What’s Different About Running a Magazine Today (Versus 5 Years Ago)?

Earlier this week, I was interviewed by Jason Allen Ashlock about my new digital magazine Scratch, and how things have changed in the magazine publishing world since my days at Writer’s Digest.

Here’s a bit of what I had to say:

It’s more difficult to turn a profit on a magazine, whether print or digital. People expect they can get quality information for free, and the magazine package (or experience) isn’t as valuable as it once was. People cherry pick a lot, rather than committing to single publications or outlets. I suspect that if and when Scratch becomes sustainable for the long term, it will be a result of additional content and services we develop, not subscription revenue.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation, and I also touch on:

• good and bad trends in author education
• exciting changes in the publishing industry
• a digital-inspired publishing effort that inspires me

Many thanks to Jason for the excellent questions. Read the full interview.