The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

[Guest]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Here are some of my thoughts. The SCR presently has about three or four regular recurring columns- feel free to add any that I might have missed as I don't have an SCR in front of me as I type this, so I'm relying on memory.

Fox Schedule, Smoke on the Horizon, Editorial, and the book review section (sorry the title of which escapes me, but I'm sure you know what I'm referring to).

I think the SCR would be easier to produce if the regular columns were increased.

For instance-

Electrical and electronic- this could cover electric motors, microcontrollers, general wiring, lighting, fusing etc. etc.
Mechanical- Sealing, wtc/pressure hull design and construction, linkages, layout.
New technology modelmaking- 3D printing, CAD (especially 3D), CNC, sterolithography
Masterclass- Could be anything, but leaning towards traditional skills like hull construction, GRP lay-up, casting (metal and resin).
Painting- Techniques, weathering, airbrushing etc.

For each of these a qualified person should be responsible for that column, with one or two deputies to share the load. I have some names that spring to mind for some of these roles.

Those who produce these articles should get automatic free membership IMO.

If we can get some volunteers (perhaps with a bit of encouragement) plus a bit of publicity on the website, like teaser articles (so that non or ex members can see what they're missing), and a possible move towards an electronic alternative, I think we can steer away from the rocky waters.

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Here are some of my thoughts. The SCR presently has about three or four regular recurring columns- feel free to add any that I might have missed as I don't have an SCR in front of me as I type this, so I'm relying on memory.

Fox Schedule, Smoke on the Horizon, Editorial, and the book review section (sorry the title of which escapes me, but I'm sure you know what I'm referring to).

I think the SCR would be easier to produce if the regular columns were increased.

For instance-

Electrical and electronic- this could cover electric motors, microcontrollers, general wiring, lighting, fusing etc. etc.
Mechanical- Sealing, wtc/pressure hull design and construction, linkages, layout.
New technology modelmaking- 3D printing, CAD (especially 3D), CNC, sterolithography
Masterclass- Could be anything, but leaning towards traditional skills like hull construction, GRP lay-up, casting (metal and resin).
Painting- Techniques, weathering, airbrushing etc.

For each of these a qualified person should be responsible for that column, with one or two deputies to share the load. I have some names that spring to mind for some of these roles.

Those who produce these articles should get automatic free membership IMO.

If we can get some volunteers (perhaps with a bit of encouragement) plus a bit of publicity on the website, like teaser articles (so that non or ex members can see what they're missing), and a possible move towards an electronic alternative, I think we can steer away from the rocky waters.

These ideas are all good ideas, but it still dose not solve the problem of the senior editor, the one person who pulls everything to gether and hands it off to the magazine art director who inturn puts the whole magazine layout . the senior editor is the person who coordinator for everyone, until that problem is solved we still have a problem.
Who will this person be?

Thanks again Myles

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Here are some of my thoughts. The SCR presently has about three or four regular recurring columns- feel free to add any that I might have missed as I don't have an SCR in front of me as I type this, so I'm relying on memory.

Fox Schedule, Smoke on the Horizon, Editorial, and the book review section (sorry the title of which escapes me, but I'm sure you know what I'm referring to).

I think the SCR would be easier to produce if the regular columns were increased.

For instance-

Electrical and electronic- this could cover electric motors, microcontrollers, general wiring, lighting, fusing etc. etc.
Mechanical- Sealing, wtc/pressure hull design and construction, linkages, layout.
New technology modelmaking- 3D printing, CAD (especially 3D), CNC, sterolithography
Masterclass- Could be anything, but leaning towards traditional skills like hull construction, GRP lay-up, casting (metal and resin).
Painting- Techniques, weathering, airbrushing etc.

For each of these a qualified person should be responsible for that column, with one or two deputies to share the load. I have some names that spring to mind for some of these roles.

Those who produce these articles should get automatic free membership IMO.

If we can get some volunteers (perhaps with a bit of encouragement) plus a bit of publicity on the website, like teaser articles (so that non or ex members can see what they're missing), and a possible move towards an electronic alternative, I think we can steer away from the rocky waters.

These ideas are all good ideas, but it still dose not solve the problem of the senior editor, the one person who pulls everything together and hands it off to the magazine art director who in turn puts the whole magazine layout . the senior editor is the person who is the coordinator for the magazine staff, until that problem is solved we still have a problem.
Who will this person be?

Thanks again Myles

[Guest]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

But I believe it is highly relevant. The biggest problem with the SCR is obtaining sufficient quality copy for publication- it's a regular issue that crops up time after time.

The editors role as you say is to coordinate, but unfortunately it generally also involves 'content producer and/or finder' and that I believe is the main reason this position is so difficult to fill.

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

But I believe it is highly relevant. The biggest problem with the SCR is obtaining sufficient quality copy for publication- it's a regular issue that crops up time after time.

The editors role as you say is to coordinate, but unfortunately it generally also involves 'content producer and/or finder' and that I believe is the main reason this position is so difficult to fill.

Look I am agreeing with you, but you can't have all chifes and no indians that would create one big mess.................Myles

[Guest]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I'm not sure how my comments tie in with the chiefs and indians idiom.

There are only a very small number of people in this hobby suitably qualified in all aspects of model submarine construction, working or static. When you align that with those who are able and willing to write about it, the pool of talent shrinks still further.

Just about every commercial modelling magazine I know of devote their content to regular sub editor articles, with only a small percentage of each magazine devoted to guest features.

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I'm not sure how my comments tie in with the chiefs and Indians idiom.

There are only a very small number of people in this hobby suitably qualified in all aspects of model submarine construction, working or static. When you align that with those who are able and willing to write about it, the pool of talent shrinks still further.

Just about every commercial modelling magazine I know of devote their content to regular sub editor articles, with only a small percentage of each magazine devoted to guest features.

I will try to break the chain of command down so you understand how it needs to work.
at the Top is the Senior Editor he directs the work force, in other words he sets the deadlines for everything
second is the Art Director he puts the magazine together basically, he and the Senior Editor work together.
third you have the Sub Editors who write articles pertaining to their topic of study or interest as you explained in your previous post.
then you have the person who writes articles because he or she enjoys writing an article to let people know what he or she is doing in short Junior Editors these are the people we depend on right now.
what I have laid out here is the simple version of how a magazine staff works or should work, who's at the top and how's at the bottom, also don't forget the advertising staff which will be looking for advertisments from other modeling companies who wish to market their products.

thanks again for your input

Myles

[JWLaRue]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Myles,

I do believe that Andy has made a very important point. The more we can turn the Managing Editor position into that of directing the effort, the easier it should be to get someone to volunteer to be the top dog. I have always noted that the more regular columns are in the SCR, the easier it is to fill the 64 pages....that is having a basic guaranteed page count already on hand. There's less of an ongoing scramble to find articles, which is the bane of every editor.

-Jeff

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Myles,

I do believe that Andy has made a very important point. The more we can turn the Managing Editor position into that of directing the effort, the easier it should be to get someone to volunteer to be the top dog. I have always noted that the more regular columns are in the SCR, the easier it is to fill the 64 pages....that is having a basic guaranteed page count already on hand. There's less of an ongoing scramble to find articles, which is the bane of every editor.

-Jeff

Jeff as I said previuosly I do agree with Andy, I also agree with you, but like some many things if you don't have the Managing editor or as I called him the senior editor to oversee everything all you will have is one big mess.

[JWLaRue]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

We may be all in agreement here. The point I am trying to make is that it *might* be easier to find a Managing Editor if it was known that we had more regular columnists on board and able to fill a larger portion of each issue that we currently have. This would present to any potential, new Managing Editors a view of the work that would be easier to manage.

Perhaps this is a chicken-and-the-egg type of thing, but I feel it's at least worth discussing.

-Jeff

[myles yancey]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

We may be all in agreement here. The point I am trying to make is that it *might* be easier to find a Managing Editor if it was known that we had more regular columnists on board and able to fill a larger portion of each issue that we currently have. This would present to any potential, new Managing Editors a view of the work that would be easier to manage.

Perhaps this is a chicken-and-the-egg type of thing, but I feel it's at least worth discussing.

-Jeff

Jeff if this is the case then we need to find these Sub Editors or columnist and then proceed.
are there some names in the hat already? If so who are they? Does anyone know of someone who would like
to do something like that?
I have no problem supporting this type of idea.

Myles

[jefftytoo]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Guys,

I've been following the posts in this thread with great interest. I've been pie-eyed throughout, and my jaw has dropped several times. I have so many reactions I barely know where to begin. Remaining brief is going to be a challenge....

As a regular contributor, the immediate health and presentation of the SCR are of course very real concerns to me. I love my SCR and always have. The professional styling brought by Pete to our niche magazine has been nothing short of spectacular. His devotion during a lengthy stint in charge was truly admirable. My hat is SO off to him. Why anyone would ever question him about his specific production approach (time-wise or otherwise) or complain about his efforts simply astounds me. Ditto for Jeff LaRue, who also has my deepest gratitude for keeping our favorite magazine alive -- truly as a one-man band -- far above and beyond the call of duty during so many of those pre-Pete years. Now he's temporarily stepped in AGAIN until another can take up the call. Incredible. My sincere thanks, gentlemen. Neither of you have been appreciated near enough. And as someone who toils in print production for a living, please know the admiration I express here is heartfelt.

May I now attempt to refocus? The crucial issue before us is finding a NEW managing editor. Without one there can be no SCR. And without an SCR -- representing actual material value in exchange for payment of one's membership dues -- there can truly be, ahem, no SubCommittee. There, I said it. Amid all the distracting discussion about web-based vs. electronic vs. mailed chip vs. print formatting for the SCR, this essential truth has been mostly ignored. No matter what form the magazine ultimately takes, it must first be written, edited, laid out, proofed -- in other words, PRODUCED. Until there is another permanent overseer of this involving and evolving process, detailed discussions of delivery methods -- ink-on-fiber vs. streaming electrons -- simply becomes moot. Silly, in fact.

Sure, I have a personal preference. I sit at a computer all day, editing, typesetting and laying out ad copy. When it comes time to read purely for fun and relaxation, you can keep your laptops and smart phones and Kindles and even new iPads. (Sacrilege from a Mac evangelist!) Words on paper are STILL easier to read, more convenient, more portable, more comfortable -- with no batteries required. So send me my SCR in print form, please; if you choose to forward .pdfs, I'm just going to print the pages out anyway. Works just fine for my twenty-odd-page e-mail-attached local monthly SubVet publication. BTW, said publication successfully includes little live video links exactly like the sort of thing JeffL speaks of, so I know this richer media environment is imminently do-able. Anyway, a printed publication is handy to take anywhere, and safe to refer to on the workbench. Would you really risk your pricey laptop or smart phone to the sharp tools and sawdust and solvents of your hobby table? I wouldn't.

Like I said though, a silly point at the moment.

Here's something not silly. WHY do I keep hearing references to some kind of perceived decline in the quality of SCR content? The magazine can only publish the material submitted to it. Complainers should be thinking twice unless they've sent in stuff that hasn't run yet. Besides, the overall article quality continues to impress! My only beef, if indeed I have one, is in missing the variety found in older issues. Looked at the masthead lately? It still says "The Magazine for the Submarine Enthusiast." When did so many members apparently decide this organization and its official publication shall only be devoted to R/C building concerns? I miss the submarine history articles and static modeling explorations when they are absent too long. Yes, I know I'm prejudiced, but I thought the inclusion of a certain well known submarine's life story in movie script form a few years back was a brilliant change of pace. Likewise for a more recent article about submarine-themed arcade games. Pure fun. Our group is supposed to be about All Things Submersible, right? I love such stuff and it's a big part of why I'm a member. I can't think I'm alone in this view. Actually, I know frequent contributor Tom Dougherty agrees with me here (his historical stuff is always SO good). I've actually made a personal attempt to bring sub historian Jim Christley back into the SCR fold as well. There's simply more to being a bonafide sub geek than R/C modeling -- and I say this as someone devoted to the R/C side of things too!

Anyway, so I can't be labeled the same sort of complainer I refer to above, my non-modeling article about the recent decommissioning of the USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) will be hitting LaRue's mailbox in a few days. It includes a sunset photo of the old girl which I believe worthy of a front cover. I remind you guys that I've also tried to bring some sub history back into the pages of the SCR in the guise of lengthy book reviews about subs and submariners of historical significance. I call this putting my money where my mouth is.

Another important topic mentioned early on but essentially ignored since: advertising. To increase SC revenues by attracting and holding more paying advertisers, the SCR does NOT need a dedicated advertising manager -- though admittedly such an individual would be a wonderfully helpful addition to the staff. No, to achieve advertising success the SCR must represent a good value to vendors. Right now it doesn't. Why? Because our membership is too small. To claim a decent return on their advertising investment, vendors must earn sales representing a viable percentage beyond ad costs. Obvious stuff, I realize. But to achieve this percentage, large numbers of "impressions" must be guaranteed by their ad dollars, large enough to assure specific sales levels. With only around 700 quarterly impressions worldwide via the current SCR readership, this is a tall order indeed. No wonder sub-related advertisers aren't flocking to us. (An SCR ad I created for SubmarineBooks.com some years back, for instance, brought in not one single sale, I was later told. Any guesses about whether the ad was run a second time?) Since our website is accessible to non-SC members as well as members, banner ads currently running there present a greater value to potential advertisers. Perhaps we should be trying to offer and run paid ads there of different sizes and types: more exposure for vendors, more kit and part availability info. for modelers -- definitely a win-win. I'm not advocating a lot of website clutter necessarily, only that we should be better at exploiting our strengths as a web destination.

But the above web discussion should actually be for another time and place. This thread is about our beloved magazine. As far as ads go in the SCR, my proposal is this: until or unless we can further grow our membership -- and readership -- to the point where the magazine represents a truly successful marketing tool for advertisers, we should be running "good faith" ads for free for any sub hobby-related vendor who's interested. Assuming eventual membership expansion, and likewise assuming gradually increasing vendor sales specifically driven by SCR print ads, we could at that point once again make charging for SCR ads a realistic enterprise.

Just one man's opinion. And that's more than enough for this time at bat.

Jeff Porteous

[pirate]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

To Jeff Porteous' point on the advertising—just to add some information to help with decisions whenever that time comes—once Wayne Frey stepped down as Advertising Editor, I launched a campaign to get some paid vendor adverts into the magazine. This effort was lead by sending out the following letter to roughly 20, of what I thought top on the mind, potential advertisers that could realistically see purchases made by our vendors. I ran a poll on this site of members on their annual hobby expenses for the last three years. From those that replied, I extrapolated an average value to apply to each member of the club, and used this total as a potential sales value to those vendors. As you can see, it is considerable, especially if just one vendor really committed and could take all that business.
But to no avail, there was not one response.

Then I followed up with phone calls, and could not get connected with anyone who was of a level to make any kind of decision (that means I got the run-around folks—they weren't interested).

So perhaps offering to run some vendors' ads for free to see if they get any hits, then ask them to pay for another ad after that may be a very good idea. I'd say run a vendor's ad for a year free, then see if they got results, then ask them to pay for another year. Until we can show some sales from our members we won't get any more paid advertising unless it's out of the goodness of their hearts, or pity.

Copy of the letter sent:
Dear Marketing/Sales Director,

I am the Managing Editor for a quarterly publication of the SubCommittee called The SubCommittee Report, The Magazine for the Submarine Enthusiast.

As the title says, the SubCommittee is an international group of submarine enthusiasts, but primarily radio-controlled submarine model enthusiasts, founded in the ‘80s. It is made up of over 800 members annually from the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Our members spend an average of $1,750 annually on hobby items and supplies with hobby companies like your own. Simple math determines that to be and average of $1.4 million.

The SubCommittee Report, published since April, 1990, is a high quality, 64-page plus cover, quarterly magazine sent out to all the members of the SubCommittee. Its goal is to report on SubCommittee club activities (like the SubCommittee 18th Annual International SubRegatta), model projects, new R/C technologies, How-To’s, real-life submarine news and new products of interest available to our members. Enclosed are a few copies for your review.

We are opening up The SubCommittee Report pages to advertising from hobby vendors generally considered outside the R/C submarine community—those who provide items other than just R/C submarine hull kits. I’d like to offer your company one of the first opportunities to capture this active-buying target audience. I’ve purchased items from your online store myself, and know other members do as well.

The SubCommittee Report goes out to a very specific target group, but one which spends a considerable amount more on their hobby than most hobbyists, and in general have more hobby interests besides R/C submarines. Many of our members came from the R/C plane and car genre, and continue to buy, build and run R/C planes and cars. Advertising in The SubCommittee Report is a wise business-decision to make for the potential return on investment, especially in this tough economic time when companies are trying to capture market share, as you would reach a focused but extremely active group of hobby buyers this way.

Since the R/C submarine hobby is not one that has a large R/C submarine industry behind it, our members develop and build much of what is used. This means they are not just buying kits, but buying all of the base materials and components that go into R/C submarine models and the technology, and the development process is continual, not just single kit purchases. Your advertising to them could open up great possibilities. Examples of the type of varied products our members purchase on a regular basis include, but are not limited to, the following:

• R/C Radios, Receivers and supplies
• R/C servos and accessories
• Electronic Speed Controls and BECs
• R/C Battery Packs and Accessories
• Battery chargers
• R/C boats and planes
• Model boats and planes
• Glues, epoxies, threadlock
• Props and accessories
• Resins and fiberglass
• Mold making and casting materials
• Solenoids, hoses, fittings, PVC and copper pipe
• Tools
• Hardware items
• Books and CD/DVDs
• more

In addition to the targeted reach of placing advertising in The SubCommittee Report, your company listing and Website link will also be placed on the SubCommittee website as a vendor for no additional charge. See http://www.SubCommittee.com. This is an online meeting place where SubCommittee members, and other modelers, visit to learn and keep up on the latest happenings in the hobby during the periods between magazine issue releases.

Enclosed is an Advertising Rate Schedule that includes placement deadlines.

Please contact me to place your company’s advertising in The SubCommittee Report, with any questions or comments. Thank you for your consideration.


Pete Piekarski
Managing Editor/Advertising Editor
The SubCommittee Report
editor@SubCommittee.com
260.602.1476

Enclosures: The SubCommittee Report—2 issues, Advertising Rate Schedule

[JWLaRue]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Jeff,

I absolutely agree that the first priority is to find a new Managing Editor. There are still SCRs to produce.

Then there is the conversation of a *possible or potential* change to the SCR occurs. These two subjects are somewhat intertwined since it is reasonable to assume that a change in the SCR would mean that the duties of the Managing Editor might change....could be easier...could be more difficult.

I for one, do not believe that the absence of a printed SCR means no SubCommittee. It would mean a different SubCommittee.....and whether that is a good thing or not is yet to be understood. But I do think that we need to have this conversation, especially since the majority of our new members come to us via the Internet and many are very much comfortable with non-print media.

Please keep the dialogue going!

-Jeff

[JWLaRue]

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Pete,

Excellent synopsis. The question of advertising is one that does always come up.....knowing what the latest effort and response was definitely is useful.

-Jeff