Re: TAG ideas (long)

["Karen Randall" <krandall@world.std.com>]

Thanks for the input, Neil.  That helps a lot!

I really like your ideas of a literature review and opening up communication
in the eastern European areas.  Would you be interested in doing the lit.
review?

As far as membership is concerned, while I agree that it should be a goal
for AGA, it should not be a direct goal of the TAG committee.  Although I
think that a better TAG will help raise our membership numbers, any direct
work on that front needs to be handled by another committee.

Karen

----- Original Message -----
From: "Neil Frank" <nfrank@mindspring.com>
To: <aga-sc@thekrib.com>
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2001 9:11 PM
Subject: Re: TAG ideas (long)


> Karen, You have put together a pretty complete palette!
>
> >Finances:
> >
> >Find out:
> >*Who is doing printing now?
> >*What are the costs of:
> > -Black and White
> > -Color pages
> > -Color covers and inside cover
> > -Mixed
> > -Numerical cost breaks
> > -Mailing
> >*Can we get better quality and/or better price elsewhare?
>
> >From my experience, the cost per color cover was the same as inside
color.
> A page is a page. Clearly, the color cover is flashier - we only had a few
> issues with full color covers because there was more content value with
> color on the inside. I elected to use  "slick" paper for color printing
and
> cheaper paper for text only. I only used "cover stock" for the first issue
> (It did not fold well). Once I learned that duotone was only a few bucks
> more, I used it consistently.
>  I always liked the look and feel of the slick paper thoughout (like BB),
> but did not think we wanted to spend the $$, so instead developed the
> 'convention' of using thin slick paper for cover. To the extent that
> anything stays the same thru multiple issues, the printing costs can be
> reduced... because the printer can make more copies... and even use a
> bigger press. I thought about having all the covers printed with the same
> color photo (with overprinted dates and issue numbers), but found it more
> convenient to tell the issues apart if they had different colors. One idea
> that I  never implemented was to make extra copies of individual color
> pages to be used for other purposes - ads, brochures, flyers, membership
> applications. The incremental costs drops greatly after 1,000 or so
copies.
> For getting best pricing on printing , I would suggest asking Dave G.  I
> always felt he was person to ask when you wanted to find the best deal...
> not just printing!
>
> >
> >Can we afford to pay:
> > *$50 per new feature length article ($100-$150 per issue)
> > *$10 per photo ($100-$150 per issue?) (ask for donated material when
> >possible)
> > *Annual award for best article and best photo ($$??)
>
> To answer these questions, the board would probably want to see the TOTAL
> cost per issue which includes editorial staff pay, content pay, printing
> (function of number of pages), etc... minus revenue (ads,
> subscriptions,etc). For photo payment, you might vary for cover and small
> vs. large prints (even though photo quality is exactly the same)... as
> alternative to best photo.
>
> >
> >How much do we need to charge for ads?
> >*Full page color ads should pay for at least that whole sheet of paper (3
> >add'l pages)
> >*Cover ads should pay for cover the add'l cost of mailing magazines in an
> >envelope
> >*Ads less than a full page in size must be paid in advance for one full
year
> >(4 issues) and must have B&W and color options
>
> I'm glad you mentioned envelope... I am definitely tired of getting a torn
> TAG in the mail.  If you choose not to use wrapper (which can be paper
> evelope, or plastic shink wrap), then PLEASE do not use the paper tab
which
> is supposed to keep it closed. I think those darn things get stuck in the
> postoffice machines and contribute to the torn covers.
>
> >
> >Short Term Goals (within 2002):
> > *1-2 New feature articles per issue (try to have one more technical, one
> >beginner-ish)
> > *1 Asian article (Amano) per issue (translated)
> > *1 European article per issue (translated)
> > *Featured plant
> >*Featured tank or aquarist
> > Can be submitted by members or chosen from contest entries
> >(ask owner to answer questions about the tank via the members' list)
> > *Tips gleaned from APD and elsewhere
> > *Local/Regional club news
> >*rotate full ads for back issues, book store, etc. (don't need more than
a
> >website pointer in every issue)
> > *Some color in every issue
> >*Move most of the administrivia to the web site, and include just
pointers
> >in the magazine
>
> All of the above sounds great. With the column approach mentioned by
David,
> it should be easier to keep material flowing (wish I thought of that!). I
> was thinking about "tips from APD" and even have a large electronic file
> with tips from years past.... but was never used. It was fun picking out
> the wheat from the chaff.
> Oh... how about literature reviews. This can include books (aquatic plant,
> water garden,including beginner stuff), club mags, even stuff from
american
> and foreign mags (as a column as done in AQUAPHYTE and AQUA PLANTA, or
> whenever).
>
> You may find that you will still need filler. That was the main reason
that
> TAG had ads for membership renewal, book store, etc. The selected ad fit
> the available space. However,the space wasnt necessarily utilized in the
> most creative way. I had the same inside front and back covers for
> convenience only. I like your idea of rotating.
> >
> > *Establish committees:
> >  -Advertising sales
> >  -Materials search
> >  -Translation (Tomoko Schum, Michael Ekherdt)
> >  --Have AGA buy subscriptions to promising foreign magazines for these
> >people
> >  -Local club liaison (to collect news from local clubs)
>
> Looking at BB and the other TAG jobs that were discussed in previous
> emails, maybe technical and production?
>
> It may be possible to re-establish links to Russia and eastern Europe.
> There is a lot of amazing stuff that exists over there. My main contact
has
> recently died (Mark Mahlkin), but I have other contacts that I can work on
> if there is interest.
>
> >
> >*Develop strong link with Members' list
> >-(Including monthly updates on news/announcements)
> > *Develop an electronic archive of photos and drawings by species/subject
> >
> >Long Term Goals:
> > * Financially Self-sustaining
> >*Full color
> >*6 times annually
> >
>
> As a related TAG long-term goal, I would add boosting membership (though
> better advertising) or possible store sales -- to allow more copies to
> print. It would be great if we get membership to 1200-1500. Then full
color
> would be easy.
>
> Cant think of anything else. You covered it pretty well.
> Neil
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