Geocaching magazine?...

2.6k · June 29, 2009

I propose this idea: Start the website, find your people. Your contributors, your content. Then instead of going for a full color magazine, start off with a simple newsletter. Then if you do a good job, you can start inquiring of your subscribership what would they pay, to have a bit of a nicer "publication".

You mean like this one?

November 15, 2009

Is there a magazine about geocaching? There is a darn monthly magazine about everything! Is there one about geocaching? Where do I subscribe?...Thanks, "zac59410"

I too was amazed to see there were no print magazines in existence. So, I am attempting to resurrect the idea and have set up a website to probe interest in the caching community. Visit http://www.ftfgeocacher.com/ for more info. (Moderators: The site is not actually selling anything at this point so I do not believe I am violating any forum rules for posting. If so, just delete post with my apologies.)

6.7k · November 15, 2009

You bet there is, and a good one if I say so myself!

Better yet, it's online, current and totally free!

The Online Geocacher may be found at http://www.onlinegeocacher.com

We welcome geocacher's stories and publish them immediately so there is no waiting for the next issue!

Edit to add: We do not compete with any other geocaching publication, in fact we support them! The more the merrier. I just looked at the http://www.ftfgeocacher.com/ link and it looks great so far... feel free to submit an article about your magazine and we'll be happy to publish it.

Edited November 15, 2009 by TheAlabamaRambler

November 18, 2009

There was an actual magazine in print at one time. It was called "Geocacher Magazine". The first issue made it into the hands of subscribers. Then the guy closed up shop and disappeared with everyone's money.

November 18, 2009

... We do not compete with any other geocaching publication, in fact we support them! The more the merrier. I just looked at the http://www.ftfgeocacher.com/ link and it looks great so far... feel free to submit an article about your magazine and we'll be happy to publish it.

Thanks. I am still crunching numbers and evaluating potential content and audience at this point. I will definitely take you up on the offer if/when I take the plunge.

November 18, 2009

There was an actual magazine in print at one time. It was called "Geocacher Magazine". The first issue made it into the hands of subscribers. Then the guy closed up shop and disappeared with everyone's money.

I actually found a PDF of the magazine online. My first thought in seeing it was that the previous publisher had overreached. If I recall correctly, the magazine was full color throughout, published monthly, and had a low content to page ratio. I believe there was even talk of "staffing up" for the project which would have created very high start-up costs. My current plan is to offer a 6-month trial (3 bi-monthly issues) subscription that I can fulfill even if the magazine is a total flop. Production will occur within the normal operation of my marketing/advertising business and I certainly will not be hiring any new people during the evaluation period.

All of this said, I am proceeding very cautiously at this point. Response from the few online forums where I've posted the idea has been less than positive to put it nicely. Some seem downright hostile to the idea! Even so, all feedback is appreciated - even the brutally honest stuff.

6.7k · November 19, 2009

... Even so, all feedback is appreciated - even the brutally honest stuff.

Contact geocacher El Diablo, Jerry Carter, who built a team and produced a first-rate online magazine called "Today's Cacher".

Then he tried to take it to print. Very bad idea, and it soon failed, costing him a bundle. If they had kept it online I believe that it would be THE magazine of geocaching today.

If you want an honest appraisal and to hear lessons learned talk to Jerry or anyone who was on the Today's Cacher staff.

Publisher catsnfish and I run The Online Geocacher free gratis as a gift to the geocaching community... we cover all costs ourselves and don't sell subscriptions or advertising, and based on the response to a totally free magazine I wouldn't dream of investing a dime in one meant to turn a profit... the audience is just not there.

December 27, 2009

Based on feedback from multiple cacher forums, we have chosen to publish a 3-issue trial run of the magazine. If you would like more information, visit www.ftfgeocacher.com.

4.8k · December 27, 2009

Based on feedback from multiple cacher forums, we have chosen to publish a 3-issue trial run of the magazine. If you would like more information, visit www.ftfgeocacher.com.

If you are getting paid advertising, you might try contacting REI, Dick's, or a few other major sports retailers and see if you can get the magazine in their stores.

REI is now a supporter of geocaching so they might just jump at it.

December 27, 2009

Based on feedback from multiple cacher forums, we have chosen to publish a 3-issue trial run of the magazine. If you would like more information, visit www.ftfgeocacher.com.

If you are getting paid advertising, you might try contacting REI, Dick's, or a few other major sports retailers and see if you can get the magazine in their stores.

REI is now a supporter of geocaching so they might just jump at it.

Great suggestion. Thanks for the heads-up.

4.8k · December 27, 2009

Based on feedback from multiple cacher forums, we have chosen to publish a 3-issue trial run of the magazine. If you would like more information, visit www.ftfgeocacher.com.

If you are getting paid advertising, you might try contacting REI, Dick's, or a few other major sports retailers and see if you can get the magazine in their stores.

REI is now a supporter of geocaching so they might just jump at it.

Great suggestion. Thanks for the heads-up.

You're welcome.

I have been in the printing industry for a VERY long time. I've seen more than my share of newsletter projects and magazines. One of the biggest mistakes that has been made is not having the right distribution to advertising ratio.

It's really tough to get a magazine going. Just trying to get people to give you money (through subscription or advertising) is REALLY difficult. People want to see what they are going to get.

If I were going to suggest anything else it would be to get a hook where people will want to buy your magazine. One of the ways to do that would be to get an advertiser like REI or Groundspeak to offer a 10-20% off coupon in the magazine. That way people might pay the $2 or whatever just to get the coupon.

Good luck.

December 29, 2009

There is a new one that just started called "FTF GeoCacher". You can find it at "FTFGeoCacher.com".

6.7k · December 29, 2009

There is a new one that just started called "FTF GeoCacher". You can find it at "FTFGeoCacher.com".

From their FAQ:

Q. When do you plan to publish the first issue?

A. If all goes as planned, we'll mail the first full issue in mid-to-late January of 2010.

Deja vu all over again!

If all does NOT go as planned will everyone's subscription be refunded?

I hope they make it, the more stories we geocachers share with each other the better I like it! It will however be interesting to see how many geocachers will invest in another fledgling commercial print magazine.

3.5k · December 29, 2009

Based on feedback from multiple cacher forums, we have chosen to publish a 3-issue trial run of the magazine. If you would like more information, visit www.ftfgeocacher.com.

It certainly wasn't due to the feedback from the Texas forum.

Good luck!

6.7k · December 29, 2009

Based on feedback from multiple cacher forums, we have chosen to publish a 3-issue trial run of the magazine. If you would like more information, visit www.ftfgeocacher.com.

It certainly wasn't due to the feedback from the Texas forum.

Good luck!

Wasn't the last print commercial geocacher magazine attempt from Texas too?

3.5k · December 29, 2009

Based on feedback from multiple cacher forums, we have chosen to publish a 3-issue trial run of the magazine. If you would like more information, visit www.ftfgeocacher.com.

It certainly wasn't due to the feedback from the Texas forum.

Good luck!

Wasn't the last print commercial geocacher magazine attempt from Texas too?

Nevada, I believe.

December 30, 2009

From their FAQ:

Q. When do you plan to publish the first issue?

A. If all goes as planned, we'll mail the first full issue in mid-to-late January of 2010.

Deja vu all over again!

If all does NOT go as planned will everyone's subscription be refunded?

I hope they make it, the more stories we geocachers share with each other the better I like it! It will however be interesting to see how many geocachers will invest in another fledgling commercial print magazine.

I appreciate your concerns about the failures of previous geocaching magazines and acknowledge the fact that the current attempt could fail as well. The decision to do a trial run of 3 issues was made specifically to guarantee that even if subscribership was too low to support the magazine in the long run, we would still be able to fulfill the initial 3-issue subscriptions with a minimal loss of investment at our end. Naturally, we hope to publish many more issues beyond the trial period but, if not, we will bow out gracefully having fulfilled our obligation to our readers.

December 30, 2009

From their FAQ:

Q. When do you plan to publish the first issue?

A. If all goes as planned, we'll mail the first full issue in mid-to-late January of 2010.

Deja vu all over again!

If all does NOT go as planned will everyone's subscription be refunded?

I hope they make it, the more stories we geocachers share with each other the better I like it! It will however be interesting to see how many geocachers will invest in another fledgling commercial print magazine.

I appreciate your concerns about the failures of previous geocaching magazines and acknowledge the fact that the current attempt could fail as well. The decision to do a trial run of 3 issues was made specifically to guarantee that even if subscribership was too low to support the magazine in the long run, we would still be able to fulfill the initial 3-issue subscriptions with a minimal loss of investment at our end. Naturally, we hope to publish many more issues beyond the trial period but, if not, we will bow out gracefully having fulfilled our obligation to our readers.

I would pay for it. I prefer paper versions over online mags.... It's like a newspaper... they have been available online for years... people still prefer the paper version...

I could tell you where a geocache is but isn't it more fun to find the actual thing?

6.7k · December 30, 2009

I appreciate your concerns about the failures of previous geocaching magazines and acknowledge the fact that the current attempt could fail as well. The decision to do a trial run of 3 issues was made specifically to guarantee that even if subscribership was too low to support the magazine in the long run, we would still be able to fulfill the initial 3-issue subscriptions with a minimal loss of investment at our end. Naturally, we hope to publish many more issues beyond the trial period but, if not, we will bow out gracefully having fulfilled our obligation to our readers.

Thanks for the response!

Given the history here the question of subscription returns is the 800-lb gorilla that will cost you early support, so I am glad that it has been addressed.

We at The Online Geocacher welcome all publications related to this great game and want to see you succeed.

Send us an article about your magazine and we'll be happy to publish it and post a link to your website.

2.1k · December 30, 2009

I prefer paper versions over online mags.... It's like a newspaper... they have been available online for years... people still prefer the paper version...

What people would those be? You may not have noticed, but newspapers are going out of business at a rapid pace. Their only hope for survival appears to be to convince people to actually PAY for the online version, but they've already trained both readers and advertisers to expect to get the online version for free.

December 30, 2009

I prefer paper versions over online mags.... It's like a newspaper... they have been available online for years... people still prefer the paper version...

What people would those be? You may not have noticed, but newspapers are going out of business at a rapid pace. Their only hope for survival appears to be to convince people to actually PAY for the online version, but they've already trained both readers and advertisers to expect to get the online version for free.

This is a really good question and one that I have been struggling with at my end. As someone who absolutely loves to sit down for coffee with a magazine or book, it is difficult for me to fathom that so many others apparently do not feel the same way. I enjoy reading the forums and online magazines as well, but I prefer print and it seems there is room for all.

Here's how I see it. There are two newspapers delivered to my area. One is from a large nearby city and contains a great deal of national news, most of which I have already read about. The other is a local paper that includes very specialized information about events that affect me on a personal level. Guess which one I buy? My goal is to focus on personal stories and deliver "local" news to the geocaching community. To that end, I've been reading as many geocaching blogs as I can find and there are some great stories out there that are only being read by the cacher's immediate family and friends. If we are successful in aggregating the best of these stories and encouraging new writers to write "offline," I think the magazine could be a very entertaining read.

December 31, 2009

You just can't compare newspapers and magazines. The reason newspapers are dying is that we have 24/7 instant news coverage, and by the time your newspaper shows up on your doorstep in the morning any "news" in the paper is old news. Magazine print is not dying. I work at one of the largest printing companies in the world, and business has been steadily increasing. Over the last two years page counts have gone down due to the economy, which has been caused by advertisers cutting back on the number of ads they print. But like I said, this is all turning around. There was an article written by the "Magazine Publishers of America" that talks about this exact same topic. Here are some of the highlights.....

Magazine readership remains steady in an increasingly crowded and noisy media landscape.

92% of U.S. adults read magazines.

Subscriptions to magazines are on the rise. 2007: 322 million paid subscriptions. 2008: 325 million paid subscriptions.

Magazine subscriptions increased in 2009.

New magazines continue to be launched. The latest figures show that magazine launches surged 10% in 2009 from the prior year.

Who says that iPod-dependent teenagers have abandoned magazines? 75% of teens read magazines.

Magazines appeal to younger adults. Adults 34 and younger read more magazines than adults +34.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Douce Us 5

6.7k · December 31, 2009

Information is subject to the basic supply and demand rules of economics, just like everything else.

If you have a product (magazine articles) that is in demand (articles that folks want to read) and they can't get them anywhere else (copyrighted articles) then you can sell a magazine, online or off.

It's really a simple equation!

2.2k · December 31, 2009

You just can't compare newspapers and magazines. The reason newspapers are dying is that we have 24/7 instant news coverage, and by the time your newspaper shows up on your doorstep in the morning any "news" in the paper is old news. Magazine print is not dying. I work at one of the largest printing companies in the world, and business has been steadily increasing. Over the last two years page counts have gone down due to the economy, which has been caused by advertisers cutting back on the number of ads they print. But like I said, this is all turning around. There was an article written by the "Magazine Publishers of America" that talks about this exact same topic. Here are some of the highlights.....

Magazine readership remains steady in an increasingly crowded and noisy media landscape.

92% of U.S. adults read magazines.

Subscriptions to magazines are on the rise. 2007: 322 million paid subscriptions. 2008: 325 million paid subscriptions.

Magazine subscriptions increased in 2009.

New magazines continue to be launched. The latest figures show that magazine launches surged 10% in 2009 from the prior year.

Who says that iPod-dependent teenagers have abandoned magazines? 75% of teens read magazines.

Magazines appeal to younger adults. Adults 34 and younger read more magazines than adults +34.

Interesting. You're saying that magazine content is NOT stale by the time it reaches you? Your information was in conflict with what I know personally (two limited readership magazines I subscribe to predict they will stop publishing print mags within ten years) and what seems intuitive, so I went searching for what others thought:

I found this

http://www.foliomag.com/2008/magazines-take-hit-newsstand

and this

http://blogs.premierstudios.com/blog/2009/...agazines-dying/

I still prefer print magazines, newspapers and books, but I find it hard to believe that increasing availability of information online is not eroding magazine readership.

6.7k · December 31, 2009

I still prefer print magazines, newspapers and books,

me too!

but I find it hard to believe that increasing availability of information online is not eroding magazine readership.

I wonder about that myself. Mostly I wonder if all the media hype about our 'online world' isn't, erm, media hype. Quite a lot of the world seems to be getting along just fine without computers.

Early in 2009 when Great Days Outdoors (gdomag.com) contacted me about their new magazine and asked if I would help them put together an article on geocaching which would become a regular column I predicted that printing costs would eat them alive and suggested an online magazine.

They ignored me on that suggestion and their subscribed readership is growing like crazy... I just got the January 2010 issue and they have upgraded their print magazine to a new larger size, quality paper and binding that surpasses the look and feel of anything I have ever subscribed to!

At $3.99 news stand, $24./yr, $37./2-yr and $46./3-yr rates they're obviously making the bulk of their money from advertising, but they are selling to a huge hunting and fishing audience with an established multi-billion-dollar customer base, with a huge number and variety of vendors who are experienced with print magazine advertising... not at all like the market for a geocaching magazine.

Yes, I would subscribe to their magazine if it were just online, but I would pay more (if I paid... I get mine free) for the print magazine. There's something about the experience of reading a magazine like this... I may be in an office chair at home but while I am reading that magazine the feeling is of relaxing by the fire in a lakeside cabin, dreaming about bagging bucks or catching that big bass that a computer just can't replace!

By the same token I will subscribe to FTFGeocacher (yeah, I hate the name too!) for the same reasons... I like print magazines. Where they will have a hit and gain my appreciation is if they also maintain an online component where links to things mentioned in the print magazine can be found, along with more info. Maybe an online version that can only be accessed by subscribers to the print magazine... that would be cool.

QST, the magazine of the American Radio Relay League, does this. There are links and more info about the printed articles on their website, so currency and being 'linked in' are maintained even though the printed articles may have been written six months before being published in the magazine.

The new net-books and tablet readers coming out may hit the print readership somewhat, but I think I will always prefer print.

Edited December 31, 2009 by TheAlabamaRambler

2.2k · December 31, 2009

The new net-books and tablet readers coming out may hit the print readership somewhat, but I think I will always prefer print.

Me too.

After checking out the website and watching the video, I sent them the 12 bucks. Heck, that's a glass of wine in a Manhattan restaurant. (Or a bottle of Arrogant Frog, but still...)

It looks like it will be a great mag and maybe my subscription will put them over the top. Or maybe yours will.

BTW, to TAR, I admire your dedication to your own venture and your continuing support and encouragement to anyone else who tries find a way to expand the geocaching experience.

6.7k · December 31, 2009

BTW, to TAR, I admire your dedication to your own venture and your continuing support and encouragement to anyone else who tries find a way to expand the geocaching experience.

Thanks! Publisher catsnfish and I look at it sort of like a special geocache that always generates great logs. We enjoy the stories that come in as much as our audience does, and, like a cache, we want to share them!

September 15, 2010

Once again updating the magazine status: Issue #4 recently mailed out to subscribers. Issue #4 was the first to print in full color throughout the magazine, and is now available for purchase as a back-issue via our website at www.ftfgeocacher.com (along with issues #2 and #3). Many thanks to existing and future subscribers!

1.4k · September 15, 2010

This is a great idea! I'm sure I could put it together with some help. Any wanna be reporters and web masters out there that want to help...send me an email and we'll start a private topic on it. El Diablo Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse. <A HREF="http://www.geo-hikingstick.com" TARGET=_blank>http://www.geo-hikingstick.com</A>

Shameless plug

SS

September 16, 2010

Once again updating the magazine status: Issue #4 recently mailed out to subscribers. Issue #4 was the first to print in full color throughout the magazine, and is now available for purchase as a back-issue via our website at www.ftfgeocacher.com (along with issues #2 and #3). Many thanks to existing and future subscribers!

Why don't you have #1 available?

And why don't you have an option to buy all back issues in one swoop? And why don't you offer the back issues for less than the current (many mags do that).

Is/will there be an option to offer an electronic format? (at the same price of new subscriptions) also any chance of a preview other than the front cover page that I can barely see???

I'm not sold.

September 28, 2011

Well, here we are one year later and I think I've addressed most of the issues raised in the previous post. The first three issues of 2010 are sold out, but available for purchase as part of Volume 1 (2010) on the iTunes app store (iPad only). We recently released the first four issues of Volume 2 (2011) on the iTunes app store as well, and I've revamped our own online store so that subscriptions, back issues, and our formerly out-of-print pathtags can be purchased in "one swoop." The back issues will continue to be sold at the retail rate to make up for higher postage and handling costs. Thanks to all who have subscribed!

September 29, 2011

I have been a subscriber to "FTF Geocacher" for over a year now and I will say it is a really great geocaching magazine. Full color, glossy pages, great pictures and even better stories. I love it, I just sent in my renewal for another year. The folks that put out this magazine do a really good job. Anyone can contribute, and the publishers ask for material, pictures, etc. If you want a really nice magazine, subscribe to this one. The Owner/Publisher/Editor/Lackey is an avid geocacher, dedicated to the hobby. http://www.ftfgeocacher.com/

Try it, you'll like it. No, I do not work for the magazine nor am I affiliated with it in any way, I just like it.

September 29, 2011

Oops. I already said that.

Edited September 29, 2011 by kwhart

September 29, 2011

I know one thing if the magazine had a "geobabe of the month" I'd subscribe

---------------------------

Phase 1: Collect Underpants, Phase 2: ???, Phase 3: Profit

Hate to say it, but most of the cachers I've met, myself included, are better off not posing for cheesecake photos

Geocaching magazine?...

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