[TheForge] Re: The Hammer's Blow, ABANA publications (long)

Sun Jul 7 16:25:01 2002

Bravo!  Well written, clearly stated, no mysteries- as one would expect from
an editor.
-Kirsten
www.kokametalsmiths.com
Minnesota artists, visit the website below to find a free and useful way to
showcase your work.  Browse under metalworkers to see what's there.
www.mnartists.org

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Gilbert" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, July 07, 2002 2:57 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Re: The Hammer's Blow, ABANA publications (long)


> Everyone:
>
> The Hammer's Blow (and Anvils Ring) is made up entirely of member
> submissions... neither publication pays for articles. Also, it's very true
> that the budget does not allow for me or Rob to travel to do interviews or
> get articles. I am able to go to a few conferences, but that's on my own,
I
> pay for those. Neither publication is a big budget operation.
>
> I'd like to ask EVERYONE to consider submitting articles to the Hammer's
> Blow. If anyone has an article idea, I'll work with you to develop it,
> drawings, photos, whatever you need. Of course, it's easiest if I just
come
> by your place and start taking pictures, but unless you live in east
> Tennessee, I can't afford the travel. But I'm sure through email, faxes,
and
> phones, we can come up with something good.
>
> I need everyone's help to make the HB a useful, high quality publication.
> Right now, I've got three weeks to finish the next issue, and I've
received
> one submission. (I'll probably put a lot about the Conference demos that I
> saw)
>
> Also, against my better judgement, I'm going to make one (and only one)
> comment on the recent email debate about ABANA publication finances.  I
> don't know if $25,000.00 was saved by switching editors from Jim to Rob.
> But what I DO know is that our publications have greatly improved over the
> last three years, and you need to make sure you're not comparing apples to
> oranges.
>
> For example, take The Anvil's Ring. Vol28, #1. Summer of 2000. Edited by
> Jim. Sixty pages, all black and white, with a color cover. Vol 28#2, same
> thing. If I remember correctly, that was pretty much the standard format.
>
> Now let's jump ahead to the most recent Anvil's Ring, Vol 30#3. First off,
> it's larger, at sixty-four pages rather than sixty. Twenty-four pages are
in
> full color. In the publishing world, that's a HUGE difference, since color
> is MUCH lore expensive to print. Yet Rob was able to have this printed for
> LESS than what we were paying for our old magazines.
>
> And what about the Hammer's Blow? It used to be 20 pages long, with no
> advertising. Now it's 28 pages long. Of course, we now have ads in the HB,
> usually a little over four pages. Still, that's five additional pages of
> content for the membership.
>
> Things like this don't just happen, folks. It takes a lot of work. Rob
> Edwards and the Publications committee have put in long hours to make
these
> improvements... I've seen this on a weekly basis. And he's made my life
much
> easier by handling all the technical aspects of printing and advertising,
> which frees me up to work on content. There's more, but you get the
picture.
>
> Don't get me wrong, I have the deepest admiration and respect for Jim
> McCarty. I'd never have been able to become the editor of the HB if it
> wasn't for him, and I was greatly saddened when his contract wasn't
renewed.
> BUT... that doesn't change the fact that giving the contract to Rob was
the
> right thing to do for ABANA. The improvement in quality is obvious, and
the
> costs are significantly lower.
>
> I would encourage anyone who thinks the ABANA board is "up to no good" or
is
> otherwise less than dedicated to this organization to come and attend an
> ABANA board meeting. They are open to the public, and meetings are
conducted
> in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order. I have attended the last three
> as a result of my position, (and I've often been the only non-board member
> there) and I can assure you that everyone there gives 110% of their
energies
> and efforts to this organization. I can't speak for every member of the
> board... one member has never attended a meeting that I've been present
at,
> but those who are there work hard. They bust their ass, folks, and they
> don't get much in return.
>
> Folks on the board aren't likely to engage in email debates on the forge
for
> the same reasons that I don't... it takes too much time and energy, and
> you're rarely able to change people's minds. It's not a productive use of
my
> time. I don't like to speak for others, but I'd be willing to bet that
most
> of the board members will take the time to speak with any member by phone,
> or will talk to you face-to-face about any ABANA related subject... but
not
> emails on theforge or other BBS. Email is convenient, but resolving
> conflicts takes face-to-face communication.
>
> So don't think that "the ball is in The Board's court..." The board
doesn't
> play this game. If you have a grievance, put it in writing and submit it
to
> the central office to be included in the next board meeting agenda. If you
> want extensive details, then present your petition in person.
>
> I hope this helps
> BG
>
>
> Brian Gilbert
> Editor, The Hammer's Blow
> --
>