Economy on a downward spiral, and lit magazines are closing

[Kyriakos]

Today i learned that one of the lit magazines i have been associating with (have some work published there) is set to close after the next issue :/

It seems the economic situation is forcing the world of letters to suffer as well. Most new magazines are either free of charge, or face great difficulty, and even old ones go for a cheaper price now.

It is sad, since the new magazines always afford new writers more space. Fortunately by now i have a few publications and can have my work in other outlets, but in the beginning it was very hard to break through the barrier, and my publication in that magazine was sort of a turning point for me :)

What is the situation concerning the art market in your country? Has the economic downturn affected it in obvious ways?
Do you think the economy will turn people off purchasing books and magazines of literature?

I would hope it would act the other way around, as a wake-up call that one should enrich oneself mentally, but it seems this is not happening.

[DocHeart]

Today i learned that one of the lit magazines i have been associating with (have some work published there) is set to close after the next issue :/

It seems the economic situation is forcing the world of letters to suffer as well. Most new magazines are either free of charge, or face great difficulty, and even old ones go for a cheaper price now.

It is sad, since the new magazines always afford new writers more space. Fortunately by now i have a few publications and can have my work in other outlets, but in the beginning it was very hard to break through the barrier, and my publication in that magazine was sort of a turning point for me :)

What is the situation concerning the art market in your country? Has the economic downturn affected it in obvious ways?
Do you think the economy will turn people off purchasing books and magazines of literature?

I would hope it would act the other way around, as a wake-up call that one should enrich oneself mentally, but it seems this is not happening.

Dear Kyriako,

What the few remaining Greeks who care about literature and its educational and social value should do is come down from the cloud on which they've been floating all these years, and stop looking and sounding so naive and out of touch with society.

I don't understand why you hoped that the young unemployed, the abandoned elderly and the parents who can't feed or clothe their kids would consider buying literary magazines as "enriching themselves mentally". Seriously now, you really thought that?

"I say, I do love Bronte, especially with mayo. Pass me some more pages, dear?"

"'Ere you go, my darling. Lots of Heathcliff in these."

"Aw, no, my dear, you take those. I know how much you enjoy them."

"Oh no, darling, you go ahead. I'm watching my figure."

Do you even realize how naive you're sounding? "Should the financial crisis affect literary magazines?" Yea. Nah. Sales will soar. A fresh spring of culture will soon have sprung in this country.

My dear Kyriako,

There are several flavours of "literary people" in this country.

Some are such because they weren't good at maths.

Some are such because they thought that Art Faculties have more interesting chicks. How wrong they were.

Some others (perhaps most) are such because they wanted to work for the state in a teaching job which bears the following characteristics: about 22 hours a week, a starting salary which is about 60% higher than that of a well-trained, experienced teacher in the private sector, and the promise of eternal invincibility through a clause in the contract that says they can never be fired.

And some others yet (and I would like to place you and me in this category, even though that might sound a bit pretentious) are such because they understand, no, they truly see what it means to read the greats (or even the not-so-greats), and what understanding those works does to your soul.

We, my dear Kyriako, should not be unjust to ourselves and speak as if we are, each one of us, in our own little literary cocoon. We should speak like realists; like men of the world. The minute you even begin to wonder about how the crisis will affect literary magazines, you appear completely irrelevant. Maybe that's why Greeks think literature is irrelevant: because you and I make it appear irrelevant sometimes.

And it's a pity, because books can indeed heal wounds. Experiencing art can make you more resilient, more resolved, more optimistic, more patient, and so many other things.

How's my beloved Salonica these days? I do miss the morning fog sometimes. Feels so fresh.

To you and yours I wish a happy autumn.

DH

[Kyriakos]

No need to sound hostile, this is a forum and not a ring ;)

And i think we are all entitled to our opinions. If you want to ban magazines, or have them starve out, be my guest. Just don't champion it to a crowd of shadows.

[DocHeart]

Point taken.

[DocHeart]

No need to sound hostile, this is a forum and not a ring ;)

And i think we are all entitled to our opinions. If you want to ban magazines, or have them starve out, be my guest. Just don't champion it to a crowd of shadows.

Actually, on reflection, point not taken as I do not want to ban literary magazines, or have them starve out. Have them starve out? How could I ever do that? You must be confusing me with the Amazing DocHeart.

[Alexander III]

Dear Kyriako,

What the few remaining Greeks who care about literature and its educational and social value should do is come down from the cloud on which they've been floating all these years, and stop looking and sounding so naive and out of touch with society.

I don't understand why you hoped that the young unemployed, the abandoned elderly and the parents who can't feed or clothe their kids would consider buying literary magazines as "enriching themselves mentally". Seriously now, you really thought that?

"I say, I do love Bronte, especially with mayo. Pass me some more pages, dear?"

"'Ere you go, my darling. Lots of Heathcliff in these."

"Aw, no, my dear, you take those. I know how much you enjoy them."

"Oh no, darling, you go ahead. I'm watching my figure."

Do you even realize how naive you're sounding? "Should the financial crisis affect literary magazines?" Yea. Nah. Sales will soar. A fresh spring of culture will soon have sprung in this country.

My dear Kyriako,

There are several flavours of "literary people" in this country.

Some are such because they weren't good at maths.

Some are such because they thought that Art Faculties have more interesting chicks. How wrong they were.

Some others (perhaps most) are such because they wanted to work for the state in a teaching job which bears the following characteristics: about 22 hours a week, a starting salary which is about 60% higher than that of a well-trained, experienced teacher in the private sector, and the promise of eternal invincibility through a clause in the contract that says they can never be fired.

And some others yet (and I would like to place you and me in this category, even though that might sound a bit pretentious) are such because they understand, no, they truly see what it means to read the greats (or even the not-so-greats), and what understanding those works does to your soul.

We, my dear Kyriako, should not be unjust to ourselves and speak as if we are, each one of us, in our own little literary cocoon. We should speak like realists; like men of the world. The minute you even begin to wonder about how the crisis will affect literary magazines, you appear completely irrelevant. Maybe that's why Greeks think literature is irrelevant: because you and I make it appear irrelevant sometimes.

And it's a pity, because books can indeed heal wounds. Experiencing art can make you more resilient, more resolved, more optimistic, more patient, and so many other things.

How's my beloved Salonica these days? I do miss the morning fog sometimes. Feels so fresh.

To you and yours I wish a happy autumn.

DH

Considering Europe's economic situation, and I speak as an Italian, we are not as ruined as greece but we are getting there; this ^^ is a pretty just assessment of reality.

[kiki1982]

Actually I was a bit surprised to read that. You'd think that the first thing that logically goes when people start struggling is extras like art magazines, then the women's magazines (deemed that little more relevant, I suppose), then the daily newspaper. It depends why people buy the magazine. If it's really part of themselves, they might stand it a bit longer or buy a cheaper one instead. If it's only to have it, then it goes directly.

At this point, to be really crude and cynical, I am surprised there are still such magazines in Greece and they have not all gone bust by now.

Saying that, I don't know how things are in Germany. I live in an area that's not so cultural and the local supermarket has only one copy of ART... I do'nt know about the local paper shop. I dread to imagine...

[Emil Miller]

Actually I was a bit surprised to read that. You'd think that the first thing that logically goes when people start struggling is extras like art magazines, then the women's magazines (deemed that little more relevant, I suppose), then the daily newspaper. It depends why people buy the magazine. If it's really part of themselves, they might stand it a bit longer or buy a cheaper one instead. If it's only to have it, then it goes directly.

At this point, to be really crude and cynical, I am surprised there are still such magazines in Greece and they have not all gone bust by now.

Saying that, I don't know how things are in Germany. I live in an area that's not so cultural and the local supermarket has only one copy of ART... I do'nt know about the local paper shop. I dread to imagine...

I doubt that the economic situation vis-a-vis the Euro has had much of an effect on the sale of magazines in Germany which, at the moment, is doing very well in comparison to other members of the currency. Das Bild is still the biggest selling newspaper (?) in Europe. It's an interesting facet of the crisis that because Germany has the second largest export capacity in the world, its interest rate is low in comparison to most other member states and therefore a lot business is being done there as investors seek to avoid paying the punitive interest rates pertaining in other countries .

[togre]

I wonder about the state of magazines as an industry. I have a family member works for a publisher of hobby magazines in the US. Things are definitely contracting. Does that mean interest is waning or that other modes of getting information (online, TV, the ease of buying books, etc.) is simply crowding out the lest robust magazine offerings? Probably some of both.

[Scheherazade]

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Please keep in mind that discussion of current politics is not allowed on this Forum.

This thread will remain open as long as it does not stray into a political debate.

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[Emil Miller]

I wonder about the state of magazines as an industry. I have a family member works for a publisher of hobby magazines in the US. Things are definitely contracting. Does that mean interest is waning or that other modes of getting information (online, TV, the ease of buying books, etc.) is simply crowding out the lest robust magazine offerings? Probably some of both.

With the advent of the Internet we are witnessing the death of the printed word; by printed I mean that as found in books, magazines, and other forms of hard copy information. There is no use in regretting it; once the Genie has been let out of the bottle, there is no going back: it's called progress, but we or our descendants will have to live with the consequence.

[BienvenuJDC]

I wonder about the state of magazines as an industry. I have a family member works for a publisher of hobby magazines in the US. Things are definitely contracting. Does that mean interest is waning or that other modes of getting information (online, TV, the ease of buying books, etc.) is simply crowding out the lest robust magazine offerings? Probably some of both.

Some good questions here. The printed media is starting to diminish. There is a newspaper here that is only printing three days a week. I suspect to see more of those changes. Technology changes things.

[kiki1982]

Yes, that's a good point. I think not the advent of the internet, but rather the smartphone/iPad/etc. (a direct result of the former) will be blamed for mainly the lack of periodical publications.

As people can read the news as it happens on apps like the BBC news one, or The Daily Mail app or whatever (you don't even ave to pay for them), you don't want to buy the newspaper because it's old news from yesterday. Maybe a thing like Metro can still keep its place and books because they've got a feel, but taking a pile of paper with you, even a periodical, seems so unwieldy if you can just look at it on your internet device.

[Kyriakos]

I think art magazines still have a place. Surely they are not like books, but that is at the same time a weakness and a strenght, since they are not competing for the same need.

And i do not think that at times of misery the art world diminishes; if classical European literature is anything to go by most of its newest masterpieces were written either during the wars, or between them. Art flourishes when times are bad, due to the added edge to expression.

For anyone with an actual insider's look on magazines, it can be said that those that close are pressured by many factors, the economy being one of them, but also relative lack of longevity and tradition being a main other issue.

Anyway the world may end with a book, or as a book, to quote Mallarme, so at times of crisis stories are still being published, and rightly so ;)