Posted By:
DavidGetting people to write and submit good articles on a regular (I said regular and I said good) basis is not a realistic posibility. I've done my little email newsletter for over two years now and have an audience of over 5,000. I've always welcomed articles, at turns I've requested and (gasp!) even offered payment for articles. In the over two years I think I've had about 3-4 original small articles submited, though most of them were enjoyable reads. As one reader said, people enjoy reading articles but writing them takes too much work. For most people, the idea of spending one's free time writing a good and well-researched article is on par with spending one's free time cleaning the bathroom or going to the dentist. I enjoy writing, but I guess that makes me weird.
Some time ago, I realized and accept that, with rare exeptions, my newsletter will 1) Have to be essentially self written to be original and 2) Will never make any direct money. This is not a problem for me, as the newsletter is basically a hobby, and there are no costs other than my time. I can't imagine adding that equation all the headaches of printing and shipping and complaining customers and advertisers that Don has to deal with-- but, that's why I would never do a printed magazine.