Message from State:
After a month of rumours and speculation State Magazine is ready to announce its plans for the future. It is set to become the first Quality National Music Monthly available completely free of charge!
After only 6 issues the monthly magazine has already established its credentials as a vibrant and incisive publication with attention to detail, a design that is second to none and impeccable production values. In addition its sister website (www.state.ie) has proved itself constantly on top of its game with breaking news, interviews and reviews that keep it bang up to the moment and ahead of the pack.
With their publication now a recognised brand the minds behind State Magazine are determined to move things forwards, onwards and upwards.
Their first step will be the launch of a newly strengthened and emboldened website hosted at their usual address.
Meanwhile the published magazine will take a one-month break to restructure its production and distribution returning with a November issue at the beginning of October which will be distributed nationally and available free of charge!
“We have produced 6 issues the old fashioned way,” explains publisher Roger Woolman, “and we feel it’s time to make a change and communicate more directly with our current readers as well as making our journalism and photography available to an even wider audience.
“We will still be producing a magazine of the highest quality filled with impeccable journalism, exclusive photography and top-end design but we don’t want to restrict ourselves and our readers by relying on traditional methods of distribution and sales, so we’re going to try something new: a top quality music magazine for free!”
The magazine will initially be instantly available in Ireland’s main towns and cities but will also be available by post for no more than the real price of postage and packing to anyone who subscribes. And in an unprecedented move this subscription service will be available right around the world!
“The fact that our magazine is Irish doesn’t mean that only people living in Ireland want to read it,” Woolman commented. “Our readership will be as big and broad as we allow it to be and we want it to be worldwide!”
*ENDS*
State.ie
Interesting change. Clearly the price tag was too much, so it's easier to stuff it full of ads to cover costs and let it go fo frizzle. Should hit Analogue though, although there's no reason multiple national freesheets can't coincide (look at Dublin's freesheet culture; Totally Dublin, GCN, The Event Guide, Connected, the (late) Mongrel etc.)
As long as they get distribution right and a shed loads of advertising, it should float. The only problem being, of course, that nobody is buying print advertising at the moment. I
It will also probably mean (and I'm only going by my own experience of working for both freesheets and paid publications) crapper wages for the writers and photographers. And when you're not paying people properly, the quality slides, unless you have a whole bunch of enthusiastic, young journos will to work for less / nothing (hello Analgue) as opposed to a bunch of older, more experienced journos (hello State) who won't take paltry cheques when they can get better paid work elsewhere.
8 comments:
Does this just mean that it's not selling?
Personally I think Analogue is much better, simply because it's a lot more specialised, whereas State is far too wide ranging to appeal to any type of regular audience.
I could be wrong though.
'first Quality National Music Monthly available completely free of charge'
Great news (not that i minded paying for such a great mag) but does Analogue not count?
Actually, the impression I got from them was that the editing staff will cover a greater quantity of the writing and people like me might not get as many assignments. I think it's a good move- I can only assume they have good advertising already committed, and provided it circulates well they should continue to.
This is great for readers, but where will young journalists go when they've paid their dues writing for buttons or less?
@ dave: I would prefer reading articles by writers, not editors. BUt I guess really quality writing takes a back seat when you're giving something away for free.
@ d rock: Hotpress?
Well the editors are writers too...
@ dave: Yeah, but putting together the magazine is their priority. In very few publications to editors actually write copy, that's why I'd prefer to see dedicated writers brought in.
That's what makes the difference in music publications. It's not about information - people get most of their information on new bands / band news etc online - it should be about writing.
I don't think State can even assert an authority regarding its reviews, because it hasn't been around long enough to have a track record that would make people say "oh, I'll buy that album because I trust State's reviews" (although people might trust individual writers, like I'd trust what Nialler or Johnny Craig or Jim Carroll - or whoever I share opinions with - said was good, just because I trust their judgement. But that's about judgement and taste not writing. Even though they can write too, obviously.)
It has to be about the quality of writing.
If you're an editor of a publication, you won't be able to sacrifice huge tracts of time to go off and set about writing a quality piece that might involve extensive research, travel etc. (I'm not talking about interviews here, that for the most part are boring, and are so easy to knock out that they make up the bulk of music magazines which is really annoying because most of the time little thought goes into them.) They'd be too busy trying to get the publication out on the shelves.
I'm not saying the editorial staff in State can't write, but I'd like to see more adventurous and dedicated (as in soley) writers in all music publications, not just State. I don't think handing over the bulk of writing to editorial staff who already have loads of other responsibilities is the way to ensure that. That's why employing writers matters.
Ah, OK, I misunderstood. Yeah, well obviously I'm hoping they give as much work to dedicated writers as possible!
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