Should the Bugle Go to Bi-Monthly?

February 5, 2006

Some of the major club magazines and the old car magazine "Collectible Automobile" are every other month. I was just thinking it was time for another Bugle but then I thought that that responsibility must be a huge burden to our new editor, no matter how motivated and talented. Since we want to keep him around awhile and enjoy his good articles and better content, should we go to 6-7 magazines per year instead of 12?

* Better more indepth articles

* More photos

* The finite years/numbers of cars to report on (I think that is why Collectible Automobile is only every other month

I know Olds (Journey With Olds) is every month - or it was when I was a member. Packard's are bi-monthly (every other month) and most of the smaller clubs are every other month. When I was in the WP Chrysler Club it was every month but I was not impressed even though they had 4-5 makes to choose from.

What do you think?

February 5, 2006

Nope,I look forward to getting it every month. Tom

NTX5467 · February 5, 2006

A few years ago, when a BCA dues increase was eminent and people "were talking about it", I did some research of other marque vehicle clubs and multi-marque clubs. Many did have bi-monthly publications AND cost more to be a member of, but there is another dynamic in this whole situation just as there is in a club that meets only quarterly or bi-monthly -- members tend to not be quite as "engaged" in the organization if there's not some activity of some sort every month. Take away these great AACA-hosted forums and the club magazine/chapter newsletter would be the only contact many members would have with the particular club/chapter.

A few other side issues . . . If THE BUGLE was bi-monthly with the same content as it now has, it would be a thicker publication and cost more to mail each issue. If the content and number of pages stayed the same as they now are, yet came only bi-monthly, could that be an incognito price increase?

I understand the concern about wanting to keep Pete around as Editor of THE BUGLE, but that ultimate decision is one for the BCA Board of Directors to make (with feedback from the paid membership). At the present time, he has many great ideas and articles in mind and is very motivated to make them happen. To possibly delay some of this motivation and stuff it into bi-monthly publications (whether of current content with the current number of pages or a larger publication of current content that comes only bi-monthly) would be a shame. Besides, when you look at larger and continuing projects, many times it's better to do them in smaller chunks than trying to combine them into a larger work (i.e., bi-monthly and thicker publications).

By observation, Pete knows what he's gotten himself into and is like the quarterback running on the open field for the touchdown -- success and "victory for the home team" are emminent. Lets all stand back and watch it happen! A deep Buick enthusiast being the Editor of the BCA magazine, what could be a better job to have (and get paid for it too!)?

There might be some high-level automotive enthusiast magazines that operate on a bi-monthly schedule and do quite well in that format, but we know to look for them at the newsstands in that schedule or happen to see them as we regularly browse the selections each month . . . or we just subscribe to them and not have to worry about missing something. In other words, these are discretionary purchases and we might opt to not purchase them each time (for various reasons). In comparison, the magazines that we see published every month tend to be things we regularly look for and are interested in seeing what's new and interesting in them. In each type of publication market, there is a certain saturation level that is optimum for each publication. I suspect that if some other high level-style publications came out to consistently rival "Collectible Automobile", they'd probably consider going monthly to compete (provided the competitor was viable and built a proven track record as a competitor to worry about).

Many publicatiions started out as bi-monthly and then progress to monthly status as circulation and sales build, not the other way around. "Collectible Automobile" has found a sweet spot in the marketplace and is successfully maintaining it. By the same token, "Hot Rod" and "Car Craft" would be perceived as "dying" if they went to bi-monthly from monthly ("dying" due to financial strife of the parent corporations, possibly, or a vote of "not relevant any more" by the readership might be some "rumors about town" in this example). What's not broke doesn't need to be "fixed", just maintained in current optimum orientations for future use.

Regarding what other vehicle clubs do in their respective club publications, each group has their own dynamics and demographics (as each of the various car manufacturers' model lines/divisions do) so using what they do as a guide to what the BCA might need to do might not be a universally good idea. The BCA can use that as "information" to see what everybody else is doing and then see if it might work for them, even in a modified (oops! sorry about that word, but it fits here) or customized version. By observation, no two clubs (or even chapters of the parent club) are the same and might not act the same in exactly similar situations -- different people, different prior-life experiences, different orientations/outlooks/perceptions/expectations, even when playing by the same rules as everybody else.

A bi-monthly BUGLE might be a future option . . . Long LONG into the future, IF ever, I hope. Keeping everybody thinking about Buicks is a good thing -- which a monthly BUGLE and these forums certainly have been successful in doing!

Have a great day!

Willis Bell 20811

Director, North Texas Chapter, BCA

February 5, 2006

Two for two on a Nay vote.

February 5, 2006

Even though I am a member of the Gopher State Chapter, the Bugle is pretty much my lifeline to the club...I think the same can be said for the vast majority of international members...if dues stayed the same, but the Bugle went bi-monthly, I think there would be a significant decrease in membership. Of course these forums tie me to various club members, but there are non-members here as well who simply happen to own and/or appreciate Buicks.

More in-depth content can easily be provided by splitting up a story to cover multiple Bugles. It has been done before...while it may be frustrating to the reader in some ways, it also leads to anticipation.

The struggle with the Bugle is to keep the variety of members interested, from those who may be interested in only brass era Buicks to the newer stuff to modifieds. The people with a smaller focus will quickly lose interest if there isn't anything covering what their interest is.

There are many other valid points to be made, but what would the paid advertisers think of bi-monthly?

February 5, 2006

I much prefer one per month. Norb

February 5, 2006

It's hard enough keeping things, events, etc up to date with one a month let a alone every other month. I would like mine to continue monthly please.

February 6, 2006

Every month!!