State of the Publishing Industry
At Houston chapter event, editors
got advice on how to weather the economic climate.
By Monique A. Barbee, Secretary,
ASBPE Houston Chapter
 |
| Left to right: Speaker
Patrick Toensmeier, Modern Plastics; Joe Fisher,
Energy Markets; (behind) Monique A. Barbee,
Hart’s E&P; Bill Pike, Hart’s
E&P; and Matthew Veazey (far right), Materials
Performance, NACE International.
Photo by Trudy Schreiner, President,
ASBPE Houston Chapter. |
“The economic climate we’re
in today is extraordinary, maybe even unique in my lifetime
and probably most others,” Patrick Toensmeier, editor
in chief, Modern
Plastics, said during the Houston chapter’s State
of the Publishing Industry meeting last month. “The economy
is affecting everyone. No one is above it, at least that I’ve
talked to.”
Toensmeier’s resounding message
for trade publishing companies during what he said is “probably
the worst recession in decades,” is to “look at
their strategy” and “figure out ways they can
differentiate themselves from competitors.”
In a time where advertising is low,
book sizes are becoming more conservative, staff is becoming
thinner and some magazines are publishing less frequently,
“we need to ask ourselves some hard questions –
what could we be doing better?” Toensmeier asked.
“Everyone likes data as it
relates to the continuing need for quality information, especially
in the current economy, that exists among readers of all trade
magazines,” he said. “Good data is always popular
with readers and a good way to differentiate content from
a competitor.”
Toensmeier suggested some ways to
help publishing companies keep their heads above water:
-
talk to readers and find out
what they need;
-
leverage editorial content in
other directions;
-
-
make a global version of a company
publication (publish in another language) and send out
with the magazine;
-
graphics—use them to bring
the reader into the story, highlight information not found
in the article with a graphic; and
-
remember editorial integrity.
“Stick to your standards and
treat everyone fairly,” Toensmeier said. “Even
if somebody really dislikes the fact that you talked about
their competitor, the information you provide should be too
valuable even for them not to have.”
Although the publishing business
has seen some cutbacks in a variety of areas during the past
few months, Toensmeier remained optimistic.
“The future looks good,”
he said. “I think we have to go out and look for it
as much as wait for it to happen.”
About the Speaker
Patrick Toensmeier has been with
Modern Plastics, a Chemical Week Associates New York
publication, for 17 years. Prior to that, he worked on a Hearst
Corp. tabloid, Floor Covering Weekly, for five years.
A member of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Toensmeier
is author of The Resin Pocket Guide. He also is a
member of the Ancient Monuments Society, a British preservation
group, and has written several freelance articles. Toensmeier
is a University of Missouri graduate and lives in Connecticut.
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