messages the user has agreed to receive as a condition of using your service, must include an unsubscribe link. "

--iContact: (http://www.icontact.com/terms/antispam)
----"Every email, whether text or HTML, contains a mandatory unsubscribe/opt-out link at the bottom of the message. This unsubscribe link cannot be removed.
----"Unsubscription - Every email generated from iContact contains an unsubscribe link which automatically updates your subscriber lists to avoid the chance of sending unwanted emails to visitors who have unsubscribed. "

My vote is to simplify the process and keep the rule the same for both marketing and editorial emails by having one click unsubscribe.

Thoughts? Any other best practices around this?

Thanks.
Aneel

Interstitials and page peels

Jack Beaudoin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:58:21 -0700

I could use some advice from any one who has had to deploy interstitial ads and page peels. Our sites are hosted by a SaaS vendor, and our ads are served by a third party serving firm. Are there vendors who develop the functionality/code to actually implement the creative material supplied, or do advertisers supply the whole package and ask us to implement? Any advice (other than to tell me not to do interstitials and page peels -- I've already lost that battle) would be appreciated.

Jack

Macintosh thesaurus, taxonomy software

Robin Sherman — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:34:30 -0800

Looking for Macintosh thesaurus, taxonomy software, freeware/shareware preferably. Know any good ones?

Tagging and Taxonomy - any advice (part two)?

David Warren — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:00:04 -0800

At Robin's suggestion, I have re-posted this discussion in this group. The original conversation can be found in the e-media group here.

I am working to implement an automatic/semi-automatic tagging and taxonomy assignment product in the near future, and would like to know of other member's experiences with this type of software. I am especially interested in any potential "gotchas" or issues to keep an eye out for. Also of interest would be any recommendations regarding vendors - we are talking to Nstein, Temis, Inform and a few others at the moment.

A little background data - we are a medium-sized B2B publisher with about 40 publications and generate a substantial amount of content on a daily basis, mostly articles, but also video, images, podcasts, etc. I am primarily concerned with tagging articles.

IA Replication / Virtualization

Michael Zingalis — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:15:39 -0700

Is anyone out there using a cms that allows them to replicate the foundation / functions of the site, simply awaiting data to fill in the blanks? I guess you would call them templated solutions, but I have started to see a lot more flexability per re-creation of sites recently with certain softwares. Any good ones that you see that use this?

Site reviews

Adrienne — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:24:42 -0700

I would greatly appreciate your feedback and input on www.iimagazine.com.

Site Review
What is the site doing right?
What is the site's most fatal flaw?
What 3 features (technical or editorial) would you add or eliminate?

I encourage other participants and lurkers to submit their sites for peer review. :)

Courses, Degrees in Information Architecture

Robin Sherman — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:53:38 -0700

Does anyone know of any online courses and/or degree programs one can take to learn information architecture?

Content packaging - how important is it? How do you do it?

OlegR — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:10:27 -0700

Content packaging in our terminology is an ability to automatically find and relate all of the related content (text/photo/video) and then release (automatically) a thematic channel featuring all of the content you have on certain topic is crucially important. For example having a special 9/11 section being created by automatically pulling all your existing 9/11 articles, photos, and videos and presenting it in template-based UI to the end user.

Please let me know what you think about content packaging for B2B sites. How important it is to you. How well are you doing it now? What are the most desired features of it?

If you had an ability to create thematic channels with relevant/related content with minimal human involvement, how often would you use this feature in your current B2B applications?

Tools for Doing Information Architecture

Robin Sherman — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:11:45 -0700

What are the best Mac tools for doing concept mapping, flow charts, and wire frames for Web architecture? Did someone say Omnigraffle?

Robin Sherman
Editorial & Design Services

No Ad Sales.

Richard Michem — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:35:24 -0700

Alright since this forum deals with just consumer mag among other> Let me ask you people this question> Could a MAGAZINE, survive, with out ad sales? Just on paper sales alone.

Sign in and Introduce Yourself to the Consumer Media Community

FOLIO MediaPRO Team — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:09:18 -0700

Please take a moment to sign in to the group and introduce yourself. Tell us a little about your Consumer Media background and what topics you are interested in discussing and sharing ideas and perspectives within the community.