Article for the BCM mag???

[eddiepotts]

That would be cool if they would donate stuff and a lucky subscriber could win the product once a month. It could be something simple as an instant hot water heater from a full hook up article.

[boxcarOkie]

It appears that we seem to be holding BCM up to some imaginary higher standard here, which isn't really a level playing field to me.  BCM does a good job at what it does, and that is meeting the needs of a very small segment of the population that is into buses.  It is at best, a hobby magazine, dedicated to people who maintain, rebuild and enjoy old buses.

Nothing more.

Holding it up to mirror something like Marathon coach or someone with deep pockets (million dollar revenue from advertising and/or sales) isn't quite fair.  They are two distinct different animals, one is a throughly engineered and expensive piece of machinery, the other could possibly be an article on a guy overhauling a 4106 in his backyard shop which is as we all know .... another thing completely.

Personally, I think BCM is doing a super job. 

Sure there is room for improvement, but then again, "if everything in this world went the way I wanted it to go" it would be a pretty boring world.  I have in the past sent them emails and made suggestions and then later on, saw those suggestions incorporated into their format and working.

That tells me they are responsive to their readership and they are paying attention.  If content is so important to you, then maybe you ought to let them know about it.  Or better yet, submit your thoughts and/or story.

BCO

[luvrbus]

My point was Don most of the stuff has been covered over the years it is good for newer owners that some articles are written over not a problem for me,  some articles that are written now you need a degree in the subject to understand the articles.
My pet pea is someone wanting money to write a article to help somebody that doesn't work for me if you have something that helps others publish it (for free)
I have never written a article and don't plan on doing one either even when my bus was the center fold I gave the other Mike a little info and let him put the spin on it.
Only articles I got fed up with was the shrink running around in a nudist colony that did me in because there was no photos lol so I dropped the magazine for a couple of years, hell I even read your articles (just kidding) I did enjoy your article about the air bag as the guy that did it people just don't know what a talent and a great human being he is and very good friend.   
The guys here are doing a good job some articles I find interesting some I don't so I don't read those


good luck 

[eddiepotts]

Don't get me wrong I am not holding them to any standard. I am here offering ideas to make it better. It is a hobby magazine but with products that we use. I grantee you if there was a small magazine for just petunias around there would be a company out there that would write an article for a miracle grow and how to use it and want it published in the magazine. In my job I have people giving me books and pages of information on how to use their products and beg me to go to lunch with them just to give it to me everyday. We may be a small market but they have the information handy and would be happy to have someone get their information out. A bus is a bus if it is a Marathon or a home built pride and joy but when I see that sink that looks like a bowl in the Marathon I would bet the company that made the sink would love to be able to have BCM send me a full article on how easy it is to install and how to get it. The bottom line is it all fastens together and professional companies that already have the articles written BCM just needs to go get them with a way of making a profit. We know the magazine is here now it is time to let the suppliers know.

[luvrbus]

You can buy that bowl (Vessels )as you call it at any HD store that is were Marathon buys stuff like that nothing special

good luck

[eddiepotts]

True you can buy it anywhere but that is an example. It could be anything. Something even like the tile or the shower fixtures. I think when people read the easy side of doing half of what they see they would give it a try. Nobody wants to invest with out an understanding of how first. How many threads do we have on flooring here. What kind of glue for something that is not climate controlled or what is the best sub florring. What about changing a winshield. The gasket company would be glad to tell us how. If you have never done it it would seem scary and you may drive with a crack for years not knowing with a buddy and a twelve pack it could be done in an hour. The same things that you would ask here or do a yahoo search to get info on is what needs to have articles on. It's good to give info on what some people ask for but a true source of info will give you ideas of things you did not think you could do or think of.

[boxcarOkie]

Eddie, Mike Sullivan reads the board, perhaps he will see your input?  I use his email to send him stuff.  I have to agree with you Cliff, some of the articles are "over kill" and far too complicated or technical.  (Let's face it, there are only so many ways you can load a rocker switch, right?)  But that is the nature of the beast.  

Most of the time I rarely write anything that would fit into your parameters (helpful stuff) and what I do write that is "somewhat technical or in the how I did it venue" I willingly share and do not expect compensation.  I don't do much of it here or on The Bus Club (EI) anymore.

However  I do take issue with payment for technical articles being more than say for first person or humor.  I believe both involve work in the creative process and should be rewarded equally, BCM doesn't see it that way.  If someone writes an article that is to be published, he or she as the case might be, should be compensated, you don't work on buses in your shop for free, right?  Perhaps you occasionally do, but I still believe a wordsmith ought to be paid for his labors.

More than likely Daddy's Hobby (our bus) will never be a monthly centerfold, for a couple of reasons.  There are far better coaches out there that have more to share than I have.  I don't necessarily want to do all the work associated with getting it in there (IE:  History, photo's, laying it all out).  Last trip out, two truckers and one family in an automobile honked and gave me the thumbs up, that in itself, is good enuff for me.

The shrink thing was kind of like the nail in the coffin for me too.  When I came back this time, I coughed up a two year sub, I am all in as they say at the tables.  Paul did a good job on the air bag thing and I concur with everything you say about Sonnie.  He has done quality work on my coach in the past and we have become friends as an added bonus.  He is a good guy.  (I met him for breakfast not too long ago, and as I walked by his car, a hair piece in the front seat jumped up and barked at me!)

Later on this month I am going back down to see the progress on William's coach, he is doing a cracker-jack job on that old Eagle, let me tell you.

Later *

BCO

*  By the way, send me your contact info (ldsrr91@gmail.com) I have misplaced your telephone and all that.  In another sixty days we will be droppin off the hill at Kingman and headed to MP#1, ducking under the tracks, and headed your way.  We thought we might drop by and see you on our way to Las Vegas (going out there to visit our money) and The Van Man.

[luvrbus]

Man I missed the boat Don I had no idea you got paid to work on buses LOL all my broke @$# friends are like me no money not even a chicken to trade.
I really don't don't charge a 1/3 of what it would cost at a shop neither does Sonny we pay our power bill that is about it we do it for people we like and I can get him into some deals  but he enjoys helping people also sent you there LOL 

good luck

[Jeremy]

I don't know (and it's none of my business) whether BCM makes it's money from it's advertisers or it's readers. This may be hard to believe but I have personally spoken to magazine publishers who actively try to reduce the readership of their magazines, because the cost of printing more issues is greater than the income that they earn by selling them. All they want is sufficient circulation to maintain their advertising sales, and no more.

The reason why I mention this is to do with the idea of getting advertisers / manufacturers to sponsor features in the magazine. This is an attractive idea in principle, but it can quickly leads to a distortion of the content of the magazine, and ultimately it's whole purpose. Read any hot rod or custom bike magazine, for instance - every article is crammed full of placements for high-cost store-bought parts / accessories / tools etc. A 'budget' hot rod or bike in those magazines is one that cost $10,000 rather than $50,000; a typical project of the sort that appears in BCM would never be featured in those big-name magazines because it wouldn't help to sell thousands of dollars worth of the hardware being pedaled by the advertisers who are entirely responsible for keeping the magazine afloat.

If, as I hope, BCM's income comes mainly from the readers, then invest in well written, accurate articles that serve those reader's needs and therefore sell issues. And this, I contend, means that those articles have to be paid for - not (as I said before) because a paid writer is necessarily any better than an unpaid one - but because paying for something gives the publisher more choice (more authors willing to contribute), and more control over quality (if you're paying for something you can demand it's done right. If it's being provided free-of-charge it's very difficult to go back to the contributor and tell him to correct the mistakes and put more effort in).

Jeremy

[robertglines1]

I recently ran a subject on how to free stuck parts. Learned of two products I had not tried before. That info was great. I wonder how many Mag readers do not read the board?

[eddiepotts]

Verry true Jeremy. That is where the owners would have to decide what goes in to keep the magazine real and what they want it to be. I have no intrest in a glass dash but how to install an after market speedo would be perfect.

[Chopper Scott]

Man I missed the boat Don I had no idea you got paid to work on buses LOL all my broke @$# friends are like me no money not even a chicken to trade.
good luck

I'm stupid enough that I traded off 3 chickens for a dozen eggs!! Looked like a good deal for a couple days. 

[boxcarOkie]

The wife and I borrowed $15,000 to start up a chicken ranch in Gotebo, Oklahoma last year.  All of them died within the first week, so I went back to the banker and said to him .... "I need some more workin money for my chicken ranch."

And he said, "Why?"  

So I replied, "Wall, all them chickens, they went and died on me."

So he said to me ... "What do you suppose killed them?"

And I said ...... "Uh, I dunno, I think we might have planted them too deep."

BCO

(Still only ignored by four ... Incredible huh?)

[chev49]

the reason the professionals keep the rigs so long is they screw up the repair a few times before its fixed... at least that is the way it is with me and my friends shops...