Dan:
Thanks for the mention. I've come to the conclusion that, in some cases, doing a print version of a hyperlocal site can, indeed, be a boon to marketing and revenue.

That said, we at Backfence could never make the numbers on a print version work--the expense of publishing quickly ate up any possible advantage.

I think it's different for existing publishers, who are able to create and publish print products much more cheaply because they're already set up to do so. But for a small UGC site like Backfence or EnthusiastGroup, I'm not sure it's the right strategy.
Mark Potts | Homepage | 11.26.07 - 9:52 pm | #

I can imagine. Even for an exsiting company like the Californian, the startup costs for printing and distributing a large run, even with only 20,000 copies, is expensive. It takes a longer "runway" than most small startups have. Don't assume that you need printing presses to do this, though. Many of the secondary publications managed by Mercado Nuevo are now printed outside of the Californian because its' cheaper for the number of copies and type of print stock that they require.

I have thought for some time that there must be a way to let anyone publish a printed publication using online content, starting with PDFs and then moving to home printers, Kinko's and -- for the right type of content -- a larger press run.

We submitted a concept to the Knight News Challenge for this which is going to the next round. If we win (a longshot given the number of entries), maybe the next citizen media startup will have more options when it comes to print. And if we don't, I think this idea is so compelling that we'll keep looking for a way to make it happen.
Dan Pacheco | Homepage | 11.27.07 - 1:55 pm | #

Hi. Print is definitely a part of my plan. As you say, though, it's hard (near impossible) to start something like that with no capital. I've managed to keep Muncie Free Press (and a fleet of other sites) going for almost 3 years now w/no initial cash investment. Yes, it's been tough. Yes, I'm exhausted. Yes, I've had to beg for help here and there. It's doable, though, I think. I'm nearing critical mass and since I'm already used to running a lean (and I mean LEAN) operation, once revenue increases (it will - just ask Craig Newmark...) I'll be able to do a lot with it.

Anyway, I do think print plays a role for at least the next 5 years maybe? I have my own spin/twist to the normal equation, though.

Email me if you have any questions or want to talk.

Thanks,
K. Paul Mallasch - Publisher
K. Paul Mallasch | Homepage | 11.27.07 - 4:28 pm | #