Ok, I might be a bit slow on this one, but is their any mags out just for Scoobys, I mean Ford have "Performance Ford".. Vauxhall have "Performance Vauxhall"

If not does anybody want to start one with me, I have loads of contacts in the printing business.. I think it would be easy to put together.. we have such a big following, it would be easy to sell in the shops I think

What do you say.. Let me know....


Nate

 

Wouldnt want to get involved,but would love to read it!

Put me down for a years subscription!

Steve

(edited cus i carnt spel!)

[Edited by stevie c - 2/24/2002 7:50:48 PM]

 

Nate,

I might be interested, whereabouts in the country are you?

Cheers
Tim

 

Im based in Surrey, but I am open to travel if it means we can get something going.. Also I am will to invest capital as well

Nate

[Edited by hunswon - 2/24/2002 8:00:18 PM]

 

Nate,

I'm in Herts, so no problem.

I have some more questions, will mail you off list.

Cheers
Tim

 

I don't think there are, closest is Japanese Imports with occasional articles. Same with Revs but usually OTT, but fun.

Good luck with the mag, and i'll buy it for sure.

 

Well all we need is some more people interested to help out and maybe some companys that will want to advertise in it as well.. then we can start the ball rolling...

Nate

 

There will probably be plenty of folks that want to show of their cars, and have competitions too. The usual stuff, technical, news, mods, future, events, parts. Great stuff - go for it.

 

Can I do the Wheels For Men article??

Pete

 

There's a GREAT quarterly mag

Its called True Grip

Phil

 

Have to agree with Phil. Just join the SIDC and contribute to True Grip. At the last AGM, they were asking for good stuff to publish.

Richard.

PS There is no way on earth a dedicated Scooby magazine could ever be a viable commercial proposition as a stand-alone commercial publishing proposition. There are loads of reaons why not, but just consider for a start the fact that there are 55,000 newsagents/news outlets in the UK...

 

Just do online ordering/subscription/advertising - miss out the news agents then.

 

FreeT

Strange thats exactly how True Grip Works

Phil

 

This is a good thread, and I'd hate anyone to interpret my earlier comments as being negative. They are not. Write to the editor of True Grip and offer your services. I know they will be gratefully recieved.

Fact is, if you want a newstand publication you need to sell at least 20,000 copies a month (which means a print run of 40,000-plus on sale-or-return, which also means 20,000 copies eventually go in the bin) for the likes of WH Smith to even listen to you. Oh, and it has to be monthly or you can forget getting any shelf-space at all. In other words, cloud cuckoo land.

So it has to be subsription-based - ie True Grip. Also, the advertising potential for such a narrow-cast magazine would be tiny, making for very difficult economics.

BTW, what would you read in this magazine that you can't read on ScoobyNet within 24hrs? The only way forward for such a publication would have to be CD-Rom based, with words, pics, sound and motion. A bit like the (slightly) delayed ScoobyNews CD, then

Best regards,

Richard.

PS Edited to add that this is a subject very close to my heart (I love Scoobs and I'm a magazine publisher). The key is content, which at professional rates is mega-expensive (ie photogrpahers at £300 per day, plus expesnes and writers at £250 per thousand words. So it has to be unpaid volunteer work, and expenses if you're (very) lucky - in other words, you really do it for love/glory. Do we still have volunteers?

If we do, there is some great material to be published. Conclusions of the recent No 3 big-end thread, back-to-back comparisons of down-pipes, who makes the best brakes, the Dawes story from A-to-Z, suspension systems compared, the truth about anti-roll bars/strut braces etc, good tyres - and why they're better, seeing in the dark with sh1te headlights, gauges - which ones do you need, which ones are best...? The list is endless, and interesting isn't it? Who's up for it, then?

[Edited by Hoppy - 2/26/2002 12:03:54 AM]

 

Thanks for the input Hoppy,

We are still thinking about the best why to publish the info and maybe printing is not the best.. An interactive CD sounds like a good idea.. Any other we might try, what about a video

 

I think there's a french mag called 'Sub' which is dedicated.

 

Do the maths first.

How many Fords/Vauxhalls are on the road that have been tuned or could be? How many people have tuned a Ford/Vauxhall? On sale since the year dot.

And how many people own a Scoob? On sale since 92 (worth talking about, unless the mag features SVX articles!) to a seriously minority audience. Plus, given the early Farmer Giles reputation, how many of them want to tune them up?

Good luck, but I don't think you'd make the required circulation for a mag. How about, say, a bulletin board system

BJH

 

The Idea is to go for just Scoobys or we are thinking about opening it up to all Jap cars..

 

if someone was to print a monthly mag on scoobs, well:PUT ME NAME DOWN, i'd buy it!

 

Hoppy.All your idea's sound great so why not get involved with True Grip?
The magazine is very good but sometime's a bit lightweight.Your comparision type article's would give member's the chance to see which part's best suited their need's.
Cheers Paul.

 

Sounds Interesting.
I have 14 years marketing/design/commercial experience and am passionate about scoobys. I would be interested in getting involved.
However I agree with earlier comments - How to turn a profit/break even would have to be given much consideration.
What is the exact market?
How would they be reached?
What revenue would come from subcriptions v advertising?
What would the set up costs be?
When would we see a ROI?
Who would provide content?
and so on...

Cheers
Steve

 

Thanks Paul. But ideas are easy. It's turning them into real pages that takes a huge amount of work. And money. Just one issue of a good consumer mag, at professional rates, would gobble up the SIDC's entire subscriptions kitty before it even got near a printing press.

And I'm sure that I've suggested nothing here that hasn't occurred to the True Grip team a dozen times over. Sure I could do a bit (though it would contravine my employment contract so a bit tricky at the mo ) but so could loads of other peeps. It's just when it actually comes to actually doing something actual, that the great volunteer spirit evaporates

Richard.

 

Well if people are interested in getting this off the ground, then feel free to contact me, I am trying to sort out a meet for when I get back so we can through some ideas about. As for the cash flow, I do not think it will be to much of a problem..

First we need a team.. So far we have 5 people interested..

Nate

P.S If you are interested email me please...

 

sorry fellas to put a cog in the works but there already a magazine for japanese cars called banzai and it is quite popular i have the last three issues and its for sale in many newsagents.
so if your willing to compete with a magazine who has other names like performance ford performance vw and total vauxhall under their belt id rethink investing your hard earned cash.

i would consinder that you maybe set up a web site chat room etc with reviews something like cruiseboard.co.uk bit not all boy racerey

good luck