The November/December 2009 issue of Belly Dance New England is the last print edition of Belly Dance New England.
There! I said it out loud. It was scary to do that, but this decision is actually something I've been wrestling with for over a year.
I have many reasons for doing so, but the primary one - and one that is immediately relevant to those who read and advertise in it - is that it is becoming increasingly clear that print media is no longer the optimal way to support the informational needs of special interest community such as this one. This is partly generational - people in their 20s use FaceBook, SMS, and Twitter to obtain and relay information; those slightly older rely on email, blogs, and Web sites for that. For advertising, it's easier and cheaper to get the word out via email and Facebook events. People rarely have time to read magazines, or even full-length articles anymore.
Furthermore, trying to maintain both a quality Web site and a quality print zine is simply no longer sustainable with a staff of, essentially, one. While I am blessed with dance colleagues who provide insightful, well-written, and relevant content, when it comes to putting the mag together I am the production editor, graphics director, and mail room guy. I am not good at all of these things, especially graphics. It was a continual source of frustration to me that I could not raise the graphics quality of the zine. I tried to expand the staff to address these gaps, but to no avail.
On top of all that, tack on a demanding day job and any attempt at a balanced personal life, and you have a recipe for, well, for way too much to do.
Belly Dance New England will continue as an online publication. Rather than spend time and energy putting out a print magazine (and we didn’t even get into the environmental hit from the paper, ink, and energy used to print and ship it), that content will go directly onto the Web. This means that articles, reviews, columns, and other content is no longer tied to print deadlines. Instead, it can be published as soon as it becomes available. For those who prefer to read their content in hard copy, articles can be downloaded and printed. The $25/year listings fee for advertisers will continue to include unlimited listings for events, classes, and workshops. The events calendar includes an RSS feed that is broadcast via email and Twitter. Event fliers will be posted to the Web site. For those folks who have hardcopy subscriptions, they will have the option of receiving a bimonthly flier that includes a listing of events, along with advertisers’ event ads and fliers. I will also continue to produce the annual printed teachers directory for hardcopy subscribers.
I realize that this is an abrupt change, and part of my struggle to make this change was to figure out the best way to transition everyone to the new formats. I hope you understand why this needed to happen and how we can still meet the goals of connection and community through new and different technology. Please do not hesitate to email me anytime with questions, concerns, and ideas. I am profoundly grateful for all the support you’ve given me over the years while this publication grew from a six-page newsletter to a 60-page zine. Now let’s see what we can accomplish on the electronic frontier!