Online to In Print: How technology helped Steve Casmiro build up the community of readers for his new magazine, the quarterly Adventure Journal

The internet has done some great things for us. Especially as entrepreneurs, being involved in the digital community of outdoor sports aficionados and companies is an amazing way to build contacts and stay connected.

But my guest today is taking using his internet platform to launch. . . . a print magazine! As Steve says, there are some things that just don’t work as well online.

Over seven years ago, Steve Casmiro started Adventure-Journal.com, an online magazine devoted to outdoor adventure. Using his experience editing Bike Magazine and Powder Magazine, he was planning to start this project in print. But, as we all know, 2008 was right when the recession hit and it was hard to get support for a new paper magazine.  

Today, Adventure-Journal is a super exciting, inspiring and successful online journal. Steve’s here for his second visit to the Intrepid Entrepreneur Podcast to talk about finally coming back to his original dream: a print Adventure Journal Magazine. The amazing first issue just came out this Spring!  

Steve says that starting Adventure Journal online was great when he got ready to consider print again, because he already had a community of people interested in his product. Unlike when he started out in journalism, he wasn’t stuck using mailings to drum up subscribers! And, he already knew what his readers would be interested in! He’s spent years getting to know them.  

Steve also knows how he wants the print magazine to be different from Adventure-Journal.com. He calls it a “luxurious reading experience”: lots of large pictures and plenty of room for the reader to engage with the story. Reading in ink and paper is a special experience, it should take you away from all of your devices and into an adventure. Steve is so passionate about this, he’s not offering the magazine in any electronic forms.

Starting a print magazine is a risky step but hearing Steve’s excitement is inspirational. His vision for this magazine is so clear, and he’s spent so many years honing in on it online. This episode is a must-listen for any of you with a dream project.  

 

Bravery in Business Quote

“I don't have to be that big, if I don't have to get to 10,000 circulation in the first year, I can just do the stories that I know are going to be the best stories” - Steve Casimiro

(click to tweet)

 

Cliff Notes

 

• AJ’s slogan: The Deeper You Get, The Deeper You Get
• Online Adventure Journal publications mean that he  has spent the last 7 years building up a consumer base/ audience for sales of the print editions, as well as having a dialogue with readers about what they’re interested in
• The website itself has evolved over the years and in relationship to the readers. Having an online publication/website gives you the chance to really get to know your readers and dialogue with them, but there are some stories that just don’t work online. Also gives you time to prove to advertisers that your product is marketable, so they will come with you into print.
• Having a consumer base already means they don’t have to count on losing money in the launch process, and have more editorial freedom, because there is no big publisher saying they have to hit 10,000 in circulation in the first year or go belly up.
• Using print to publish deeper, more thoughtful stories that require the reader to sit down away from their devices and experience them in paper & ink.  Printed stories will not be available in pdf online or in ereader editions. Only in print.
• Giving lots of space to the stories in print, so they have room to “breathe”. Most stories will get twice the pagination as in other magazines so its a “luxury reading experience” with lots of pictures.
• Going back to print is a big risk, but when Steve gets worried, he asks himself what the worst thing to happen could be, and it’s failure. And he knows he’s failed at many things before, and still survived. Some things work, some things don’t.

 

“It would be kind of hypocritical if I spent all day every day writing and talking about adventure and I didn't take risks in my own business.” - Steve Casimiro

(click to tweet)

Resources

Adventure Journal: Adventure-Journal.com
Print Subscription: Adventure-Journal.com/product/adventure-journal-quarterly-subscription/

 

Show Notes: IntrepidEntrepreneur.net/Adventure-Journal