THIS is not looking good, ladies….
I think a lot of you, if you still subscribe, were getting those great cheap deals on subscriptions (I hope). I’ve been buying newstand for quite awhile, just because I’m impatient, but I’m glad I’m not out any money. I think we all knew even the main, longstanding scrapbook mags wouldn’t be around for much longer. But it’s hard to see this precursor to complete failure in black and white (or whatever color a blog is, LOL).
Make sure to read the comments on that first article. Someone makes a great point about CK’s supremely sucky customer service of the last couple years. I’ve heard endless stories of customers charged double for monthly kits, items not sent, subscriptions not fulfilled, prizes not sent…not to mention CK’s message board transition that most of us “old timers” hated and caused many of us to leave.
More sad times in Scrappy World….Your thoughts?
8 Comments
CK (Media and Magazine) have done alot over the years to drive away advertisers and subscribers. Here’s my list of things about CK Mag that bug me:
1. They moved away from educating, inspiring and converting newbies. Too much focus on advanced techniques and abstract concepts. They completely forgot about the scrappers who just want layout ideas for their kids’ birthday parties and disney vacations. Instead, they focused on scrappers who already have everything and already (think they) know everything. Experienced, confident scrappers don’t buy as many mags.
2. Lisa Bearnson hawked too many “1000 piece” kits and products below retail on QVC. Way to undercut your retail advertisers! (and then there was “the slap heard around the world”)
3. They spent too much time cultivating and exploiting the “celebriscrappers”…too much competitition, too much “who’s who” in the industry, too many white teeth and skinny people. It’s worse than a fashion magazine! First we can’t live up to the skills of “Scrapper of the Year” and now we don’t look as good as good either.
4. Not enough reader content. I would pay more for a monthly mag that was *full of layouts*. Double page layouts. Multi photo layouts. Not everyone wants to know 7 new ways to use glitter…many of them want to get caught up by artfully arranging multiple photos on a double page layout. Put out a call for submissions…and then actually publish them!!
5. Really crappy customer service.
6. Too many non-scrappers on the front lines. I’m all for having professional editorial staff, but if they aren’t passionate and experienced scrappers they should stay in the background and focus on making the magazine and the talent look good.
I’ll stop now. I haven’t been a CK fan for quite a while.
Wow. . .just wow.
I had seen how thin CK had gotten. . . but didn’t realize things were this bad.
Sandra, your post is right on the money. I got so tired of the celeb scrappers that I had stopped purchasing CK some time ago. I had wondered why so many were on the editorial staff as well–that had to have hurt CK and other magazines in the long run.
And in regards to your #4, amen.
DITTO, DITTO, DITTO!!!! To all of the above, and you know what else really bugs me? What is wrong with your own handwriting. This is a real pet peave of mine. This is not just on CK, but all scrap mags have really moved away from what I feel is real scrapping to what appears to be professional graphic artistry. I do believe there can be a happy medium. I don’t want my kids to look at my albums years from now and remember the really great computer with all the great fonts we had. I’ve never submitted to a mag, but why bother if I have a pretty good idea that I won’t get in because of the handwriting. Can I be cutiing edge and not use a computer?
As for CK in general, I agree with everything that Sandra said. Not to mention that with their whole controversy a while back, they made it clear that it really is who you know. the whole thing left a really bad taste in my mouth ever since.
I am the Director of Sales at Northridge Media (David Ross). We publish Cards, Scrapbook Trends, Simply Handmade and Idea Books.
I hope that you feel our magazines are a publication that is dedicated to satisfy the end consumer. We try to keep advertising very low, we try to show lots of pictures of layouts for you to view.
I like to say we are a large enough publisher to make the best magazines on the market but we are a small enough publisher to read these blogs and learn from our customer’s about what they really want in a magazine. Your Submissions and advice are heard. Customer Service has never been our best attribute But I can tell you that it is a primary focus for us in this Calendar year. We cant keep everybody happy but we might as well try.
Don’t you hate being right? This is all so sad…I love CK, and I could see the changes taking place this year in their mag…they’re GOOD changes! Hopefully, they’re trying to save the mag by doing all of this restructuring…..
so
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Wow! I was looking for something and stumbled on this. I didn’t even know they were in trouble. I have 1 1/2 years left in my subscription that someone gave me. Are they stopping production all together? Maybe that is why Lisa left?
I am very sad to hear about this.
I thought it was strange that Lisa Bearnson said she was taking a leave of absence. She said that on QVC. Also since that time QVC has had no scrapbooking shows even on National Scrapbooking Day
I know I’m late on posting here, but another thing that are killing our fav mags, too.
Digital Scrapbooking.
There. I said it.
I spend 10 hours on a computer a day at work and another 2 or 3 updating my blogs and websites. There’s no way I can spend an hour on ONE layout on the computer.
I’ve noticed that while using a fun font as an accent or title, to do everything else like embellishments or having to buy more things to just sit in my hard drive is too much.
Give me pretty papers, and lumpy embellies and LOTS of ideas to use what I have !