BRM December 2012

[stewartingram]

But has somehow managed to stick itself to every other bit of paper on my desk.

 

It must have some use as a modelling product.

You sure you've not been picking your nose in an idle moment?

 

Stewart

[The Stationmaster]

As I get further into the December mags which I bought yesterday an oddity has emerged; I realise duplication of layout coverage can and does happen but to find JdeF's 'Cliffhanger' in BRM as an 'exclusive' but also in the contemporary issue of the 'Modeller' seems to be stretching things a bit too far. I realise editors are lining up stuff to go with the upcoming Warley show but in this case both articles seem to be either by (or 'in conversation with') JdeF so someone surely knew they were going to appear on the WHS shelves on - in my case - the same day?

 

Incidentally I notice too that some of the pics of that layout in BRM are not to the sort of quality we have been getting recently and hope this isn't indicative of a possible fall off in the higher standards the mag has been reaching recently, especially in the MI pages (where I'm sure the quality won't drop of course). Not necessarily putting me off subscribing with the offer included in the December issue but a bit disconcerting after recent improvements.

 

BTW I found Andy's interview with David Jones of Dapol to be a very encouraging piece and unusuallly frank - better than some similar types of article I have seen over the years - looks like Andy is asking the right questions, or is DJ just a good subject for this sort of thing I wonder?

[Andy Y]

BTW I found Andy's interview with David Jones of Dapol to be a very encouraging piece and unusuallly frank - better than some similar types of article I have seen over the years - looks like Andy is asking the right questions, or is DJ just a good subject for this sort of thing I wonder?

 

Thanks Mike, Dave was very obliging in giving an interview which posed some probing questions about the state of the hobby and future directions without any form of watering down through the process. If everything falls into place there should be another interview with a direct and honest approach coming soon which I'm sure will interest readers.

 

With respect to 'Cliffhanger' I know the editorial team were under the impression that it was an exclusive article and I know it came as a surprise to them to see it also feature in another magazine in the same month.

 

I felt that the Albion Metals images were very good, I like Marc's imagery too and I know the next issue will have a massive amount of 'picture punch' and probably a cover which will cause a reaction.

[Metr0Land]

and probably a cover which will cause a reaction.

 

You're not emulating the Demi Moore cover on Vanity Fair are you?

[Barry Ten]

With respect to 'Cliffhanger' I know the editorial team were under the impression that it was an exclusive article and I know it came as a surprise to them to see it also feature in another magazine in the same month.

 

As a subscriber to both mags it's particularly galling as I don't have the option of not buying one of them. Obviously, it's out of the control of the editorial team but perhaps the presumption of exclusivity should be made clearer (as if it isn't clear enough) at the time the article is accepted? I've had a couple of layout articles in MR and CM and wouldn't have dreamed of trying to get them into other mags at the same time. It puzzles me why some think this is acceptable.

[Coombe Barton]

I've had a couple of layout articles in MR and CM and wouldn't have dreamed of trying to get them into other mags at the same time. It puzzles me why some think this is acceptable.

There could be a variety of reasons. Maybe the schedule changed because a planned article was not ready? We don't know.

 

Let's please stop the speculation (and I'm not only picking on this post, just using it as an example) and move on to the content.,

 

If it happens again then we may have a cause for comment, but now it's a one-off. We're lucky here because we have a direct feed from the publisher of BRM - but not RM. Let's move on, please.

[chrisf]

Well said, Barry Ten! On the prototype side of things photographers are discouraged from making duplicate submissions so perhaps the model editors should drop that particular hint in future.

 

Chris

[Jon020]

Finally got the kids to bed and ironing done; found where youngest had hidden it and sat down for a better read of the mag. First impressions are very good; this mag really is going from strength to strength... Will comment once time has allowed a proper read... and maybe some quiet time with boys to watch the DVD too tomorrow.

[Guest Dave.C]

I do not generally do mags at the moment, but Marc's Poynton thread encouraged me to have a look at the electronic preview where I decided that there was enough interesting articles to purchase an online copy.

 

I am not convinced yet that electronic is better than hard copy, but I ticked the box to be notified when the next copy is available.

[Coombe Barton]

Just watched the DVD.

 

Content - yes. It's Pendon.

 

But too much person to camera shots and not enough voiceover for showing models. And there was script repetitiion. AS I tell my students - a video doesn't have to move all the time. You can use still pix. In fact the extra content could well have been used within the video to very good effect.

[Dicky W]

I think as a magazine perhaps we bandy the 'exclusivity' around too much - maybe as much as the word 'iconic'. With hindsight perhaps only the first article on Cliffhanger should have been branded as such - after all, we had

already featured one article on it already! There will, of course, be L&B World at Warley this year and the RM article, as part of a wider feature on this part of Warley show contains just a small interview on Cliffhanger which,

I hope, is sufficiently different to appeal to buyers of both magazines. John had deliberately asked for it to be in an interview style to facilitate this and provided entirely different photos to RM.

 

While on the subject of photos, I have noticed Mike's point, I do feel the the reproduction of some photos in the magazine could have been a little better, it has been interesting to compare photos taken by the same means at exactly the same high resolution in two different magazines and see how they compare. We'll be monitoring and we'll see what the next MI looks like.

 

Regards, Richard

[Re6/6]

Having had a layout published recently in one periodical, although not 'contractually exclusive' to that particular publication, I feel that the layout owner should only make material available to the 'opposition' after a respectable time since being featured in the original magazine. 'Overkill' can never be good.

 

Just my view.

[The Stationmaster]

Having had a layout published recently in one periodical, although not 'contractually exclusive' to that particular publication, I feel that the layout owner should only make material available to the 'opposition' after a respectable time since being featured in the original magazine. 'Overkill' can never be good.

Just my view.

 

I agree absolutely John. Some years ago when I was writing occasionally for one mag I was asked by someone if I might be interested in doing something for another. So I went to my existing editorial contact and asked how I stood - the answer I was given was that they didn't mind who I wrote for as long as the subject matter didn't clash and ideally was very different (which it would have been if the 'other' approach hadn't subsequently dried up). That, in my view, is the fair and polite way to do things - if someone 'publishes you' I think it only right to play fair with them. But then I tend to be a bit old fashioned in some things.

[Dicky W]

Oh, one thing I forgot to let everyone know is that this month's digital edition is that this is the first with the pages posted as pdfs rather than jpegs as I know we've had photo quality issues in the past. Hopefully this should resolve them.

 

Regards

 

Richard

[New Haven Neil]

No DVD on my copy from Smiths on the Isle of Man - typical of the provision of things here.... 'like it or lump it' no choice.....

[SteveCole]

No DVD on my copy from Smiths on the Isle of Man - typical of the provision of things here.... 'like it or lump it' no choice.....

 

Hi Neil,

 

PM me your details. I'll sort.

 

Steve

[New Haven Neil]

PM sent - thanks for the good service!

 

Neil

[queensquare]

Having had a layout published recently in one periodical, although not 'contractually exclusive' to that particular publication, I feel that the layout owner should only make material available to the 'opposition' after a respectable time since being featured in the original magazine. 'Overkill' can never be good.

 

Just my view.

 

Highbury has now been in MRJ, RM and MR. There was a gap of about two years between the first two and we discussed at length how we could make the approach taken differ in the two mags. When I first started to discuss the possibility of it appearing in MR I was concerned that it might be overkill but was keen to have Chris Nevard take a set of pictures - this is how the diesel theme emerged as it was very different from the previous two. If Andy ever wanted it for BRM I've no idea what we would do!!

I don't have a problem with layouts appearing in multiple publications, it means they reach a wider audience as not everyone reads all the mags - I know I don't. That said, I do feel that some effort should be made to give different editors a different aspect of the layout, not just a rehash of what has been done before. A suitable time interval is also good but not always possible for whatever reason - accident or design.

 

Jerry

[Andy Y]

If Andy ever wanted it for BRM I've no idea what we would do!!

 

You know I want to.

 

Jerry and I have discussed some elements to look at the architecture and artistry a little more than just an overview of the layout.

[queensquare]

You know I want to.

 

Jerry and I have discussed some elements to look at the architecture and artistry a little more than just an overview of the layout.

 

I have a few ideas in that direstion we will have to try and grab a few minutes at Warley in a couple of weeks - its not as though either of us will be busy!!

 

Jerry - desperately trying to get Tucking Mill ready!

[Edge]

 

 

Hello,

 

I am a friend of JdF, and I feel it's important to say here that he was honest and up front with everyone concerned, and he did submit two entirely different articles (one his own, one an interview) on a layout that there's great interest in.

 

I'm afraid that I (personally) fail to see what the fuss is about, it's an incredible layout which deserves coverage. And if people offer to supply that coverage with a major event on the horizon (L&B world at Warley) whose main aim is to create Interest in and raise funds for the real L&B, what is wrong with saying yes to more than one article?

[Andy Y]

Thank you Adam, I shall not be responding in public with comments.

[hymek2]

I too have both the magazines in question, and its unfortunate the Cliffhanger articles appeared in the same month, however having twice as many photos to look at only enhances what is a really inspirational piece of work.

[Physicsman]

I must be on another planet. Having bought RM last week, specifically to have a look at "Wencombe", and BRM today - and having read through both - I hadn't noticed that Cliffhanger was in both! Time to wake up, I think.

 

I'd also agree with Mike regarding the content in BRM. Excellent - probably the best of any of the main mags - from July to September. Tailing off a bit at the moment. However, I'm guessing it's just the natural variability of things. BRM is worth the money for the RMweb/MI content alone.

 

Jeff

[Andy Y]

Tailing off a bit at the moment.

 

Hopefully there'll be bags of interest in the January issue which goes on sale before Christmas with its seasonal flourish thanks to Jon Grant hauling the tremendously atmospheric 'Hudson Road' out of semi-retirement for a major feature.

 

 

Chuck in liberal doses of Leamington Spa and Little Bytham in MI, Wells Green TMD and RMweb followed content in Gary Hinson's 'Glenuig' and John Holden's 'Liverpool Lime Street' on the cover DVD and a very interesting interview ahead of some end of the year releases and it's a very strong issue in my eyes.