New Magazine?

[westerner]

In the BRM New Managing Editor thread, there has been some mention of a new magazine which may be coming out, apparently it may be pitched between  a good RM and MRJ. Has or does anybody know anything more about it?

[dibber25]

I think someone was joking. I imagine they saw RM at one end of the market and MRJ at the other - so, in other words, the 'new' mag could be pitched ANYWHERE in the market. Otherwise, apart from specialist-society magazines, I can't think of anything that's OUTside that spectrum. 

CHRIS LEIGH

[Xerces Fobe2]

Any more model railway magazines Chris might cause H&S some issues, as the shelves in WHSmiths would be at risk of collapse LOL,

 

XF

[bodmin16]

Any more model railway magazines Chris might cause H&S some issues, as the shelves in WHSmiths would be in risk of collapse LOL,

XF

Could be very dangerous for all those readers stood in front of the shelves!

[backofanenvelope]

Could be very dangerous for all those readers stood in front of the shelves!

 

think you would be in more danger of getting an upper cut from frenzied cover ripping off..

[dibber25]

Could be very dangerous for all those readers stood in front of the shelves!

It's a cunning ploy to make folk BUY the mag and run rather than standing there reading it!

[lyndonsdad1]

i'll send the wife

[Oldddudders]

I have no info on such a launch, other than the slightly-superior insider-knowledge remarks elsewhere on RMweb. But I do think it is an odd time to essay another title in this field. Printed media cannot be finding life easy in the era of instant Internet gratification, which is why the Warners tie-up with this forum made so much sense. And many people are still feeling the pinch from economic downturn, so pocket money is short.

 

Then there is the small matter of finding an editorial team. The country is clearly awash with capable modellers - but very few have the necessary journalistic skills and experience to launch & sustain a viable new title.

 

I was brought up on RM, have never bought MRJ, regarding it as aimed at competent modellers, not incompetent meddlers. I hold no view on where the other leading titles currently "fit" vis a vis those two.......

[dibber25]

When I started, in the 1960s, there were three mags, each aimed at a particular niche: few skills, some skills, lots of skills. First to change/close was lots of skills, then some skills. The readership changed in the meantime and 'some skills' became the norm, while better models made life easier for the dwindling 'few skills' segment. Now, we have four titles all aimed at that 'some skills' segment.

CHRIS LEIGH

[Dunsignalling]

Judging from the "sameyness" of the content (though not always the treatment of same), I'd suggest there could be too many already.

 

I've noticed lately that I no longer buy every issue of any of the monthlies.

 

For reasons of space (and "findability"), I fillet the mainstream magazines, keeping items I want and consigning the rest to the recycling bin. The 'creative layout' of some titles makes this difficult, generally ruling out their purchase unless there is something of special interest within.  

 

John

[Allegheny1600]

When I started, in the 1960s, there were three mags, each aimed at a particular niche: few skills, some skills, lots of skills. First to change/close was lots of skills, then some skills. The readership changed in the meantime and 'some skills' became the norm, while better models made life easier for the dwindling 'few skills' segment. Now, we have four titles all aimed at that 'some skills' segment.

CHRIS LEIGH

Thankfully, there is still one aimed at the "skilled" market (in my case, the "wannabe skilled"!!).

Which was the first to close of the "lots of skills", please?

Cheers,

John E.

[Oldddudders]

Thankfully, there is still one aimed at the "skilled" market (in my case, the "wannabe skilled"!!).

Which was the first to close of the "lots of skills", please?

Cheers,

John E.

MRN - Roy Dock?

[edcayton]

When I started, in the 1960s, there were three mags, each aimed at a particular niche: few skills, some skills, lots of skills. First to change/close was lots of skills, then some skills. The readership changed in the meantime and 'some skills' became the norm, while better models made life easier for the dwindling 'few skills' segment. Now, we have four titles all aimed at that 'some skills' segment.

CHRIS LEIGH

Presumably RM, MRC and MRN. Which was which?

 

Ed

[dibber25]

Yes, MRN changed its title, direction etc and in due course head-hunted Cyril Freezer from Railway Modeller as it tried to move itself from the 'lots of skills' bracket to the more general, mass market. It became Your Model Railway but then tried to change back again and brought in Dave Lowery to up the skill level once more. Such major shifts of direction can be catastrophic if you lose existing readers without attracting new ones. The market these days is very different. In those days it was like cricket, today its like football. The one abiding feature is that the editorial teams all get along, despite being in competition and that's something which goes right back to the days of the three one-man bands (Cyril RM, Roy Dock MRN and Alan Williams MRC).

CHRIS LEIGH

[The Stationmaster]

Presumably RM, MRC and MRN. Which was which?

 

Ed

I thought that would be easy to work out?

 

When I started, in the 1960s, there were three mags, each aimed at a particular niche: few skills, some skills, lots of skills. First to change/close was lots of skills, then some skills. The readership changed in the meantime and 'some skills' became the norm, while better models made life easier for the dwindling 'few skills' segment. Now, we have four titles all aimed at that 'some skills' segment.

CHRIS LEIGH

Yes - I remember talking frequently with a friend back in those days and we'd say such & such a layout was an RM layout, or an MRC layout or an MRN layout - and of course we'd say the same about articles as we came across them or learnt things from them.  It was all very easy to talk about it but he had a chance to break a few moulds and take a different tack so off he went and founded his own magazine, which is still with us today.

 

Others have had a go at the assumed 'upper middle ground' between the mass market mags and MRJ but regrettably all attempts thus far have failed eventually.  I was hoping to see a relaunched BRM start to head more firmly that way (after all it had some of that about it from the start) but alas - from my viewpoint - it hasn't which, if nothing else, at least suggests that the assumed upper middle ground isn't quite as fertile as some of us might hope or would like to think.

 

And that brings us back to what can in many ways be seen as 'clone land' (maybe also known as 'how not to make friends' on a forum where mag editors or editors emeritus happen to contribute) but there is an obvious lesson in there - the magazine editing and publishing professionals have recognised where the largest = most profitable part of the market lies so they will happily try to grab the biggest share of that although a few touches of distinctiveness will always shine through, I hope.

[The Bigbee Line]

Who can remember when MRC had pages printed on some obscure low grade paper?  Was it a cost saver?

 

Railway Modeller was a bit like the BBC, ie you got 'repeats' at no extra cost.  Most "Railway of the month" layout had one of each proprietary loco.

 

What is interesting is getting hold of a 1950 magazine and seeing what people used from their everyday lives to produce some nice realistic models.

[Igor]

I imagine they saw RM at one end of the market and MRJ at the other - so, in other words, the 'new' mag could be pitched ANYWHERE in the market. Otherwise, apart from specialist-society magazines, I can't think of anything that's OUTside that spectrum. 

CHRIS LEIGH

 

Funny, I took it to mean something completely different - the latterly described 'upper middle ground' between RM (retaining a level of seriousness?) and MRJ (aspirational?), both a long way ahead of the multi-colored, over saturated, word-bite comics. :-o

[dibber25]

The 'upper middle ground' is not fertile enough to support mass circulation magazines, unfortunately. Thanks, Igor, I get your message - no comment.

CHRIS LEIGH

[Igor]

I don't know what you define mass circulation as, but I'd happily vote to see more competition/choice on the shelves. The big mags are very samey to me and filled with too many ads. I know why this is. I suspect there is quite a nice niche for a more 'serious' magazine that could appeal to an established modelling readership with a fairly large disposable income. Viability doesn't always have to mean sales. It also depends on how much is been taken out at the 'other end' and what is actually needs to support in terms of shareholders, staff, premises, profit etc.

[Kenton]

 

I imagine they saw RM at one end of the market and MRJ at the other - so, in other words, the 'new' mag could be pitched ANYWHERE in the market.

some, me included, would take exception to that view. For me the others already occupy the bottom end of the market - though BRM has its real exceptional moments. Some of the others could pass into obscurity and I would not care less - no loss.

 

When BRM does hit the subject matter well it is leaps and bounds in the lead - but for much of the time it is in the also ran category.

 

Another mag. Frankly there are enough already. What we do need is some differentiation. One of the others to pick up the pace and be recognised as something always that bit different, not just yet another format copy and repeater of the others. To take the lead in what is presented and how it is presented.

[dibber25]

I don't know what you define mass circulation as, but I'd happily vote to see more competition/choice on the shelves. The big mags are very samey to me and filled with too many ads. I know why this is. I suspect there is quite a nice niche for a more 'serious' magazine that could appeal to an established modelling readership with a fairly large disposable income. Viability doesn't always have to mean sales. It also depends on how much is been taken out at the 'other end' and what is actually needs to support in terms of shareholders, staff, premises, profit etc.

The choice on the shelves is often dictated by what's known as rankings. Basically, that's how much money the title makes for the store. So a high price, low circulation magazine will struggle to make as much as a cheaper mag that sells loads of copies. The result is that the more specialist but more expensive magazines tend to be low down on the rankings. It then creates a vicious circle because, if you drop too low on the rankings, the smaller stores won't stock you and if you're not on the shelves, you can't sell more copies. Which is why publishers - and readers - tend to like subscriptions. Of course, many of the lower volume magazines are 'kitchen table' jobs done by people working at home with considerably lower overheads. They could not operate any other way. The 'glossies' for want of a better term (one that's not derogatory) do a different job. They have mass-market appeal and help to consolidate newcomers into the hobby much as train sets and Setrack do in a model shop. They aren't really trying to appeal to those modellers whose knowledge, skill and experience puts them ahead of the crowd. Those guys, though, might appreciate some nice colour views of a really great layout, simply for entertainment now and then. There is room for both the upper ground and middle ground magazines, catering for their separate audiences. I suspect that neither would welcome another competitor, however.

CHRIS LEIGH

[Igor]

some, me included, would take exception to that view. For me the others already occupy the bottom end of the market - though BRM has its real exceptional moments. Some of the others could pass into obscurity and I would not care less - no loss.

 

Another mag. Frankly there are enough already. What we do need is some differentiation. One of the others to pick up the pace and be recognised as something always that bit different, not just yet another format copy and repeater of the others. To take the lead in what is presented and how it is presented.

 

I would humbly suggest you are very unlikely to see any differentiation from the existing mags. They are all run by corporate behemoths and are happily coining-it in - Emap, Warners, Morton Media, Key Publications. The status quo seems to work well for them, with growing influence on exhibitions and shows. Only RM is still family run, I believe, unless that has changed - and as it has the biggest circulation of the lot I'd expect they are not going to fix something that isn't broken (in their eyes). What it needs is a new business model (which would only come from 'another mag'?)

 

Sorry I shouldn't have said 'shelves' - major high street retail outlets are another can of worms that needs radical change because of their influence. I would hope subscriptions, specialist books shops and even model shops - as well as on-line PDFs - might provide a new route to reader.

[tomparryharry]

You could have a new magazine, just aimed at GWR & BR(WR)

 

Call it 'The Broad Gauge Blokes'......

 

Every month, you could have an article called 'How we do it', where another company's practice is illustrated, and then how Swindon/Paddington/Reading would do it properly....

 

First months article:- "The Saint Class - Daddy of them all"

 

That should get about 85% of the readership....

 

Taxi's here, where's my coat?

 

Ian

[Alex Duckworth]

 The 'glossies' for want of a better term (one that's not derogatory) do a different job. They have mass-market appeal and help to consolidate newcomers into the hobby much as train sets and Setrack do in a model shop. They aren't really trying to appeal to those modellers whose knowledge, skill and experience puts them ahead of the crowd.

 

 

 

If that's what they do, do we need all three of them to do it (leaving aside RM as a "top of the glossies" benchmark)? Perhaps the hobby would be better served by dropping at least one from the bottom and having another top end magazine, which would not have to be another high circulation publication.

 

Alex.

[The Stationmaster]

You could have a new magazine, just aimed at GWR & BR(WR)

 

Call it 'The Broad Gauge Blokes'......

 

Every month, you could have an article called 'How we do it', where another company's practice is illustrated, and then how Swindon/Paddington/Reading would do it properly....

 

First months article:- "The Saint Class - Daddy of them all"

 

That should get about 85% of the readership....

 

Taxi's here, where's my coat?

 

Ian

Only one problem Ian - the others wouldn't like it, reputedly the truth always hurts