In spite of excellent reviews and at least good UK scifi coverage, sales of Escape Velocity magazine of science fact and fiction are far too lowly to be viable. It could be that the model of us (Adventure Books of Seattle) using Lulu.com as the printer / distributor of the magazine is faulty. Sometimes I find the Lulu website is slower than a snail travelling uphill. I wonder if others find the same problem?
The link is here http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1727255
Please try it, even if only to grab a free ebook download. We are considering a) closing down or b) using Kindle format as the only output and then via Amazon. c) Open to suggestions.
It would be a shame to close Escape Velocity. It is a vehicle for both new and experienced writers, a goodly mix of fiction and fact, open to experiment and apparently well-liked.
Some folk have advised us to reduce the A4 format, partly to make it more shelf-friendly and pocket-sized. Also to stop rewarding contributors with copies since most would be happy to buy their own. We would continue to pay contributors. Thoughts on these and more are welcome.
Escape Velocity anthology (annual?) book size – same content with stories articles, pictures and cartoons. Print by Lightning Source? Get an agreement with Gardners/Waterstones to handle the books. (Like I have for mine and you probably have for yours?) Then contact Waterstones managers (have to be done individually) to stock one or two. (You could do it even if I am useless at that sort of thing,) Enough come in and Gardeners would likely stock them. You have done well with Borders with your book so no doubt you could do signings (I take it you have stories in as well as being editor – if not, do so.)
Releasing a book annually gives longer for selling it and there would not be ‘old copies’ to shift as books go on selling. Readers may enjoy one so much they want a previous year’s copy. A book is something that can be bought for oneself or as a present. Can go in libraries etc etc. I would buy the anthology for presents. A magazine is a different matter.
Just a thought.
The print version is around £10, and not many people would want to pay that for a magazine. Although I like the A4 format as it’s easier on the eyes, I imagine an A5 mag would be cheaper to produce, and therefore more affordable for readers.
If the price of an A5 mag wouldn’t be much different from that of the A4 mag, then I like Gladys’s suggestion of an annual anthology.
It would be a shame for Escape Velocity to disappear altogether!
I meant to say that the print version is £10+ including P&P!
It is a shame that Escape Velocity is struggling. I would like to be able to offer some advice on distribution models, but my knowledge is far too small to be of any use. I would agree that if not paying contributors helps go with it, but you may have other reasons for wanting to keep it unchanged.
Podcasts seem to grab people’s attention at the moment. I have no idea what this would involve, but maybe you could include one story from each issue in audio format, give it away free and bring more readers into the rest of the magazine that way.