WCI #47 - Cover Preview

[Shannon]

Morning All!

We're getting ready to send the summer issue off to the printer and I thought I'd share our cover options with you.

The final decision will be made internally, with the help of our newsstand consultant... but I'd love to hear what you guys think. Your feedback will help us as we develop future covers.

So.... please tell us which cover you prefer. Feel free to add comments - why that cover appealed to you, which sell lines peak your interest, etc.

Also, let us know whether or not you currently subscribe to the magazine.

Keep in mind - the goal of the cover is to get the guy at the newsstand to pick up the magazine. We know you loyal readers will enjoy the issue no matter what is on the cover - but what will make a casual reader or someone new to the hobby pick up this issue?

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Frankly, while both are quite nice I have problems with both of them. First the Whirliygig, while it does have a limited amount of woodcarving it would more readily be associated with a magazine dealing with woodcrafts vs. woodcarving. The same could be said for the woodburning of the wolf. To me it would be much more logical for a magazine titled "Woodcarving" to display a photo of a woodcarving or a person in the process of woodcarving.

Just my opinion.

[Curtscarving]

The wolf with the woodburing caught my attention. I have carved animals and burnt in the fur,it is tedious and time consuming. Secerts to wringles would be interesting,to any carver that needs help like me.
Curt

[Coffeeman]

Shannon,

I like the style of both covers, but thats coming from a subscriber and current carving hobbist.

With your goal being to "hit" the casual reader or a "newbie", I'm not sure on either cover. Will a newbie understand what "Folk Art" style is or just think I could do that good or better, maybe. Likewise, does the woodburner scare off a newbie who may think well I don't own a burner, I gotta buy that tool too, isn't carving just using my jack-knife?

My observations only, good luch with your choice and I'm looking forward to the new issue.

Bill

[DADDIO]

yea i'm thinking a cover with carving would be better,you got an articale about wrinkles in clothing which has been posted on here several times,maybe show some nice wrinkle work in the process of being done or some good examples on the cover, i like the ideas covered with the other two but sometimes i think it starts straying to far from the woodcarving path even though they are connected it seems other mags would cover those topics in more detail. my two cents worth anyway.

[chuckbolton]

if u are ready to send to the printer, isnt the content of the magazine already in place-- the only thing in question being the cover? i really hadnt thought about making the decsion this late in the process- but again because i hadnt considered this side of publishing-- no reason not to wait until the "feeling moves you." i prefer the wolf--- probably because the whirligig does nothing for me-- but i also know that there will be folks here who are doing that also.

good luck-- glad its your decision so you can catch the heat now that we know there is a choice-

[AlArchie]

I'm already a subscriber, so I pretty well know what the content of the mag is. You said the purpose of the cover is to grab the guy (or gal) at the news stand so I would think that would more apt to be a non-carver looking to get started. The whirly-gig is something everyone has seen and may be an early enticemenbt to the non carver looking for a start.

And most folks perusing the news stand stacks are probably like me.....the cover of a mag grabs us and then we pick it up and look through it to see if there is more in there we'd like to read.

The folk art aspect would apeal to a broader spectrum of the shoppers!

As a seasoned carver, I like the other cover better, but still think the news stand attractiveness lies with the whirly=gig

Al

[xsailer]

I personally would like to see a Woodcarving Magazine show woodcarving activity on it's cover. I think the Whirlygig is although intersting more of a crafty presentation. The Wolf is a more "woodcarving" look but still not as much of a "carving" theme as I think a woodcarving magazine should be. It looks like a wood burning activity of which carving MAY be a part of. My opinion is bookstand browsers that go to the effort to pick up a magazine titled "WOODCARVING" want to see WOODCARVING. It would seem that what has attracted your existing customers to the magazine would attract future customers as well.

I wonder if your "newsstand consultant" also considers the number of new browser customers vs the quantity of woodcarver subscribers.

Thanks for asking Shannon.

[MDWine]

I have to lean with Lynn!

[Eric S.]

I like the wolf cover the best. I am new at carving so it wasn't that long ago when i picked up my first WCI mag. If I saw the folk style I am not sure if I would pick it up. That is the goal...to get them to pick it up because once they look through it they will love it and more likely buy it. I like the wolf cover because you can see two stages of the carving. It's not just a finished carving(though that isn't all bad either). Just my two cents.