Question for Ephemeris readers

[Darwin]

It could be that narrow niche periodicals like Ephemeris that appeal to aging irreconcilable bibliophiles will be about the only vestiges of print left after a few more years of the digital ascendancy. Some few of us will count the loss of the soul succoring aesthetics of ink on paper as a tragedy but most will not moon over the abrupt termination of a half millennium old art form. Of course we in the "AIB" community will be dying off over the next few decades so the whippersnappers will eventually no longer be aggrieved that an electronic version of something might have to be priced to help support a dead tree version.

Although the whipsnaps may not grieve over the loss of print the culture will be poorer for it in ways that are not yet obvious but will become so, I am certain, in the fullness of time. There is rueful irony in the fact that the word ephemeris is related by root to the word ephemeral--even though they have very different meanings today.

[GoVegan]

We want everyone to realize that we are first and foremost a print magazine. We're offering the electronic version to accommodate the folks that simply will not buy a printed magazine for whatever reason, NOT as a cheaper alternative to the print version. We could theoretically offer the digital versions at 1.99 and I wouldn't worry about devaluing the print edition, because our core readers have made it pretty clear that they wouldn't buy anything but the print version. We'd actually be making more money by doing that because I think the casual reader would be more comfortable dropping two bucks on a digital copy before investing in an 8.83 cover price. But, we're not in this for the money and the quite frankly, we're an ink & paper magazine.

So in my opinion, if the only factor that is making a customer consider the digital version over the print version is a price difference, then we eliminate that price difference and then it becomes all about personal preference. If the same exact item is offered at the same price on two formats, then the customer buys the one he wanted in the first place.

I see a disturbing trend in independent publishing right now with small press publishers that are actively encouraging their readership to "go green" and buy their e-zine instead of the print copy. The only green you're saving is the money that it costs them to print the traditional version. Aside from the conversion costs, there's no overhead on a digital copy, so the publisher can sell it at a discount over the printed version and still turn 100% profit. But in doing so, you're whittling away at the readership of print magazines in general by encouraging people to buy a cheaper alternative in order to protect your bottom line. Ten years from now, there's not going to be any new publishers like us coming along with a new print magazine because the operating costs will be so astronomically high that they'll have to charge 20 bucks a copy for a book of our size, which nobody will buy because they're used to purchasing 4.99 e-zines. I'm not saying this is good, bad, fair or unfair, but it's definitely a reality that I'm personally against. I like walking into a bookstore and smelling the newsprint. That's why we continue to sell The Ephemeris at bookstores and newsstands even though we're in the hole almost a quarter for each issue we sell at those venues.

Another answer that is more frank (but probably more arrogant) is that I think that our magazine is worth every penny of our cover price, printed or not.




We're working on it Nash. Our main hurdle has been setting up a longterm relationship with a reputable printer. Volumes 1-3 plus the Vol 1 reprint have all been handled by different printers, simply because we've had a hard time finding anyone within our price range that can produce quality results. But I think we're narrowing in on a selection, so if all goes as planned we should be offering subscriptions at the first of the year.

As far as a discount subscription, probably not going to happen anytime soon. We're already not making any money on it, I'd hate to not make any less.

Having said all that, we CAN offer subscription discounts for the e-zine edition that we can't for the print edition, so we'll more than likely do so. As soon as the margins get better on the print version, we'll do the same for those subscribers.

Thanks for the answer - it reminds me a bit about the answer Swedish Match gave on this forum when someone asked why they charge the same price for minis and give you less.

[Ephemeris]

Thanks for the answer - it reminds me a bit about the answer Swedish Match gave on this forum when someone asked why they charge the same price for minis and give you less.

IIRC Swedish Match basically said "because people are willing to pay that much for less snus". I'm basically saying that I don't care what you personally are willing to pay, I'm going to charge full price for the digital copy because they're the same product- one for people that want to hold a book in their hands and one for people that want to read it off a screen. Buy the one you want, and if the digital copy seems to be a "ripoff" because it's the same price as its printed counterpart, then buy the print version instead, since it's the same price. Or don't buy either, whatever suits you.

And by your Swedish Match analogy you're implying that we're giving "less" for the same price, which is incorrect. Same exact product, two different formats. Do you feel the same way about Lady Gaga and every other Top 40 artist for selling the itunes version of their albums for the same price as their physical CDs? Should Justin Timberlake charge less for his itunes album because "since it's not plastic, it should be discounted?" I'm really curious why this double standard exists. People seem to be willing to shell out thousands of bucks a year on intangible Netflix/itunes downloads but when it comes to books, they want the digital copy for free "since it's not printed on paper."

Sorry if I'm misreading your posts. The impression I'm getting is that our magazine is priced above your zone of comfort, so you're implying that we're greedy because we're not charging less for a digital copy that "should" be cheaper, by your reckoning. This reminds me of the people that bitch about Abraxas because it's not priced the same as Toque, ergo the people behind Abraxas must be ripping off the public because they're not selling it at a discount.

[GoVegan]

Ouch! I didn't mean that in a mean way. Your magazine is the only one of its kind and I look forward to reading it. Any chance you can do an article about what happened to Gellivare in the future?

[c.nash]

I agree with the guy on this one..
Eventhough it's a e-copy instead of a physical book, the same product is being provided. The same work is being put in and all the man hours and research go into it.
The price you're paying is not for the paper, ink or internet usage. It's for the product itself.

[GoVegan]

I agree with the guy on this one..
Eventhough it's a e-copy instead of a physical book, the same product is being provided. The same work is being put in and all the man hours and research go into it.
The price you're paying is not for the paper, ink or internet usage. It's for the product itself.

I agree but part of the price you are paying for that magazine, in fact a good part of it, is for the paper and printing costs. Selling an electronic version for a few dollars less would still allow allow payment for the work and man hours put into the magazine. I do agree with him one one part though. Bookstores are disappearing around here fast and shopping at Amazon is not nearly as nice as going into a store and looking at the book before you buy it. I do disagree with his comment about itunes thought - I use emusic and ituned so I can save money and not have to buy a whole CD to get one song I like.

[Ephemeris]

Ouch! I didn't mean that in a mean way. Your magazine is the only one of its kind and I look forward to reading it. Any chance you can do an article about what happened to Gellivare in the future?

Sorry for the harsh return. I took the Swedish Match comment as an indictment of corporate "go screw yourself-ism".

We were planning a Gellivare story for the very first issue, and the guy that we were in contact with over there was supplying some info to us. Then I'm not sure what happened, but the guy was no longer with the company and none of the other folks involved seem like they really want to bother with us. I've got way more questions than I do answers, but if anyone involved on their end is willing to come forward, I'd like to do a big feature on them. Theirs was one of the first lös brands I fell in love with years back, so they'll always have a special place in my heart.

[GoVegan]

Sorry for the harsh return. I took the Swedish Match comment as an indictment of corporate "go screw yourself-ism".

We were planning a Gellivare story for the very first issue, and the guy that we were in contact with over there was supplying some info to us. Then I'm not sure what happened, but the guy was no longer with the company and none of the other folks involved seem like they really want to bother with us. I've got way more questions than I do answers, but if anyone involved on their end is willing to come forward, I'd like to do a big feature on them. Theirs was one of the first lös brands I fell in love with years back, so they'll always have a special place in my heart.

Me to!

[lxskllr]

There's a bunch of ways you can look at the pricing regarding hardcopy vs electronic, and most can be legitimately validated. The way I see it, you're trading convenience and portability(E copy) with aesthetic value, and something you can actually hold(paper). When you buy an Ebook, you get it immediately, no waiting. While that feature doesn't cost much, it is a valuable feature. I was thinking about it today, and if the Ephemeris were mine, I'm not sure what I'd do. You are saving a significant chunk on shipping... I think I might drop the price to $8.50 for the electronic version. Mostly because I like round/standardized numbers :^D That would be a token discount, but it isn't significantly different than the paper version.

Btw, I received a very generous gift of the first 2 issues(electronic), and I'll be doing a review some time over the next week. I'm almost finished with the debut issue, and I'm VERY impressed with what I've seen. I'll go into detail once I've finished both and get my thoughts collected, but from what I've seen, The cost is trivial for what you get, especially considering the esoteric nature of the material. You just won't find anything like it anywhere else, even scouring online resources, and compiling yourself.

Ephemeris, what kind of printing do you use? I don't know if you've said anywhere else, but is it glossy, or matte finished(uncoated paper)?

[Ephemeris]

It's a coated, satin offset. That's one reason I'm so proud of our print edition. We use a 70 pound "smooth" weight which is as thick as you can get without going into glossy coffeetable-style photo book stock, and our paper is all Premium/Grade A+ 98% brightness. I don't know of any other magazine on the stands today that uses that type of paper; in fact, it's a rare grade even for quality books. AND we're still acid-free and FSC sustainable, which in that grade I had to scour paper warehouses all over the country to locate.

We experimented with 50 pound glossy stock on the first printing of Volume One, and I wasn't impressed with the way it made the inks and photos look. They lacked the contrast and "pop" that I wanted, so I started looking at heavier coated stock, which has been working out well so far.

[chadizzy1]

Anyone on this board who is a tobacco enthusiast should get this magazine/publication.

I strongly urge you all, if you're not a subscriber, to get it.

It's a great piece, and looks cool on a coffee table.

[c.nash]

Anyone on this board who is a tobacco enthusiast should get this magazine/publication.

I strongly urge you all, if you're not a subscriber, to get it.

It's a great piece, and looks cool on a coffee table.

+1million.
Great magazine with great information.

[Ansel]

third edition out to buy today folks...

[sirloot]

can we buy this from BAM or B&N or only direct/internet site ?

[Ephemeris]

Ansel is correct, all pre-orders have shipped out and Vol III has officially hit the stands all over the US and Europe. Life is good.

@sirloot: Yes, we are available at select tobacconists and independent bookstores throughout the US. We have at least one retailer in each of the 50 states that distributes us from a brick and mortar shop. But 90% of our circulation comes from internet sales.