For 18 years Bus Conversions Magazine has been published by MAK Publishing. Then as the Internet became a major part of our lives, MAK set up this forum. Many bus nuts have relied on BCM and this forum for good information on how to accomplish various aspects of their conversion. As one of those bus nuts myself, I say thank you to Mike and Karen Kadletz and all the people that have been a part of MAK Publishing over the years.
Effective with the July issue, Bus Conversions Magazine and its online properties are owned and published by Bus Conversion Enterprises, Inc. We are still setting things up. We will have a new phone/fax numbers up and running within the next couple days. The new mailing address for all correspondence, subscriptions, advertising payments, etc. is:
Bus Conversion Enterprises, Inc.
1538 SE West Farms Road
Arcadia, FL 34266-9072
Checks should be made out to Bus Conversion Enterprises, Inc.
The Board of Directors are a familiar group - Mike Sullivan, Chad Laines and Phil Lyons. I will be leading the company as CEO/President. Each of us come from different backgrounds and bring our own unique talents to the company. But we all share a common vision for the company, magazine and online presence:
- Customer service will be the top priority. Phone calls will be answered live or messages answered promptly. Emails will be replied to in a timely fashion.
- We will work to ensure that the magazines get to each subscriber reliably. We will be taking steps to improve the reliability of magazine delivery. In the rare case that you don't get your copy, a phone call or email will bring one promptly.
- We plan to expand the magazine with more bus conversion content. Our goal is to restore it to 72 pages while maintaining quality. It will have more content and more photos.
This forum will of course continue to be maintained and its oversight will continue to be the responsibility of the moderating team.
We are looking for advertisers for the magazine and the web. As a bus nut, you regularly deal with businesses that could benefit from advertising that is focused on bus nuts. When you help us sign up a new advertiser, you will receive 10% of their first month advertising spend as a finder's fee.
When you talk to a potential advertiser, give them your forum user name as a referral code and ask them to mention it when enquiring. When they pay for their first ad, you will get 10% of what they pay for the first month. If more than one person refers an advertiser, the
one that the advertiser mentions is the one that will receive the finder's fee.
Exciting times are ahead for us all. Bus Conversions Magazine has been around for 18 years and seen great achievements. But the best is yet to come. We promise you that!
Congratulations Mike - that is exciting news and a grand adventure is ahead of you. Good luck.
Mike glad to see you guys take the magazine too make it better it was going downhill in a hurry and was on the way out.Who knows I may subscribe again I kind of miss it after 16 years. good luck
Congrats to all involved! I am looking forward to it.
Way to go guys! Looking forward to the new rag! I'm sure you guys have lots of ideas about what you want to do for improvement, just take it slow and easy as you build it back up to the premier bus conversion magazine. Looking forward to many articles that are of interest to us bus nuts and other enthusiasts.
Good Luck,
Paul
Good luck and may the mag prosper ;D
Skip
Quote from: HighTechRedneck
Customer service will be the top priority. Phone calls will be answered live or messages answered promptly.
In the rare case that you don't get your copy, a phone call or email will bring one promptly.
We are looking for advertisers for the magazine and the web. As a bus nut, you regularly deal with businesses that could benefit from advertising that is focused on bus nuts. When you help us sign up a new advertiser, you will receive 10% of their first month advertising spend as a finder's fee.
When you talk to a potential advertiser, give them your forum user name as a referral code and ask them to mention it when enquiring. When they pay for their first ad, you will get 10% of what they pay for the first month. If more than one person refers an advertiser, the one that the advertiser mentions is the one that will receive the finder's fee.
Exciting times are ahead for us all. Bus Conversions Magazine has been around for 18 years and seen great achievements. But the best is yet to come. We promise you that!
Mike that is awesome news!
Now I have a couple of things to point out!
1st It say's and I Quote;
"Customer service will be the top priority. Phone calls will be answered live or messages answered promptly.
In the rare case that you don't get your copy, a phone call or email will bring one promptly."
But I couldn't find any phone #!
I haven't been getting my magazines!
Opps I'll send a check right away to renew, since it expired some time ago! How much do I
spend, I mean send?
Speaking of spending. What if we are the one placing the ad? Do we still get the referral fee?
Honestly I might be interested and I do know of some others that will be too!
Good luck! And looking forward to my new magazine!
I'll be sitting by the mail box waiting on it! ;D BK ;D
Congratulations guys! I would like to subscribe. Please post a phone number for call ins.
Mike,
First, Congratulations on this new endeavour.
I look forward to the many changes and improvements.
I was one of many who did not renew or otherwise didn't subscribe due to poor customer service.
After reading about your high priority on customer service, I plan on restarting my subscription.
I strongly believe you should always give someone a fair chance, unless they prove you have misplaced your trust. I don't think I will be disappointed
Good Luck and Godspeed(especially on my delivery)(remember I am only 2 hours North ;D)
Cliff
Thanks for the enthusiastic response and votes of confidence folks!
We'll post the new phone numbers as soon as we have them set up.
Quote from: Busted Knuckle on June 19, 2009, 09:58:36 AM
Speaking of spending. What if we are the one placing the ad? Do we still get the referral fee?
Honestly I might be interested and I do know of some others that will be too!
Better yet, we are planning introductory specials on advertising.
And if you persuade your Mom and Dad to advertise with us, sure you can have the finder's fee.
Let the good times roll! ;D
I would also encourage people to start writing 'stories', 'road fixes', 'how I did that', etc to submit to the mag. Makes for more interesting reading & adds personality. ;D
Congratulations
I'm looking forward to the new day at BCM
Please no more articles about a shrink in a nudists colony good luck
Quote from: luvrbus on June 19, 2009, 11:07:32 AM
Please no more articles about a shrink in a nudists colony good luck
would "look how it shrunk at the nudist colony" be a better topic? Jes kidd'n! LOL!
(I'm sorry I had to do it before Cody could!)
;D BK ;D
My sincerest best wishes to both Mike and Karen and thanks for their years of help and assistance with the many phases of my own bus conversion.
I let my subscription lapse (purposefully) a few months ago, and will now seriously consider resubscribing to help the "new team" get off the ground.
Best wishes to the new Bus Conversion Enterprise team !!!
Chris
Well I hope the best for the mag and your endeavors being I never received the last 4 issues of my subscription period theres no reason to renew my subscription. I will be waiting to see how things progress then may subscribe again in the future.
LarryH
Yep Larry the guys have a lot of fences to repair I just hope they can do it ,like you I am going to wait and see. good luck
Quote from: luvrbus on June 19, 2009, 11:37:50 AM
Yep Larry the guys have a lot of fences to repair I just hope they can do it ,like you I am going to wait and see. good luck
I understand your sentiments, but don't be like my uncle who refused to water his peach tree after he planted it. He said he was going to wait to see how good the peaches were before he put forth any more effort on it.
It died before it could produce any fruit. . . . .
Sometimes you gotta take a chance on something. . . . .
There is definitely something to say about people who aren't afraid to take risks. The very best of luck.
Steve
Mike,
My most sincere best wishes for your success. Thanks for taking this project up.
Now, about the remainder of my ten year prepaid subscription.... ??? :o ;D ;D ;D
That was a joke, Get it? Humor, right? Not serious!
SkolB,
There is definitely something to say about people who aren't afraid to take risks.
That hasn't always worked out for me. I still agree with you so I am either a man of my convictions or thick skulled.
Good luck to all of you and may the Force be with us all.
John
Here's an idea. If someone finds an advertiser for you, pay them a finders fee (ie: commission) every month the ad runs, with no time limit. Maybe just 5%, but this gives the referrer an incentive to keep after the advertiser to continue running the ad forever. This model is used in the Internet world, for example, by Amazon. Amazon will pay site owners a commission for every sale that originates from a link on their site. There is no cap, and some people make a lot of money from these affiliate programs. You are selling a product just like Amazon, and I don't think it's unreasonable to pay a commission for your virtual sales force. I don't know anything about the magazine business, so maybe this idea of never ending commissions is not done. But times are tough for magazines, so maybe this idea would help even if it's not done generally.
Good luck. I've already prepaid a 3 year subscription when MAK wrote here that the magazine was up for sale. I always get my issues for some reason, so no improvement needed there for me.
Mike, Phil, & Chad,
I wish you guy's the best of luck with the magazine!
I wish I was able to jump in with you guy's but, I too maxed out with my current biz...
All in all, there couldn't be a better trio of CEO's to run this mag into the future. Mike, you are very talented and motovated to succeed. Phil, you are the
level headed tech guy that long deserves a controlling lead in this magazine.. Chad, from what I know of you, you are very motovated also, so keep the momentum
going with your editing skills. Look out folks, this team will do things in the best intrests of us. That's great for us members!
I think the best part of this news is that we are all on the LEVEL.... bus nuts catering to bus nuts! That's a recipe for success..
I'm proud to be a part of this team!
Nick-
O Fil,
Feil fre 2 col mi anda eye wil hellp u wit aniting eye caan... ;D
MooooOOOOooooooo
Niik
Mike, I really wish you the best.
I have been a subscriber almost from the beginning. Attended every Bus Conversion "rally" except Biloxi. It would be fun to have another Bus Conversion Rally. Quite a while ago, I volunteered to help when they were planning to one that never came to be. I would be glad to help again if you would like to think about it.
I have really enjoyed working with Chad on the last few articles. Have a big one just about ready to submit (multi-part series on thoughts about engine conversion).
But the big question is, what do we call this board now? We are so used to calling it the MAK board!
Jim
Quote from: rv_safetyman on June 19, 2009, 03:38:06 PM
But the big question is, what do we call this board now? We are so used to calling it the MAK board!
Jim
I think BCM board has a nice ring to it. :)
If you guys need articles relating to Eagles let me know. I have lots of time on my hands now that I'm one of the guys in the unemployment line! Chad has my contact information. Maybe if you had an Eagle Corner, MCI Corner, Prevost Corner, GMC Corner, etc. it might generate some input from those that have them, just a fleeting thought! ;D
Paul
Now every one TAKE THE RISK and subscribe on the strength of the new ownership. They will need to be able to show paid subscriptions to sell advertising, advertising income will help them product a larger and better product. All of us have taken much bigger risk or bought the wrong tool for the job. So, send them the money for a year's subscription now rather than wait for them to produce. But only subscribe if a live person answers the phone. Give them a chance< TAKE A CHANCE!!!
Art
Quote from: Nick Badame Refrig. Co. on June 19, 2009, 03:19:35 PM
O Fil,
Feil fre 2 col mi anda eye wil hellp u wit aniting eye caan... ;D
MooooOOOOooooooo
Niik
Ha Ha!! Thanks Nick !! I miss the MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO alsew - ei kneed halp spelingk
Again I appreciate all the confidence and support that is being expressed. I assure you, we will work very hard to provide service and quality that you will not regret. I also very much appreciate the point being made that we need the bus nut communities support to make this work. And I understand the skepticism of those who have doubts. One thing I am sure of, with the support of those who take the chance, we will build something that will impress even the cautious.
We have a temporary phone number set up for the moment, probably for about a week. Then we'll have a better system in place. The temporary number is (863)-558-5591.
We also have a toll free fax number set up already. It is 877-783-1667.
For now the online subscription system is set to take orders but require payment by check. Within a week we expect to have secure online credit card processing set up again.
For now through July 31st we are running a subscription special. 3 extra months free on all print subscriptions.
I too would like to thank everyone for the kind words of encouragement. It is humbling to hear the support - I know we will work very hard to earn and maintain your enthusiasm and confidence.
Thank you fellow busnuts!
Kind Regards, Phil
Mike,
Congrats! I look forward to the new mag. I'm sure there will be good reads and useful info. I wish you the best! :)
Rick
Mike and Karen,
Thank you so much for your hard work and a great mag and Bus board. My past hobbies have always been more hours at work, until I discovered and bought my first 4104, You guys and everyone on the boards have helped me though the good times and bad.
Mike Phil and Chad,
Congratulations on a great new adventure, I look forward as always to receiving the magazine, let me know the new add rates as I will soon be selling one of my 04,s.
Thanks
John
Congratulations ya'll on your endeavor!
Received my June issue yesterday and to be honest and blunt, I've received sale ads from the local grocery store that were thicker with more info! In fact it was so thin, the post office had to put it in a plastic bag to keep it from getting further damage as it was pretty mutilated from shipment!
Other than that, I look forward to my next issue and glad to see the mag move closer to home!
Some already knew this but that will be one of my only connections to bus converting in the near future!
Good luck in YOUR future...
Ace
Quote from: 1967_MCI5a on June 19, 2009, 01:31:18 PM
Here's an idea. If someone finds an advertiser for you, pay them a finders fee (ie: commission) every month the ad runs, with no time limit. Maybe just 5%, but this gives the referrer an incentive to keep after the advertiser to continue running the ad forever. This model is used in the Internet world, for example, by Amazon. Amazon will pay site owners a commission for every sale that originates from a link on their site. There is no cap, and some people make a lot of money from these affiliate programs. You are selling a product just like Amazon, and I don't think it's unreasonable to pay a commission for your virtual sales force. I don't know anything about the magazine business, so maybe this idea of never ending commissions is not done. But times are tough for magazines, so maybe this idea would help even if it's not done generally.
I like this one, dito for the wishes, I use to subscribe too but same as other......... sure will give a push to the new team.
About an option to read & save(on PC) the mag on line??
wrench
Good on all of you to have a kick at the can!
The hobby needs a reliable publication that will be worth buying in this internet age.
The old ways, banking heavily on reader loyalty and stupidity in the subscriber class that just keeps renewing for any old crap, will simply not do. There's enough RV magazines doing a poor job, we don't need another one.
Prove to me the worth of re-starting and continuing my subscription EVERY MONTH.
Be sure that the whole reading experience shows that the magazine is, first and foremost, for me, the reader, interested in technically superior and factual content.
Not so that you can go around bragging you run a magazine. Let your readers do that for you.
And do it profitably.
For you guys, on top of this free advice, I will subscribe once again to the magazine.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I am copying this post I put on the BNO board for the benefit of those who don't visit both boards:
QuoteThe July issue won't reflect much change as it was 95% done before the transition and at a financial net loss.
The expansion of the page count will take place incrementally as we regain subscriber/advertiser support. Adding 20 pages adds about $3000 to the cost per month. Our goal is to return it to 72 pages by the end of the year assuming we are successful at building the revenues to cover it. That will cost an extra $5000/month.
We are committed to making it a magazine bus nuts will want to read cover to cover and won't be able to do it in 20 minutes. I am confident that we will be able to do that. But it will take the confidence and support of the bus nut community. It will be a publication by bus nuts for bus nuts.
And I guarantee no more articles about nudists and such. Although it will continue to have a centerfold ;-) The main focus will be real world bus conversions by bus nuts. When there is an interesting development in the professional conversion/shell market, we may report it. But it won't be the focus of the magazine.
We will implement real world reviews of bus conversion related tools and products, espicially new ones. Tested and written by bus nuts.
We intend to focus heavily on "how to" technical articles.
And Fred, we will begin crediting any content taken from the forum. We have had positive feedback from some readers of the "forum sourced" content. You may be surprised (I know I was) how many subscribers don't read the forums. Some barely use the Internet at all.
We will be embracing the modern Internet as well with new features and enhancements of existing ones.
Make no mistake, we are doing this as a business and as such expect to profit. But a major part of our motivation to take such a risk was to ensure that an 18 year old magazine focused on bus conversion does not fade into history. Right now we are going to work our tails off for free to build it back up and make it something bus nuts will be eager to receive each month.
Thank you for your support. Great things are coming.
Quote from: Blacksheep on June 20, 2009, 04:51:45 AM
Some already knew this but that will be one of my only connections to bus converting in the near future!
Ace, Are you leaving us?
Quote from: wrench on June 20, 2009, 05:33:36 AM
I like this one, dito for the wishes, I use to subscribe too but same as other......... sure will give a push to the new team.
About an option to read & save(on PC) the mag on line??
There is a PDF version of the magazine. The subscription card posted shows that the PDF version will now be $10 less per year than a print subscription.
Okay, so I'm thinking the next question on everyone's mind is "are you going to honor the paid subscriptions etc left behind"?
I know I wasn't sure whether to subscribe to a paper copy or e copy, so I paid a $7 one time charge for a single paper copy and haven't received it yet.
Should we all start over or what is the thinking by the 'board'?
All existing subscriptions and orders will be honored.
Dave, I see that your order was for the May issue. Once we have the back issues in our hands (early-mid next week), we will get one in the mail to you.
Quote from: DaveG on June 20, 2009, 11:45:46 AM
Okay, so I'm thinking the next question on everyone's mind is "are you going to honor the paid subscriptions etc left behind"?
I know I wasn't sure whether to subscribe to a paper copy or e copy, so I paid a $7 one time charge for a single paper copy and haven't received it yet.
David,
Check your email, I sent you the April & May issue in the PDF internet version. Jack
This is very good news! I know I let my subscription lapse intentionally earlier this year.
Thanks for taking this on.
- John
i haven't been on much lately, no time. but i'm glad to read about the BCM ownership change. MAK did a nice job for a long time, sorry he's out of it. But i'm happy to see who's in charge now. you 3 will do a great job and if we were still going to stay in business, we'd advertise.
good luck, congrats, and let me know when my current subscription is ready to expire so i can renew without missing an issue.
Jack, got your email, I thought you were on vacation! Thanks.
HTRN, thanks...probably good news to those affected. And good business too.
Mike, isn't it fun to be in business and have all of the various input?
I just read the posts on BNO and you can see why your board is used much more heavily. They talk about board software, and then use a terrible old version that is a real pain to use. Several of us gave the boss our input and nothing changed.
You got your dose of comeuppance by the boss, as several of us have. Please do not go in that direction on this board.
I would love to say a bunch more, but I would be kicked off that board again.
Don't let them get you down. A bunch of us will work with you to make your project work.
Jim
Jim, I really think you are out of character with your post I know you and Ian have had spats over the years with the advertisement issues.
Please let us not start bashing other boards looking back I am sure Mike regrets not giving Ian the professional courtesy of asking before posting.
If you remember not long ago before Phil came into the picture this was undoubtedly the worst board on the net because Mike would not upgrade it and thanks to these guys it is now a first class board.
These guys have their work cut out for them trying to bring new life into a magazine that is in the same shape as the board was a few years back.
good luck and will see you Kansas I hope
Well, I went to BNO and read the thread. It's been so long since I've been on BNO, I actually had to google it to find the url. After reading that thread, and all the responses to your post, I remembered why it's been so long. Some things never change. He was a jackass when I got into bus conversions, and he's still a jackass. I killed the window and came back to this board where the contributors are knowledgeable and friendly, and the moderators show respect for their members.
Thanks all. I'm considering whether I will re-subscribe. My subscription expired without receiving a renewal notification, and I had decided not to renew it. I may change that
when I see more details on the new subscription and magazine improvements.
I like the ambiance of this board the best of all the ones I visit. I find it interesting reading different boards & seeing how some post differently in different forums. (one poster will ask questions here to fix his problems, but on another board he bashes this one. . . . go figure. )
Some think everyone is on-line & printed media is obsolete. I disagree, there is something about having the hard copy in your hands.
Some look at the magazine as only a tool to be used during the conversion that isn't needed once you're done.
I suppose that will be true if the content is only about the conversion process.
Road fixes are GREAT sources of inspiration that all may not be lost if the bus misbehaves, & calling a tow isn't your only recourse.
But what about the enthusiast that likes to read about what other like minded people are doing once the conversion is finished?
Why not have an article or two to attract the 'disinterested in mechanics' spouse to browse between the covers?
You cant please everyone all the time. Sometimes, a reader will have to skip over the articles they aren't interested in. I think those 'booring' articles (like those about painted nails & nudist) are needed to add depth & color to the hobby. Seeing how others actually use their coach helps sort thru all the available choices.
I'd like to see more articles covering a broader range of topics than just how to convert.
Sometimes a write up on what to expect on certain routes would be nice.
I'd rather read a campground review from a busnut perspective than the same ole same ole from good sam.
My take on having a web content column is to keep it & include the screen name of the poster (If you are one of those that reads all the postings, simply skip that column ;D). There are lots in this hobby that don't read all the topics. There are even some that don't do the internet at all. Then there is the advantage of having a concise thread without the tangents that sometimes hijack a thought. . . .
A printed magazine is nice to hold in your hand, sometimes I don't want to turn on the computer or I can't get on-line . . . .
Ian did address some points that need to be carefully considered (not dismissed due to arrogance percieved or otherwise) to strengthen your new venture.
If his comment were true that 30 day old postings aren't talked about, then why do some things keep poping up again & again? Some things need to be looked at after some time has passed to see how the idea worked out. Then some of us have short attention spans . . . . .
Oh look, something shiney . . .
Mike,
I went to BNO to see what happened. My thought??? They need to get off of their high horse. They all need to take a nice long swim in some cool water. I am not sure what their problems are?!? I had thought about registering over there, but that sealed my decision against posting over there. I can go elsewhere is I want to hear people griping...
Sheesh.
I hope that you guys make a successful go of it. I wish you the best.
God bless,
John
I can't even begin to express how much the support of this community means to us as we go into this. And some really great suggestions have been made. I hope many more will join in with what they would like to see in the magazine and online.
Regarding the BNO thread, it would have been more appropriate for me to clear the post with Ian first and I sincerely apologized for that breach of etiquette. I respect Ian for his support of the bus nut community and what he has built and maintained for it. Both boards are valuable assets to the bus nut world and I hope both will always be successful.
I have always been proud to be a part of this forum and am glad that others take pride in it too. As a newbie I chose this forum to participate in/grow in because I too like the ambiance we have here and I have always been comfortable here. But what suits one person or group of people, may not please others. It is good that both boards exist (and all the specialized ones). It is all about bus nuts helping each other and that is always a good thing.
We will work hard to make the magazine and the online presence to be the best for you guys and gals and I am sure Ian will do the same with his. But in truth, it is you, the bus nuts, that make the community so amazing. Thank you all! (or in my native dialect - Thanks y'all!)
Mike,
Good for you for saying that you should have cleared the post with Ian first (that shows that you have a great heart). I still think that he has some issues. I thought that your post was perfectly inline (course I am not him). He sure doesn't have to worry about me darkening his doors over there.
I am looking forward to the new magazine.
God bless,
John
I'll add my best wishes again for you guys.
I am with Kyle. I like the "hard copy" best. A while back Mike K asked for some help and advised that his expenses were getting out of hand. I thought that converting my subscription to "electronic" might be of help so I asked him to do that. I don't know what printing costs are but you guys certainly must have a per issue cost nailed down. So, here is how I see this: When you bid for the mag. you added up all the outstanding debt. There in the grass was my subscription for X months and the cost of providing it to me got factored into the equation. MY choices are over this thing. BUT! Always a BUT. I want to get back to the hard copy. You don't owe me the added cost of providing that. So, how about billing me for my "upgrade" to hard copy and I be happy(er). ;D
Question: I asked Mike K this and got no response...Can I have the subscription delivered both ways? I don't know what it costs to trans the thing "electronic like" but it can't be much....he said without a clue. :P So, once I get readmitted to the hardcopy crowd what would be my additional charge?
IDEA: Sell back issues of the mag on CD in one year chunks. The text part of the mag MUST be in a electronic file someplace, right? Famous last words, those. Skip the adds cause they already got the press they paid for and not to be mean. Might be a contract thing there though....don't have even an inkling...
And again, good luck,
John
Back issues on CD complete & intact with all add copy is an interesting idea. I like seeing old add copy, sometimes sparks an idea. . .
That could be an additional carrot to advertisers too.
Would need to address the issue of protecting your intellectual property from mass copyright infringement tho . . . .
It would be sort of like getting a favorite TV series on disk.
Quote from: gumpy on June 22, 2009, 08:52:52 AM
Well, I went to BNO and read the thread. It's been so long since I've been on BNO, I actually had to google it to find the url. After reading that thread, and all the responses to your post, I remembered why it's been so long. Some things never change. He was a jackass when I got into bus conversions, and he's still a jackass. I killed the window and came back to this board where the contributors are knowledgeable and friendly, and the moderators show respect for their members.
What Craig said except that I have BNO bookmarked so I don't have to google to find it. When Ian boasts about how many registered users he has I have to wonder how many more there are like me who would happily delete our registration if his antique software allowed us to do so.
You didn't owe anybody an apology Mike but when the dust settled it was you who came off looking presidential. Good on ya guy.
Mike,
What Kyle said. Better idea than mine. I didn't think that the entire pages would be digitized, including art work and adds but on second thought it must also be somewhere cause they transmit the mag to the printer. Thanks Kyle. My idea was meaner though so shouldn't I get credit for that. ::) Maybe we could develop a point demerit system to keep track. Expiring minds want to....keep track.
John
Mike.
I'm a Newbie but I've read hundreds maybe thousands of posts in the last few months. I've read enough from this board and the RTS board to know a you're a stand up guy. I don't know what went on at some other board but I can say I'm glad you're involved in heading up this one.
I'm with some of the other guys, I prefer the hard copy for the magazine. I like to revisit articles and internet is not always possible. Besides, the laptop is not exactly "throne" friendly.
Rick
Clifford, you are correct, it probably does sound out of character for me.
I have been dealing with a couple of non-bus boards where the moderator acts like God. Indeed, one of the Eagle Yahoo groups is run that way. I am human and this kind of attitude/treatment just sets me off!!!! >:( >:( >:(
I have seen the boss man dump on a bunch of folks, and I did not think that Mike needed to be dumped on -- no matter how the situation was handled.
I don't want to start a dump on BNO, but I need for Mike to understand that he is not being singled out for being taken to the woodshed.
Yes, we plan on being at both of the remaining Eagle rallies.
Jim
I no longer have a bus (BIG MISTAKE), but I will resubscribe if only to support you guys.
A couple of suggestions;
Please don't print manufacturers news releases and treat them as articles. Please don't reprint last years stories without noting it.
While I love seeing what the "stars" here have done, Nick, Jack, Ace and others, I would also like to see the unfinished works in progress, the "tin tents", the "Design on a Dime" conversions.
How about the best low dollar conversions?
I mean no offense to you guys who have the check books and wherewithal to build the great conversions, but I would like to see the ingenuity of the guys and gals who don't.
I always loved the Road Fix type stories.
As for the magazine, I wish you all the best, though I can't imagine how you can turn it around. It is a very tiny niche market and most everything new that can be said has been said. Take a look at Issue 1, Volume one. It was printed on the cheapest newspaper stock and had very amateurly written articles. We were SO EXITED, couldn't wait for the next issue.
Best wishes on this venture.
I'm wondering what the incentives will be for members to contribute articles to the publication? There are many people on this board who have something they could contribute, but in the past, there was really no incentive to write that article. You've talked about sharing the add revenues. What about the article writers (or did I miss that in previous posts)?
Here's a thought,
To start with, if an article is printed, let the author choose between extra copies of that issue, or extra months added to their subscription.
Later on, once the magazine is back on track, the incentives could improve.
As for those that think it has all been covered, I beg to differ. I don't want a early 80's conversion. :o ::)
I'd prefer the mid 50's look. ;)
I was thinking a year's subscription extension.
That's $36 (by my last account of subscription prices). A mere pittance considering what large magazines pay for articles, and realizing the low profitability potential of this one. Plus, the contributor would technically be getting compensation for a whole year :)
Just a thought.
Hi Folks,
One of my ideas for the magazine is to have a few members be followed through their entire conversion.
Like having monthly progress reports with updated pictures as their conversion evolves into their dream..
I think this would be a very popular section of the mag. Most likely even better then being a centerfold!
Nick-
One more thing..
The one great value this company has is the very good traffic on this BBS. Mike needs to make this magazine work with our help.
He has invested all his time and I'm sure $$ too, to share his passion about this hobby with us.
I think he needs to attract major advertizers and the only real value they would like in these hard times is to advertize on the BBS
where they know they would be seen and get a return on their investment.
If you guys can deal with having ads on the top of the pages, it would be a giant help to Mike..... I know I will adjust to help him out!
It's for a good cause and I want this site to always be here and free for us to use.
Hoping you guys will understand
Nick-
I for one would not mind sharing my build ,And boy this would be right from square one .The new engine awaits ,I my self believe that it would benefit those coming in to the hobby behind me.
I like this sharing thing with like minded(also nuts)folk,and as said in another post,would like to see the mag become a premium first rate item(we do need one badly),support American when possible ,I always do.
Pretty cool when you can go on a board and Get (free)the answers to your ?s ,sell (free)yer stuff,stay in touch,stay in tune,sharpen yer wits(if ya got any left ;D),I've lost mind in the confusion,coarse I'm only here for the free adult beverages ;),waiting... LOL.I'll share my story,if it helps you out ,no compensation required.
P.S,don't forget the Heineken ::)
Nick,
If adds at the top of the pages helps, so be it! Why should it bother anyone? We can all benefit from a good magazine.
Following a few members through their conversions is a great idea! Kinda like "This Old House" does with their projects. That could attract advertisers and increase subscriptions too.
I'm just starting my conversion and would love to follow along as other buses are being converted. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures with thorough description would make each copy a must have for the guy converting or the guy just thinking about it. I think the mag will also help those intimidated by the conversion process and are still sitting on the fence instead of jumping in.
I agree with Van,
Quote from: van on June 22, 2009, 09:08:08 PM
I like this sharing thing with like minded(also nuts)folk,and as said in another post,would like to see the mag become a premium first rate item(we do need one badly),support American when possible ,I always do.
Pretty cool when you can go on a board and Get (free)the answers to your ?s ,sell (free)yer stuff,stay in touch,stay in tune,sharpen yer wits(if ya got any left ;D) ::)
Rick
Rick wrote: Kinda like "This Old House" does with their projects.
Rick,
The PO of my coach actually wrote three articles for BCM and they were titled "This Ole Bus"
He never actuallly started the conversion, but put out a lot of his idea's.
I had actually thought of writing an update to it.......
Maybe someday...
Cliff
Cliff,
I really think it'll draw readers and subscribers alike.
A follow up or update is good idea.
Rick
Quote from: JohnEd on June 22, 2009, 10:22:30 AM
Question: I asked Mike K this and got no response...Can I have the subscription delivered both ways? I don't know what it costs to trans the thing "electronic like" but it can't be much....he said without a clue. :P So, once I get readmitted to the hardcopy crowd what would be my additional charge?
John
John, I'll have to look up your subscription when we have the subscription database in our hands (next couple days) to see how many issues are left on your subscription. The print edition is $10/year more than the email/online version. So it would be a prorated amount off of that depending on how many issues left on the subscription. I'll drop you an email once I have the subscription database in my hands.
The current subscription process does have an option for getting it both ways for $20 extra. But in the last 6 months, nobody that has used the online subscription system has chosen that option. Quite a few have gone email/online only, but most still choose print. (Says something about print still having an audience doesn't it?) With that in mind we will be reviewing the rate for the dual option. I will announce the dual option rate when we make a decision on it.
Nick,
I am fine with ads appearing here on the BBS. In fact, I think it's fine to sell classified ads that will run right here in this section of the bbs. When the ads are on a special ad section like they are now, nobody will see them unless they are looking to buy something. But a main idea of advertising is to get people to buy stuff when they didn't know they needed anything.
The paid ads could be marked as such, or color coded perhaps. We all already deal with zillions of ads in our email boxes, so seeing even a large number of ads here in the forum won't kill us. And it could help the financial situation for the magazine quite a bit.
Just to be clear, I am fine with ads running all mixed in with the regular posts. Banner display ads are OK as well, but I would limit them to a certain place on the page, and not have too many of them per page. For an example of how one very popular tech blog handles ads, check out TechCrunch.com. They devote fully the right third of the screen to display ads. TechCrunch makes hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars a year on these ads. I actually think the number is in the millions now.
I read this forum every day of the year, and I would never cut back just because of ads. Every newspaper and magazine I read is filled with ads, and that does not limit my interest at all. In fact, in our hobby, ads are content I am interested in. I learn from ads, and even like ads, particularly classified ads where there is a real deal to be had perhaps.
Hope this helps.
I am fine with banner ads. Over at BNO, I often click through a few ads just to bring Ian a few pennies.
National Bus Trader offers four free sample issues on request, might be a good way to attract some new blood. Also, some complimentary copies to bus dealers who sell shells (by the seashore?).
Thank you for all the support and the advice. We are listening and more importantly reacting.
I respect the passion and expertise that flows through the BCM bulletin board. As it relates to content, I am always looking for bus nuts to profile, technical pieces, and of course, a monthly centerfold.
Feel free to contact me directly with your story ideas or contributions: chad@busconversions.com
The future is bright. Come share in the glow.
Chad
On the front page of busconversions.com there is a button labeled 'magazine' in the upper left.
The first drop down element of this button reads 'view sample'. When one clicks this, there is a message that reads 'To Do: Create Sample Magazine Page'.
I suggest that you're missing a prime sales opportunity here. I think you should put an entire issue on this link, as if the whole issued were scanned front to back, with all the ads just as they appear. I haven't seen the PDF version of the magazine, but maybe that is already perfect.
In fact, I would put half a dozen issues online, and rotate which issues are available for free, with no warning, to keep people coming back to the site on the chance they'll get a free issue. I would also go way back into the archives for this project. The issues from 5 years ago are still great reading and very helpful to an enthusiast. I never throw out my issues, and I do read them years later for fun. I've only been a bus nut since 2001 or so, so I've never seen the issues from 10 or 17 years ago, but would love to. While you may not have every right to publish them, I really doubt anyone is going to sue you, and in fact, I think many would be flattered their work was still viewed as interesting. To keep your back issue revenue coming in, you could limit the free issues to no more than 10% of the back catalog, for example. How big is your back issue business anyway? 1% or less of revenue? Maybe the entire back catalog should be made available online for a flat fee of say $99. I think you can buy the entire back catalog of the New Yorker for a couple of hundred dollars, and that comes out weekly. Perhaps put a one year blackout of the most recent issues for the back catalog library so as to not kill current subscription revenue.
Perhaps you could look at your back issue sales history to determine how many people have ordered over $99 of back issues ever. I suspect it's fewer than 100 total. I am just guessing, and I mean no offense if I'm way off. I only write to offer helpful suggestions to both make a profit for you and to enlarge the number of active bus nuts, which I think will happen with good affordable access to quality information about the hobby.
I think a scan of the really old issues is fine. Look at how well Google has done with scanning old books. Hmmm, maybe they will scan all the magazines of the world once they've finished all the books. So Google may do this for you anyway, so why not beat them to it.
Hope this helps.
a thank you to mike kadletz
i have been a subscriber to bus conversion mag since 1994, and i still have every copy of the magazine published since then.
i think that in all that time i may have had three issues really late that i had to call about.
i have bought parts from mike, bummed free advice, and swapped the odd tale.
i probably never would have built my rig had it not been for mike's magazine
thanks for all the help and ideas over the yaers ,also good luck and smooth going to the new guys,
george kormendy aka "silverbusman"
Mike,
Thanks for getting back to me about getting the BCM in BOTH hard copy and electronic.
I have another similar idea along those lines. I have all my electronic copies backed up and safe....sure I do. :P ::) When I start traveling full time for extended periods I will not want to either lug all the mags with me or wait for them to catch up with me as they come out. Only electronics meets my needs at that time. Still, I want my cake and eat it too. Can you "hold" our copies for mailing at a later date. I think that would be a additional admin burden for you till you get the mailing system sorted out. I can say that after that it would be a snap cause I don't do the snap'n.
Also....can we have access to the electronics copies that we have purchased in that format?
Also....will you sell us access to back issues in the electronic format? They go back to 94 or so and I think a lot of people would enjoy looking at the old stuff. I would pay for that. I don't know how you are policing the illicit "sharing" of the current electronic version(EV) but if you can do that with current issues you should be able to do it for history. Easy for me to say....I'm sure.
I guess it would be a way for us to pay as we go. Most here are so inclined, anyway.
John
A clarification. Several people have contacted me after noticing the new address for Bus Conversions Magazine seemed very familiar to them. Yes, it is our address. No, I am not a new owner of Bus Conversions Magazine. One of the new owners is staying at our place and I told him he was welcome to use our address. I just wanted to do whatever I could to help the magazine.
As far as getting paid for writing articles, it would be nice, but for a magazine with such a small subscriber base, this may be diffficult. Perhaps, I look at it differently, but I feel my articles, hopefully, help other busnuts and that is enough payment for me. If someone approaches me at a rally or emails me, or calls me for help, I do not expect to be paid, so why should I expect to be paid for helping by writing instead of talking? Just my thoughts, your opinion may very. Jack
I agree with jack, my feelings are that the bus community is small, for the most part we are average people with average pockets and a love of buses that often exceeds our financial ability to sustain it. In this community we have electrical gurus, mechanical gurus, gurus of every sort, I still believe in a perfect world where everyone pitched in and helped everyone else and based on that, I've added sawdust to the carpeting of many buses over the last few years and charged a cup of coffee, maybe 2 cups if i had a surge of greed at the time. I've had other people break out a wrench and twist it on the nuts and bolts of my bus and when I've offered money they asked for a cup of coffee and the cycle continues, this to me is the perfect world, where busnuts help other busnuts.
Thanks for this information............we are going to make an announcement at our Bus N USA rally......
Infinity,
I learned recently that you guys at BUS N USA got connected with Jack to help with Insurance for his Fla event. Pretty reliable source related that story but I didn't pick up on all the details so they aren't liable. Seems that insurance is the real buggar in anything that is public and Jack was priced out of putting on his event in that regard. I wish I had specifics but I am sure they don't matter at this point. You guys, FMCA/BUSN, arranged that he be affiliated to allow his access to the insurance plan that covers your operation. I am not a plank owner in this BCM Forum and I had no idea of how "close" we were with you and how much you have helped in the past. I wonder that others as new as I, or as unconscious, are unaware of all the friends we have out there and the unsung assistance they have provided or our mutual history. I appreciate the assistance you guys have provided to our member Mac with his fire tragedy and getting relief to him. I hope this post serves to get a little more of your "light" out from under that bushel.
United in separate but common purpose is better for all....its even in our name.
Thank you all very much and I hope we, as a group, can reciprocate.
John
JohnEd,
After our first 2 Bussin' rallies, we realized that we needed liability insurance (thanks, Alan for the reminder). At that time CCEA (Converted Coaches of the Eastern Area) agreed to sponsor the rally, so we would be covered under the FMCA chapter rally policy. CCEA continued to sponsor our rally until a couple years ago when it was mutually agreed to that SE Cruisers chapter of FMCA become the sponsoring chapter. SE Cruisers continues to be the sponsoring chapter.
Several years ago, prior to the first Bussin' USA rally, Dennis Gregory & Bob Lewis (Infinity Coach) attended our rally. I sat with them and explained how we did our Bussin' rallies and gave them a few tips and warnings. They took it from there, and Bussin' USA has become a great rally. Jack
Jack,
Thanks for sharing that history. Relationships and mutual assist go back a lot further than we imagine. Nice tradition of coop.
Thanks,
John
Hi;
Good news. I agree with luverbus, that I sort of miss the magazine
after 12yrs. When is the first issue? Will you have subscription
info? I would like to subscribe and check out the new BCM.
Thanks, Merle.
Quote from: ol713 on June 26, 2009, 04:52:34 PM
Hi;
Good news. I agree with luverbus, that I sort of miss the magazine
after 12yrs. When is the first issue? Will you have subscription
info? I would like to subscribe and check out the new BCM.
Thanks, Merle.
It is still in print every month. It is $38/yr for U.S. Delivery. That includes the print edition and access to the online edition. And we are running an introductory special right now. Order 1 year or more subscription and get an extra 3 months free.
There are several ways you can subscribe:
- Call me at 863-558-5591
- Fill in and fax the card below to 877-783-1667 (toll free)
- Fill in the card and mail it to:
Bus Conversion Enterprises, Inc.
1538 SE West Farms Road
Arcadia, FL 34266-9072
Within a week we'll have the online system accepting credit cards again. It is currently set to do the subscription with payment by mail. But it seems to be choking on that payment method (it wasn't really designed for it) and has resulted in some blank page type errors.
I did my part I resubscribed! Did you get the check? I been sitting by the mail box looking for it, like a puppy waiting for it's young master to come home on the school bus! LOL! ;D BK ;D
;D PS let me know if the check ain't no good & I send another'n jest like it! ;D lol!
Bryce, I got it a couple days ago and banked it today. They held a light up to it and frowned, but they took it. ;D Just kidding. All is fine and we will start you off with the July issue.
Will the online version be available to us cheapskates with the perscriptions soon?
Yup. Phil and I are working out how copy the forum login over to the subscription system so that all forum members have access to the free section (once it has content), and forum members with print subscriptions will have access to the online magazine using their forum user name/password. There is a technical difference between the two systems that is posing a challenge.
Cody, and any other print subscriber, what I can do currently is set you up with access using any username/password you provide me via email or PM.
Hey BK I'll take yours for 1/2 price ,when yer done wit um ;D
Poor man with a poor dollar :-*
Quote from: van
Hey BK I'll take yours for 1/2 price ,when yer done wit um ;D
Poor man with a poor dollar :-*
Oh Van,
if you only knew! LOL! Just ask those who know me (Cody, Libby, Cat, Dallas, Mike, Jay, Charley, Brian {all of them}, Craig, Gary & Linda, Uncle Ned & Wilma, Jerry & Linda, and the many more who have been here that I just don't have time to list! LOL)
I NEVER throw ANYTHING AWAY! LOL! ;D BK ;D
PS still sitting by the mail box!
I'm new enough to the addiction that I came on board during a lot of controversy about the board and mag. I opted to see how things shook out before I subscribed.
After Reading the discussion I went ahead and took the plunge as well. I'll be waiting fer my Aug issue.
Thanks guys for taking a shot at keeping such a good resource available!
BK, I think if your first copy is not there when its time for you to go on your next trip, just pull the mail box out of the ground and take it with you on the bus. That way when it comes you'll get it before you even get back home LOL
WVaNative
I wish you guys all the best and know it will be a great success. I have been subscribing for many years, its been the best magazine available, i always look forward to receiving it.
John
Update on phone number. We got our new permanent phone and weren't able to port the temporary number. So here is the permanent phone number - 863-303-4008.
It is 863. In the future we will add a toll free number. But for now, it is just a standard number. When we do, this number will still be here for local and intl. calls.