Out of Print, Out of Mind

This phenomenon could well be a generational thing. Perhaps the 21st century readership, people like my 10-year-old son, won't feel the same affinity for printed publications that I do, though he already has two hard copy subscriptions. Sean gets a thrill out of finding his Pokemon magazine in the mail and, I'm proud to say, he's figured out when the book mails.

Without the constancy of a printed product, how long can an e-pub expect to maintain (read: bring over) its readership? As more and more applications vie for our logged-on hours, the magazine may be better off staying put in its current form—on paper and in your hands.

Am I kidding myself? If so, what is the paperless e-zine driver going forward?

OFF TOPIC: OK, with unemployment at 9.6 percent, there are a lot of people out there combing the want ads. But you might be able to help me with one particular situation. There's an old amigo I grew up with who has vast experience as a buyer in several industries, but she's been out of work for much of the year. She'd like to stay in the game, local to her Philadelphia/Delaware Valley roots. If you or any of your clients are in need of such an employee, drop me a line at ecagle@napco.com and I can furnish details of her work history.