Store, Covers - Cover Contest, Comps, Issue #3 Timeline.
 
22 June 2010
 
Back so soon.
 
Store 
 
OK so it's been a while since I've gotten into the store and provided info on sales stats thus far. I will this evening. This has been tough and time consuming because I can't pull a report and just give it to everyone, it contains info sort of confidential to each party, and not just copies they've helped sell, but things like names addresses emails, the info I do want each party to have so they know who among their fans are supporting them.  To provide the list in full would be bad, I would not want a situation where people would feel their supporters might be pirated.  So the annoying thing is it means a lot of reporting work for me.  Another thing I wish was better is that for this to really work best for us it seems obvious an "item" in the store per partner is a key, some people just didn't use the coupons....  This can make the store daunting and confusing for people. What to do.  Well I am ready to investigate using a different service for the online store. It will increase this cost to about $100 monthly, that equates to selling 23 copies a month just to cover this by the way.  But the ones I am looking at would have in them "affiliate" options, one in particular looks like it could be configured that affiliates would get simultaneous notification of sales on their behalf.  No longer would anyone have to ask me how they've been doing. Nor trust me to report this accurately, I love that part, I am all for transparency, both ways me to you all and vice versa.  So over the few days I am going to research this and try to implement a change to obtain this capability as soon as possible.
 
 
Covers - Cover Contest
 
I have had this discussion before and I will state it here for some new people on this list. At this point in time I will offer the cover of Retro Lovely to people.  If you want to be considered for one, DO NOT ASK.  This is where space being able to be increased by virtue of helping the sales and growth of this works so very well.  Early on I battled way too many emails of "why does so and so have this many pages and I don't?" Thus a merit system where people had control over this was a great way and so far a killer way for this to be managed and keep my mail traffic down.  I will say though for issue #3, when it comes time to layout and proof the thing each party will get their own galleries, the entire collection as a whole will be known only to me and a select few people (thank you Angela).
 
But back to the covers, in time I pondered a few things with regards to covers....  one being I'd really like a future issue to feature on the cover a model that has never before been in print. A new face, non-established.  We could do this as a contest actually... maybe for issue #5 which I hope is available for VLV14, but a fresh face chosen from among submissions with one criterion, that the shot be by a Retro Lovely Pinup Syndicate Member.  Do some of you think this would drive business your way?  Promoting shoots that would put a new model in the running to be the first model to be featured on the Cover of Retro Lovely as her first time in print?  We could begin promoting this in issue #3 and then in issue #4 allow voting on the winner from among the submissions.  Voting offered to the mailing list I have of those who have purchased a copy of Retro Lovely.  And actually as I think on this maybe an "unpublished" model isn't entirely fair either.....  but maybe it needs to be a model that has never been on a cover of a magazine. So a contest with semi finalists shown in issue #4 January... Winner the cover of issue #5 and maybe we work towards a cash prize $500 for openers.....
 

A final thing on covers in general...  Seriously, please, do not ask me about covers.  If you do, we will part company. I'll pay you full retail for whatever copies you've sold in the balance up to that point and I'll wish you well but we won't work together anymore.  This includes subtle crap like "Wow issue #4 was a great cover, I have a lot of work like that too have you noticed how I have a lot of great work, like that great cover?"
 

I also nearly want to say that if I move forward with this "contest" I would actually like an exemption for myself, my pledge never to have a cover of my own, why?  Because if we do this and I was one of you, simply a member of the pinup syndicate I'd be selling the crap out of this, I know I could book shoots because of this and I did start this to be able to do that.  That the winner, the cover, would not be decided by me, why should I be excluded from it?
 
 
Comps
 
New policy on comp copies.
I will provide everyone in an issue 1 comp if they are in the issue for openers.  Then it will increase to a total of 1 comp per page they have in an issue.  For models, have them contact me I will send them directly myself to them.  Some parties in issue #1 asked me for comps to take care of those who produced their shoots yet after this I had quite a few instances where models contacted me looking for copies, some actually ordered them and I saw the names and said hello and asked "oh you need more?" to be greeted with "I didn't get one yet".  Now on one hand I'm feel lost opportunity here, these gals were not clued in to the fact they are entitled to them at wholesale... some of these models promote the crap out of this AND YOUR STUDIO, to not take advantage of this is beyond me.  I have had some models with tiny photos of themselves in issue one go on to help sell or buy more copies than established models with full pages.  I think I've mentioned this before, this currently costs me money to do, growing it is crucial to it continuing. If it does not become self- sustaining by issue #4 or so.... it might not go on. The IRS will be all kinds of "boy are you just stupid or what?" if I don't get it to breaking even.
 
Pinup Syndicate Point of Contact
 
Very soon I am going to hand over new applicants for the pinup syndicate to Joe Allocco of JFA Photography.  Many times in the past I have asked his opinion on new applicants, on submissions in general and on the project in general.  He is very grounded, very fair and has put the project as a whole ahead of his own place in it. This to say -expect to see his name attached to that Pinup Syndicate Website.  Additionally I am actually also going to send less of these newsletters and simply immediately archive them which can be accessed via that site so I am not bombarding you all with these epic monstrosities.  I will only send them as emails when it is very important, like.... Drumroll...... timelines......
 
Issue #3
 
I want it on the ground shipping in October.  I will need it at the printer at the end of August. Submissions would need to be in at the end of July. So...  July 31st.  This should give me a prayer at getting it together well and on time.  July 31st is a hard date.  If it's not in by then it don't run.  If you are due space and you miss the deadline, it will roll forward.  I want to target 100 pages or less.
 
 
Also please begin using this email address for me, my other one is dropping a lot of mails for some reason and I do not trust it.....  please now use  michael@retrolovely.com