Posted by Jim Erhardt on August 20, 2013 at 8:20 AM
Looking for your feedback;
The idea would be to take each monthly online edition - including the cover shot photo and articles - and place them in a single PDF. The layout would be simplified with most of the web page graphics (header, menu, etc.) omitted to make the document more easily readable.
This would obviously require a lot of extra work on our end every month but if enough members found it to be a useful addition, we would offer it.
As always, your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated!
UPDATE
I put together a PDF to serve as an example of what I have in mind. I find that this is easier viewing on a smart phone or tablet, as well as giving the ability to print if needed. Take a look (preferably from a smart phone or table) and let me know your thoughts!
Posted by Mike Ramy on August 20, 2013 at 12:40 PM
I assume this would be done in order for members and visitors to have the option to save a printed version of the monthly online addition of NPN. This would appear to be a natural evolution of a growing organization. I would submit that the work involved for this would be more than the benefits gained therefore, not a good business decision. NPN is a growing, mature and highly respected organization and if we are going to the next level, let's skip the baby steps and go for it all with a full blown Magazine Publication. This would allow for greater exposure for everyone, higher potential for marketing and advertising revenues, and a much better show piece than a printed PDF file. This to me would be time better spent by all involved and would encourage additional participation by members. A well done publication to showcase NPN available at news stands and retail outlets would further enhance and grow what the web version has already started and has done so well, The world wide promotion of Fine Nature Photography and Conservation.
Mike Ramy
Posted by Paul DeCesare on August 20, 2013 at 1:45 PM
Jim, the PDF platform has been a great help these past several years so we COULD store articles, etc that we like. However, like Mike pointed out, you're adding a lot on your end to provide that, and for an output medium that we can actually do ourselves. What I mean by that is this: any of us can (and should have already!) go to download.com and grab one of the free PDF creator apps, in fact, the one I really like is PDFCreator. We can print any article to a PDF if we'd like, then from there, import it into iBooks or Kindle or whatever. With the advent of the iPad, Jobs changed the planet entirely for how we consume data, the earth is so device-centric now and it's growing by leaps and bounds. Newspapers are in their last season of life, soon to go by way of the 8-track (sad but true). So you're on the right track wanting to provide a digital file, in this case a PDF, but I would arrange it so you aren't tied to the output formatting. BUT, you do want an easy-to-maintain template to toss each article into so we as readers can create a PDF or print it and have it look nice. My suggestion would be to create a nice Printer-Friendly HTML/CSS template, one that has the article content and a simple header and no restricted line width. Most articles online everywhere have a PF link, it's expected by the viewer. Then let the reader choose how to grab the output, whether it be PDF creator, their printer, whatever. If all you have to do each month is throw the content into the template and be done with it, you'll have a happier amount of free time, IMO. I just sent Alain Briot's article about selling fine art (one that I MUST read, lol) into a PDF, and it's OK, but it looks like a webpage saved as a PDF. I suggest you create the CSS template and add a PF link, and let us do the rest. I may be way off with this idea, let's see what others have to say, there may be an even better way. The goal is added value to the viewer without eating up your valuable free time.
Last thought: there is no social media launch strip at the top or bottom of the articles. I see that you have Twitter and Facebook icons at the top so people can follow NPN which is good, but the #1 activity today whenever someone (usually the younger set which are the future of NPN) is to "Share This", to tell their social world when they find something useful or interesting, and that's done by either tweeting, Facebook Like, Pinterest (Pinterest is HUGE for photography and is currently getting more visits per month that WORDPRESS sites!), plus there's Google+, Reddit, Stumble Upon, LinkedIn and several others. I uploaded a typical launch strip for you to see, this one from Cnet. However, I'm not suggesting that all those outlets be made available because there is an obvious desire to keep NPN a class act and not cheapen it by widespread social media spamming. But I would suggest at least Twitter, Facebook Google+ and definitely Pinterest. If I like an article and hit the "Tweet This" link, the article link itself is what's sent out, therefore an immediate link to actual content that defines NPN. If the recipient likes what they read, then they return to explore the site overall. That's important because you're getting specific content sent out to the social universe, and only those interested in the subject matter of the article will return which is what you want. Alain Briot's artcle is a perfect example, it's not going to attract some 17 year old kid who shoots video of his friends cow-tipping in Iowa and uploads it to his YouTube channel with his Galaxy S4. But it will attract the more professional set looking for a place like NPN, and the attraction isn't just a home page, it's an article of clear cut information that speaks of what NPN would be all about. And because most of the folks sending the "Share This" tweet would be members, chances are their followers are going to be potential NPN fans as well. Bret Edge has a really classy but effective social presence, he simply has a Share This button, and when you hover over it, the entire list of possibilities pops up. NPN doesn't need accounts with all those outlets, the links would leverage the reader's accounts. You can see his launch button at the bottom of his blog.
I think I got off track from the original question, but it all really ties together: distribution and consumption of information. Hope all this made sense. ;-)
Posted by Paul DeCesare on August 20, 2013 at 1:47 PM
Oops, forgot the launch strip sample. Notice it neatly includes options for email and print FIRST, followed by StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, Digg, del.icio.us, Reddit, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter. Facebook isn;t showing but that's there too of course.
If I understand you correctly, you're suggesting a full-on, printed magazine? If so, I do not think this would be a good idea. Printed magazines are seeing greatly reduced subscription rates and retail sales. Advertising costs are also very high for printed materials. Many of the long-established print magazines have gone over to on-line content only because it's less expensive to do so.
From my point of view, being a long term member here, I would like to see capital, time and effort applied to implementing some of the suggestions that can be found in this thread, and/or this one.
A PDF would be great so that I could keep the articles available
Posted by Lorna Taylor on August 20, 2013 at 7:17 PM
I am fine with the system as is as it is always online and not something I need to find even more storage in my house for . If it ain't broke don't fix it !!
Posted by Donna Erhardt on August 21, 2013 at 7:49 AM
Just to clarify, the online articles would remain the same - nothing would change on the NPN site! We would simply generate a monthly PDF (that would accessible to members only) in sort of a magazine format with cover shot, index and articles. We certainly have quality of content to make it worth a try.
Yes, it would be more work but not a ton more. We're going to give it a try for the Sept. edition and see how it flies.
The additional work doesn't seem worth it to me. With all due respect, the articles themselves, while engaging for the month, are rarely "keepers" in my book. If we were to go to a more public magazine with more submissions, more articles, more photographs or how-to tutorials, etc, then it might be worth it. Just my two cents. Maybe we could do a poll: if there were a PDF, would you save it?
Posted by Jim Erhardt on August 23, 2013 at 8:10 AM
I put together a PDF to serve as an example of what I have in mind. I find that this is easier viewing on a smart phone or tablet, as well as giving the ability to print if needed. Take a look (preferably from a smart phone or table) and let me know your thoughts!
Jim, seems to work nicely on all levels. I tried PC, iPhone, & iPad too.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on August 31, 2013 at 1:21 AM
Looks nice Jim! The big question: is it easy and quick? If so, you nailed it.
Posted by Jim Erhardt on September 2, 2013 at 5:52 PM
Paul, I've been trying to create a work-flow that doesn't add much more time to what we already do. Will be creating a PDF for the Sept. issue this week and see how it goes!
Discussion
12 repliesThe idea would be to take each monthly online edition - including the cover shot photo and articles - and place them in a single PDF. The layout would be simplified with most of the web page graphics (header, menu, etc.) omitted to make the document more easily readable.
This would obviously require a lot of extra work on our end every month but if enough members found it to be a useful addition, we would offer it.
As always, your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated!
UPDATE
I put together a PDF to serve as an example of what I have in mind. I find that this is easier viewing on a smart phone or tablet, as well as giving the ability to print if needed. Take a look (preferably from a smart phone or table) and let me know your thoughts!
www.naturephotographers.net/PDF
Mike Ramy
Last thought: there is no social media launch strip at the top or bottom of the articles. I see that you have Twitter and Facebook icons at the top so people can follow NPN which is good, but the #1 activity today whenever someone (usually the younger set which are the future of NPN) is to "Share This", to tell their social world when they find something useful or interesting, and that's done by either tweeting, Facebook Like, Pinterest (Pinterest is HUGE for photography and is currently getting more visits per month that WORDPRESS sites!), plus there's Google+, Reddit, Stumble Upon, LinkedIn and several others. I uploaded a typical launch strip for you to see, this one from Cnet. However, I'm not suggesting that all those outlets be made available because there is an obvious desire to keep NPN a class act and not cheapen it by widespread social media spamming. But I would suggest at least Twitter, Facebook Google+ and definitely Pinterest. If I like an article and hit the "Tweet This" link, the article link itself is what's sent out, therefore an immediate link to actual content that defines NPN. If the recipient likes what they read, then they return to explore the site overall. That's important because you're getting specific content sent out to the social universe, and only those interested in the subject matter of the article will return which is what you want. Alain Briot's artcle is a perfect example, it's not going to attract some 17 year old kid who shoots video of his friends cow-tipping in Iowa and uploads it to his YouTube channel with his Galaxy S4. But it will attract the more professional set looking for a place like NPN, and the attraction isn't just a home page, it's an article of clear cut information that speaks of what NPN would be all about. And because most of the folks sending the "Share This" tweet would be members, chances are their followers are going to be potential NPN fans as well. Bret Edge has a really classy but effective social presence, he simply has a Share This button, and when you hover over it, the entire list of possibilities pops up. NPN doesn't need accounts with all those outlets, the links would leverage the reader's accounts. You can see his launch button at the bottom of his blog.
I think I got off track from the original question, but it all really ties together: distribution and consumption of information. Hope all this made sense. ;-)
If I understand you correctly, you're suggesting a full-on, printed magazine? If so, I do not think this would be a good idea. Printed magazines are seeing greatly reduced subscription rates and retail sales. Advertising costs are also very high for printed materials. Many of the long-established print magazines have gone over to on-line content only because it's less expensive to do so.
From my point of view, being a long term member here, I would like to see capital, time and effort applied to implementing some of the suggestions that can be found in this thread, and/or this one.
--p
Yes, it would be more work but not a ton more. We're going to give it a try for the Sept. edition and see how it flies.
PS - this is Jim logged in as Donna
www.naturephotographers.net/PDF