Hi Sean,
I appreciate your comments and encouragement. In my opinion, you are one of the most well-liked, respected, and valuable contributors to this forum, and it would be an honor to have you as one of my subscribers. And no, I have no afiliation with Attainable Audio.
Slappy, it's possible that the mag could devote space to small operations that have promising, and possibly cutting-edge products to offer -- but there would be no favoritism involved, i.e., their products would be held to the same standards and scrutiny as all the other products we review. But, if they think they have something special and want to submit it for review, I'd certainly be open to covering it.
Frank :) |
I am leaning toward featuring more $500 to $2000 products as opposed to extremely high-or low-price gear.
Any comments and suggestions will be appreciated, so feel free to tell me exactly what youd want to see in such a publication as well as whether or not you think it is feasible.
Thanks Again! |
Arthur,
Thank you for your opinion and for your thoughtful comments.
In order to be successful I think you have to offer your visitors something(s) unique of value, that they can't find anywhere else. I've been reading some books on web marketing and I have a lot of interesting ideas for ways to attract and hold my reader's interest. I'm presently putting together a marketing plan/blueprint for my initial foray into the e-zine business. Getting up to a some higher-priced gear is a good suggestion and I know I will do that. But I may shy away from $12k amplifiers and $25k+ speaker systems that only the very rich could ever hope to afford.
I have heard and reviewed a wide cross-section of audio products over the past 7 years and any writers that I add to my masthead will have to demonstrate considerable knowledge and experience, as well as excellent writing/communication skills. Above all, they will have a responsibiliy to the magazine and to my readers to be completely honest in their comments and testing procedures. |
Hey Chris,
No offense taken (at least by me) and thanks for your viewpoint. I think people should listen to whatever kind of music they like whether it be metal, rap (well, maybe not rap :) pop, classical, jazz or blues, etc.
Personally, I would never restrict myself to just one genre of music because there are so many enjoyable types and styles out there. I admire people who go to the audio shows and play the music that they actually listen to at home. Music you are the most familiar with is always your best reference.
Having multiple reviews of the same piece to provide different perspectives is something I favor. I used to enjoy when PHD and HP of The Absolute Sound used to argue back and forth over a component's relative merits or lack thereof -- back in the days before TAS started taking advertising.
One of my goals will be to make my site more interactive than most other audio mags, giving my readers chances to actively participate, registering their opinions on certain issues and products. I think it will be more fun and will also let me know if I'm on track and serving the interests of my readers.
Thanks! |
Marco, you had me ROFL! Thank you for your support and words of encouragement.
Bigkidz I appreciate your kind wishes. I have some clever ideas for getting review gear going right down to paying for it myself if I have to. You say I won't make a living at it and I appreciate your honesty. Naturally I feel otherwise, and I'm ready to make the requisite effort and committment. My mantra is that I will succeed no matter what! Once I start the wheels in motion, I am going at it full-bore. Time will tell, as it always does.
Frank :) |
Steelhead, as a veteran audiophile of 30+ years, it's been my experience that bonefide improvements are much more incremental/subtle than the magazines portray. I can assemble a system with 30 year old classic gear that will not be too far off from what is possible with today's technology. Certainly there have been advances in parts/manufacturing and large strides (especially recently) in commercially available digital technology; but the whole "breakthrough-a-minute" syndrome so common in the magazines definitely begs credibility. |
Guys,
As I stated earlier, my intention is to start as an online-only publication and move to print in the future only if the online edition is profitable and will support it.
Thanks for all your suggestions so far; I'm still listening and taking notes!
Frank :) |
Nrchy,
Your point is well taken. I do intend to be up front with my readers about my listening room, associated equipment, and listening biases. Believe me, all this information will be spelled out in detail on my website. And the same will be done for any afiliated writers. I agree this is important information and that readers need to take these details into consideration when reading the reviews.
Elmuncy, I think there will definitely be a place for comparisons of vintage gear in the mag. It's a topic that interests me, as well.
Sean and Clueless, I have been advised that a good way to set up the subscription magazine is to set it into PDF files, which can be downloaded by the subscriber, printed out, and stapled together in book form for your reading pleasure.
Frank :) |
Guys,
It will probably take a couple of months for me to get my website up and running, but I'd like to encourage any of you who are interested to take a moment to e-mail me privately, so I can keep your e-mail address on file and you will be among the first to receive my free, informational newsletter that will contain news on the website, contests, and other audio-related topics. Of course there will be no obligation, and you are free to opt out at any time (though I'm sure you'll like what you see and want to learn more).
Let me hear from you!
Frank Alles :)
Senior Editor
StereoTimes.com |
Steve,
Maybe you didn't read my entire post. I said that my publication would be subscriber-based and would not take manufacturer advertising. That's how I can "afford" to be completely honest in my commentary. Magazines I am or have been affiliated with include: The Audiophile Voice, Soundstage!, Positive Feedback, and StereoTimes.com.
Kkursula, you may be on to something -- saying you'd be willing to open your wallet and opening it are two different things... But we'll see how things develop and go from there.
Best regards,
Frank |
Unsound, is that ALL you want???
Should be a piece of cake. We're still on Earth, right?!
Frank ;) |
Pmkalby, you really had me going; hey, maybe you could do an audiophile-humor column for me! I thank you for that bit of fun and for your suggestions.
Unsound, I enjoyed learning about your meager expectations and I will certainly take your advice and sentiments to heart. Your encouragement is very much appreciated, as are the ideas and suggestions of all the A-goners who replied.
So, may I put you on my e-mail list?
Frank A :) |
Mhu, that's not a bad idea, in fact, I thought of it the other day and then forgot about it. One of the books I've been reading on successful marketing states that any site that has a certain amount of traffic could be used to derive income from banner ads and such. If the companies are not audio companies, then there should be no conflict of interest. There are potentially many other businesses, like the ones you suggested that may be open to advertising once I get an established flow of traffic. I think maybe sporting goods/wear, automobiles, watches, wines (thanks Slappy!), and many other types of non-audio-related industries would lend support and advertising dollars once I cross the required hit threshold. Good point!
Unsound, that's right -- you can't refuse; it is not permitted! I'll add you to my list. Thanks :) |
