I started a thread yesterday regarding magazines for the Mini and found that GoMini is about it. Is there enough readership potential to start up a magazine? Would you subscribe......contribute articles from your part of the country etc?

 

I certainly would subscribe to a quality US Mini magazine. Need a photographer?

Mark

 

I'd be interested in contributing articles. How much per word?

 

I'd sure subscribe to a U.S. mag, just wanted to mention that there IS another UK mag called NEW MINI. Might check that out, too if you're doing research. GoMINI is slicker, but the how-tos in New MINI are nice.

It might be a great opportunity if done right. There seems to be different categories of interests among MINI owners in relation to their cars...a mag that had something for everybody would be great.

 

I've pd $10 for GoMini on the newsstand. $8 for NewMINI. I enjoy both.

 

I have put some serious thought into starting a USA MINI magazine for a few years and I do believe that the market is ready for one. I have also put out feelers and the advertising revenue is there. I just don’t know if I am ready to dive into such a venture.

 

i would buy it

i say if you can really do it, you should go for it!

 

I would buy it!!

 

id subscribe and do pictures

 

I just wanted to throw this subject out there to see what reaction there was. The UK magazines are a little frustrating because among other things they do not review many US vendors of after market mods. The US Mini community is not enhanced from them. I was a very early subscriber to Guitar Player and Triathlete and have seen how they have grown.

I do believe there is a market there but I have NO magazine experience. THere are a couple of Guitar magazines that are very specific that I thought might be a low cost entry. Just Jazz Guitar and Tone Quest Report (the latter is more of a news letter)

Running my marketing business takes most of my energy but I hate to miss the opportunity, not necessarily to make money but to do something fun with the Mini community.

I am available if you would like to share ideas.

Bob

 

I recently found NEW MINI on the shelf at Barnes and Noble in Arlington Heights, IL. Even though it's the summer issue!

I found go mini at a nice bookstore in Toronto. I even emailed go mini to see where I could buy it in Chicago and their automated reply was to sign me up for a subscription! Of course.

Even though go mini is more expensive, I thought it was a better magazine. The issue of NEW MINI I bought seems to be featuring what I would consider over the top audio installations and interior upgrades. The two things I am least concerned about with a Mini.

I too would love to subscribe to a U.S. specific Mini magazine -- or even an English one that devoted a number of pages each issue to the U.S. I was under the impression that the U.S. is the largest Mini market. No?

At any rate -- has anybody in the Chicago area found a book or magazine store that has go mini on the shelves. I keep hearing that Barnes and Noble does, but it's always in other cities.

HunterBoss

 

I am definitely in! I've written several ariticles already, and want to put together a New MINI mag, but I'm not privy (sp?) on the publishing side. I do have a customer who has brought a Kart mag successfully to the market - it's hard work!!


Randy

 

I can only imagine!

It's hard enough doing my company newsletter!

HunterBoss

 

I was at a different Barnes and Noble this afternoon. The nice people at the customer service desk tried to help me. Apparently none of the Chicago area B&N stores sell go mini. They even called what is supposed to be the largest magazine store in the city. No luck.

Anybody finding it locally (Chicago)?

 

So who here is going to start it up?
I'd like to be involved as a photographer here on the West Coast.

 

I hope you find it, Hunter! I talked and talked to my area Barnes & Nobles but, after months of discussion with various stores, I gave up and got a subscription. Now, one store is carrying it. (...sheesh, just my luck.) However, I do get a hoot out of seeing each issue show up at my door (quick, too) with Her Majesty's postage properly affixed. Besides, now I'm not at the mercy of B&N should they on a whim decide not to carry it for some reason known only to them.

Saw only one issue of New MINI...the same one you described.

 

great idea. someone please do it! I'm sure it would take serious cash outlay but with a little luck, someone could definately make some good money. I'd definately subscribe.

 

Why does it have to cost a ton? Yes, if you want to start off with something that has the photo and paper quality of National Geographics it would. Why can't it start off very small and work it's way up? Start with a quarterly, then go to every other month and then go monthly?

It seems there's enough people on this and other forums to write the articles and submit the photos.

At the beginning let the vendors "buy" their advertising space in the form of articles and stories. Yeah, they will be oveglorified puff pieces, but who cares at this point? This forum seems to be doing a pretty good job of keeping people accountable.

Something like that. No?

 

I would subscribe, definately. Specialty Auto magazines sell well from what I've seen, just look at the following garnered by hot VWs and VW Trends. It'd be nice to have a mag that A.) wasn't imported from England, and B.) didn't cost way too much.

 

Anyone know a publisher??

 

Randy,

Do we need a publisher or can something be done online. It would be an easy way to get started and buildup some support. Prior to doing some big publishing. I agree that it would be really nice to have a high quality magazine on the newstands and I would pay a premium for one, but many of us are dying for just something and there seems to be a lot of willing people to either help contribute or take photos. You could charge to access the magazine.

You may want to talk to maybe one of the current publishers of the "niche" car magazines and see if a partnership can be made, since that will defray some of the costs and help you leverage some of the some that an established magazine already has started.

 

I haven't looked at this in a while but apparently the idea has "legs". I have a few Ideas. You have to sell ads to bring in revenue. There is a whole lifestyle concept to be sold....not just Mini vendors. If we can get a "demo" issue mocked up we may be able to get some interest.


I'm thinking we need:

coverage of autoX

interesting Minis

group drives ala Dragon.

technical colums

driving tips

how to bling

please add to this list

 

I am spending way TOO much time thinking about this.

Racing MINIs, whether here or across the pond.

Classifieds

News from the factory

And I was thinking that trying to get dealerships involved may be a good idea. I know that the Miata club used to have a lot of Mazda dealerships give away 1 issue of the club magazing with your new car purchase. Got me hooked.

 

• Regional enthusiast club highlights
• Community Involvement
• Maybe even a piece on NAM/MINI Cooper Online history

On a different subtopic to this thread, I think it was brought up to Gabe Bridger, via his blog, about starting up a MINI mag. Maybe he and Mark Ferguson would be interested in collaborating?
Just wondering "aloud" here.

 

What concerns me is that I see dozens of MINIs on my commute every day but the local Barnes & Noble stopped stocking the two British MINI magazines - GoMini and New MINI - because they didn't sell. Although I buy both of these magazines, I have to admit that they are of little interest to me due to the content. I don't care about ICE and Bling and Bespoke. Those words alone annoy me. I don't want to see MINIs converted into Ricermobiles either.