Pre-order Bitcoin Magazine - Quality control, final revisions on proofs

[BadBear]

I think you need to go ahead with what you got. Postponing won't be helpful I think, may even make your mag seem like old news before it even comes out. Besides it may give you some more experience before you hit the brick and mortar stores.

"Oh that mag I heard about so long ago? Gosh nobody has even talked about it, bet it was terrible. Or canceled." 

"Or Matthew is locked in a basement in Texas by an unremorseful fanatic."

[btc_artist]

I think going 100+ pages would be a bad choice right now.  Keep it at 40-50 pages for the time being with excellent quality content. Quality over quantity any day.  If in the future, you can have 120 pages of awesome content, that's perfectly fine.

[Technomage]

I think going 100+ pages would be a bad choice right now.  Keep it at 40-50 pages for the time being with excellent quality content. Quality over quantity any day.  If in the future, you can have 120 pages of awesome content, that's perfectly fine.

+1

This is the same issue that companies have in regard to pricing, it's better to set too high of a price at first than too low because it's always better to lower the price than to increase it. Same applies here but in reverse, less in the beginning is good and then if there is an excess of good content, the page count can be increased. But I think that Matthew knows what he's doing so no point in repeating this anymore.

[Matthew N. Wright]

But I think that Matthew knows what he's doing so no point in repeating this anymore.

Hehe. Appreciate the vote of confidence. Just the same, I need to be reminded of the feelings of our readers everyday to make sure I don't do something insane like put Atlas's photo on the cover. (Never...)

[BTCurious]

something insane like put Atlas's photo on the cover.

Special collectors edition…

[DeathAndTaxes]

How many subscriptions would you need to sell in advance to pay for the higher quality product?

Since the first edition has the potential to be a collector's item if this product and Bitcoin ever go mainstream how about a single page which supports can buy a spot for their name.  You could bundle this in with subscription or offer it as an upsell.

Normal Subscription: 12 month subscription = $xx
Supporter Subscription: 12 month subscription + your name (either real name or forum nick name) in first edition + extra first edition (collectors item) = $yy

[Matthew N. Wright]

Before I even respond to this idea, let me say that everyone's opinions and suggestions are very warmly welcomed and well received, but that vague recommendations to "just offer a _____" only work if someone is willing to pay for that "_____". (I.e. we can offer the entire world in a basket, but it's worthless unless someone actually pays for it). Okay and now to a suggestion:

How many subscriptions would you need to sell in advance to pay for the higher quality product?

Since the first edition has the potential to be a collector's item if this product and Bitcoin ever go mainstream how about a single page which supports can buy a spot for their name.  You could bundle this in with subscription or offer it as an upsell.

Normal Subscription: 12 month subscription = $xx
Supporter Subscription: 12 month subscription + your name (either real name or forum nick name) in first edition + extra first edition (collectors item) = $yy

This is a good suggestion and almost exactly what Mihai had already planned (who was working on crowdfunding for the magazine until I ruined it by going live on the forums (Sorry Mihai ) and letting everyone know without consulting him.) and I think there might be room for this, but we're planning on sending to the printers in less than a week so I don't believe that would be fair to do on such short notice.

...unless you meant for every issue, in which case you're fucking brilliant.

[SgtSpike]

I suppose I am confused.  If it took 3 months to get it going at B&N, would B&N be carrying the first issue, or the third?  In other words, would B&N NOT carry the first issue, ever?

I'm sure you could sell all prints of the first issue just through your site eventually, especially once some members start receiving/reviewing their copies of it here.  What is B&N's cut of every sold magazine?  You could probably find community members to buy in bulk at that same price, and leave it up to them to resell them.

Personally, I don't mind a cheaper binding or print quality.  Probably somewhat of a staple for startup magazines anyway.

[naypalm]

I always figured it would be saddle stiched, which is fine by me. Perfect binding is nice, but the "glue" binding tends to crack or fall apart; Think paperback novels.

You know, I've always wanted to try out an eMagazine on the kindle...  

[Matthew N. Wright]

I suppose I am confused.  If it took 3 months to get it going at B&N, would B&N be carrying the first issue, or the third?  In other words, would B&N NOT carry the first issue, ever?

I'm going to skillfully avert attention to another topic to avoid answering your question directly in an effort to avoid outrage from the community on the ramifications of either choice. lol

[SgtSpike]

I suppose I am confused.  If it took 3 months to get it going at B&N, would B&N be carrying the first issue, or the third?  In other words, would B&N NOT carry the first issue, ever?

I'm going to skillfully avert attention to another topic to avoid answering your question directly in an effort to avoid outrage from the community on the ramifications of either choice. lol

It's a tough call, for sure.  Setbacks are never fun to deal with.

[kjlimo]

So I've tried to read most of these 16 pages of posts, but I ordered earlier today.

Is the digital version available?  Will it be e-mailed? Or is that being mailed on a USB drive or something with the paper copy?

[Matthew N. Wright]

I suppose I am confused.  If it took 3 months to get it going at B&N, would B&N be carrying the first issue, or the third?  In other words, would B&N NOT carry the first issue, ever?

I'm going to skillfully avert attention to another topic to avoid answering your question directly in an effort to avoid outrage from the community on the ramifications of either choice. lol

It's a tough call, for sure.  Setbacks are never fun to deal with.

Well, that's true, and let me be the first to say that all I ever really need to know is if the community supports me when it's time to make those tough decisions. It's true that we're selling a product, but it's not just a product that people are buying ownership of, it's a promise they're buying ownership of as well-- and that's the dangerous part for me. Gotta be featherlight with this shit.

So I've tried to read most of these 16 pages of posts, but I ordered earlier today.

Is the digital version available?  Will it be e-mailed? Or is that being mailed on a USB drive or something with the paper copy?

Thanks for the order! Digital copies go out via any of our available digital channels which haven't been decided fully yet.

[SgtSpike]

Yeah, exactly.

On the one hand, if you delay the first issue until B&N is ready for it, you'll have an angry mob here of people who were expecting to see the mag in Feb, but now don't get to see it until May.

On the other hand, if you start publishing the first issue now, then B&N never gets to even carry the first issue.

On the third hand (for those mutants among us), you could release the first issue now, and re-release the first issue at B&N a few months from now.  Possibly accelerate the scheduled release for the next few issues at B&N (or decelerate the release of issues ordered from you directly) until B&N is all caught up.

None of those is really a good option, TBH.

[kjlimo]

Thanks for the super quick response!  I didn't realize you were still deciding distribution timing/channels etc.  I am happy that I'm supporting an up ad coming project! 

I look forward to the first issue, but also support you doing what is best for the project in total!

[Minor]

I am convinced that the quality of the first issue is absolutely critical.

Assuming that most of the bitcoin community is distributed internationally and will never see a physical copy in a store, they will order the first copy online and if it doesn't live up to their expectations, they will never buy another copy.
End of story and end of magazine.

As they say: you only get one chance at a first impression.

So: delay the first issue just enough to have time to sell  enough "get your name or handle in the historical first issue" individual sponsorships to afford high quality.
Publish the first issue, making it available online as you are already doing.
Eventually get that same first issue in Barnes & Noble.
From then on, release new issues monthly, or every other month, whatever you had in mind.

That way everybody is happy:
- the delay to the first issue is not excessive for those who have already heard of it
- the first issue is sold in Barnes & Noble stores
- the quality is high right from the start
- nerds get their name in the collector's issue
- you don't lose too much money on the first issue

[FreeMoney]

Send the first when it is ready, label it Issue -2. Or hurry the fuck up with B&N and make Feb Issue 0 and Get Issue 1 out in B&N next month.

[Matthew N. Wright]

Send the first when it is ready, label it Issue -2. Or hurry the fuck up with B&N and make Feb Issue 0 and Get Issue 1 out in B&N next month.

Hehe. I wish it were possible to 'hurry up' with distribution.

[FreeMoney]

Send the first when it is ready, label it Issue -2. Or hurry the fuck up with B&N and make Feb Issue 0 and Get Issue 1 out in B&N next month.

Hehe. I wish it were possible to 'hurry up' with distribution.

Yeah, I'm just messing. But seriously, in ten years I want some chump to start bragging about his first issue of Bitcoin magazine to me and I whip out Issue -2.

[Matthew N. Wright]

Send the first when it is ready, label it Issue -2. Or hurry the fuck up with B&N and make Feb Issue 0 and Get Issue 1 out in B&N next month.

Hehe. I wish it were possible to 'hurry up' with distribution.

Yeah, I'm just messing. But seriously, in ten years I want some chump to start bragging about his first issue of Bitcoin magazine to me and I whip out Issue -2.

LOL.

<Guy 1> I was there before the first magazine was ever printed...See? This is the minus first issue.
<Guy 2> Oh yea? I was there before the minus first issue was printed, see? This is the minus second issue.
<Guy 3> Oh yeah? I was there before all of them were printed and it was just being worked on, see? This is a chatlog.
<Me> Sup bitches. I was there when I had the idea. Mint anyone?