Re: RC: Endurance News

[Teddy Lancaster <Teddy@runningbear.com>]

> 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_).
>

Here, here!!!  As a product supplier to our sport
and a long-time AVID member, I am occasionally
asked to be a "sponsor". I say, what do I get in
return?  What, MORE EN advertising?  To promote my
business I advertise in Western Horseman, Equus,
and the like BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE RESULTS.  I
advertise a SMALL ad in EN so my EN customers can
always find me.

West. Horseman is THE largest equine publication
in the WORLD.  At a price of almost $4.00 per word
just in the classifieds, it may seem pricey, but I
GET RESULTS.  And, MANY of those who respond also
ask me "WHERE CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT ENDURANCE
RIDING"...so WHY isn't AERC running ad ad there?

If I am not busy finding new markets and
customers, my business will die.  You can bet most
of what I earn is NOT from endurance riders, but
from the "wanna-be's", many of whom are not
members.


> 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.
>
You betcha....I belong to a handful of small
associations about the size of AERC.  It is the
NEWS I want, the INFORMATION, not the gloss and
believe me, their news is NOT fancy.  Western
Horseman and Equus are great to skim through,
great to LOOK AT, but is that what we want? A
"pretty" publication?  I agree, we will gain more
members by letting our many member-journalists and
photographers sell their great stuff to West.
Horseman and Equus and the like. This kind of
"fluff" attracts attention, and attention will
draw us members and revenue.  These are the people
who, after joining, will want to see more than
just another horse magazine....

Thanks, Kate, for your excellent post on what it
takes to REALLY publish a magazine.  Let's get our
priorities straight and proceed from there. Don't
put the cart before the horse (which is exactly
what EN is doing).



--
Teddy Lancaster

WARNING: We will be unavailable from January 25 to
March 13, 2001 as we will be attending trade shows
around the country.  Please plan ahead.

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