The LSBA magazine will be going digital in 2014, starting with our next issue!! As with any transition, there have been some kinks to workout. Pablo has had the next issue ready since approximately January, but we are working on the details of formatting the magazine for digital print and notifying our current members on how to access it. The new EC took over at the beginning of March and we have gotten a lot accomplished in a short period of time. I have been working with the publisher on exactly how to accomplish this quickly. I hope to have the details worked out in the next couple of weeks.
The cost of the printed magazine was getting too expensive for the LSBA to afford. With our decrease in membership and events and our less than stellar Banquet last year, our revenue has been down. Our seven last issues of the magazine have averaged $5,142.29 per issue. The cost coupled with problems in getting the magazine out promptly made going digital the only logical choice for the LSBA. With the printed magazine, we would experience about a month turnaround time from the time it was sent to the publisher before it hit all members' doorsteps. There will be a much shorter turnaround time on the digital version and all members will be able to access it through our website at the same time.
Last year after discussing going digital, Pablo looked into the software and presented it to the 2013-2014 EC. His daughter, Alex, will be assisting him with the magazine. Their presentation at the EC meeting after last year's Banquet was fantastic!! I am not sure why it was not acted on last year, but the new EC voted on purchasing the software at our first meeting on March 8th. The new digital magazine is interactive and has a lot of cool features, such as embedded video, embedded links, listening to related audio clips and having the ability to click through to further information on the internet. It will also be smartphone and tablet compatible. It will give our advertisers and sponsors more traffic to their websites and products with just a click from a link in the magazine.
I think it will be a hit with most of our members. We will still have one printed version of the magazine per year which will come out before the fall hunting season.
Change is never easy.
The Lone Star Bowhunter magazine has been a deep tradition with the LSBA and while it is sad to cut back on the printed issues, it is also exciting to see what new technology will bring to the LSBA members in the future. Instead of just reading your story and seeing your pictures, we may be watching your videos through the magazine in the near future. As soon as we get up and running, Pablo will let you know the different methods in which you can submit your stories, pics and other media.
I hope our members are as excited as I am about the new magazine and I hope that our members that may not be as excited about going digital will understand that financially it was the best decision for the LSBA and its members.
As always, the LSBA would like to have your feed back. Please feel free to post your thoughts, suggestions or ideas here or you can contact me at 409 739-2630 or
denakana@gmail.com. Please continue to submit your stories and pics to our Editor, Pablo Davila at
editor@lonestarbowhunter.com
Yours in bowhunting,
Dena Kana
LSBA President