Policy Changes in Contributor Copies

[Jan Benson]

I have recently noticed that publishers who used to offer a free copy of the edition to those contributing haiku, now charge standard issue pricing to contributors?

In the last decade there have emerged a plethora of digital publications of haiku.

Has publishing become such a financial burden for these entities to survive they create shifts in paradigms, such as going digital, and charging participants for copies?

Jan in Texas

[AlanSummers]

Hi Jan,

I have recently noticed that publishers who used to offer a free copy of the edition to those contributing haiku, now charge standard issue pricing to contributors?

Just thinking out aloud...

It's happened over the last decade or so.  Often haiku magazine owners are not independently financial secure, or able to secure a funding sponsor.   The recession has squeezed this vulnerability I guess.

Also print can be a headache, finding a good printer who will deliver a magazine on time without mistakes.  Online magazine owners have almost complete control if they have finances to maintain a website month after month.

A lot more haiku writers prefer the online magazines for a number of reasons, and of course each issue is readily available online 24/7 with a growing number of people over the weeks/months/years.   

In the last decade there have emerged a plethora of digital publications of haiku.

Exactly!   And they can be simply put up or be more complex in nature depending on the skills of the practitioners.

Has publishing become such a financial burden for these entities to survive they create shifts in paradigms, such as going digital, and charging participants for copies?

Jan in Texas

For a magazine to be printed the old fashioned way, rather than by Print on Demand, there have been great hikes in pricing.  For those who are unable to capture those big Arts grants, some in the region of a quarter of a million British Pounds Sterling, as one or two indie publishers have regularly done, and to juggle home and a day job, they either cease a quarterly print publication or go digital, and keep up with submissions and process on evenings and weekends, if such a thing is viable for them.

Also a lot of participants who were prepared to pay money for magazine subscription and book collection/anthology purchases has dropped.  The nature of the internet which has been for over two decades has reduced an appetite to buy certain goods in the art arenas of music; books; paintings, everything either audio; audio-visual; or visual.

Just my two cents,

Alan



QUOTE IN FULL

I have recently noticed that publishers who used to offer a free copy of the edition to those contributing haiku, now charge standard issue pricing to contributors?

In the last decade there have emerged a plethora of digital publications of haiku.

Has publishing become such a financial burden for these entities to survive they create shifts in paradigms, such as going digital, and charging participants for copies?

Jan in Texas

[Jan Benson]

Alan, you have confirmed my suspicions.

Now, to enter into a delicate thread, following these paradigm shifts.
Have publishers compromised the standards they might have held previous to the changes in the financial  market?

In otherwords, are editors persuaded to accept a more even balance of novice level haiku than the publisher might have considered previous to the changes in the market? The switch to zines? The shift to charging for contributer copis?

Jan in Texas

[AlanSummers]

Hi Jan,

Alan, you have confirmed my suspicions.

Now, to enter into a delicate thread, following these paradigm shifts.
Have publishers compromised the standards they might have held previous to the changes in the financial  market?

Print magazines are often under great pressure from subscription holders whereas online magazines may or may not have this pressure.

In otherwords, are editors persuaded to accept a more even balance of novice level haiku than the publisher might have considered previous to the changes in the market? The switch to zines? The shift to charging for contributer copis?

Jan in Texas

The market has a million or more people attempting haiku worldwide.   Every magazine receives a great number of verse that in no way resembles haiku but may or may not be in a numbered syllabic pattern e.g. 5-7-5

It will always depend on the editor, and at the moment I'm pretty stoked about British Haiku Society journal Blithe Spirit, and online Bones Journal, just to mention two amongst many good magazines.

warm regards,

Alan

Alan, you have confirmed my suspicions.

Now, to enter into a delicate thread, following these paradigm shifts.
Have publishers compromised the standards they might have held previous to the changes in the financial  market?

In otherwords, are editors persuaded to accept a more even balance of novice level haiku than the publisher might have considered previous to the changes in the market? The switch to zines? The shift to charging for contributer copis?

Jan in Texas