As I write this, 2009 is fast approaching and I cannot help but contemplate the hopes and challenges this New Year brings.
HOPE: Assuming everything remains on track, you should be able to visit our new destination web site (www.spaceandtimemagazine.com), which we plan to populate with unique online content as well as electronic versions of the magazine as the year progresses. We want S&T readers to enjoy a fully-integrated online and hard copy experience. I am a firm believer in the future of e-publishing and yes, down the line, you are likely to only be able to find Space and Time in electronic form. Why? Well, that leads into our main challenge.
CHALLENGE: Print costs are killing us, and I mean that literally. The price per print run of this magazine is through the roof and, as I am but a wee press, that means my personal wallet getting thin. The returns policies of the publishing business do not help, as distributors order issues based on past sales and best guesses - not exactly the most accurate methodology. Therefore, there are no guarantees that the issues I ship them will actually sell, and if they are returned, the distributors don’t pay me for them. Any wonder why traditional publishers are dying out?
There are other hopes and challenges, of course, but these two are foremost and obviously go hand-in-hand. We want to reach our readers through every available outlet, but the realities of our changing world dictate an eventual move from ink to pixels. I’d like to hear your opinion on the subject, so please visit the web site or send me a letter with your thoughts. As usual, you have my gratitude.
Hildy Silverman
Editor-in-Chief
In Memoriam: This issue is dedicated to the memory of Tia Cultir (aka Sheri Lebowitz) my college friend, Star Wars expert extraordinaire, and all-around great gal.
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