After finding out Swimmer takes 30% of our budget,I was thinking how to make it better.I think it is perhaps fine as it is now for what it does now,but if it is to help us grow...
What do you think?
Rodale had a magazine called "Fitness Swimmer' a few years ago and I thought it was excellent and I think implied that such a mag could be(almost) profitable.The current 4 in one format of "Swimming World" now seems excellent.Perhaps Swimmer should have sections:Competitive Swimmer,fitness swimmer,tri,noodlers(to be totally inclusive.)This might help with the problem of technique articles in Swimmer.The articles seem aimed for the middle and are too simple for elite swimmers and too advanced for beginners.
If you want to sell issues how about more pictures of good looking Masters swimmers in swim suits(it worked for Sports Illustrated.)
I don't find the "new product"section very helpful as it just gives what the company says.How about product testing? I expect a company would be glad to say"our goggles were the top rated by USMS-publicity for us.)If you really want to sell how about product testing on LZR vsTracer Rise,vs Nero Comp.I bet most swimmers,coaches,and parents would be interested in that.
Parents
Former Member
Swimmers are among of the best educated, highest paid interest group in the world. There is no reason that the magazine cannot get better advertisers as do many other interest group magazines of similar groups. the reason is, I believe, we don't understand the relationship between organization, structure, core values, vision, and mission. This is why it should have been recognized that the magazine should not have been started until there was an ED.
As for salaries being published, I have worked only in nonprofit organizations. Never have I seen individual salaries published. There has been in some budgets, the salary of the ED published under board expenses and then thee other staffs' salaries published either under operating expenses or a specific line stating salary but not specific. The Ed works and holds her/his position at the will of the board. Other employees are hired and hold their jobs at the will of the corporation. I just finished a class on boards and their relationships to the organization, the ED and the staff. It is truly the most misunderstood relationship in the business world, I believe.
As for Fitness Swimmer, I have several old copies. If you want to know about it send a private message and I will respond. I think the advertisement ordeal was perhaps a convenient way of removing it from the Rodale Press magazine list. I know there were complaints but I had also heard that there were several problems with the relationships between the parent company and the various editors. If I remember correctly, prior to the woman who did the ad being fired, the previous editor had been replaced by her. I think that previous editor is now the editor another magazine that looks at sports. The magazine made title changes in its history and was always stating that it was working hard to reflect and address the interests of the swimming world.
I am a member of another even more limited-interest organization. Many luxury consumer companies advertise in the magazine we receive. This magazine is not a product of the organization but an outside publisher. I've never seen it on any newsstands. I will say from experience that the quickest death for an organization is to provide its magazine on newsstands. Look at the Smithsonian's RAP and SNAP memberships (People in the metro DC area who do not take advantage of RAP are really silly.). I used to work at RAP. We would send out copies to those interested in our programs but never in large amounts nor to newsstands. Both Mrs. Sollinger and the current ED, I believe, are insistent about this. I truly hope that the newly hired ED will be able to last with the organization and understands organizational structure to make our membership a great future.
Swimmers are among of the best educated, highest paid interest group in the world. There is no reason that the magazine cannot get better advertisers as do many other interest group magazines of similar groups. the reason is, I believe, we don't understand the relationship between organization, structure, core values, vision, and mission. This is why it should have been recognized that the magazine should not have been started until there was an ED.
As for salaries being published, I have worked only in nonprofit organizations. Never have I seen individual salaries published. There has been in some budgets, the salary of the ED published under board expenses and then thee other staffs' salaries published either under operating expenses or a specific line stating salary but not specific. The Ed works and holds her/his position at the will of the board. Other employees are hired and hold their jobs at the will of the corporation. I just finished a class on boards and their relationships to the organization, the ED and the staff. It is truly the most misunderstood relationship in the business world, I believe.
As for Fitness Swimmer, I have several old copies. If you want to know about it send a private message and I will respond. I think the advertisement ordeal was perhaps a convenient way of removing it from the Rodale Press magazine list. I know there were complaints but I had also heard that there were several problems with the relationships between the parent company and the various editors. If I remember correctly, prior to the woman who did the ad being fired, the previous editor had been replaced by her. I think that previous editor is now the editor another magazine that looks at sports. The magazine made title changes in its history and was always stating that it was working hard to reflect and address the interests of the swimming world.
I am a member of another even more limited-interest organization. Many luxury consumer companies advertise in the magazine we receive. This magazine is not a product of the organization but an outside publisher. I've never seen it on any newsstands. I will say from experience that the quickest death for an organization is to provide its magazine on newsstands. Look at the Smithsonian's RAP and SNAP memberships (People in the metro DC area who do not take advantage of RAP are really silly.). I used to work at RAP. We would send out copies to those interested in our programs but never in large amounts nor to newsstands. Both Mrs. Sollinger and the current ED, I believe, are insistent about this. I truly hope that the newly hired ED will be able to last with the organization and understands organizational structure to make our membership a great future.
