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Dear Reader…
fRoots has always been a central resource and key
activist for the folk, roots and world music community.
Founding editor Ian Anderson appreciates your support.
S
ending this issue off to the ship – 50 albums each a year – this is baf- a78 If you’re an event organiser, an artist
printers – Vol. 30, No.12 – means fling logic to say the least, especially when on tour – maybe one of the many who
that we’ve just completed 30 those labels conveniently forget that they we’ve given a leg-up to (in which case you
years of publishing, every single also depend on symbiosis. ought to be a subscriber as well!) – or even
one on time. Next month you’ll
On the other hand, live music has
just an enthusiastic gig-goer, distribute
be getting our 30th anniversary edition!
stayed healthy, particularly festivals, whose
fRoots promo fliers for us, or even sell the
fRoots has always maintained a strong support has been really appreciated this
magazine and actually make money!
symbiosis with the grass roots of a music year. If the forecast long hot summer comes Then, beyond that, why not per-
a78
scene that has largely operated outside of to pass, it will surely be the festival season suade friends to subscribe or start them off
the mainstream business. We’ve had our that boosts everybody out of this trough. with gift subscriptions? This would be par-
share of big names on our front covers, Signs are good: one long-established event ticularly effective if the recipient is in the
even occasionally (sometimes by accident!) reported in early April that their weekend new young generation of roots music fans
coinciding with their latest album release. ticket sales were 500 up on the same point who may not yet realise what a wealth of
Largely, though, we’ve not followed the
two years ago. Record sales will follow.
inspiration and resources are to be found in
normal music media model, chasing adver- our pages. We do know that once hooked,
tising by providing editorial on demand. It’s people tend to stay readers forever.
been far more common for us to highlight
Better still, if you are already a reg-
a78
evolving names, be the first to write about
ularly renewing subscriber, please consid-
musics that readers may not be so familiar
er our Lifetime Subscriber scheme. We
with. Down the years it has been that delib-
set this up at our 25th anniversary, and
erately non-commercial, activist and enthu-
have really appreciated those who have
siast-driven approach that has helped give
taken up the option over the five years
us the incredibly loyal readership for which
since. It’s a once-only lump sum payment:
we are so grateful.
you can read about it on our website if
Some in the business find our stub- you’re not already aware of it. A good
born refusal to do advertorial inexplicable. boost in those while this recession wends
They miss the point that when fRoots’ its way would easily be the best bump-
writers get enthusiastic about something, proofing help you could give, and some-
you readers know that it’s genuine. There where down the line you’ll come out
are some magazines that you can read ahead! It’s also tax deductible if you’re in
from cover to cover without really having the music business…
a clue what’s good, what’s bad and what’s
a78 And, since better marketing is cer-
paid for. Not fRoots.
tainly high on our list of must-do activities,
Right now we’re all in scary times. We if you’re an imminent marketing graduate
sailed through previous recessions, but the who’d like a spell of internship experience
current one is different. There are those for your CV, get in touch. You might even
who say that the severity of this recession be able to create your own job.
has been made far worse by the commer-
Finally, any helpful ideas and feedback
cially driven panic-mongering of the news
are very welcome via our website fRoots
media. One can’t have much sympathy for
Forum. For example, a future possibility
the likes of newspapers and television com-
for us is a parallel digital edition. We have
panies being hit by the resultant downturn
had little demand for this shown by read-
in advertising – a classic shoot-in-foot situa-
ers up to now – mostly, I think, because the
tion. One can also turn a jaundiced eye on
depth of content in fRoots is far greater
the plight of bloated multinationals in the
I
n the meantime, here at fRoots, we
would certainly appreciate some
help from readers in the short term,
and some feedback and advice for
the longer.
than most people want to browse online,
record industry, hit by a perfect storm of
a format better suited to news and sound-
recession, confusion over the change to
There are simple ways you can help us,
bite media. But with the cost of overseas
digital, and plain bewilderment over hav-
most without it costing you anything!
postage soaring, coupled with increasing
ing lost the plot. But unfortunately the fall-
a78 If you’re in the habit of buying
awareness of the environmental downside
out has also hit those of us who have delib-
fRoots in a UK shop, subscribe instead. It
of transporting stuff around the planet,
erately stayed outside their world.
doesn’t cost you anything extra but makes
it’s likely that interest will grow from our
It can’t have escaped your attention
a substantially bigger margin for us: you’ll
readers outside the UK. It could even pro-
that, like most magazines, fRoots has been
also get it earlier, and if you subscribe for
duce a growth in readership abroad as
a bit thinner recently – not because of any
two years you’ll get a free CD too.
that’s where the price could be apprecia-
decrease in editorial content but simply
a78 If you buy CDs (or books, or any-
tively lower. We’ve done a trial of a digital
because advertising, from record labels in
thing else) from Amazon.co.uk, always
version in which the entire magazine goes
particular, is well down on average. Labels,
enter their site via the click-through from
online in the exact page form you read it
understandably, are cutting back on
the front page of frootsmag.com. Any-
now, with the added advantage of all web
releases until they see which way the wind
thing you buy while on their site from that
links in editorial and adverts being click-
has blown. The short-sighted ones are also
entry will then earn fRoots a small commis-
able: it looks very acceptable. What we
cutting back on promoting the ones they
sion while not costing you anything.
don’t know is whether there’s enough
do issue. In the case of fRoots, which has a78 If you buy gig tickets from demand to justify the cost involved as an
the hardest of hard-core unreconstructed, WeGotTickets, the same applies. Click alternative or bonus to the print edition.
dedicated CD buyers amongst its reader- through to them from frootsmag.com. Come on the Forum and let us know. F
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