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Thread: Woodworking Magazines

  1. #1
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    Woodworking Magazines

    I posted a response on another forum about woodworking magazines, where no doubt my comments will get lost. I think that there is an idea here that is worth discussing. I hope that someone like Megan will comment. Even before I outline now what I wrote earlier, I recognise that an inherent problem is that magazines, hardcopy and on-line, may be a dying format. Further, publishing costs a lot, and budgets dictate the content of magazines these days. What I want may not be practical. Still, I also believe that this is up to the likes of you and I. If there is a demand, there could be a supply.

    We all bought magazines when we were starting out. The trouble is that the magazines recycle the same topics every 7 years. Beginners became intermediates, and then more advanced woodworkers, and eventually there is nothing more to read.

    I have subscriptions to FWW and PW. I flick through them in 5 minutes. Builds do not really interest me - they are set up for beginners, step-by-step, cut lists, etc. The magazine I still enjoy reading is Woodwork. I have all the copies on my iPad, which pleases my wife as there is no noise of pages turning as I read in bed. I enjoy the biographies and take a vicarious pleasure in their emerging skills and sense of design. I enjoy reading about designs and how they evolve. I prefer contemporary design to the 18th century. I find interest in seeing the original work of others. I would happily read about the influence of Eastern furniture or European design than more American Stickley and other Arts and Craft. There is just so much Shaker one can take (and I do like Shaker for its simple, pure lines).

    I'd like to see advanced joinery, such as used by the Chinese and Japanese.

    Essentially, I believe that there is a place for a magazine that caters for the intermediate to advanced woodworker. No, not Mortice and Tenon - that caters to the vintage era and vintage methods .... all good, but I am past that stage. I want blended, not just hand tools - I am very proficient with hand tools, but I recognise that restricting oneself here simply hamstrings oneself when it comes to building the designs in our heads.

    I want articles written by experienced woodworkers, not those who are weekend warriors (there is another on-line magazine on the horizon and, in spite of the best intentions, unfortunately this is also written by weekend warriors). Many of the articles featuring in magazines seem to be by weekend warriors. Indeed, I know many of them, and I am convinced that many offer technical articles without the experience of actually building furniture. I have written for magazines over the years. A few years ago I stopped deliberately and decided that I did not want to me part of a magazine that featured me as a writer. I do not know enough. I am a good woodworker. But I am a weekend warrior. I am happy to post my trials and tribulations on forums and on my website. I have no pretensions about my ability or qualifications. I expect that anyone reading my stuff knows that I am just a weekend warrior.

    FWW does have experienced writers, but they are writing for the beginners. What a waste! Other magazines, PW in recent times, feature bloggers and those prominent on forums. Some may enjoy their contributions, but they limit the value of the publication for me.

    I'm not alone here. Others also feel that they are in no-man's land of magazines. I think that the accountants have decided that we are not where the income lies. Increasingly, there are more and more of us. Would an on-line magazine will reduce costs enough to make it viable when written by experienced professional woodworkers?

    So who will write a magazine for the likes of me?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  2. #2
    Derek,

    Sad to say "we are not where the income lies" sums the whole concept of your post. Valid thoughts and questions but I expect there are no satisfactory answers. Thanks for the mention of Woodwork.

    ken

  3. #3
    With the new magazine do you mean this one?

    https://journeymansjournel.wordpress...azine-out-now/

    It certainly is an amateur effort, but it is for free. There is a link to the download page in the blog post I linked to above.

  4. #4
    'Fine Furniture'...fantastic idea that lasted a few years before rolling over and dying. The thought appeared to be that an eclectic mix of interior designers/decorators, 'elite' woodworkers, and the furniture-curious would power the magazine to a place of esteem in our collective consciousness. Reality: the interior designers really wanted a catalog of size/price/source without all the discussion of technique and 'I did this to address that challenge', experienced woodworkers wanted far more discussion of the challenges and specific techniques used, tyros wanted plans and hand-holding (plus a cheerleader or two in kick-pleat skirts), and the vast numbers of people that fell outside the decorator/wood butcher demographic turned out to be a handful of 'Felicity' set dressers that loved how the magazine looked on camera sitting atop a coffee table. I'd find perhaps one article per issue of interest, but kept up the subscription on GP until they stopped publishing.

    Existing magazines? Sheesh...do I really need need yet another silly debate on the merits of having a vise on the nether regions of my bench authored by a professional contrarian, or a superficial-but-in-depth review (?) of what the cool kids are using to sever wood fibers in the shop? I'd like to imagine that the fault lies with Megan and her fellow travelers in the crafts publishing industry, who so obviously lost their way over the last 40 years and simply need to return to the interests and format of the first 40 or so issues of FWW, but a quick review of the digital archives online (I've tossed my physical collection) reveals that we have moved on...like looking through old issues of Look or Life.

    I fear the numbers for a commercial venture are simply not there, so Krenov's notion of the talented, committed amateur as both audience and author seems the more attractive path. Perhaps this magazine could be interactive to a degree...allowing nearly real-time feedback, and operate on a schedule that avoids the long gaps between refresh that characterize the six issue schedule of FWW & other print media. We could avoid the 'one-size-fits-none' problem with focus areas tailored to the interests of defined groups, such as hand tool aficionados.

    In other words, we are probably already there...or here, really.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by ken hatch View Post
    Derek,

    Sad to say "we are not where the income lies" sums the whole concept of your post. Valid thoughts and questions but I expect there are no satisfactory answers.

    ken
    +1. But I wish I had a better answer. I too go through my mags in 5 mins each. Still, I'm loathe to cancel them.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    I want articles written by experienced woodworkers, not those who are weekend warriors
    Why do you take it that those who make it their living are the only ones who have something valuable to impart? In a ranking of key elements contributing to successful creation of beautiful works, I do not believe more sophisticated techniques or greater speed or efficiency would place very high. Now, those who dedicate most of their waking moments to any given endeavor may indeed be more insightful about many things relating to their focus. Then again, the need to get sales - make money - can undermine art in that time consuming, expensive, etc. are eschewed as uneconomic, for example. The best art is made when driven by a sincere compulsion to "make" for the joy or it. In short, there is a place for paid professional and unpaid lovers of wood, in my opinion. Cheers!
    ~ Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

  7. #7
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    Sean, I can see how my use of the description may be taken as dismissive. Of course there are amateurs with the ability to teach at an advanced level. Krenov referred to himself as one. I would have loved to have attended his classes. I somehow doubt that he would have attended any run by myself!

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    Sean, I can see how my use of the description may be taken as dismissive. Of course there are amateurs with the ability to teach at an advanced level. Krenov referred to himself as one. I would have loved to have attended his classes. I somehow doubt that he would have attended any run by myself!

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    I loved Woodwork. That magazine had some "teaching" as in "how to" and so forth, but mostly it drove inspiration. Seeing bodies of work and artist profiles etc. was so great.

    As for Krenov, he did it for love. I want as many authors as possible who were doing it for love.

    Interesting to ponder why you think Krenov would be inspiring to you but not vice versa. Do you really think you have no pieces or techniques that would interest him? If so, I think you are selling the both of you short.
    ~ Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

  9. #9
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    I believe the fundamental problems are that

    1) Everyone has their own opinions on what an "intermediate" magazine may look/feel like.
    2) People are at various stages in their wood working.... the better woodworkers are a small percentage to the beginers
    3) Like others said.... profits are made by pandering to the masses

    I also think that finding a good woodworking that can actually write (publication quality) would be a challenge also.
    It's a game of percentages

  10. #10
    Not profit...survival. Like bookstores or big box lumber stores, there is room for two broad market outlets, a second tier of one or two niche/quality rags, and then it's newsletter time.

  11. #11
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    I have been a FWW reader since issue 1. As it went more to advertising I gave up for a few years. I resubscribed later and still have a subscription. I now once again deciding whether to renew. I fully read maybe one article each issue. I gave up on PW when it became comic book size and mostly ads. It seems to me that the magazines have become like TV 20 minutes of show and 30 minutes of ads. I would like to see more technical aspects, wood selection, technique and such and not articles from an author who claims to have invented the masking tape marking of joinery when it was discussed here three years ago. I myself have been using masking tape for scribing before the blue stuff came about, it is nicer to use. Right now we are reinventing wooden planes and workbenches in magazines. Just come here, the experts are here, some are a little rough sometimes but so were my teachers.
    Jim

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Kees Heiden View Post
    With the new magazine do you mean this one?

    https://journeymansjournel.wordpress...azine-out-now/

    It certainly is an amateur effort, but it is for free. There is a link to the download page in the blog post I linked to above.
    Thanks Kees. Hope that mag will continue to improve with time and readership. Our own Brian Holcombe has an article in there! I enjoyed it Brian!

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Todd Stock View Post
    Not profit...survival.
    Good point

  14. #14
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    With blogs and books there tends to be a huge competition for the niche. Most are not using it as their living and so they can provide info that appeals to a small audience without worrying about the numbers.

    Salko is doing what you're asking about, on e-form, I'm sure he would love to hear what an advanced Woodworker, such as yourself finds interesting.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frederick Skelly View Post
    Thanks Kees. Hope that mag will continue to improve with time and readership. Our own Brian Holcombe has an article in there! I enjoyed it Brian!
    Thank you!
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

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