I've been thinking maybe it would be nice to subscribe to Rodmaker Magazine but I think what is holding me back is the shipping cost to Denmark.

My suggestion is to make a web version of the Rodmaker Magazine - that way people from around the world would benefit from the information in the magazine - we could then subscribe to the magazine accessing it using passwords etc.

What do you think ?

best regards
Peter

I guess it's not so much what we think as it is what Rodmaker Magazine thinks and it has been made clear that they/he won't do it for various reasons.

How one guy manages to do as much as he does is beyond me anyway. Look at the masthead of magazines of the same size and you'll see 15 people on staff. To my knowledge Rodmaker has only one.

Do what you can do, Tom. That's all anybody can ask.

Having the magazine truly on-line would be a tremendous amount of work, but simply scanning each issue and making a .pdf file would be childs play. The whole magazine could be sold by putting the files on this site, and making them accessible via a password sold just like a subscription- sort of like how you download the Clemens Catalog (except that this is free).

This would also be a fantastic way to get back issues, especially the ones that are now sold out. Pay your money, get a password, and go download the issue. It could even be article specific. Pay $5, get the two parts of the Fuji New Guide concept articles as one .pdf file. I would do this today if it was available.

Yes, someone could sell or give away the password- but the passwords could be set up to only work for a few days or weeks, so they wouldn't be useful except to those that they are sold to. People can also sell or give away their hardcopy once they have it (anyone could scan an article and e-mail it to everyone they know in 5 minutes were they so inclined). I think it's a great idea, and could really increase revenue at little cost of time or money while also making this fantastic knowledge more readily available.

We already have had to take action against those who scan, copy and reproduce the magazine for sale. Making it available electronically would likely put RodMaker out of business. I have gone into this before and won't repeat why this would be a very bad thing for RodMaker. Sorry to say, it just isn't in the cards anytime in the near future. I appreciate the suggestions but unless you are on the inside of this thing you will not be aware of everything that has to be considered.

And yes William, RodMaker has a staff of just one person. And it is a 70 hour per week volunteer position. No salary or perks that I am aware of, yet. I am just lucky that we have some very good writers providing articles on a variety of topics.

Again, I appreciate the suggestions and comments but providing electronic copies of the magazine is not something I plan to pursue right now. With the size of the market we are involved in, it is almost a miracle that any full size magazine on rod building exists at all. With limited manpower, resources and readers, there are just some things that RodMaker cannot offer.

I suppose RodMaker looks good enough that when most people open a copy they suppose that the same publishing infrastructure exists here at RodMaker as it does at Sports Illustrated or Fly Fisherman - but it doesn't. Not by a long shot. Sorry, but my plate is full and I am doing all I can right now.

I won't be at RodMaker forever and perhaps whoever ends up with it eventually will be able to pursue some of these other mediums.

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Tom,

I appreciate that things are never as easy as they seem, but what about making sold out back-issues available as .pdf files?

There are several back issues I would like that are sold out, and there is no way for me to access them except by begging to borrow someone elses copy, and making copies for myself. I would rather pay you for a .pdf file. How else will you make another penny for the old issues you worked so hard to put together?

Every time a new person starts building rods, eventually they find out about you and your great magazine. First thing they do is order back issues (at least, that's what I did). As more sell out, you limit your opportunity to make money. OK, some people will abuse this, but there are honest people out there who will pay- and we want to give you our money ;- )

I'm not trying to make money, seriously.

I try to keep updates available in new and fresh articles as we go along. Techniques improve and methods are developed that often supplant older ones. So nothing is really irreversably lost.

Some back issues, most notably the Feather Inlay issue, are in the process of being reprinted.

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And while we are at it - the Feather Inlay issue will be on press next week. I'll announce when it is ready for sale.

And again, Mike and the others who posted, I do appreaciate your suggestions. I only wish I could accomodate them all.

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Check out www.powerfibers.com

Hi Tom,

I didnt know that the Rodmaker Magazine was a "one man mission". Also didnt I know that this had been discussed before or the amount of work that goes into making a magazine or an online version of it or how little the market is for these things - I just wanted an easy access to the articles - the extra shipping cost is not putting more money in our pockets and it seemed a little much for making one rod per year.

But maybe I'll subscribe anyway..

Take care
Peter

We no longer offer overseas subscriptions, but I did want to mention that most people feel the magazine does put quite a bit of extra money in their pockets - from the marketing and business type articles to all the other technical and how-to articles that save time and mistakes.

At least that's what a pretty large number of readers are telling me.

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