Smarty

I had been a subscriber to Hotboat (years ago), Poker Runs America, and I am still a subscriber to Powerboat and Boating. I remember a thread of this nature some time ago, and I complained about the volume/content in Powerboat, in that the magazine was shrinking (less pages of information).

I also receive Power&Motoryacht (PMY), and have received it for many years, and I receive it for free. Not sure why and how I get the magazine for free, until I looked at the "Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation" at the back of this month's issue. PMY runs 125,545 per year, and 39,238 of those copies are free/nominal distribution (meaning cheap), I guess I signed up at a boat show and there you have it, I am a new subscriber. This magazine was 192 pages this month of which 1/3 are advertising but still it is a good toilet break read for the sheer volume of information.

I understand that this is not an apples to apples comparison of magazines, Powerboat and PMY. Maybe I should get out of law and start a performance boat magazine, with tons of content, and of course tons of advertising (if possible..salesmanship). I like reading objective boat tests, technical support, new gadgets and parts, and readers own perspectives about their boat and or boating experience(s) which Powerboat Magazine has, but I would like to have more information in a magazine. A magazine that takes longer than five minutes to read cover to cover, and that is perfromance boat driven.

So what is out there?

Catmando

I wouldn't call Boating and Power&Motoryacht 'performance boat' magazines. I think Powerboat, Poker Runs America and Performance Boats magazine are the only ones left.

Smarty

You are correct sir, PMY it is not a perfromance boat magazine. However, I did mention it because it is a content filled magazine and I wanted to see want was similar in content/volume in the performance boating magazines.

I was hoping to have someone explain to me what is out there, which you have, and possibly why is it impossible, from what I can tell, to have a performance boat magazine with tons of content? I realize the answer will be, "it is in relation to the advertising sales that fills the magazine."

Catastrophe

Congrats on the 1000 post mark.

That NED guy from NZ said he was comin back out with his mag in January.

Smarty

1,000 posts....it only took me ten years to do it....

Catmando

Ned puts out an excellent magazine, good to know he'll be back.

Catmando

Ads are part of the reason but Powerboat's test boat count is down as well. Maybe they're not sending Teague and Tomlinson out as much as they were...

lucky strike

iTrader: (1)

October/ November 2010 Powerboat mag has 66 pages.

January 2007 Powerboat Magazine had 106 pages.

Smarty

That's the sh*t I am talking about, 66 pages. WTF!

Times are tough for everyone I guess. But with less competition, meaning fewer performance boat magazines I would think the magazine could grow with a greater number of subscribers. Have the paying subscribers to Powerboat Magazine diminished that badly? Are there that fewer of advertisers and advertising dollars spent on the magazine? Or, I am just one of the suckers who buys the magazine because there is nothing else to buy that is comparable/what else is there to buy (lack of competition), and when your one of the only magazines left you can dictate the product size and content?

Catastrophe

Advertising sales for performance boat magazines has shrunk by more than 50%.
Its not the magazines fault. Its nobodies fault.

If you take the stance that you shouldnt buy the magazines, there wont be any.
And then, what will you do when you take your next dump??