Improving "Swimmer"magazine

How did that make it go under exactly? As far as USMS Swimmer I think it's pretty well done. I always at least flip through it. I have to say I very rarely read it cover-to-cover, though. I'd like to see more emphasis on competition, e.g. coverage of Nationals and other major meets/OW swims. I agree with Kirk. Recognizing that a large portion of the membership base does not compete, I understand why the mag can't be heavily weighted toward the competitive swimmer; however, it feels like the competitive swimmer is totally ignored. After each nationals a summary article is run, but what about the rest of the year? Some of the articles read like they were written for the junior high school paper. Masters swimmers are adults who want to be informed, educated, inspired, and entertained. Too many of the articles are fluff, without in depth analysis of the subject matter. So much so I can't remember a single article from a recent issue that was thought provoking or needing a second look. The old (pre-Swimmer) version of the mag used to have the monthly workout on a pull-out stock card. I also remember those workouts including several intervals for novice, intermediate & hard versions of the workout. The pull cards were great. You could take it right to the pool, or save the workouts without having to keep or copy the mag. I also agree that the product section needs to be more than just a page full of ads. Why not ask a few people to test the products and write a review? Reading the testimonial of a real USMS member would be much more valuable than reading the manufacturer's hype. The manufacturer could even use those reviews in future ads. USMS could ask members to volunteer to become part of the 'reader panel' and be randomly selected to test/compare products.

I have yet to see one as I'm a new USMS member (but longtime swimmerA). "Letter to the Editor" or "Letters from the Reader" on articles are always fun to read in my Motorcyclist magazine, no reason it wouldn't apply here. I also think we have A LOT of experience swimmers (competitive, open water, triathletes) so why not put it to use and have a "Guest Columnist" each issue. If you just asked me, or whoever you picked a few qualifying questions and tell me what area you want me to write on, how many words, etc. I know I could write something by a deadline of your choosing.

Good stuff; I'll compile everything - pros, cons, decals, the works. Keep it coming! Ideas for columns? Ron Lockman's Mexico-to-Oregon pier-to-pier swim is a beauty. Thanks all! (Er, I have nothing to do with mag but will try to get all ideas to editor) How about a monthly Q&A where the members send in Q's and an 'expert' gives the A. Heck, the Q's could even be taken from this forum and formally answered by an expert. Things like, "I'm getting this pain in my shoulder, what does that mean?", or "I'm a triathlete. Why should I do IM sets?" I would also bet that LMSC newsletters have some great articles that could be imported to the mag. That would really make it interactive. Our LMSC newsletter has had some great articles about cross training for triathlons, good pain vs. bad pain, etc. These were written by USMS members and/or physical therapists, doctors, nutritionists.

There are lots of ways to improve the mag, the site, the membership, and so forth. The big question is, how do we get anyone's attention? And then effect some changes? I'd like to see the gear reviews moved to the Web site, with perhaps a single good user review in the mag (the user review should, I think, include the company's description of its own product). Last night I was reading some online reviews of backpacking stoves, and they were extraordinary. User reviewers ran tests under different conditions, watched the fuel mix separate at 30 degrees, calculated everything possible about canister life for heating different volumes of water, and so on. The gear companies occasionally responded by changing their product. Ande did some good tests with Speedo's swimsuits. I'd like to see that in a separate section of the site so I don't have to Search and Sift. Association-specific mags that come with membership are rarely sold outside the association, but a narrow readership doesn't automatically lead to less than ideal content. I've watched member mags make a decision to improve quality and content, pick themselves up by their bootstraps, and DO IT. I have 30 years' experience in publishing (editorial production), including budgeting and print contracting. I would happily put my name in to improve the mag. . . . Swimming does face a distinct challenge, or several, in respect to content areas. It is unique to the individual working in the water. The venues are limited. The options for a swim vacation are few (v. a hiking vacation or destination vacation). The technique sections of Swimmer aimed at the middle ground are certainly useful to swimmers I know and are saved, but do not address higher-level needs, as noted by Allen S. So the character of the sport establishes some parameters (or limitations) for the magazine's trajectory. Perhaps Swimmer should be regarded as a good, basic, out-the-door effort laying a base for future improvements. The mag has the look and feel of a low-budget production. This can be improved without much extra cost; one can get a really good design template, and use it for a while. In July-August issue the USMS contacts, including Web site url, championships url, and so forth, are in a box on page 45 of 46 pages in the mag, looking like an advertising box on a page with other advertising boxes. This would be better placed at the front of the mag. "My favorite practice," on page 12, is in white type on a black background, which is illegible. The coach is boxed on a peach background. The design separates the coach from the workout. "Inside USMS," page 42, is another incoherent-design page. There is very little on the upcoming convention. Endowment Fund, also on page 42, looks like a footnote to something. Any clinics? A calendar page? "The Face of Masters Swimming," as discussed on these forums? Advanced technique? OW column? Kudos to Bill Volckening, the editor, and the contributors for getting the magazine to volume 4, issue 4. That's a lot. Here is the closing statement of his letter on page 4: "If you have an idea for USMS or SWIMMER, please get in touch. We're not just dreaming. We're listening." VB

As far as USMS Swimmer I think it's pretty well done. I always at least flip through it. I have to say I very rarely read it cover-to-cover, though. I'd like to see more emphasis on competition, e.g. coverage of Nationals and other major meets/OW swims. Ditto. More killer, less filler.

Ideas for Swimmer If ppl would like to throw out ideas, I'll compile them here, then send thread to Bill Volckening. Maybe that will help. This is a compilation of ALL suggestions. (Some are mine, many are not.) I. Look and Feel A. Layout and design 1. Streamline appearance overall, following model such as Outside magazine or SI. 2. No black backgrounds, please! Cannot read. B. Organization 1. Move "USMS Contacts" box out of advertising pages and to front of mag, under Letter from Editor. 2. Reorganize "My favorite practice" page. 3. Retitle "Backsplash" page II. Content A. Sections 1. Sections for competitive swimmers, fitness swimmers, tris, noodlers 2. Technique sections not very helpful because aimed at middle; too simple for advanced and too difficult for beginners 3. "New products" section not very helpful as it just reproduces what the company says about its product; how about product reviews? 4. Put extensive user product reviews on the Web site 5. Product reviews only one issue per year. Use space for other things also on a once-a-year basis, such as a review of upcoming clinics in the winter/spring issue, or a book review section from time to time. B. Columns 1. The face of Masters swimming 2. OW swimming 3. Special (not "secret"!) swim places 4. Monthly Q&A (see post 13 below for examples) 5. "Ask the Coach": everything from technique to how to overcome pre-race jitters 6. Guest columnist, content to vary by quarter, in acknowledgment of many different swimming interests (competitive, tris, OW, etc.) 7. Club Corner: Reproduce a good article published in an LMSC newsletter 8. Club column: feature different USMS clubs around the country, with membership, top 10 meet times, workouts, what their pools look like. 9. Technique column: frame-by-frame analysis of a swimmer's good stroke 10. (From Quicksilver): More detailed athlete bios instead of just their favorite workout. Not necessarily the top ten achievers. I think we all take special interest in hearing how others juggle our work, family, and recreation time. Kind of like swimmers of the month. C. Features 1. Storied deep pools 2. How to lobby effectively to start a Masters swim program 3. How LSMC chairs retain USMS membership 4. Clean water concerns and swimmers 5. Special swims USMS swimmers (or others) have constructed for themselves. This has HUGE potential. I'd like to know more about the 23.4-mile swim the length of Chgo that Marcia Cleveland, Chuck, and did this summer. Why did it take 3 years to put together? Surely there is a good story here! Ron Lockman's Mexico-to-Oregon, pier-to-pier swim would make a terrific story, maybe more than one. Someone on the boards planned to swim ca. 100 miles over a short period; a story? Reminiscences from our own "geochuck," who has been dropping enticing tidbits from his personal history of marathon swimming into various threads. The story potential is really unlimited. 6. Import content from LMSC newsletters (see post 13 below for examples). This could be implemented immediately, I should think. 7. Articles on dry-land training, stretching, etc.--techniques to improve swimming. 8. Guest articles by "great" trainers or coaches, such as David Salo or Bob Bowman. Interview Coach of the Year. D. Specials 1. Pictures of good-looking Masters swimmers in swimsuits 2. Centerfold: Quicksilver's buff cat (been doing pushups for a while) E. Announcements 1. Clinics 2. More on what USMS org is doing, such as Convention 3. Integrate Endowment Fund better 4. LMSC scholarships 5. How USMS is involved in clean water and environmental issues (certainly could feature meets such as Big Shoulders, where a portion of the meet fee goes to Great Lakes Coalition) III. Other Ideas 1. Window decal. A decal could be included in the first quarterly issue of the year, or sent separately to new members with registration. 2. Do away with mag. Put all info on Web site. Stroke tips are useful but could be put on the Web site. 3. Don't do away with mag. Mag is a "push" factor that unites swimmers, whether they swim with a club or not, and makes them feel they belong to org. 4. Put monthly technique on a pullout stock card. 5. Magazine arrives inconsistently. (And don't know when to expect first issue.) 6. Magazine not worth saving. 7. Would like to continue a magazine, but a better one. 8. If go to an all-online mag, have period of overlap to be sure the online version works at least as well as printed mag for users. 9. A national membership magazine is not within the core mission of the org. 10. Mag is not interesting. 11. More emphasis on competitions. 12. Less emphasis on competitions. 13. Mag is fine as it is now for what it does now, as a perk for members, but if it is to help us grow..., it needs an upgrade. 14. Tired of working online all day; keep printed publication. 15. Move to all-online with sign-in for paying subscribers: allows more timely publication of news of interest and easier archiving. 16. Non-elite swimmers need content and drills, too. 17. Like and use the drills. 18. Partner with an entity like Flowswimming to produce technique videos . 19. Mag is pretty well done. At least flip through every issue. 20. Ditto, but: more killer, less filler. 21. Articles written at junior high level. 22. Prefer not to receive magazine and to have membership fee discounted.

But that leads to a new idea: stock cards with different workouts, perhaps scaled and for different purposes, the size of a recipe box, sold in a pack. Collect, share them, trade them with your friends! :bolt:

As a fairly novice, occasionally competitive, fitness swimmer, I really enjoy the simpler drills, such as the free drills in the last issue. I can't tell you anything else about that issue, but those pages are in a plastic bag in my swim bag.

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. I used to subscribe to that until they went kaput. I really liked it until it went under and they substituted some nutrition magazine (Prevention?) without asking me. I was able to get them to extend my Runner's World subscription instead, though.

Noting that at the last board meeting it was announced that next year USMS will be operating with a deficit, if this magazine COSTS USMS money to produce. I say do away with it. put the info on website. I like the magazine, and always work with the stroke technique tips each month, but I could get that information just as easily from a website. I dont think the magazine helps at all with recruitment.