How sad I was yesterday when I received my Italy

09/29/2009 - 04:09

How sad I was yesterday when I received my Italy Magazine for November, only to learn it will be the last edition .  What better way to read the mag than curled up on the sofa, glass of vino in hand?

Whilst I can understand it's popularity webwite, believe it or not, not everyone has access to the net even in this day and age or even the inclination to sit at a computer after a full days work (on the computer). I have looked forward to Italymag plopping through the letterbox each month and salivated over the pictures, the stories and the menus - it just won't have the same buzz sat at a computer and I doubt I will even bother after a while.

I really think the publishers are making a big mistake. If Italy Magazine is No. 1 for lovers of all things Italian then keep it going until it becomes No. 2 or 3 but not at it's peak!!

Farewell Italy Magazine, you will be sadly missed.

Topic

Comment

Hi Lorraine,completely understand your point of view - and believe me Poundbury Publishing did not take the decision lightly. They've had long discussions about whether and how to continue. However, circumstances have fundamentally changed which made continuing for them an option that could not work.We also realise that the website is not the perfect solution for all and we certainly agree that there is nothing like a printed magazine to relax on the terazza with.We hope that with Carla (our website editor) and the rest of the Istos team we will improve what is available online but also return to print in different forms. We are putting together a series of print publications that will be available on-demand rather than through the rather unforgiving monthly cycle of magazines and will allow us to sidestep the whole game of advertiser vs publisher vs distribution channels giving us more time to focus on the actual content.So in a way what Italy Magazine set out to originally do - provide great content about Italy to lovers of Italy - will continue. The ways and means of doing that will change - both because changing times mean you have to adapt but also because changing times afford new possibilities that were not there before.We will be announcing more soon as if you are interested check back with the website or sign up to the newsletter! A prestoRonald 

Hi Russ,currently the website generates revenue from advertising (and has been self-sustaining for quite some time). The plans are to build on that rather than membership schemes. We will also have a series of print / e-book products  coming out that will be accessible via several means (pay for each book individually, pay for a group of books, buy in advance, etc). If we ever decide to create a membership scheme for Community pages it should be for services above and beyond what is currently offered - the website's value is in the people coming to visit and participating every day in the community and I don't think asking people to pay is the right way to go about motivating people to do that.If we come up with some great idea for a service that adds additional value that we think we will consider that.

In reply to by Ronald

A few months ago I had to make a trip to London and as per my usual routine headed straight to Old Compton street in Soho for my Coffee and cinnamon toast in Amato's.  I could not believe my eyes some other cafe in its place, I was devastated and now the news of the Italy magazine, everything that has made me feel close to Italy seems to be disappearing.  I really think it's time to go and make Italy our permanent home.The magazine will be sadly missed.Dawn.  

I imagine some of you will realise why I am especially sad to hear the news about the magazine closing! The magazine business is tough these days and the website has gone from strength to strength, but I agree it isn't the same. It was something to be proud of,  especially at the beginning when it was the only magazine about Italy in the UK. Ronald has done an amazing job with the site (remember the time when it was just a place to sell subscriptions!) and it is great to see how it has expanded.

Fiona

www.petsinitaly.com

www.spiderywriting.com

I understand your decisions completely.  We print newspapers and have seen our ad revenues plummet.  Paginations are way down print runs reduced,   it's the same across the industry in all it's forms.  Don't know if it's quite the same with heat-set titles but the cover price on a newspaper makes a tiny portion - if any - of the revenue.  I hope that things go well for the web site, we have enjoyed being a part of the community for over 4 years and look forward to many more.

As most people will be aware the demise of the paper version of ItalyMag is a great disappointment, and to those people who do not have internet access etc, things will simply come to a halt. The current financial crisis brings about these changes, and I wonder if the publishers have thought about those people without the 'net that have made subscriptions and therefore will be out of pocket?I'm not in that situation, however we'll miss the monthly update, and the chance as quoted to settle down with the mag and a glass of wine.

I´ve just read the news and I feel very sorry. This crisis is affecting everyone in different ways and publishers are suffering. Perhaps the idea of dedicated issues to specific topics may be the way to continue. My advice would be not to do it on a monthly basis but see how it goes and build up from there. I think that people will tend to buy single issues covering topics which will be of particular interest to them. And you will only have to monitor what interests people through the posts in the Community.Best wishes.

I received a letter from the publishers of Italy with an offer from Italia magazing offering 5 issues for £5. Italy was always better than Italia but it's better than nothing at all. First issue will arrive 15 October hopefully, so we'll see whether it is good enough to put in a permanent order. My last experience of Italia wasn't that brilliant but it may have  improved??

 content of the internet version is generally just regurgitated Italian newspaper news... sort of headline stuff.. in fact am not sure there are any journalists left...just translators...  paper version had more interest... although have to admit never bought it after moving here... subscribed to the other one...well the only one now I guess

While in the past the online version was essentially a repetition of news from Ansa -  adriatica I invite you to revisit the front page and see if you still think it is just regurgitated stuff.

The past two weeks we have made quite a few changes  and outside the occasional article that we pick up from past versions of Italy magazine (revised for the web) the rest is all hand-lonigly created original stuff. I don't think it is fair to call Carla and Pat "just translators" https://www.italymagazine.com/content/about-us 

Although one can, of course, not like or agree with the content they produce.

In reply to by Ronald

 ronald you are right...had not visited the new online mag...  and i did not mean to suggest any probs with your two writers... my opinion was based on the past...  am not sure there is that much new content as yet...with just two writers it will take some time i would think...  a story doesn't fall off the back of a lorry... takes weeks of research and writing ... so yes i can see a bit of change... and am sure as they get going there will be much more input and original work...  as you say it has only been two weeks then i still justify my comment based on the very recent past...but accept building takes time... and hopefully it will all go ahead as planned.. however i still say original content is missing... nothing in the Abruzzo section for example is that enticing ...although maybe other regions are getting better coverage...seems to me that as an online magazine contact with journalists here in Italy in a much wider range of regions would essentially create a more wide range and complete content to your online mag maybe going outside the usual repetitive articles that seem to make the rounds in all lifestyle mags..online or on paper...  i know that many debates in the past suggested that there was no space in lifestyle magazines for serious debate on issues that are part of Italian life for all of us... either living here or just fans of the place...  advertisers would not have liked the maybe more truthful side and realistic view of an Italy that has good and bad in equal amounts... maybe now you are making a fresh start it would be worth considering that Italian cheeses and wines... property speculation and beautiful pictures ... as content is not enough to hold interest and that maybe advertisers do pay the bills...but obviously not enough... otherwise the paper version might still be here...its subscribers that are needed and very strong editorial content that brings readers back wanting more...so as to your last line...there is nothing much to say... there is nothing to agree or disagree with because there is no opinion expressed... and the content is as banal as it was before and makes good glossy content but my question is... is  that enough