CONTACT will be printed again – but when?

I’m determined to print CONTACT magazine again.

I think the time is right.

I think the audience is big enough and engaged enough to support it.

Many of you have actually told me you want it.

And, let’s face it, a ‘magazine’ isn’t really real unless you can hold it in your hand! Right?

So, I want to start printing again – ASAP.

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The last magazine I printed was issue number 40.
The next issue I could realistically print is issue number 61, for distribution on 1 March next year.

That would mean we’ve endured a five-year break from print – a significant milestone and a perfect target to aim for.

But here’s the catch – I cannot afford to gamble on this.

I can only do this if the audience support is already behind me.
And I don’t mean emails or messages of support – I mean cold hard cash – I need YOUR support as a paid-up subscriber.

I need ‘subscribers’ to sign up BEFORE I can commit to #printCONTACTagain.

 

I’ve chosen Patreon as our subscription platform.

Patreon is actually a go-fund-me-type platform for creators, where I launched the CONTACT Patron Army in late 2017, promising to start printing CONTACT magazine again if I reached my ultimate goal of a basic wage for me plus printing costs.

But that’s never going to happen.

One of the key problems with CONTACT Patron Army recruiting up to now was, I felt very awkward about promoting it, because it was designed in the first instance to secure that basic wage for me – and that felt a lot like begging.

So I had an epiphany recently – why don’t I drop the basic-wage-first BS and just aim for printing costs. That way the target would be much smaller, AND, I won’t feel so awkward about promoting this new idea.

So, the new target is US$4000/month – less than half what it was initially.

That’s enough to cover printing, distribution etc (around Aus$16,000 per quarterly issue). And, if this works, potential profit from extra shop sales will pay me the wage I need – just like a real business! 😉

I have also slightly re-adjusted some of the ‘ranks’ in the CONTACT Patron Army (with more adjustments to come) – e.g.‘private’ is now US$2.50 per month – and all CONTACT Patrons will be considered subscribers, receiving a ‘free’ copy of the magazine, in print, delivered by mail four times per year.

That’s right – subscribing to CONTACT magazine print version is just US$2.50 per month.

This is the essence of my new plan.

I WILL DO IT – but only when Patreon pledges reach $4000/month.

If that happens before 10 January (my first decision deadline, because I need four weeks extra production time for a printed magazine), then I WILL PRINT issue 61 for distribution on 1 March next year.

If it takes longer to reach this new target, then getting back to printing will take longer too.

And so be it.

But, make no mistake about it – if you want CONTACT printed again – YOU (and about 1000* others) have to subscribe before 10 January.

The minimum pledge is just US$2.50/month (Aus$3.40 at recent exchange rates) – *unless you volunteer for a higher rank, with extra benefits, which the majority of our Patrons have done thus far).

There is one little ‘gamble’ for you, however. If we do not reach the target by 10 January, I cannot refund monthly pledges already made to that point. That money will go either towards boosting steps to further this goal (of getting to print) sooner – or perhaps bulk donated to charity if I decide to abandon this dream (which will only happen if/when it looks pretty obvious there’s insufficient support for this idea).

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I sincerely thank you in anticipation for your subscription.
With your help, as a ‘community’ effort, I am nervous but confident we can get this done.

 

Cheers
Brian Hartigan
Managing Editor

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