Beagle Magazines

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Bev
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Bev »

Guess who's retired now? Well, semi-retired. This girl, that's who.

Is there an appetite out there for an online magazine - something like this?

https://beaglingtoday.com/

This is by no means a finished product - it's a preview - an experiment of sorts, but I think it could be a good thing. If I build this up it would only cover the bigger events, but it would cover literally every format and registry, and would most likely publish a yearbook that sums up the "Year in Beagling" so you would still have that printed keepsake for the coffee table. You just wouldn't have a humongous stack of them. One good mag per year that recaps the sport - who won what and where, and it would be 'print on demand.' I would not advertise club trials and events, reg club trials, etc., just your World Hunts, SPO Nationals, secondary large trials like UBGF Derby Nats, Little World, Eliminator, Large Pack on Hare Nats, Futurity, Triple Challenge, Canadian Nats, etc.

This endeavor would require that the FTS of these big hunts be dedicated in sending me their schedules, results and pics.

So .... feedback?

gpen08
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by gpen08 »

Very nice. Thought it was informative and definitely well put together.

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Bev
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Bev »

Thank you, but do you think there would be enough interest in something like this?

Beagle Huntsman
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Beagle Huntsman »

I actually would prefer a monthly magazine. Once per year is just not enough to hold my interest. I find the online magazines/newspapers harder to read, but I am probably old fashioned these days.

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Bev
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Bev »

Beagle Huntsman wrote:
Tue May 21, 2019 9:05 pm
I actually would prefer a monthly magazine. Once per year is just not enough to hold my interest. I find the online magazines/newspapers harder to read, but I am probably old fashioned these days.
I don't think that makes you old fashioned at all. Those were definitely the good ol' days, and I looked forward to getting my Rabbit Hunter in the mailbox every month.

The problem with monthly printed magazines is money backing and staff. To break even your magazine has to be 40% advertising, and those advertisers need to pay promptly. When I published The American Beagler it cost me approximately $6,300/mo to print and mail it, $4,800 to the printer, and $1,500 to the post office ... and that didn't include the $2.25 to replace each magazine that got lost or ruined in the mail, or any salary for me. $6,300.00 per month is a tough nut to make on $20 subscription checks and a handful of vendor ads.

Also ... if you can even find help to put 64 - 80 pages together every month ... I did all the layout myself plus ran the business, and did little else. It was a 14/hr day, 6 days per week to keep it coming every month. That schedule was eventually ruining my health - both mental and physical, and I had no time for my own dogs.

Then about 10 years ago, everyone started building websites, setting up Facebook pages, and dog owners all but quit advertising their studs and litters in the magazines. They were advertising on those websites and message boards for free. This is why you are now getting thin little pamphlets instead of 80-page magazines.

So basically, the money that kept the magazines afloat ran to the web and left the publishers holding the bag. Today it's going to take a wealthy person who just loves the sport, can pay a staff, has part ownership in a printing house, and is willing to write the business off as a loss at the end of the year. ;)

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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Beagle Huntsman »

For what it’s worth, you did a good job, Bev.

Your post fully explains why printed issues of any kind are experiencing such difficulty today. This is why I get upset when I see beaglers on here complaining about the new owner of H&H and B.B. She made the necessary changes to try to save both magazines. I personally would have just folded one of them and put everything into the other, but she is trying to please everyone.

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Bev
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Bev »

We were all pretty spoiled when there were 5 Beagle magazines - one for each registry and format. I kind of expected the resistance to combining BB & HH. I tried the same thing when I bought SPO Magazine in 2003. Charlie Fronheiser was going to retire - just let the magazine fold, and he approached me to buy it. I already knew the expense of publishing one magazine, and certainly couldn't take on two every month. So I bought it from him and tried to combine it with The American Beagler. Most of the SPO Beaglers felt betrayed - they were used to having a magazine dedicated strictly to their format and didn't want to share space with ARHA dogs, so most didn't subscribe (or renew) and went to Hounds & Hunting instead (where they had to share space with traditional Brace hounds for heaven's sakes, lol). I also bought the eSPO board so we eventually made friends with each other - they are a super bunch of Beaglers. But by then, printing was phasing out. Even the internet phases out and constantly renews. The old script to the eSPO Board was crumbling and couldn't be saved. I made a new one and they use it daily.

Luckily, we still have this board thanks to Chris Miller's diligence. So the SPO Beaglers can post here at TAB or at my new board dedicated to SPO Beagling: http://espoboard.com/ This board has been up since 2001 - we were Facebook before Facebook was Facebook. Only for Beaglers!

I may still forge ahead with the online magazine and yearbook because I really feel like people will still want to know who won the big trials, who made Hound of the Year, and the yearbooks will be true keepsakes as the years go by. All we can do is try, right?

Hurricane Creek
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Hurricane Creek »

I'll support it. I wonder though if the large download file size will be a problem... I like what Hark-N Hare is currently doing and what you're talking about sounds so much bigger. Maybe a quarterly, with the 4th qtr issue containing a summary/year in review?

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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Bev »

Hurricane, the yearbook would be sold online and a hard copy sent to your house - a regular yearbook you could thumb through.

Ed B
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Ed B »

I called and spoke with the "young lady" who now owns Better Beagling and Hounds and Hunting. She is starved for content especially from areas outside the typical UBGF/DSBGF universe. If you will contact her about providing articles and other content she will be happy to work with you.

I have had a few articles published with Hounds and Hunting in the past. I called her pitching an idea I had for a series of articles. She was very eager and was willing to pay a little something with some expectations about length....the more the better. So maybe Shady Grove Beagles should call this new lady and offer to provide content for the same deal. I am confident she will jump on it.

P.S. she was particularly interested in my idea because it would cover under represented regions and clubs. And the area and clubs have very strong history with Better Beaging

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Bev
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by Bev »

Ed, thank you for your interest and suggestions. I would be seeking the field trial results from the bigger trials - I wouldn't expect her to send me content, I think the Field Trial Secretaries from the different registries and formats could send me their national and world trial results so I can post it online. I'm not charging for that - it would be free to anyone who wishes to view it online, and it would be available to everyone in the country, not just subscribers.

Then, if you want to purchase a printed yearbook in December that highlights all the big news for the year, you could do that - just like you'd buy a book from Amazon. You order it and it ships to your house.

I would still encourage people to submit articles and content to Kaylynn if a printed monthly magazine is what you want. There's room for both in the Beagling World. :)

main event`s beagles
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by main event`s beagles »

count me in bev
LP RCH GRBCH MAIN EVENT'S SAMMIE TO ME
LP BCH MAIN EVENT'S ROXIE
LP RCH GRBCH MAIN EVENT'S JOE
LP BCH MAIN EVENT'S COCO
LP RCH LPBCH BIG CITY'S CREEK
LP RCH LPBCH MAIN EVENT'S KILLA MASON

sgc
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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by sgc »

S.R.Parch, is that the Pine plantation article by Earl? I ran dogs with Earl for years, sure miss thoses times.

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Re: Beagle Magazines

Post by S.R.Patch »

It was titled "UP Snowshoe Hunt". Earl had some friends and a new to be hare hunter with him. A good day on a cold -8 deg. start.
I had only talked to Earl on the phone and he came to the Island and hunted with my boy and I. I think he's move down to the Carolina's to be near his daughter and grandchildren. He is a good man with a giving heart to young hunters, my boy really liked him and Earl gave him a couple of Forester Patches from his service in the Dept. I think the wolves had him down to one hound when he left.

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