Improving "Swimmer"magazine

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. Me Too!! I 100% loved that magazine...they did the same thing to me with the Prevention magazine though.

O Kittens! I get regular issues and enjoy flipping through and reading them. I like getting a hard copy mag - It's a nice change from the e-world. Bill does a great job and does try to lasso other contributing editors. I think if you tell him what you want - he'll listen. Although the mag. get a few $$ from USMS - I don't think Bill "makes" a whole lot of $$$ from USMS. Please slow your wagons down on the inuendo that he is somehow corrupt.

You can buy decals right now from the USMS National Office. Click here: www.usms.org/.../natoffice.php They're 4/$1.50, or 100 for $20.00. The decals are the static-cling, window decals. The "stickers" are stickers that you can put on notebooks, etc. I'm the Missouri Valley registrar. I try to buy something each year to send out with the swimmers' USMS cards. One year it was decals, another it was luggage tags, last year it was the USMS Planner. This year I might go back to decals again. There's other stuff for sale from the National Office. The USMS thank-you notes are nice for sending to your officials after they've worked at a meet. Anna Lea

Sounds like the magazine is loosing money. Cost of printing/postage..and a limited subscription as its a specialty magazine. I liked "Fitness Swimmer" to a point where it got too slanted to "speed swimmers" and not 'fitness" swimmers. Keeping a balence is important but hard to do as there always will be a "need for speed" as thats the sport of swimming Olympics ect. Not us "Mrs. Elmer Fudds" with our strapped swim caps. and hair care issues.. Lol. I would suggest moving the mag to a online mag with a sign in for paying subscribers. a pdf type file can allow subscribers to print out the mag if they want to save articles. "Teaser" articles can be released for those who are not subscribers.. Less print cost and postage. You will have to have adds positioned on the page all around the page really as the revenue will be needed. One big advantage is that the time lag between what happens and the article can be smaller as you are not waiting to send the mag to the printer. So you will be more recent with articles, and you can get online input , articles pictures from authors world wide which is important and quickly get them up on the mag so it should be intresting .

Starting the magazine when it was started was too early. USMS should have waited until there was an ED. Magazines are very hard to produce. This is especially true if the organization has no staff. Vivbene has some good ideas. However, "Why would some one want to read this magazine?" seems to be a question that no one asked. The magazine by Rodale supposedly went under because of the ad about the video tapes for a better sex life. It was a good magazine. I have most of the issues I got. I still go back to them to read many articles. I rarely even read 1/3 of our magazine let alone go back to old issues. On other threads, I've questioned if a national magazine going to members is really with in the vision and mission statements of the organization and reflect the core values of the organization. I would have to say no to all. I wonder if we really have core values. What are they and where are they?

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. Agreed. Do away with it. I never seem to get a copy consitently anyway. I think in the few years I've been a masters swimmer I've only received 5 or 6 magazines. And none of those have been particularly interesting.

Actually, I had 1000 of these made on 3x5 inch card stock at 10 cents each. So for $100 I have an effective way to "connect" with the "casual swimming" public. Of course, my web link is "commercial", but there's no reason why it couldn't be linked to on-line swimming info. 1193 Let me tell you, the average swimmer eats this type of stuff up, they watch me swimming "easy" and think that's an incredible feat, so they pretty much listen when I speak about swimming. It doesn't matter that I'm a dime a dozen, truth be told, it's my sales/writing ability that sets me apart from the average. This is where the bread and butter is, my friends. Swimming sales person meets general public, let the web page do the rest. Marjorie, I'm going to trust that you'll keep your word and forward this idea on to the appropriate people. Absolutely, Jonathan. I have directed the thread to the editor's attention (editor@usms.org). Could you please PM me with info on acquiring your workout cards? Thanks! Jayhawk, Thank you for the info on decals and stickers! Lindsay, Thank you for the info on Masters Swimming Canada! I looked at the site, and it seemed to be in the process of building its online presence. I agree that a magazine, a physical printed object, serves a purpose of unifying membership (which definitely has a dollar value, altho' one a little more difficult to compute for bottom-line purposes). I'm sure USMS org could find something to do with $300k, but as it has made a commitment to the mag for a period of time, let's have the best we can. My thought was to give some space to Canadian activities from time to time, perhaps in a new column for chapter activities or reproducing an article published in the chapter newsletter. Thus, one quarter we might have an article from Philly chapter, another quarter from Austin, another quarter from Pacific Masters, another quarter from Canada. I spend my life reading, writing, and editing online and probably wouldn't add another online reading obligation. A printed mag makes me very happy. I'd be in favor of technique videos Lapswimmer - It's hard to create a balance sheet for a print publication that has indirect benefits overall, or that an org deems "right" for it to do because it increases the public profile of the org. For example, might the recidivist rate (annual non-renewal rate of USMS membership) be higher without a mag? It's awfully difficult to say. A mag has something for the members to come together over; it contributes to organization's sense of itself as an entity. I have now forwarded this entire thread to the Swimmer editor, who is doing a creditable job, for which I thank him. Please continue with brainstorming and responses! VB

Actually, I had 1000 of these made on 3x5 inch card stock at 10 cents each. So for $100 I have an effective way to "connect" with the "casual swimming" public. Of course, my web link is "commercial", but there's no reason why it couldn't be linked to on-line swimming info. 1193 Let me tell you, the average swimmer eats this type of stuff up, they watch me swimming "easy" and think that's an incredible feat, so they pretty much listen when I speak about swimming. It doesn't matter that I'm a dime a dozen, truth be told, it's my sales/writing ability that sets me apart from the average. This is where the bread and butter is, my friends. Swimming sales person meets general public, let the web page do the rest. 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) Marjorie, I'm going to trust that you'll keep your word and forward this idea on to the appropriate people.

Yes, non-USMS swimmers may purchase a subscription at: www.usmsswimmer.com/subscribe. It's described as a benefit of membership. That's a very common relationship: one becomes a member and receives the membership mag, the production of which is supported in part by member fees (I don't actually know how the money moves, in this case). Perhaps a few copies could be strategically placed in swimming venues as a trial, to see if membership increases. I think any increase through this tactic would be non-trackable, and probably not worth the effort. Is there a reason that Swimmer is only for the membership? Would it be horrible if other swimmers--such as those on the forums who love swimming and being a lap swimmer but have not yet decided to join masters were to subscribe to the magazine? I think opening up the pool of recipients might generate some good turn-out and in return-generate a greater awareness of masters swimming and maybe even encourage some of those lurkers to join. I'm sure if it was open to others to subscribe that you could get doctors offices to subscribe (esp. those that deal with athletes on a more regular basis) and gyms that have magazines for those in the cardio rooms, and that would be in addition to any other individuals who might subscribe. I know its a nice perk to have this exclusive master's swimming magazine--but it would be a more effective magazine if it hit two or three birds with one stone--making it more worthwhile for the money and efforts it costs.

Try info@usms.org. That is the address on the masthead for P.O. to contact with address changes, and also a general email address for questions pertaining to the org or the mag. You might be able to receive free replacement copies if you can identify which ones are missing. (Again, I'm not connected to the mag, but this is standard policy of publishers.) Or placed in my mailbox :-) I have received two in the two years I have been a member.