A collector's item, perhaps?
The unhappy denouement of the startup magazine Zi is reported in today's Mastheadonline. It seems the front end costs were so high that the publisher has decided before the first issue comes out that there is not going to be a second. Proof once again that a business plan is the best investment a new publisher can make -- a proper and conservative analysis would have avoided such a nasty, and depressing, surprise.
posted by D. B. Scott at
10:10 am
3 Comments:
how cringingly awful
Lincoln, the news item on masthead referred to quotes the publisher:
...In an interview yesterday, Damji said that an unexpectedly low level of advertising support and high start-up costs have prompted her to fold the operation. “The reality is everything costs a lot of money, far more than I had ever anticipated spending. I have already spent far more than I ever thought I would on one issue alone, and now to go on an on to the second and third and fourth issue, even if advertising comes after the fourth issue, it will never, ever make up for the one year’s worth of money I’ve put in.” ...
We're probably all familiar with being misquoted, but it sure sounds to me like publication is suspended. And if I were an investor, reading those comments from the publisher would not encourage me.
It's really too bad, I guess we'll see when the first issue comes out what we'll be missing.
The item took the the publisher's words at face value, from a source we have reason to trust.
Mr. Phillip, according to his bio and blog, is (or was) an assistant editor on Zi, so might be expected to feel as he does in this lamentable situation.
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