Jack Meinhardt, our managing editor, just called: We need the “Editors’ Page.” Six hundred words. Click.
Truth to tell, my mind is not on the editorial side of the magazine. We are in the throes of a major decision. When editors get together to talk about the “book” (their magazine), the first question is, “What’s the frequency?”
We’re considering whether to change our frequency from quarterly to bimonthly, from four to six times a year. It’s not an easy decision. We “launched” (more lingo) half a year ago as a quarterly. It would be nice to start our second year as a bimonthly. That would show confidence, reflect success. People would not forget us between issues. But it’s a 50 percent increase.
Our first year, so far, has been wildly successful. Everyone seems to like us—or, rather, our product. But that’s all anecdotal, as they say. The proof of the pudding will come when people decide whether to renew. We don’t know the answer to that question. But if we wait to find out, it will be too late to make the decision. On the other hand, we’ll have many new subscribers, our marketing director, Lauren Krause, says. How many? I ask. She doesn’t know.
The customary wisdom is that it takes several million dollars to launch a magazine. We did it with five figures, mostly from those wonderful people we call our Founders Circle. (They each contributed at least $1,000. Hopefully, others will join them now. Not everyone can afford $1,000, but gifts of all sizes are welcome. Whatever you give is a charitable deduction on your tax return—we’re approved as a 501(c)(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service. Please make your check payable to the Biblical Archaeology Society, the organization that publishes Archaeology Odyssey. Our address is 4710 41st St. NW, Washington, DC 20016. Many thanks. End of plea.)
We can’t raise our subscription price by 50 percent just because we go from four to six issues a year, Executive Director Bridget Young tells me. We may not be able to raise it at all, she says. And, as a new magazine, we still don’t have a lot of advertising. The economics remain a challenge.
What about staff? The masthead looks large, but it really isn’t. Sue Singer has been mostly occupied with another magazine. That leaves me (part time), Jack, Sudip Bose and Allison Dickens. We’ve had a great time together. But how much more can we (they) do? Ha, ha, I think, the ball is back in Jack’s court. He wants to go to six issues and says he’s got great material. But can we do it with present staff? We’ve scheduled a lunch (no cellular phones allowed) to consider that thorny question.
Jack Meinhardt, our managing editor, just called: We need the “Editors’ Page.” Six hundred words. Click.
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