Monday, October 15, 2007

The Future of Modern Dispatch

So, as you probably know, the Modern Dispatch is one of the accomplishments I'm the most proud of professionally.

E-zines usually don't last 115 issues. Sometimes the issue is quality or sales, a lot of times its just will. The first pay issue of the Dispatch (issue #2) was released in December 2004.

Three years is a long time to do anything, especially a pay e-zine, ESPECIALLY one that was weekly for a good part of its run.

Through that time, the magazine has gone through a lot of changes.

Other publishers started contributing regularly, including some of our most Distinguished Competition, such as Ronin Arts, Adamant, 12 to Midnight.

We've split off the Post-Apocalyptic genre into its own e-zine.

And most recently, the zine went back to being mostly us, with some outside contributions and monthly.

With Modern20 out, and selling really, really, well, that brings another set of questions and issues about the e-zine's future.

I'm sure at this point you're expect some big announcement.

If I really was Marketing Man, I wouldn't be posting this till we'd made up our minds.

But I've been making a habit since I started Modern20 of posting things sooner than I should and it's worked out so far.

So there's not big announcement, just me articulating the thoughts behind some discussions Chris and I are having internally right now, about where we go from here.

2 comments:

Simple American said...

Modern Dispatches were fun to write. They will always be a fond memory for me.

Scarey Jerry from 12 to Midnight.

Tell Chris I said hello too. :)

Walt said...

Hey there...

I love the modern dispatch and I think that Mags like yours are one of the reasons that D&D started this whole digital initiative thing. They new that guys were going digital and doing well. Although I don't buy every "episode", I have bought a fair amount (although not since June as my situation is making downloading any easier as I would love to get my hands on Modern20...APO anyone?)

I think the magazine is a good thing and if you didn't want it to be as much a project as it is... You could do a quarterly dispatch...

Give people regular columns...

The mag is great and you guys do two things really well
1) Put out a quality product
2) Stay in touch with your audience,

This alone will mark you for success in whatever you do. I hope the dispatch keeps going and anything I can do to help (I am a little fish in the RPG pond), please don;t hesitate to ask.

Best Regards,
Walt

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