Endurance News

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

K S SWIGART katswig@earthlink.net


I am going to try, one last time, to explain my position regarding what I consider to the 
appropriate direction for the _Endurance News_, since it appears to me, from reading the 
comments of Barb McCrary and Randy Eiland (both members of the AERC Board of Directors) 
that they are misguided, and I am misunderstood.

In an attempt to make myself more clear, it is the BUSINESS of SELLING magazines that I 
think the AERC should avoid with respect to the _Endurance News_, and the desire to become a 
"premier magazine" that is wrong-headed.  And it is the magazine selling business which the 
current staff of the AERC are incompetent to perform.  And, no offense intended (honestly I
really DO mean no offense), Barb McCrary is probably incompetent to sit on the board of 
directors of a magazine selling business, and I have little doubt that Randy Eiland is 
incompetent to be the President of a magazine selling business.

_I_ am incompetent to run a premier magazine, but even I know that premier magazines do not
intentionally leave the inside of the front cover blank.  Even I know that they probably shouldn't
convert part of their magazine to color and then increase their advertising rates to black and 
white advertisers with the excuse that they have to cover "increased production costs."  
Color production should be paid for by selling COLOR advertisements. And even I know that
it is wise to confirm that an advertiser has permission before publishing a full page color ad
that uses a third party's internationally registered trademark.

Additionally, in the ~ten years that I have been a member of the AERC I have not received my 
issue of the EN about once a year (no, I am not talking about the fact that Feb/Mar are the same 
issue), last year it was the October issue, the year before it was the September issue.  In the 
approximately 10 years that I have subscribed to _Equus_ I have not missed a single issue.  Since 
both publications are sent out via US Mail Periodicals Rate, I have to assume that the fault is 
not with the US Post Office.  And since I don't consider myself to be any different from the 
norm, I gotta figure that every month about 1 in 11 people don't get their issue of the EN.  
Even I know that this is not an adequate successful mailing rate for a "premier magazine" 
(and isn't non-receipt of subscriptions one of the major complaints about _Trail Blazer_?  
Making sure that everybody gets their magazine is NOT a minor task.)   I am not complaining
about the rather poor delivery record of the EN, in fact, about half the time I don't even bother
telling the AERC office about it (this past time, I mentioned it in passing when I contacted them
about a separate issue), and they are always helpful and curteous about sending it out to me
immediately--but if _Equus_ did that, you bet I would complain, and if they made a habit of it
(as _Trail Blazer_ apparently does), then they wouldn't have me as a subscriber for very long.

If I look at other "premier" equine magazines and inspect their mastheads (I have done a 
little bit of research here--I even ponied up the $3.50 to buy this month's issue of 
_Western Horseman_ just so I could get that page; although I might read a few of the 
articles too) which list their most prominent staff, I find:

_Equus_ has an editor/associate publisher, a senior editor, a medical editor, an
associate editor, an article editor, staff writers (2), a publishing assistant, contributing 
editors (2), and art director, and editorial director, a production director, a production 
manager, a production plannner, a prepress manager, a prepress asssistant, and a founding 
editor  (not to mention the army of advertising, marketing, circulation, and administrative 
staff that are part of their parent company).

_Practical Horseman_ has an editor, a managing editor, an articles editor, and editor-at-
large, art directors (2), Production manager/graphic designer, spoort-psychology conultant,
contributing editors (7), and and administrative coordinator (not to mention the army of
advertising, marketing, circulation, and administrative staff that are part of their parent 
company).

_The Horse_ has an editor, a staff writer, and editorial assistant, and intern, an art 
director, artists (7), a staff photographer, an administrative assistant, and editorial
advisory board (more people than I care to count), and advertising manager, an advertising
representative, an online advertising manager, and advertising production manager, a 
marketing manager and assistant, a promotions manager, sales support staff (2), advertising
copywriters (2), a business director, a personnel director, office staff (8), a production
director, production staff (4), a circulation director, a fulfillment manager, circulation
staff (6), a computer services director, computer staff (5), a new media director, and 
new media staff (7).

And _Western Horseman_ has a publisher, and editor, a business manager, an advertising
director, a managing editor, an assistant business manager, an advertising traffic manager,
an associate editor, a marketing director, a classified advertising director, an associate 
editor, an art director, a circulation manager, a contributing editor, an assistant art
director, a production manager, a consulting editor, an editorial assistant, a typesetting
manager, an advertising department (3), an editorial department (1), a graphics department (2),
an order department (2), and a shipping department (2).

Unless the AERC has members of the Media Committee volunteering their services to 
perform all the functions that these people do for these magazines, the current staff 
of the AERC just isn't there to do it. Is THIS where the AERC wants to go with 
respect to the _Endurance News_???  Or does the AERC think it can run a "premier 
magazine" without anybody doing all these things?

Not to mention the fact that _Equus_ and _Practical Horseman_ are both Primedia 
publications (as is _Arabian Horse World_ and probably a whole bunch of others).  
_The Horse_ is published by Blood Horse Inc. (which publishes other periodicals, 
including _The Blood Horse_ and a whole host of other equine literature).  _Horse 
Illustrated_ and the _Thoroughbred Times_ are Fancy Publications (along with a whole 
BUNCH of other "niche market segment" publications).  I don't know about _Western
Horseman_ (I think it is an independent publication), but all of the others can draw 
upon the professional expertise, the broad staff and administrative personnel of an 
organization whose sole purpose is publication.

So if Randy Eiland would like to be the President of a "premier" magazine business, 
I suggest he polish up his resume and apply for the job with a premier magazine (but 
I'll lay you odds, he couldn't get it, even if he tried). 

And if Jim Holland would like to invest his money in the operation of a magazine like 
_Trail Blazer_ I suggest he contact Susan Gibson and make her an offer.  If, instead 
he wants to invest his money in a magazine to compete with _Trail Blazer_ then he 
can put together a business plan, a staff, go find like minded investors, and start one; 
he's a self-proclaimed business man, should be duck soup for him.  He can even (probably 
for no cost) get a copy of the AERC membership list so that he can hit up AERC members 
for investment in his new magazine venture, and then use it as an initial mailing list for
soliciting subscribers.  Then he would find out exactly to what extent the membership 
of the AERC is interested in funding such a venture.  This may actually be a successful 
business venture (I am not claiming it wouldn't be, just that it isn't appropriate for 
the AERC to be expending membership resources in such a way).

I do not make these comments merely to slam the AERC and the EN, but rather to give an 
idea of just what it takes to run a "premier magazine" (even if the market were there for 
it), and help people to understand that, as nice as the idea may sound, in reality it is 
unfeasible for the AERC to even consider pursuing it. And if the AERC abandons this 
fantasy, the EN could be an excellent publication well within the resources of the 
current AERC.

Instead of focusing on pursuing a goal for which the AERC does not currently have the 
resources, it would be better served in evaluating the resources it does have and issuing 
a publication in line with them:

It has a dedicated membership that are all pretty passionate about endurance riding. 

It has a dedicated, conscienciouss and well meaning staff who have worked long and well 
together. 

It has among its membership world renowned vets who are more than willing to share 
their expertise. 

It has among its membership nationally and internationally known riding teachers, etc. 
who are more than willing to share their expertise.

It has among its membership some of the best and most experienced endurance riders 
in the world who are more than willing to share their expertise.

It has among its membership individuals who are on the cutting edge of technology in the 
fields of horse conditioning, nutrition, and saddlery and are more than willing to share 
their expertise.

Given this dedication and wealth of expertise that the AERC has available, it should be 
able to put together a monthly publication that is choc full of valuable, narrowly focused, 
endurance specific information which can inform, educate, and enlighten its membership, 
that also includes timely information that is of interest to AERC members only (organizational 
news, points standings, ride results, ride calendar, etc.).

The EN doesn't need to be a "premier magazine" to be an excellent publication for its membership.  
And it doesn't need glossy color pictures and heavyweight paper either.  It doesn't even need 
to be "visually stunning" (although well laid out doen't cost any more and improves the usefulness
and accessibility of the information).

And I think that many people are mistaken if they think that the EN needs to be a glossy color
production in order to promote the sport of endurance riding among non-members (after all, the 
EN is predominantly sent to people who are already passionate about endurance...if the EN has 
more than 50 non-member subscribers a year I would be very surprised).

If the AERC wants to have glossy color articles about endurance riding available for promoting 
the sport to non-members it can still write the articles, take the photos and submit them for 
publication in magazines that are subscribed to and read by NON-members (i.e. NOT the 
_Endurance News_).  I first became interested in endurance riding because of an article in 
_Practical Horseman_about Lari Shea winning the Tevis Cup that appeared not because of anything 
that I might merely by chance have run across in the _Endurance News_ (a non-member's chance of
running across a copy of the EN are slim to none).  Then I showed up at an endurance ride with my 
horse...and I was hooked.

And if the AERC wants to produce a high-quality color publication that will "advertise" endurance 
to people who contact them and ask about it, they can produce a very nice color pamphlet, 
leaflet, handout, whatever that can be mass produced and isn't dated.  They can even (if they want
to) saddle stitch this in as an insert into every issue of the EN that gets sent out to every
member so that the members can have it when they take the Endurance News to their club meetings.

Not only that, "premier magazines" do not have articles that are probably of interest to endurance 
riders only (about 7,000 people...in the country--half of which don't read :)), so if the EN wants to 
broaden its interest, it loses in specificity to Endurance (and therefore reduces its serviceability 
to the membership).  The EN can serve the memberhip of the AERC much better by concentrating 
on publishing information that is specific to endurance riding, that they cannot find anywhere else.

There are TONS of things that can be done with the EN that are well within the AERC's current 
resources to make it into the best source of information on the planet for endurance riders.  
And by doing so, this may also generate interest in the publication from people outside the sport 
who find the information about managing the demands of a high-performance, stressful equine 
sport valuable for themselves and their horses (but this SHOULDN'T be the AERC's focus, 
the AERC's focus should be in providing the membership with the information it needs), and the 
AERC can then sell subscriptions to the EN for the nominal cost of the postage it costs to send it.

And in case you are wondering, what I have just described is what I call a "membership newsletter."

Let's have the AERC abandon the idea of a premier magazine and focus on making the _Endurance 
News_ an endurance newsletter that provides a wealth of endurance specific information to 
endurance riders

..you know...

the AERC's membership.

And I bet you that everybody (including the AERC staff who won't be expected to produce something
that is beyond their capabilities and resources) will be much happier with the _Endurance News_.

kat 
Orange County, Calif. 

p.s.  Barb McCrary also asked why there was this sudden interest and picking on the cost of the 
_Endurance News_. To which I can only respond...because Steph asked.