Re: Pen World Changes

Since I don't see the mag. cause I don't take it, I can't say except to agree that it does often happen in common interest magazines, and usually when the advertising revenues are on the decline. Worse, it often presages the demise of the publication in the fairly near future.

Too bad, if true.

Roger

richard.jarvis@xxxxxxxxxx wrote: 
Wow. Got my new Pen World today. I've got to say I'm underwhelmed and highly suspicious. I see signs that the 
magazine may have adopted a common strategy now in the publishing business called "pay for play." I 
can't say for sure and no one that does the practice will answer with a straight answer if you ask. But the 
deal is, according to colleagues I have in publishing, you get an article in the magazine by either 
straight-out paying for the editorial treatment or by buying a certain amount of advertising. Again, I 
emphasize that I'm not a Pen World insider. But the sparse copy that looks and feels like it came straight 
from the marketing department of the manufacturer makes me suspicious. There will be other editorial, of 
course. Some magazines tilt the mix heavily toward outside content and others tilt heavily toward "pay 
for play" material. Some I've seen are almost purely "pay for play" publications.

It's a common strategy. One many companies are driven to over time. I find it 
questionable from a journalistic standpoint and would prefer to see it 
disclosed by the publishers, but that is pretty unlikely to happen as neither 
the publishers nor the advertisers would want such.

Again, this might all just be changes to reflect where they see the advertising dollars 
in their market going. Perfectly understandable. There may be no "pay for play" 
going on here. I'm sorry to see the vintage coverage disappear along with the other 
editorial material that Pen World used to generate that was pretty good.

Change happens, I s'pose.

Richard 
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