ISSUE #2
 
RIGHT,
It is time to begin the process of putting issue #2 together.
 
This is the formal "go" on this.
 
I am hoping to get it together for a late June / early July release.
We have no serious target like we imposed on ourselves for issue #1, that being in hand for VLV13 and Austin. But I can say I am glad we were there.

HUGE thanks to Mitzi and Sarah with Dynamite Dames.
They got a significant amount of feedback and were able to see firsthand how people (targeted audience though they were) would respond to this who never before heard of it.
 
We learned quality makes a difference. We learned the money spent on good printing, better papers, heavy cover stock with a laminate and glue spine binding did not go un-noticed by people. Comments on this were strong and positive. Then we hit them with a ton of great images. The formula is a good one.
I've had a lot of feedback indicating the lack of articles and such was not only OK, but welcomed. As I noted in the thing RL will always be dominated by IMAGES and I would ease into articles and such where they support images...
 
I also had a lot of great feedback on the content mix. The different styles. I had some who voiced distaste for tattoos so much you'd swear a relative died in some horrible inking mishap... still praise the mag based on the non-inked subjects.
That's pretty cool.
 
I also just changed the price online to $15. Listing it as a back issue (see several magazines do this with issues they are low on), I do indicate a reprint will occur but existing copies of the first printing of issue #1 are limited. I will list places people can still get copies for less than this. Some of the shops who put ads in the issue, other shops who bought some wholesale. I even offered to buyback copies from advertisers at cover price so their advertising will truly have not cost them anything, I had one reply of "fat chance on me returning any". I am doing this as I do want to be sure that for a month or two, or at least until issue #2 is out I am able to provide any of you copies to support your show efforts etc. Part of my original pledge to you all was to make them available to you, on consignment so you could sell them, make money and enjoy a measurable, direct benefit for trusting me with your work, and all along. 
 
Issue #2
Will probably grow in page count.
This will trip the shipping costs higher.
For the store this means forcing Priority Mailing.
That I can get envelopes for this from the post office will save on some material, envelopes, tape and such so I can do away with the handling fee in place for the first issue. And I see us printing enough more that the wholesale comes down that we might offer and play up providing Priority Service for First class pricing. 
Printing a bunch more also means the wholesale on Issue #2 should absolutely get down to $5 shipped wholesale and maybe even lower..... I'm excited to think many of you could have copies that if you have ability to sell them could bring you $6 in profit each.
 
Submissions.
I'm ready for them.
I do want to use FTP for all to upload to me.
Let me know if you are ready and I'll get you login info and a tutorial if you've not used FTP before.
 
SPACE
As before awesome work gets my attention.
Next, "names" this helps the whole.
Then HELP.... meaning help promoting this and help pre-selling and selling copies... if you help move $100 in copies be it existing ones or issue #2, you earn a page for that work.
 
Some of you have done an amazing job with issue #1 and have earned some nice space for issue #2, you can use it all in issue #2 or save some for another issue. Want some of it as an ad? Cool too - 
 
The thing is, #1 has been well received. We're in a great position to have #2 do even better. But I won't just assume anything. I personally will work even harder on #2 to ensure it's not a fluke, and grow it and get it so what we can all get back from it is even more and better than the first time around. Now that we've seen the first one and what it can do / did. I think it will be easier for a lot more to be even more excited about the project as a whole and to see what some slight additional fanning of the flames might do.
 
ALSO let me get back to submissions. Feedback has been that the sets with themes or at interesting locations were pretty popular. Props, interesting clothing.... well regarded. 
 
Enough here -
 
 
Cheers
 
 
M