Total Audi mag - whats the verdict?

[tombs]

Oh,,,and we are were I said we are with the magazine, editorial is done. I have to chase a bit of Ad copy on Monday and we are looking at delivery of the magazine at the end of next week.

[Fat Audi 80]

Good posts Tom. That is all people are looking for.

Unfortunately there are too many faceless people behind computer user names these days trying to take your money/ bank details / car / identity that it becomes harder to rely on human faith and instinct and to know who to trust.

All we ask is that you keep us up to date.

Cheers,

Steve

[HPmuirt]

Good posts Tom. That is all people are looking for.

Agreed. Whilst still a slight 'sob story' it is certainly more information than we have been given before from both you and David. A continual stream of 'bare with us' posts will only keep the dogs at bay for so long - what we need is information. If you are having problems, tell us. If you need help, ask us....just don't expect blind faith from people from whom you have already asked for up front cash.

I subscribed once the first mag appeared, so I assume that I will receive this explanatory email tomorrow. It will be an interesting read.

Many posts ago, I slated this enterprise as being poorly run. My faith has yet to be restored but I offer the following additional suggestions - free of charge, as it sounds as though you could not afford my usual consultancy fee

1. Sort the website out. This is your only means of communication to both new and existing customers and it is poor (sorry to be harsh). If neither of you have the time to spend on this then why not ask on this forum? I know of at least 5 guys on here that write better html than I do (I only run 3 websites in my spare time) who could fix your problems in a weekend. In return, offer them a free subscription. As the magazine grows, you may be able to offer them some contracting work or even a full time job. Start with Jas11n

2. Tell your subscribers IN ADVANCE that you are going to let them down. You will gain significant kudos for being proactive and will be forgiven for being late. Posting sob stories weeks after you have let us down gets you nothing.

3. Send Rotorboy a magazine for god sake! If he has not had the first one yet when he knows that most have, why would he not request a refund and walk away from your mag forever? You do NOT need bad publicity at this stage.

4. Involve major forums or clubs in future articles now. That will generate interest. To do this you MUST follow through, unlike David's awful photo shoot episode. Explain that the article will not go to press for a while and then contact them just before that article goes to press to thank them for their participation and to tell them that it is due out soon (remember, the average reader does not understand your industry, so needs this basic hand holding). I realise that this will be hard at first, as I assume that you are using a stock of pre-written articles and will not have the time to write fresh ones until you are fully up and running, but whilst that may sound like a good plan, you need to generate interest and involvement now and feature articles do just that. In the time that you have been mucking around , another mag has printed features and half a dozen cars from this forum alone.

5. Don't promise the world to all the forums. Most of us read several forums and are therefore very aware of what is being offered to the drivers of other Audi models. Promise us a decent showing, do it, then move on to the next model/forum, remembering not to drop the previous ones completely from your radar, by dropping a smaller article in an a few issues time. After several issues, come back and ask/promise another big feature on a different theme (racing, tuning, working, touring, fixing, restoring, showing, owning, clubs etc).

I read you bio with interest and I hope that the above is very much teaching you to suck eggs, not reminding you what you have forgotten whilst working for larger publications, who do not need to bother with such basic rules.

Best of luck

Si

[rotoryboy]

Mag arrived this morning Thanks Tom

[tombs]

It’s a shame you see it as a sob story Si, it aint supposed to be that way. I was trying to explain the background, I'm a little insulted to be honest,, but hey that’s the way you see it then so be it.

My last post explains what is happening with the magazine and the situation we face, and we will in time resolve all the issue that Si has raised.

Si,your advice is sound though, and very much how I operate within my full time job, and no, working for big publishing houses has not made me complacent nor ignorant to the reader and what its all about….dreams and involvement, your forgetting one very big difference here Si..I am Audi nut like you!

Anyway I will check in to this forum from time to time….I will say this again…..if you have an issue please contact me,

Best Wishes

Tom

[HPmuirt]

It’s a shame you see it as a sob story Si, it aint supposed to be that way. I was trying to explain the background, I'm a little insulted to be honest,, but hey that’s the way you see it then so be it.

My last post explains what is happening with the magazine and the situation we face, and we will in time resolve all the issue that Si has raised.

Si,your advice is sound though, and very much how I operate within my full time job, and no, working for big publishing houses has not made me complacent nor ignorant to the reader and what its all about….dreams and involvement, your forgetting one very big difference here Si..I am Audi nut like you!

Anyway I will check in to this forum from time to time….I will say this again…..if you have an issue please contact me,

Best Wishes

Tom

Hi Tom,

Sorry you feel insulted by my post, that was not the intension. The term 'sob story' was used based on the other comments in this and other threads and the threats of others to pull their subscriptions. It was not a term I invented or therefore used lightly. Your venture is attracting concern and a bad feeling, which is not good business practice. Until you popped up here, this had not been addressed.

If you think my advice is sound rather than offensive, then I hope to see the results soon. The website is a case in point.

If you are an Audi nut, then I will shake your hand, buy you a beer and appologise in person for your insulted feelings at the next Audi meeting. It is just as shame you and David have not attended any of the S2 heavy meetings this year

Maybe I should reverse your final comment and say, if you have any issues, please contact us

Best of luck

Si
(A subscriber to Total Audi)