The winter issue of Escarpment Views is out. In it, we have features on the 19th-century Christmas traditions you can experience at Westfield Heritage Village, the challenges threatening the black bear population of the Bruce Peninsula, and the magical dollhouse collection that used to be in Fort Erie. And there’s more in the way of departments and columns and photographs and the many different aspects of Niagara Escarpment communities that we present and celebrate. We’ll update our “Where to Get Copies” page soon, but meanwhile, if you don’t yet subscribe but want to get a copy, ask at the usual places, or if you’re really keen, email me with your location and I’ll tell you where you might get a free copy.
To get a free copy, see the updated list of Where to Get Copies.
With the winter issue out, we have completed our third year of publishing! This is a significant achievement because many businesses fail before then. When my co-publisher Mike Davis and I started this venture, we were warned by experts to expect prospective advertisers to tell us “If you’re still in business after three years, talk to us then.” I gulped. We looked at each other grimly. Three years seemed so far away. At the time, we were just hoping to be able to publish the next issue.
Now, it truly is easier to publish each issue. Our readers and viewers tell us it’s a wonderful magazine. We never get tired of hearing this! On difficult days, these comments lift our spirits and encourage us to put in all the hours it takes to produce something of our high quality. We no longer have to introduce the magazine to every person. Many people we meet are already familiar with it, or are impressed when we show it and say “We’re pretty new. We’ve only been been publishing for three years.”
It’s much easier for us to get the advertisers we need to keep going. We haven’t had tons of advertisers with big ads, though. This is because our ads aren’t cheap. Our advertisers pay good money to be associated with our magazine. Even a smaller ad works for them. They report getting calls from people about the magazine, or getting customers who say they saw them in the magazine. Their ads stand out a bit more than they would in thick magazines that are littered with ads. Our issues are thinner, but I believe we have more great content in fewer pages. There are magazines out there with 16 pages of ads before you get to the table of contents. This may be great for the publishers, but is it great for the readers? Or even for the advertisers, when readers skim past them looking for the content to begin?
I rather like our slim issues with smaller ads that stand out. It goes along with my environmental concerns, my desire to use resources carefully, to generate less waste. As long as our special advertisers agree, and want to reach the special people that respond to the vision and views we present in Escarpment Views, we’ll be able to keep on bringing you the best, the most interesting, the worth reading about, all along the unique landform that is the Niagara Escarpment.
Do you agree? Or do you prefer thick magazines with tons of ads?
