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Many of you have already heard this news: CRAFT Magazine has decided to stop publishing in print. Instead, they’ll become an entirely online publication.
While I’ll miss my favorite print mag, I am very excited about the future of CRAFT online. I think the team over there is very dedicated and savvy, and we’ll see awesome things soon.
But can I talk with you about the bigger picture here?
CRAFT’s print version is just the latest in a long string of print magazines folding. This article paints a grim picture of what happened in 2008. And if you want a real-time picture of publishing in crisis, try following @themediaisdying on Twitter.
I think that if you look into the demise of CRAFT in print, and of so many other magazines, you’ll see one factor looming large: advertising as we’ve known it is also dying.
We consumers have been accustomed for decades to having most of our magazine, TV, and radio content subsidized by advertisers. But none of us likes advertising, of course, and over the years we’ve gotten better and better at ignoring it.
Advertisers see that we respond less to their ads, so they stop buying ads, and this in turn spells doom for media outlets that depend on that revenue.
Without advertisers, magazines as we know them now cannot exist. I do believe that all the chaos we’re in now will eventually result in a renaissance of publishing, and I look forward to it.
But the idea that intrigues me most is this: when all the dust has settled, we’ll be left with one thing: the relationship between the people who make media and the people who consume it.
Without the cushion of advertising dollars, how will we consumers take a more active role in supporting the people who make the things we love to read and watch?
What do you do to support your favorites?
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If you’ve read this far, then let’s celebrate the online future of CRAFT with a giveaway. I have one copy of Volume 10 – which is now the last print issue. Leave a comment here and tell me your thoughts on how consumers of media can help support it. (Or, should we?) I’ll draw a winner at random on Friday.
I can’t really get into reading a magazine online. I can read websites, get RSS feeds for blogs, etc., but I hate those “real page flip action!” online magazine things.
I guess if magazines want to stick around, they have to figure out a new model of revenue (much like TV is migrating online and advertising models for TV are changing). I don’t know what the answer is, though!
I guess I’m glad the plans for expanding CROQ didn’t work out after all…
I can’t really get into reading a magazine online. I can read websites, get RSS feeds for blogs, etc., but I hate those “real page flip action!” online magazine things.
I guess if magazines want to stick around, they have to figure out a new model of revenue (much like TV is migrating online and advertising models for TV are changing). I don’t know what the answer is, though!
I guess I’m glad the plans for expanding CROQ didn’t work out after all…
Let’s say uptop that I’m just your plain old magazine consumer. If I have extra spending money, I buy. When I don’t — I hit the Library. Simple as that.
But there’s more — why spend to see much of what is already free on the Internet? I’ve seen far more Tom Cruise on the Net this year than I’ve seen in the movie theatre, so is it any wonder his last movie tanked? (Lindsey, Paris, Brittney) It’s that way for many things and many people, I’m afraid.
Now, how can mags survive? It’s time to pull back to the core publications. Beef them up. Revive the interest in them. Once interest and the economy have been sparked, then the core publishers can branch out like before, only with the knowledge that the Public is wiser and tighter with a buck. There will always be a market for handheld information (Dr’s office anyone).
Let’s say uptop that I’m just your plain old magazine consumer. If I have extra spending money, I buy. When I don’t — I hit the Library. Simple as that.
But there’s more — why spend to see much of what is already free on the Internet? I’ve seen far more Tom Cruise on the Net this year than I’ve seen in the movie theatre, so is it any wonder his last movie tanked? (Lindsey, Paris, Brittney) It’s that way for many things and many people, I’m afraid.
Now, how can mags survive? It’s time to pull back to the core publications. Beef them up. Revive the interest in them. Once interest and the economy have been sparked, then the core publishers can branch out like before, only with the knowledge that the Public is wiser and tighter with a buck. There will always be a market for handheld information (Dr’s office anyone).
i am a magazineaholic. i buy them all for a variety of subjects, crafts, decor, business, fashion. domestic and foreign. you name it.
so it sucks that so many that i loved (three which you have pictured) have gone kaplunkt!
i but mags because i love the pictures. i love taking them into the second office (the bath) and soaking them in.
i love referring back to something, clipping and tagging pages, sometimes rippin them out and putting them on my dream/inspiration boards.
so i buy them on the stands sometimes, subscribe, tell people about different articles etc.
i am a magazineaholic. i buy them all for a variety of subjects, crafts, decor, business, fashion. domestic and foreign. you name it.
so it sucks that so many that i loved (three which you have pictured) have gone kaplunkt!
i but mags because i love the pictures. i love taking them into the second office (the bath) and soaking them in.
i love referring back to something, clipping and tagging pages, sometimes rippin them out and putting them on my dream/inspiration boards.
so i buy them on the stands sometimes, subscribe, tell people about different articles etc.
We’re used to having the luxury to buy lots and lots of cheap (often disposable) stuff instead of making careful purchasing decisions that are investments into our future. We’re used to magazine subscriptions (and clothing made in China, and vegetables grown in Mexico, etc.) being extremely cheap, so we can buy everything we want and throw in a few more items in the check-out line. So, it makes sense that we recoil when charged reasonable prices of the sort that actually pays directly for living wages for the people who made the product.
Over the next years as we start to recover from this recession, I hope we Americans will become more careful with our money and more focused on quality instead of quantity. As this happens, we’ll be able to afford a few very good magazines (perhaps a lovely book-like magazine such as Craft:, and a zine from the nice lady in our town that gave us a kombucha starter that one time), and we’ll pay a reasonable price for them, and we’ll be able to afford it because we’re choosing those mags carefully and not getting everything on the shelf. If we want more, we’ll trade with friends, or buy second-hand.
I like paper magazines. I do. Yet I do feel going electronic makes sense, at least for now while this whole thing shakes out – I just hope they make it easy for subscribers to print out their zines on their home printer if they want it in paper format that badly. Or, provide a “premium” paper service and charge enough to actually pay for it… without advertisements.
We’re used to having the luxury to buy lots and lots of cheap (often disposable) stuff instead of making careful purchasing decisions that are investments into our future. We’re used to magazine subscriptions (and clothing made in China, and vegetables grown in Mexico, etc.) being extremely cheap, so we can buy everything we want and throw in a few more items in the check-out line. So, it makes sense that we recoil when charged reasonable prices of the sort that actually pays directly for living wages for the people who made the product.
Over the next years as we start to recover from this recession, I hope we Americans will become more careful with our money and more focused on quality instead of quantity. As this happens, we’ll be able to afford a few very good magazines (perhaps a lovely book-like magazine such as Craft:, and a zine from the nice lady in our town that gave us a kombucha starter that one time), and we’ll pay a reasonable price for them, and we’ll be able to afford it because we’re choosing those mags carefully and not getting everything on the shelf. If we want more, we’ll trade with friends, or buy second-hand.
I like paper magazines. I do. Yet I do feel going electronic makes sense, at least for now while this whole thing shakes out – I just hope they make it easy for subscribers to print out their zines on their home printer if they want it in paper format that badly. Or, provide a “premium” paper service and charge enough to actually pay for it… without advertisements.
I think that we’ll have to support blogs and online magazines in the same way that some podcasts get their support. Online readers will have to pay for exclusive content or memberships.
I already miss the glossy pages and the excitement of sitting down for a moment of quiet time.
I think that we’ll have to support blogs and online magazines in the same way that some podcasts get their support. Online readers will have to pay for exclusive content or memberships.
I already miss the glossy pages and the excitement of sitting down for a moment of quiet time.
[...] CRAFT and Transition (post on Craftypod) No TweetBacks yet. (Be the first to Tweet this post)SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “CRAFT Nixes Print, Goes Digital: The Scoop”, url: “http://www.kimwerker.com/2009/02/14/craft-nixes-print-goes-digital-the-scoop/” }); [...]
I am just catching up! I am sorry to see CRAFT print magazine add their title to the rapidly expanding universe of dying stars. I am impressed with all the thoughtful and heartfelt comments here. I have read every single one and I have nothing new to add that hasn’t been said. But I am definitely going to subscribe to Cook’s Illustrated – both in print and on line. I have been taking them for granted far too long. Excellent content and NO advertising.
I do agree with Sarah’s discussion concerning the huge plethora of titles that have come into being in the past 10 years. It has been overwhelming. And like so many parts of our culture, it is a sign of the trend these past 15 – 20 years toward massive overconsumption. And the magazines have all reflected that trend by way of creating more and more in your face space for advertising at the expense of quality content.
And now that the advertisers have recognized the internet as a rich and
fertile ground they are leaving the print media. Only the publications offering high quality content and those with the most subscribers will survive. Anitra was right! Support your favorites. Subscribe, blog, buy gift subscriptions, talk about it, share old issues…. And it wouldn’t hurt to let your favorite publications know what content you want them to include – the content that will help them keep your interest.
I am just catching up! I am sorry to see CRAFT print magazine add their title to the rapidly expanding universe of dying stars. I am impressed with all the thoughtful and heartfelt comments here. I have read every single one and I have nothing new to add that hasn’t been said. But I am definitely going to subscribe to Cook’s Illustrated – both in print and on line. I have been taking them for granted far too long. Excellent content and NO advertising.
I do agree with Sarah’s discussion concerning the huge plethora of titles that have come into being in the past 10 years. It has been overwhelming. And like so many parts of our culture, it is a sign of the trend these past 15 – 20 years toward massive overconsumption. And the magazines have all reflected that trend by way of creating more and more in your face space for advertising at the expense of quality content.
And now that the advertisers have recognized the internet as a rich and
fertile ground they are leaving the print media. Only the publications offering high quality content and those with the most subscribers will survive. Anitra was right! Support your favorites. Subscribe, blog, buy gift subscriptions, talk about it, share old issues…. And it wouldn’t hurt to let your favorite publications know what content you want them to include – the content that will help them keep your interest.
I think that it is time that people wake up and realize that the reason that magazines are so inexpensive is all the advertisers. And personally I love the advertisements as I find alot of my suppliers that way. And I always try to make sure that the advertisers know just how I found out about thier company.
I think that it is time that people wake up and realize that the reason that magazines are so inexpensive is all the advertisers. And personally I love the advertisements as I find alot of my suppliers that way. And I always try to make sure that the advertisers know just how I found out about thier company.
I’m so sad to hear this. I LOVE magazines, and Craft was one of the best. I’m happy to know they’ll still be online, though.
For my own part, I have to second what’s been mentioned above, about the economy. As much as I enjoyed Craft, I couldn’t afford it. But I can’t afford much in the way of extras these days. We have a tenant who hasn’t been able to afford her rent in five months. Take $650 out of your monthly income, and magazines will quickly move into the “luxury” column, especially since Michael’s stopped letting you use those 40% off coupons on them. (Joann’s still will, if they aren’t on sale, so most of the time their magazines are on sale, at 10% off!) I know I’m not the only one feeling a serious pinch right now. I used to have a hard time leaving a store without a magazine in hand. Now I stand at the check out and tell myself, “You don’t need it. You don’t need it. You don’t need it.”
(On the tenant: My husband has been ferrying her to and from job interviews, since she lost her job. It looks like maybe there’s a job on the horizon. We just couldn’t see our way clear to evicting her.)
I’m so sad to hear this. I LOVE magazines, and Craft was one of the best. I’m happy to know they’ll still be online, though.
For my own part, I have to second what’s been mentioned above, about the economy. As much as I enjoyed Craft, I couldn’t afford it. But I can’t afford much in the way of extras these days. We have a tenant who hasn’t been able to afford her rent in five months. Take $650 out of your monthly income, and magazines will quickly move into the “luxury” column, especially since Michael’s stopped letting you use those 40% off coupons on them. (Joann’s still will, if they aren’t on sale, so most of the time their magazines are on sale, at 10% off!) I know I’m not the only one feeling a serious pinch right now. I used to have a hard time leaving a store without a magazine in hand. Now I stand at the check out and tell myself, “You don’t need it. You don’t need it. You don’t need it.”
(On the tenant: My husband has been ferrying her to and from job interviews, since she lost her job. It looks like maybe there’s a job on the horizon. We just couldn’t see our way clear to evicting her.)
[...] great, I hope I can get back issues sometime. It’s sticking around though, online. Kim and Diane both have written intersting posts about the changing scene of print and digital [...]
[...] yourself, but you’d be making it harder for all other designers to get fair treatment. with magazines fighting to stay in print, paying more attention to their websites as marketing tools, trying to cut corners whereever [...]