Region 1 Visual Journal(ism)

MagCloud.com is out of beta and into democracy. Michael Mendenhall announced Hewlett Packard is ready to jump into magazine publishing. Or rather, they will push you into self-publishing. Mendenhall said, “How would I define a publisher? Anyone who wants to be one. We are democratizing publishing.”

At first glance, my foray into becoming an Oprah media tycoon would be free. I was immediately on board. I am a fan of this kind of democracy. Soon I would be a publisher with a 38% pay increase - all while avoiding Chapter 11 proceedings.

Free? Sadly no. ‘To buy a magazine costs 20 cents per page, plus shipping.’ Publishing costs money. Technically buying a copy costs money. In order stay on the healthy side of the bank, I’d have to sell my magazine for at least $7.00. After calculator magic, my media empire nets less than 15 cents a page.

I realize Hewlett Packard and all MBAs would expect me to sell advertising to cover my costs. With ad revenue at a 37 year low, earning 15 cents a page may be an industry best. I like the concept for the convenience and small run potential in niche markets.

The site was launched in beta of summer 2008. Read an Folio interview with Derek Powazek from last year.

Print stats? None. Rob Haggart, last June in an entry, said the mag is delivered on 80lb paper with saddle-stitched covers. HP uses their Indigo technology for printing.

Will MagCloud.com bring back my favorite NYT supplement ‘Play’? Only time will tell.

-Sarah Evans.