BHM escapes implosion of print media thanks to its formula of quality and honesty
Did you know that the world of newspapers and magazines is imploding at an alarming rate?
Except for Backwoods Home Magazine, of course.
Look at the several print publications you read and compare them to what they were in the past — in size, quality, number of advertisements they carry, any way you care to measure their health. You’ll see most have shrunk, sometimes dramatically. Google up stats and revenue for print publications (folio is a good place to start) and you will read tales of woe and anguish. Here’s a good story about their panic.
It’s not the recession that is destroying the print media. It’s the internet. This implosion has been occurring for several years, and it is now picking up steam like a locomotive going downhill. Everyone in the print industry is talking about what to do to keep the industry from going over the cliff.
But at Backwoods Home Magazine, we are enjoying our most successful year in our 20 years in business. How come?
That’s a rhetorical question. I’ve known the answer for years, and I’ve been predicting for several years that the internet will make Backwoods Home Magazine rise like cream to the top of our industry. The internet is a method of communication in which the consumer decides what is good and what is BS. The good, namely quality and honesty, rises while the bad — the crap and the BS — sink out of sight.
It’s a refreshing development. The monopoly that has long delivered news and information to an imprisoned readership is being destroyed.
Long live a freed readership.
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:02 am
Personally, I never even would have known you existed without the Internet.
Glad I do.
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I’m a relatively new subscriber. I found you on the web. I’m used to magazines making promises about what they provide, but you are the only one who delivers the goods. You do exactly what you say you will. The articles are written by people in touch with reality — the backyard kind, not the media. You don’t dish out New Age garbage and entertainment stars who are supposed to be going green. You say “practical ideas for self-reliant living,” and that’s exactly what BWH is about. Anybody who wants to accomplish that can use your magazine and do that one-step at a time without going broke buying gizmos left and right. I’ve given two gift subscriptions. I’m going to renew my own subscription. My husband even likes it!! I’m letting the other magazines lapse. You just keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll keep telling my friends to check it out. Thanks!!!
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I am yet another person that found you through the internet. I now have a print subscription. You have enough online content to be useful and open to people and just enough content that is only available in print to encourage people to get the subscription. Keep up the great work!
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Dave, keep your finger on the pulse.
Personally, I’m about to let two of my print mag subs expire – they’ve just gone badly downhill lately; and they’re not putting up enough online content (or telling me about it) to get me to go to their websites.
I, also, found BHM via the Internet, and asked for subs for Christmas presents the last two years – got one year last year, and a two-year sub this past Christmas.
You do a great job of balancing the online content with the paper content – not sure how you do it, but you keep me checking blogs often, and looking forward to the print issue in my mailbox every other month.
Maybe because the blogs keep me interested, but I can take the paper mag out to the garage to smoke, or to the “throne room” when I can’t sit at my computer…
Anyway, you’re hitting the sweet spot between online and paper content… keep it up!
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:46 am
The rising of the good and falling of the crap happens on the net, too; it just happens so fast that it’s not as noticeable to lots of folks. Also, with print media there’s a physical legacy whereas with the net, if a site owner doesn’t renew their domain or hosting the site just disappears. Quite tidy, that.
I’m kind of two minds on the whole thing. As long as the grid is up, I rather prefer to get my info over the net. I can print out anything that I feel I need to keep for posterity or order a copy or subscription. But—when the grid goes down, all those reference bookmarks in my browser might as well be a library on Mars. I certainly won’t miss the whole talk-to-your-friends-with-your-thumbs culture, but I will miss the mega-library at my fingertips; my own library can never compare.
I’m awfully glad that in all the years that I’ve been reading Backwoods Home you guys have never taken the path that other mags *cough*MEN*cough have taken—and you can find them on news stands in grocery stores. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, and stay who you are. You rock.
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
I am another that wouldn’t have known about BWH without the internet. I was doing a search about another magazine and had BWH come up as a suggestion and have been here ever since. I bought issues one at a time until recently when I subscribed for the first of many years to come. Thank you for making this type of information available.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:54 am
Thank you for your good stewardship, Dave. Because of you, we will all benefit from BHM for years and years to come…. no matter the difficulty of the times.
February 25th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I read every thing you put on the internet, especially the blogs from you, jackie and when she puts one up, Annie. But we travel a lot as we have children in three states, east coast and west coast and in the middle also. I take some times three or four years of BHM with me and reread them. So will just keep getting the paper as well as the internet. I like to be able to hold it in my hands and you can’t do that with a computer..
February 26th, 2009 at 8:03 am
You are so right about the demise of many print publications. I had 3 given to me last Christmas as a present and already one has sent me a notice that it will no longer be printed. Thats okay because it was a flashy design magazine that my friend liked, but I didn’t care for. I like the way BWH handles both internet and print content. I saw you in a store 10 years ago and picked it up whenever I saw it. But now that my kids are older I am getting back to basics and BWH is the best companion for that journey.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Dave, I purchased the magazine from Barnes and Noble for a couple of years and then subscribed. You and the staff continue to do a great job and it is my favorite magazine.
Besides, you just can’t relax next to the woodstove and read a computer screen. BWH is meant to be enjoyed over and over again or shared with friends.
Best Regards,
February 28th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Unlike the majority of comments I found this magazine in a bookstore in Kansas. I bought it every other month as well as reading online at work. Then I moved to California and had a very hard time finding it in ant of out bookstores so I bought the print edition and have been subscribing for 2 plus years and intend to continue for another 20
March 3rd, 2009 at 6:21 am
I’ve been a loyal follower for years Dave, Although it can be hard to find it here in the peoples’ republic you escaped from. I will probably subscribe finally when yesterdays’ plowing o.t. comes in. You do realize your magazine will be the first one banned when this admin. feels more confident though right? Don’t worry Your loyal readers will spring you from the re-education camp!
March 11th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Kudos to the whole brilliant BHM gang!!
My sister (lives on a small property in Florida, on disability) and I live in a townhouse in Maryland with practically no yard. We both fell in love with your magazine several years ago, so I got us both long term subscriptions. We have both learned so much that we have taken up canning (thank you, Jackie) and my sister has just put in a large garden. I have to buy my produce – but hey – if Jackie keeps telling us how to do it all – we are ‘gung ho’ to try it.
BHM is the ONLY magazine that we both get so excited about. We call each other the minute our subscriptions hit our mailboxes – although her last name comes before mine in the Alphabet so she gets her copy first….I’m jealous. LOL What we love best about BHM is the fact that you don’t have to be a farmer or a hunter to put into practice all the terrific ideas that you come up with.
Our vote is the same as everyone else – we don’t need other magazines – this one will do! The money we aren’t spending on other magazines will be spent on renewing BHM forever……oh yes, and buying canning jars.
Massad Ayoob’s articles have prompted me to take shooting lessons – haven’t found a gun I can afford yet, in the meantime, I can throw canning jars at em.
Annie’s article on diapers is priceless! For a future grandmother who sews, I can now be a blessing to young families.
We both want to follow Jeff Yago’s directions and make solar systems.
Sadly, we agree with Charlie Reed – perhaps we can all take our Anthology collections to those re-education camps – boy, are we going to be in good company!! Keep up the terrfic work troops – we’re with ya.