Thursday, August 21, 2008

BoSacks Readers Speak Out: Finally Some Uplifting News


I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought: What the hell good would that do?
Ronnie Shakes

BoSacks Readers Speak Out: Finally Some Uplifting News
RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
For me, some of the news is a downer because many people do not read between the lines. Because many companies that I work with and for react to the news, instead of trying to understand it and then see what positives they can take out of it.

I see a lot of companies with their heads in the sand. Or, conversely, I see companies that are running around like Chicken Little declaring that the sky is falling.

It's not, but if you don't watch out, you'll trip and fall.

What I am doing today is remarkably different from what I did 5 or 10 or even 15 years ago. That excites the heck out me. I love the research capabilities that are available and I love being able to work the data to reveal proper interpretations. I love the presentation capabilities I have now.

On the other hand, the thing that I miss is the independent thought and engagement I used to have. I used to be able to sell. I used to be able to persuade. I used to be able to call on experienced people who looked at data and made an "educated' decision (sometimes the wrong one). I used to have long standing, long nurtured business relationships. Now I call on educated people who can't or won't make a decision because all of the decision making has been taken out of the process. There is no selling.

However, there are accountants and MBA's, but we've already talked about them.
(Submitted by a Vic e President, Circulation)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
Bo: I agree with your sentiments and as one who "publishes" a news briefing daily, I share your struggles to find positive news about our industry. My focus is on the paper industry, however, I also include news pertaining to the many end users of paper, print and packaging. Our industries will only prosper if the folks earning a living from them make the conscious decisions to be informed and to become part of the solution.
(Submitted by a Paper Person)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
Bob - you are reporting on the state of our industry and the tangential factors that impact it as well. For any subscriber to perceive your reporting as too much bad news, they are not looking at the information in an intelligent way, nor are they perceiving the value of the news that you report. I find the BoSacks reports to be vital to how I do business today and how I plan for tomorrow. Keep them coming Bob, don't let the "doom viewers" bring you down!!
(Submitted by a Senior Industry Consultant)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
Bob - Since you asked: Ten years ago I was blissfully enjoying being a print publisher. Five years ago I thought I knew how to cross the Web/print divide. Today I'm thrashing around, thinking 'Damn, I used to be good at this stuff. What happened?'

Today I'm finding the biggest challenges are not coming up with creative and interesting ideas for Web properties, but in getting consensus for these ideas among our staff and owners while trying to keep print revenues ahead of print expenses. Yikes.

Two or three years ago, I told you something like, 'At my age, I wish the Web had come along either 10 years earlier or 10 years later.' This is still true. A new Golden Age of publishing may be dawning, but so far it's mostly only from the consumer's perspective.
(Submitted by a Publisher)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
Keep preaching it! There has never been more opportunity in publishing than right now, it just won't be the publishing we have ever known, or can even understand at this point.
Thanks for the great stories!
(Submitted an Unknown)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
I don't know, Bob, I haven't heard any uplifting news of late.
In the beginning of this year, people in my industry (PR) were saying that they were knocking on wood because they weren't feeling that the recession was having an effect on their business. The theory was that clients wouldn't put their money in advertising because it was pretty much passé and ineffective, but PR was becoming more and more important, so business was good.

I wondered to myself how we were going to get the message out with all the "old media" dying off. We PR people do understand how to engage in two-way dialogues, so we grasp much better than people from the ad world how to work in the world of online social media. Social media are all very well and good, but they are not necessarily the right vehicle for every client. For example, I just don't think a mutual fund client would buy launching a new mutual fund via Facebook and Twitter - the client wants professional journalists to write about the new fund. By the same token, B2B tech clients need their trade magazines (whether online or in print) to get the word out to customers, but the trade media are going through just as tough a time as the consumer media.

I've heard younger PR people complaining that the job market is tightening up, too. It seems that out-of-work journalists are pouring into the PR profession, which they used to treat with the utmost scorn, and flooding PR agencies and headhunters with their resumes! There are many applicants going after the available jobs. At the same time, potential clients are also now hesitating about committing their budgets, and taking a wait-and-see attitude, so agencies aren't hiring the way they were a year ago.

All in all, it's not such a rosy picture as my colleagues were painting at the beginning of the year.
(submitted by a PR Person)


RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
A friend recently told me that the only way she likes her morning
coffee is with cream, sugar and Bosacks. She's right.

"Today, I Only Have Questions"
"The Unbearable Lightness of Art Supplies"
"Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks?"
Pass the biscuits.
(Submitted by a Publisher)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
Bo, It must be an age thing. I am in the production side of the business and I love it. I am having the time of my life envisioning my company's future and great world of communication we are creating, right here, right now. I have 12 years of publishing background and I love the digital directions we are bound for. You are correct what's not to like?
(Submitted by a Production Director)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
I think you're doing fine. I'm not interested in all the subjects you cover, but if people in these industries have their heads in a hole, they'll deserve to lose out. As a lifelong music freak and record collector, I can tell you that that industry is many times bigger than it was when I was a kid . . . . It took until 1947 for the record biz to sell as many units as it had in 1929, then it quadrupled during the 1950s, and now with downloading, digital copying etc it's in another crisis, but a lot of the music could disappear and nobody would miss it. Looking after a newsstand now, I can tell you that there are so many haircut mags, wedding mags, gun mags, car mags etc that there is bound to be a clearout with so much info available online. I am also the author of an A-Z reference book which once earned royalties, and is now on the Internet, the natural place for it. But books and magazines won't disappear. Ever.
(Submitted by a Semi-retired writer in Iowa)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
Hey-it is hard to find articles that are uplifting. I've been in the industry over 20 years and my life and job in production (manufacturing and operations - magazines) has changed DRASTICALLY. A few years ago when my division was sold twice, I started realizing production as I know was not going to take me to retirement. I recently went back to school and got a Masters in Health Administration - looking to leave publishing as soon as I can. But what I tell young people is IF they are interested in production, obviously they need to work for companies that have a big online component - and for people my age looking for that next production job - I ask WHY - how long will you have that job before you are downsized or outsourced? Keep telling it like it is with a dash of uplifting news whenever you can find it . . .
(Submitted by a Production Person)


RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
Bo, It must be an age thing. I am in the production side of the business and I love it. I am having the time of my life envisioning my company's future and great world of communication we are creating, right here, right now. I have 12 years of publishing background and I love the digital directions we are bound for. You are correct what's not to like?
(Submitted by a Production Director)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
Those that are purposely tuning you out for speaking the truth are no different than my 4 year old who plugs his ears each night when I tell him it's time for bed . He knows its bed time, and that it's inevitable that he put his pajamas on, brush his teeth and read books - but he figures if he tunes me out he can stay up and party a little longer. He's in a state of denial, as are publishers who think they can continue to do business the way they did 10 years ago.
Don't stop the truth. It will set us all free.
(Submitted by a Publisher)

RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: Finally Some Uplifting News From BoSacks
I have been in circulation for just over 6 years now, and have seen first hand how difficult it is for magazines. I feel lucky that early in my career I found your newsletter. Whenever I have changed magazines, I've always made sure to update my address with you so that I can be sure to keep the Bosacks coming! Although I have to admit that I don't read every article, every day, I always read the subject lines to see if I can glean something from the articles. BUT I have never skip an email because I thought of them as too negative. It's usually only due to time constraints.
I think you're right on the button with what you are saying here - and I just want to thank you for everything that you do! You're an inspiration to me.
Keep up the good work and don't let the negative naggies get you down. The other thing that I have found in my job is that nobody ever complains that you're doing too good a job and so sometimes these letters get seem out of proportion. I bet you'll get lots of comments similar to mine.
(Submitted by a Circulator)

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