| Author | Message | ||
| Mike Sullivan (Hightechredneck)
Registered Member Username: Hightechredneck Post Number: 1 Registered: 2-2008 Posted From: 75.202.218.135  Rating: N/A |
(Ian, I hope this announcement is ok here. If not delete or edit as you need to.) For 18 years Bus Conversions Magazine has been published by MAK Publishing. Then as the Internet became a major part of our lives, MAK set up the BCM forum. Many bus nuts have relied on BCM and this forum for good information on how to accomplish various aspects of their conversion. As one of those bus nuts myself, I say thank you to Mike and Karen Kadletz and all the people that have been a part of MAK Publishing over the years. Effective with the July issue, Bus Conversions Magazine and its online properties are owned and published by Bus Conversion Enterprises, Inc. We are still setting things up. We will have a new phone/fax numbers up and running within the next couple days. The new mailing address for all correspondence, subscriptions, advertising payments, etc. is: Bus Conversion Enterprises, Inc. 1538 SE West Farms Road Arcadia, FL 34266-9072 Checks should be made out to Bus Conversion Enterprises, Inc. The Board of Directors are a familiar group - Mike Sullivan, Chad Laines and Phil Lyons. I will be leading the company as CEO/President. Each of us come from different backgrounds and bring our own unique talents to the company. But we all share a common vision for the company, magazine and online presence: >> Customer service will be the top priority. Phone calls will be answered live or messages answered promptly. Emails will be replied to in a timely fashion. >> We will work to ensure that the magazines get to each subscriber reliably. We will be taking steps to improve the reliability of magazine delivery. In the rare case that you don’t get your copy, a phone call or email will bring one promptly. >> We plan to expand the magazine with more bus conversion content. Our goal is to restore it to 72 pages while maintaining quality. It will have more content and more photos. Exciting times are ahead for us all. Bus Conversions Magazine has been around for 18 years and seen great achievements. But the best is yet to come. We promise you that! (Message edited by HighTechRedneck on June 19, 2009) | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 822 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 70.210.175.106 Rating: N/A |
Thanx...to whomever...Ian..Mike...  RCB | ||
| Roger Baughman (Roger)
Registered Member Username: Roger Post Number: 116 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 71.140.123.90  Rating: N/A |
Thanks Mike, I am a regular subscriber to the BCM and I am very much lookin foward to seeing your first issue. I have been disapointed as of late by the content of the down sized version. Thank, Roger | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 517 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 64.40.215.136  Rating: N/A |
Hi Mike, Congrats to you guys for taking this on! Looking forward to the "New and Improved Version of BCM"! Paul | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 848 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 76.216.70.120 Rating: N/A |
Will the "New and Improved Version of BCM"!version still be lifting board content to use as filler, between the advertisements, with OUT giving credit to the posters? FF | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1642 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.69.143.102  Rating: N/A |
Good on all of you to have a kick at the can! The hobby needs a reliable publication that will be worth buying in this internet age. The old ways, banking heavily on reader loyalty and stupidity in the subscriber class that just keeps renewing for any old crap, will simply not do. There's enough RV magazines doing a poor job, we don't need another one. Prove to me the worth of re-starting and continuing my subscription EVERY MONTH. Be sure that the whole reading experience shows that the magazine is, first and foremost, for me, the reader, interested in technically superior and factual content. Not so that you can go around bragging you run a magazine. Let your readers do that for you. And do it profitably. For you guys, on top of this free advice, I will subscribe once again to the magazine. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Mike Sullivan (Hightechredneck)
Registered Member Username: Hightechredneck Post Number: 2 Registered: 2-2008 Posted From: 75.202.52.9 Rating: N/A |
The July issue won't reflect much change as it was 95% done before the transition and at a financial net loss. The expansion of the page count will take place incrementally as we regain subscriber/advertiser support. Adding 20 pages adds about $3000 to the cost per month. Our goal is to return it to 72 pages by the end of the year assuming we are successful at building the revenues to cover it. That will cost an extra $5000/month. We are committed to making it a magazine bus nuts will want to read cover to cover and won't be able to do it in 20 minutes. I am confident that we will be able to do that. But it will take the confidence and support of the bus nut community. It will be a publication by bus nuts for bus nuts. And I guarantee no more articles about nudists and such. Although it will continue to have a centerfold ;-) The main focus will be real world bus conversions by bus nuts. When there is an interesting development in the professional conversion/shell market, we may report it. But it won't be the focus of the magazine. We will implement real world reviews of bus conversion related tools and products, espicially new ones. Tested and written by bus nuts. We intend to focus heavily on "how to" technical articles. And Fred, we will begin crediting any content taken from the forum. We have had positive feedback from some readers of the "forum sourced" content. You may be surprised (I know I was) how many subscribers don't read the forums. Some barely use the Internet at all. We will be embracing the modern Internet as well with new features and enhancements of existing ones. Make no mistake, we are doing this as a business and as such expect to profit. But a major part of our motivation to take such a risk was to ensure that an 18 year old magazine focused on bus conversion does not fade into history. Right now we are going to work our tails off for free to build it back up and make it something bus nuts will be eager to receive each month. Thank you for your support. Great things are coming. (Message edited by HighTechRedneck on June 20, 2009) | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 827 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 75.209.126.176 Rating: N/A |
Good shot...and challenge, BW...hope it works THAT way! Over the years I have not subscribed, though I wanted to, due to was said by so many about quality, dilatory mailing, etc, etc. Thought I could learn so much more by just participating in the forums...most especially this one. ...and let us know how and when to subscribe. With the challenges and the re-assurances posted it will probably be worth the subscription. Best wishes. FWIW RCB (Message edited by chuckllb on June 20, 2009) | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 851 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 76.216.70.120 Rating: N/A |
Last time I checked (many years ago) to post on your site required intolerable registering . Why do you want our grandmothers maiden name and all sorts of PRIVATE info ,if you are not going to sell our listings to SPAMMERS ? Some folks prefer NOT to receive SPAM, although for a few its the only mail they ever get. Many of the marine publications have taken a new better business model. As the real Buck$ come from the advertisers , they charge ZERO for the mag. You might wish to try , (after the publication becomes useful) to give away a free copy to all the long gone subscribers , and see if any return a subscription card. Good luck on your attempt to turn dross to gold, we can always use more folks in this great hobby. FF | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Registered Member Username: Kyle4501 Post Number: 484 Registered: 9-2004 Posted From: 65.4.175.64  Rating: N/A |
Hey Fred, I have been on the BCM for years & have received NO spam as a result of registering. I signed up for Good Sam & got swamped with spam! If privacy is a concern, why not use ficticious names & a disposable email to register? others have. . . . YMMV Good point about giving credit to the poster when using a post in the magazine. | ||
| Mike Sullivan (Hightechredneck)
Registered Member Username: Hightechredneck Post Number: 3 Registered: 2-2008 Posted From: 75.250.32.225 Rating: N/A |
I don't wish to start a controversy here, and I don't wish to inappropriately promote our forum here. But in the interest of correcting a misconception about our registration process here is a screenshot of the registration questions:  That is the only required information. Members may optionally add more information to their profile that is visible to other registered members. Due to forum spammers attempting to register, Phil is personally reviewing all registration attempts. Something I am certain Ian understands the need for. When Phil has doubts about the validity, he will email the person asking for information about their bus. Most spammers don't know enough about them to respond intelligently. But even that information is not recorded anywhere. To the best of my knowledge, MAK never sold or otherwise shared member data with anyone. And I can say with certainty that we will not. | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin)
Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 1269 Registered: 7-1997 Posted From: 24.239.13.27  Rating: |
Mike: Take your head out of the Presidency for a moment and listen carefully... Over the last couple years, BC Mag's web presence has copied everything from this web site including updating a very poor bulletin board system, adding a chat room and creating a flea market that, in the last few days has increased the upper $ limit, but which is still not quite free like here (which can never happen because paying customers of the magazine ads will no longer have a value added benefit for paying a premium for their ad - not good for the bottom line of the mag). Pour over your web site statistics and understand what they mean. We both have over 2,000 registered users but only a few dozen or so ever say anything. We both get over 3,500 distinct IP addresses (viewers) every day. The difference being that people can look and search the archives without ever registering. George Myers counted about 3,000 bus conversions in our hobby. That means our two web sites already have every literate member of the bus community as our viewers. What can a magazine give them that the internet doesn't already? Another valued member of this forum has already identified the existing business model which you appear to be unaware of or that you are ignoring, instead choosing to simply add pages to the publication based on acquiring new subscribers: what, 60 to 100 to meet your business plan number? You are stepping into an old, unworkable venture, not something new. Keep it fresh, don't include anything that can be read 30+ days earlier online at one of the 2 major web site archives and test your market to see whether or not you should be doing what you're doing at all. Your own demographic has spoken quite loudly that the magazine has reached the end of its life; don't let it rob you blind, because there will be nothing left when it does. Make every single word the magazine says worth archiving, because nothing that is said 30+ days after it was said isn't being talked about live in an archived forum or right this instant in an online blog or social network like BNO Facebook, for example. You are always welcome to use the WoBN's Classifieds on BNO to sell your magazine subscriptions. The area is self serve. And FREE. And the next time you wish to ask if it's alright to start a thread which exposes your new venture, rather than put it here and asking me to remove it, email me to see if it's ok, ok? To date, you are the only person to have done so without being removed. Your Presidency doesn't give you special privileges, it should make you do things more Presidentially. Ian www.busnut.com | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 828 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 70.210.221.197 Rating: N/A |
Ahemmm...Amen and Amen...yep..uh,..ahemmm. Well stated, Bosssnut; well stated. RCB | ||
| Mike Sullivan (Hightechredneck)
Registered Member Username: Hightechredneck Post Number: 4 Registered: 2-2008 Posted From: 75.250.32.225 Rating: N/A |
Ian, I apologize for offending you or anyone else on this board with this thread. My intentions were good, but you are correct, I should have emailed you for permission first. Mike | ||
| Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member Username: Luvrbus Post Number: 713 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 74.33.54.207 Rating: N/A |
Ian, when your #1 people are going to copy a good thing you will always be the man in my book good luck | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin)
Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 1270 Registered: 7-1997 Posted From: 24.239.12.139 Rating: |
Mike, You've done nothing to offend me. I was just offering up some advice. Since you took the time to write, I thought I might, as well. Ian www.busnut.com | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 856 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 76.216.70.120 Rating: |
" What can a magazine give them that the internet doesn't already? " A bigger question is what PURPOSE does the mag have for OWNERS of existing bus campers? In boating , I have met lost of folks that so enjoyed boat building that BUILDING was the hobby , not actually going out and using a boat. I have met very few bus camper converters that choose to do it over and over and over.. Sure some converters make beginner mistakes and dump the project , and some life conditions change and they need a different STYLE conversion, and do another coach. Who is the MARKET ? for the magazine? The price of coach shells is really low as the deflation continues , but the number of new entrants to this hobby seems to be falling. Every conversion is "my way" but with prices in the basement for fine finished coaches , lots of new folks simply compromise a bit on their Desirements , and accept someone else's "my way" as close enough , or cheap enough to work acceptably.. So they might need a source for a "better" conversion part , or a repair piece , but for Advertisers that's slim pickins indeed. Who is the market ? FF | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Registered Member Username: Kyle4501 Post Number: 485 Registered: 9-2004 Posted From: 65.23.106.193 Rating: |
If the goal is to broaden the readership, then broadening the scope of content should be considered. The magazine could be structured to include all aspects of conversion from buying a shell, thru conversion, to using it & travel/ rally ideas. A reader can simply skip over any articles that don't interest them. Not everyone is internet savy & some that are choose to not read the boards. Nothing like sitting outside with a good book or magazine. Sharing back issues is an easy way to explain this hobby & show it is not a passing fad. | ||
| John and Barb Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 211 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 96.42.7.186  Rating: |
I consider myself quite internet savvy for an old fellow ( it dates me to say I learned calculus on a slide rule), but never would have gotten so caught up in this hobby had it not been for a friend loaning me some old copies of "Bus Conversions". Later I bought boxes of them used off ebay and have poured over them getting ideas and seeing what works and what maybe doesn't. As much as I appreciate this forum, I still think there's a big place for the printed page. Just my opinion. Good luck with your venture. (Message edited by bigrigger on June 23, 2009) | ||
| Bob Hughes (2wheelbob)
Registered Member Username: 2wheelbob Post Number: 5 Registered: 5-2008 Posted From: 98.125.161.189 Rating: N/A |
Mike, I'm relatively new to this forum, and I don't post very often because I don't have much to add to the discussion (and really do appreciate the knowledge that's here). But niche publishing is an area that I know a few things about. In the late 80s and mid-90s, I published a regional (Seattle area) magazine for about four years. I'd done my homework on the market, and the publication went really well -- we hit 10,000 circulation at the peak, and advertising was strong. Everything went until the early 90s recession and advertisers cut back on their marketing budgets. At the end, rather than try to weather the recession or selling at a loss, we ended up shuttering the operation and came out even. I was fortunate that I tracked the business carefully and knew when to call it quits. I've seen a lot of folks hang on for too long and lose everything that they planned to invest and more. I offer this story to confirm the advice that Ian gave you. Do your homework and know what the market's telling you. Publishing is one of those businesses where you can lose a lot of money very quickly. Just look at the major newspapers that are folding this year, and you'll get the idea. Publishing is a highly volatile business that's driven by the larger economy, and you should make every decision knowing what impact that decision might have. There's no such thing as too little data, so do lots of homework and spend your resources (time and money) on knowing what you're doing. I hope you don't mind the un-asked-for advice. I wish you the best on your venture. Bob |
