Bus Conversion Magazine Seeking Writers

[JeromeBettis]

Thank you for all the support and the advice that has been received following the change of ownership announcement.  We are listening to your suggestions on how to improve our magazine, 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. 

The success of this endeavor depends on many factors, one of which is the delivery of quality content, and I look to you, the reader, to help keep this magazine rolling along.

Additionally, if you know of a bus or bus nut that would be great to feature as the cover or centerfold, please let me know.

Feel free to contact me directly with your story ideas and/or contributions: chad@busconversions.com

The future is bright.  Come share in the glow.

Chad

[Busted Knuckle]

shucks if I only had something worth writing, and knew how to too!

Actually though I think it would be cool to do sort of a picture shot and story of all the "little rallys" as they happen.

Of course the larger rallys like Jack's would be feature material! With good stories about them it would encourage other bus nut folks to follow the boards or mags for upcoming rally/busnut gathering events! JMHOFWIW!
 BK  

[johns4104s]

I second publishing even the small rallys. That way we can go or read about them.

John

[RJ]

Chad -

You left out something in your request for writers, and that is:

For published articles - monetary compensation or byline only?

Might have an effect on your response.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[buswarrior]

Yes, gotta know how it'll screw up my other exclusive endorsements...

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Dreamscape]

I just don't get the need for compensation. It should be a pleasure to author a subject that is of interest to all bus conversion owners.

What would it gain?

Paul

[Jeremy]

I just don't get the need for compensation. It should be a pleasure to author a subject that is of interest to all bus conversion owners.

What would it gain?

Paul

I've thought about this at some length as I have written a lot for various newsletters and other volunteer-run publications in the past, including one where I had a monthly column. I was asked to write a piece for BCM, but on enquiring was told that 'payment' could go no further than possible free advertising space. This is fair enough to an extent, and I may yet take up the offer, but it prompted me to think about why I assumed a magazine would - and perhaps should - pay for contributions. I decided it was because the magazine was trying to make a profit out of my work.

The 'doing it for the benefit of the readers' argument is valid to an extent, and it is exactly why I have previously spent many hours of my life writing for those newsletters - but I don't really think a magazine run as a business should be using this 'amateur' methodology. I'm using amateur in it's strict sense here (ie. meaning 'not paid'), but of course the whole enterprise also inevitably becomes 'amateurish' (in the colloquial sense) if you go that route (peanuts and monkeys etc).

As a bus converter I do of course want BCM to thrive and prosper, but I can't help thinking that it's got a weak business model if it cannot afford to pay for the content around which the whole enterprise is based.

These are just my thoughts and opinions, and not intended to be a critiscism of anyone or anything. And subject to change in light of better arguements from somebody else. Also, I am only talking about the main feature articles here - short news items (such as rally reports etc) are obviously quite different in nature

Jeremy

[HighTechRedneck]

Jeremy makes an excellent point. We are a "for profit" business, even though in the recent past it hasn't been profitable and it will take us a little time to regain profitability.  We discussed the topic in our first "official" meeting and resolved to work towards compensating writers once the magazine is profitable.  We are hopeful to be able to launch such a program in 3-4 months.  Until then, we do appreciate contributed articles and will continue to offer advertising space in exchange.

[loosenut]

I just don't get the need for compensation. It should be a pleasure to author a subject that is of interest to all bus conversion owners.

What would it gain?

Paul

I've thought about this at some length as I have written a lot for various newsletters and other volunteer-run publications in the past, including one where I had a monthly column. I was asked to write a piece for BCM, but on enquiring was told that 'payment' could go no further than possible free advertising space...why I assumed a magazine would - and perhaps should - pay for contributions. I decided it was because the magazine was trying to make a profit out of my work.

The 'doing it for the benefit of the readers' argument is valid to an extent...- but I don't really think a magazine run as a business should be using this 'amateur' methodology. I'm using amateur in it's strict sense here (ie. meaning 'not paid'), but of course the whole enterprise also inevitably becomes 'amateurish' (in the colloquial sense) if you go that route (peanuts and monkeys etc).

Jeremy

Jeremy your points are excellent.  If I may add some nuance to the question of money.

From the magazine's point of view they should only pay for articles when they are not receiving enough quality content.  To pay when they have sufficient quality content isn't good business.  However, if BCM is after success it needs to be more than a curiosity where subscribers read the articles and not just drool over sexy centerfolds.  BCM will need to have more than thinly disguised PR or advertorials and that may take money even before profitability.

From the writer's point of view prestige is often more important than the specific money an article brings.  To become a guru in a field takes steady application and that is where magazines, podcasts, twitter reports etc. come to play.  With no pay there is leeway in how rough the article, the rights, even the number of slicks given magazine prints of the article.  Often articles are recycled by authors.  Once written it can resold to larger or smaller outlets depending on where it was first published.  If an author has enough paid work it doesn't make business sense other, as you commented, than charity to write for less than his going rate.

I completely agree that relying on charity is amateurish and BCM will not be able to last on charity.  It needs to work on increasing circulation with interesting articles to be able to increase the advertising rates to be able to improve the magazine to increase circulation, to attract interesting articles to increase advertising rates etc.  Only the owners can decide if they need/can afford to pay for articles before and after they are profitable. 

Jeremy, I enjoy your posts.

Mike

[John316]

Not to mention. These guys are picking up the shreds of Kadletz's business. He put stuff in the magazines, that we weren't pleased with, trimmed them down, empty articles, etc, etc. We were just about to call them and ask for a refund for our three year subscription, and if they wouldn't do that, to tell them to quit sending them, and keep the money.

We, of course, aren't going to do that now, because of the new ownership. I have liked, Mike, Jack, and Chad so far. They seem to be good guys.

My thoughts are that this is way, way to early to talk about money. Let them run for a while, accumulate some money, and grow the business a little. Why not? They are going to need every cent that they can get, for a little while, because the purchased (which is a good thing) a destroyed magazine.

I would be willing to write a series of articles for it, but I am completely buried under. I am not retired like a lot of you guys are .

God bless,

John

[MacGyver]

With all this talk about circulation, memberships and whatnot...

I can't help but notice that the driving force behind these aspects of any magazine is the interest the general public has in it to begin with...

CompuServe is a perfect example...  In it's heyday, it was *THE* #1 choice in online service offerings...  Yet, just recently, it was shut down because of lack of interest...  Why?  The Internet killed it.

This is an example where the Internet can help the overall business because of its wide audience, but it needs to be targeted to people interested in RVing in general, not just to bus converters...  After all, the people I've talked to with S&S's invariably say they'd prefer to have a bus conversion, but they bought the S&S because they thought buying the shell was in the hundreds of thousands of $$...  Most don't realize you can pick up a good shell for under $10k if you're willing to take the older buses...  In my opinion, the older ones have more class, but that's just my opinion.

But, regardless...  I've noticed that the busing community doesn't generally try to involve S&S owners, and in fact, seems to shun them because they have an S&S instead of a bus...  But, realistically, I'd bet that a LOT of those S&S owners would prefer the bus if they only knew how to go about finding one and then finding the information necessary on converting it (which is available here and the other sites the community visits)... 

Expand the overall interest of the group and you expand your viewership...  It's not fuzzy logic.

Just my opinion of the subject though.

-Mac

[kyle4501]

Motivation makes all the difference when you're writing an article.

For me, I wrote the articles just for the fun of it. Getting published & seeing my writings in print & hearing the positive feedback was a bonus.

But If I were to write an article for pay, that would be different.

If they're going to pay for articles, what are you thinking is a good rate?
For the pay to be sufficient motivation for me, it'd have to be considerable due to the time I put into them. The 2 that got published were printed as submitted with no editing. I spent lots of time polishing them & having them proof read. . . . . time = money. . . .


I would encourage those that can write a story & submit it just for the vanity of it.
To show their appreciation (& encourage that vanity  ), a token gift would be nice & these could range from:
- extra months on your subscription
- extra copies to show off your literary prowess
- a special bus conversion t-shirt that has to be earned, not bought
- a special license plate, coffee mug, etc. . . . .



Once things get rolling & profitable, remuneration can be reevaluated.


Concerning the audience, Mac has a good point about involving the S&S owners, my last rally had more S&S units than buses. So there is interest out there from non-bus RV'ers.
There is lots of overlap & it seems more are looking for good & in depth "how-to", or "how it works" articles vs. the dumbed down sales hype versions. I'd rather read articles written by peers, not from some marketing department or college professor.

[John316]

I really like the Tshirt idea. What about ball caps that are earned and that are not for sale???

God bless,

John

[MacGyver]

Actually, I think involving the S&S folks could be fairly simple...

The ones that show up at the rally's would be prime targets to bring into the fold...  Just ask them what interests them about the buses...  I've found that most of the folks I've talked to simply think doing a bus conversion means doing it 'hippy-style', i.e., skoolies...  They're always surprised when I tell them they can get a good highway coach for about the same price, but it's always a matter of use and practicality...

Anyone planning on actually CAMPING should stick with the skoolie conversion, they're better suited to back-woods roads because of their clearance and tire options...

But for those who just want to travel around (or make it their traveling home, like most of us...), a highway coach is the better choice.  Both are priced about the same for a good shell to start with...

Like, on the way back from Florida (and from MN with my 60 footer), whenever I'd stop somewhere for fuel or rest or to eat, I'd almost always get at LEAST one person asking about it...  The first question is usually along the lines of "how many people do ya have in the back"...  When I answer "None, it's a private coach and a rolling home.", I get the strangest looks and it's like a light bulb flickers in the back of their heads and the conversation goes on from there....  Next question is usually "How much did it cost?"  I usually ask them how much they THINK it cost to buy the shell...

Most first guesses are over $100,000...  They just about drop when I tell them I bought the coach for only $5k and want to know more about how to do it themselves, if it's easy to find coaches for that price, if it's difficult to actually do a conversion, what the overall costs are, what are the safety concerns vs S&S, and on and on... 

By the time the conversation ends, they usually end up saying they're going to look around and see if they can find a bus too!  It's always fun to show off the ride... 

Anyway, I just think, from a prospects perspective, the bus community overlooks a vast audience because we prefer not to associate with the owners of S&S rides...  It's a shame because most of the ones I've run into and talked to are almost always interested in knowing more about it... 

-Mac

[johns4104s]

I would say that the bus Conversion audience  is very limited, Therefore I am very happy that you guys are interested in keeping it going. More power to you if you can enlarge the size and make a profit. I have seen the magazine go to  very glossy rag that has very little content. Personally I would like to see the Road Fix articles back. With lots of how to content. I would like to see it be a cross between Georges old magazine (which was fabulous) and the BCM of today.

John