Stay warm out there everyone... now is the perfect time to curl up with your favourite Alberta magazine and a mug of hot chocolate.
We hope you have a happy, safe, and warm holiday season!
We hope you have a happy, safe, and warm holiday season!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
National Magazine Awards - Call for Entries
The National Magazine Awards Foundation (NMAF) is searching for Canada’s best in magazine journalism, photography, illustration and design from 2008.
Beginning December 1 the NMAF will be accepting submissions in 40 Categories for Gold ($1000) and Silver ($500) awards, to be presented at the 32nd annual National Magazine Awards – June 5, 2009 in Toronto.
The National Magazine Awards program is open to Canadian magazines and staff as well as Canadian freelance writers, illustrators, photographers and designers.
Please see the Rules & Eligibility for more information. The submissions process opens December 1, 2008 at www.magazine-awards.com. The deadline for entries is January 9, 2008. The fee for most entries is $85.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Hooray - Masthead lives on online
When I heard that Masthead, the magazine about magazine publishing, was going to stop publishing as of Jan/Feb 2009, I was pretty choked.
Luckily for all of us, it's online entity, mastheadonline.com, will continue. It's chock full of news, jobs, announcements, and all you could need to know about industry shufflings and trends. The website will still be managed by North Island publishing, and consummate snooper Marco Ursi will remain at its helm as editor.
Said Ursi, "I have some wicked new ideas for the site and look forward to serving the industry with more news, features, service and opinions. I also get to keep sticking my nose into other people's business without having to make an excuse for it."
So I urge you to visit and support the website--it's an invaluable resource for anyone in the industry.
-Anh
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Magazines Ontario Receives OMDC Funding for Innovative Digital Initiative
The Ontario Media Development Corporation has announced that Magazines Ontario will receive a portion of the $3.3 million Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund to support its Digital Discovery program.
The Digital Discovery project will see the creation of a digital newsstand, allowing member magazines -- with a particular emphasis on those from Ontario -- to create digital editions of their titles, with the aim to generate additional revenue and increase readership.
"This project supports the creation and hosting of digital editions of Ontario and other Canadian magazines. Magazines Canada will research and, through an RFP process, select an independent and seasoned provider of digital services to develop a conversion, delivery, and maintenance solution. A marketing plan will help magazines utilize the materials created to access new markets, improve customer satisfaction and keep pace with trends in new media and mobile technology."
"This exciting project will allow magazine creators to take more homegrown content to the world," said Magazines Ontario /Canada CEO Mark Jamison. "This is truly a public-private partnership because with each dollar invested by the Ontario Government today, the industry will immediately invest another $3. The return begins right away."
See the OMDC press release here: http://www.magazinescanada.ca/files/omdc%20release.pdf
The Digital Discovery project will see the creation of a digital newsstand, allowing member magazines -- with a particular emphasis on those from Ontario -- to create digital editions of their titles, with the aim to generate additional revenue and increase readership.
"This project supports the creation and hosting of digital editions of Ontario and other Canadian magazines. Magazines Canada will research and, through an RFP process, select an independent and seasoned provider of digital services to develop a conversion, delivery, and maintenance solution. A marketing plan will help magazines utilize the materials created to access new markets, improve customer satisfaction and keep pace with trends in new media and mobile technology."
"This exciting project will allow magazine creators to take more homegrown content to the world," said Magazines Ontario /Canada CEO Mark Jamison. "This is truly a public-private partnership because with each dollar invested by the Ontario Government today, the industry will immediately invest another $3. The return begins right away."
See the OMDC press release here: http://www.magazinescanada.ca/files/omdc%20release.pdf
Monday, November 24, 2008
Special Holiday Deals from AMPA
Bundle Up!Brr... it's cold out there! Tired of running around, trying to find perfect gifts for friends and family in this chilly winter weather? Bundle Up! With AMPA's holiday subscription packages!
Choose from one of our fail-safe bundles, grouped by area of interest. Subscribe to two mags from your choice bundle and get 15% off, or subscribe to three mags and get 25% off!
AMPA will send your giftee a card AND a beautiful, handmade AMPA magnet by December 25th, and they’ll receive their magazines in time to cure their January/February doldrums.
Just choose from the list below, send your picks and the recipient's name and address to ampa@albertamagazines.com, and we'll send you an invoice for the discounted price.
Act now - we hate to remind you, but time is running out!
Arts and Literary Bundle
dANDelion, Filling Station, Legacy, Other Voices, Penguin Eggs, Prairie Journal, Galleries West, and Canadian Scrapbooker
Food and Wine Bundle
City Palate, Wine Access, and the Edible Prairie Journal
Business Bundle
CalgaryInc., Unlimited, Northwest Business, Cool Companies, Alberta Venture, Oilweek, Oil and Gas Inquirer, and Oilsands Review
Family Life Bundle
Bride & Groom, Calgary’s Child, MOM Magazine, Homeschooler’s Guide, and Real Woman on the Run
Animal Lovers Bundle
Canadian Cowboy Country, Canine Review, Citizen Pet, and Western Horse Review
Sports and Recreation Bundle
Blaze, IMPACT, Fly Fusion, and Alberta Outdoorsman, and BLOOM
Social/Political Bundle
Alberta Views, LawNow, FARMING FOR TOMORROW, Prairies North, and Windspeaker
Monday, November 17, 2008
Magazines Ontario Website Launched!
A Magazines Ontario committee was formed in May, 2008, and today their website was officially launched, with links to AMPA, MMPA (Manitoba and Saskatchewan), AQEM (Quebec) and AMA (Atlantic provinces).
Several industry leaders have joined the new committee including Graham Scott of This, Terry Sellwood of Cottage Life and Explore, Sharon McAuley of Toronto Life and Matt Robinson of Outpost. More members will be announced shortly.
A key focus for the committee will be public affairs and issues specific to Ontario magazines. The committee will advise and advocate for Ontario-based magazines, and liaise with the Ontario Ministry of Culture, Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Ontario Arts Council on issues specific to the Ontario magazine and publishing industry.
"Although Magazines Canada has always pursued many Ontario issues on behalf of dozens of Ontario-based members, it has always done so under its national 'brand.' That changes with the creation of Magazines Ontario as part of the 'big tent' approach," said Terry Sellwood, committee member and Vice Chair of Magazines Canada. "Although many of our members have a national audience, being based in Ontario means they must know regional business conditions. This committee will work for Ontario magazines and make the connection to associations and titles right across Canada."
AMPA welcomes the Ontario Magazine committee to the club! Check out the new website at www.magazinesontario.ca
Several industry leaders have joined the new committee including Graham Scott of This, Terry Sellwood of Cottage Life and Explore, Sharon McAuley of Toronto Life and Matt Robinson of Outpost. More members will be announced shortly.
A key focus for the committee will be public affairs and issues specific to Ontario magazines. The committee will advise and advocate for Ontario-based magazines, and liaise with the Ontario Ministry of Culture, Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Ontario Arts Council on issues specific to the Ontario magazine and publishing industry.
"Although Magazines Canada has always pursued many Ontario issues on behalf of dozens of Ontario-based members, it has always done so under its national 'brand.' That changes with the creation of Magazines Ontario as part of the 'big tent' approach," said Terry Sellwood, committee member and Vice Chair of Magazines Canada. "Although many of our members have a national audience, being based in Ontario means they must know regional business conditions. This committee will work for Ontario magazines and make the connection to associations and titles right across Canada."
AMPA welcomes the Ontario Magazine committee to the club! Check out the new website at www.magazinesontario.ca
Friday, November 14, 2008
We Will Survive.....Right?
With the current economic crisis reaching global proportions (the BBC reported this morning that the Euro is in recession for the first time since its inception), the arts seem to be the first budgetary appendage on the chopping block.
With the Harper government announcing the cancellation of Canada's first National Portrait Gallery last week after more than seven years of planning, and world-renowned paintings by British artist Francis Bacon and US artist Jean-Michel Basquiat being auctioned off for a quarter of their anticipated value (a mere 27.4 million as opposed to 86.2 million...but a huge drop nonetheless), the visual arts market is taking a nosedive in the economic crunch.
But what about the literary arts market? Toronto Life editor Sarah Fulford spoke this week at Ryerson University about why magazines will survive, despite the unstable economy. Only time can tell what will and won't endure, but as we watch and wait with our fists (and wallets) clenched tightly, her optimistic voice is a breath of fresh air. So read on, and breathe deeply...
“When people talk about the death of print, they’re really talking about the death of newspapers. For about 4,000 reasons, most of them too complicated to address here, newspapers are every year less reliable, less comprehensive, less good at their primary function.”
“As physical objects, magazines are lovely to own. We live today in the great age of design. Never before have ordinary people been so obsessed with decor, fashion, architecture or style. There is an enormous appetite for consumable beauty and magazines play into that marvelously. Done right, magazines are eye-catching objects of elegance, satisfying to hold and behold.”
“I think people read magazines to belong to a community, to get a sense of intimacy, to experience catharsis, beauty, and in some way feel smarter. In short, they read them to understand the way people live today.”
“The greatest threat, in my opinion, to the core of Canadian magazines is not the recession because we will survive this one. It`s not the Internet, either, but rather an internal spiritual danger...In my world, writers often seemed to paint their subjects in the best possible light. They certainly weren’t betraying their subjects—if anything they were betraying their readers who had paid $4.95 for their issue.”
With the Harper government announcing the cancellation of Canada's first National Portrait Gallery last week after more than seven years of planning, and world-renowned paintings by British artist Francis Bacon and US artist Jean-Michel Basquiat being auctioned off for a quarter of their anticipated value (a mere 27.4 million as opposed to 86.2 million...but a huge drop nonetheless), the visual arts market is taking a nosedive in the economic crunch.
But what about the literary arts market? Toronto Life editor Sarah Fulford spoke this week at Ryerson University about why magazines will survive, despite the unstable economy. Only time can tell what will and won't endure, but as we watch and wait with our fists (and wallets) clenched tightly, her optimistic voice is a breath of fresh air. So read on, and breathe deeply...
“When people talk about the death of print, they’re really talking about the death of newspapers. For about 4,000 reasons, most of them too complicated to address here, newspapers are every year less reliable, less comprehensive, less good at their primary function.”
“As physical objects, magazines are lovely to own. We live today in the great age of design. Never before have ordinary people been so obsessed with decor, fashion, architecture or style. There is an enormous appetite for consumable beauty and magazines play into that marvelously. Done right, magazines are eye-catching objects of elegance, satisfying to hold and behold.”
“I think people read magazines to belong to a community, to get a sense of intimacy, to experience catharsis, beauty, and in some way feel smarter. In short, they read them to understand the way people live today.”
“The greatest threat, in my opinion, to the core of Canadian magazines is not the recession because we will survive this one. It`s not the Internet, either, but rather an internal spiritual danger...In my world, writers often seemed to paint their subjects in the best possible light. They certainly weren’t betraying their subjects—if anything they were betraying their readers who had paid $4.95 for their issue.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
