Brilliant! On a more specific note, I would be interested to know what your thoughts are on Paste magazine following in Radiohead's footsteps and asking people to choose their price for a subscription.
I find it surprising that the minimum price of $1 must mean a big loss on every subscription taken up at that price. They say it is for a limited period, but there seems to be no limit on numbers. Whereas, Radiohead could have sold a billion albums at their 45p minimum and not lost a penny, this does appear more risky.
Also, is there loyalty to a magazine, like there is to a band? Do you not naturally see a magazine as being more of a corporate entity than a band and therefore feel more reluctant to pay over the asking price?
I must answer this. I'm not flattered at all. I get lots of enquiries along these lines and what they never do is ask a specific question. They just say something like "I'm doing a project on the media. Can you send me some information?" which is like saying "can you do some really really boring work for me?"
He's better off test-driving the idea as a blog (which he can do on Blogger for free) to see if anyone's remotely interested in what he has to say before even considering the vicissitudes of print.
David, I can empathise with you entirely. I work as a crime analyst. I get fed up with requests from students who send me e-mails saying they are working on a project and can I supply them with crime data. If I do have time to give it to them it is usually followed up with another e-mail that is essentially a complaint that I haven't carried out the analysis for them. However the cheekiest request came from a firm of solicitors who expected me to do their work for them, but no doubt would have charged their client as if the work was their own. They generously offered to reimburse the costs of any paper I used. As all the information they required was already in the public domain I gave them the URL's and thanked them for they generosity.
I had an email this week from a student asking me for any tips how to get into my line of work, and then what did I think of his choices so far? I am stumped.
I was sent a "treatment" for a sitcom from someone who could barely construct sentences, asking for advice on whom to send it to. I should have ignored him. Instead, I advised him that no TV commissioning editor would take seriously any treatment without capital letters or commas and full stops. I was almost in admiration of his optimism.
My girlfriend received last year an application for an internship that was a photocopied form letter with the blanks (name of company and job etc) completed in biro! This would have been a direct route to the waste paper bin even 10 years ago, but photocopying in 2006? FFS.......
Tell 'em what's what. I had an awful girl from a reputable collge doing work experience once, who wittered on and on about how awful the office was and how nobody was letting her write cover features on her second day in the office. When she didn't turn up, I wrote her a letter saying that her unprofessionalism and unwillingness didn't really make her compatible with a media career.
I recall that in one of the Gambols annuals Dobs and/or Barry Appleby complained that they would get letters from students demanding to know the meaning behind the longrunning Express cartoon strip. Perhaps understandably, they would struggle to respond but did their best - and never once got an acknowledgement.
Brilliant! On a more specific note, I would be interested to know what your thoughts are on Paste magazine following in Radiohead's footsteps and asking people to choose their price for a subscription.
ReplyDeleteI find it surprising that the minimum price of $1 must mean a big loss on every subscription taken up at that price. They say it is for a limited period, but there seems to be no limit on numbers. Whereas, Radiohead could have sold a billion albums at their 45p minimum and not lost a penny, this does appear more risky.
Also, is there loyalty to a magazine, like there is to a band? Do you not naturally see a magazine as being more of a corporate entity than a band and therefore feel more reluctant to pay over the asking price?
Nice easy question to mull over during the weekend.
ReplyDeletePaper, pens, 10 good ideas, some free stuff. Job's a good 'un.
ReplyDeleteDon't!
ReplyDeleteOh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...
ReplyDeleteAren't you flattered?
ReplyDeleteI must answer this. I'm not flattered at all. I get lots of enquiries along these lines and what they never do is ask a specific question. They just say something like "I'm doing a project on the media. Can you send me some information?" which is like saying "can you do some really really boring work for me?"
ReplyDeleteHe's better off test-driving the idea as a blog (which he can do on Blogger for free) to see if anyone's remotely interested in what he has to say before even considering the vicissitudes of print.
ReplyDeleteTell him that.
He'll LOVE that.
David, I can empathise with you entirely. I work as a crime analyst. I get fed up with requests from students who send me e-mails saying they are working on a project and can I supply them with crime data. If I do have time to give it to them it is usually followed up with another e-mail that is essentially a complaint that I haven't carried out the analysis for them. However the cheekiest request came from a firm of solicitors who expected me to do their work for them, but no doubt would have charged their client as if the work was their own. They generously offered to reimburse the costs of any paper I used. As all the information they required was already in the public domain I gave them the URL's and thanked them for they generosity.
ReplyDeleteI had an email this week from a student asking me for any tips how to get into my line of work, and then what did I think of his choices so far? I am stumped.
ReplyDeleteI notice he didn't specify that the information has to be about starting a magazine. I'm sure that this loophole could be used to comic effect.
ReplyDeleteMight I suggest you start with "There are ten ways in which a batsman can be dismissed in the game of cricket".
Tell him to learn to fucking punctuate.
ReplyDeleteI was sent a "treatment" for a sitcom from someone who could barely construct sentences, asking for advice on whom to send it to. I should have ignored him. Instead, I advised him that no TV commissioning editor would take seriously any treatment without capital letters or commas and full stops. I was almost in admiration of his optimism.
My girlfriend received last year an application for an internship that was a photocopied form letter with the blanks (name of company and job etc) completed in biro! This would have been a direct route to the waste paper bin even 10 years ago, but photocopying in 2006? FFS.......
ReplyDeleteTell 'em what's what. I had an awful girl from a reputable collge doing work experience once, who wittered on and on about how awful the office was and how nobody was letting her write cover features on her second day in the office. When she didn't turn up, I wrote her a letter saying that her unprofessionalism and unwillingness didn't really make her compatible with a media career.
ReplyDeleteI bet she's something high up at the BBC now.
...meanwhile Luke aged 9 is on suicide watch...
ReplyDeleteSo then, how DO you start your own magazine...?
ReplyDeleteI love "do my job for me" emails, as I never get them; I merely have access to other people's.
I recall that in one of the Gambols annuals Dobs and/or Barry Appleby complained that they would get letters from students demanding to know the meaning behind the longrunning Express cartoon strip. Perhaps understandably, they would struggle to respond but did their best - and never once got an acknowledgement.
ReplyDelete