Iron Butt Magazine Announcement

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#1
From Mike:

The short version of this announcement is that the print version of the magazine cannot be sustained at the current cost of publication and is no longer in print.

While a lot of knowledgeable people have worked endlessly on a variety of possibilities to stop the losses the print magazine has been incurring, the reality is that without the volume of the big magazine publishers we would have to double the subscription cost of the magazine to cover production and postage and that just prices us out of the market, even for our most ardent supporters. In talking to readers whose subscriptions had expired and were eligible to renew, none were willing to pay more and most were already saying they were eliminating print magazines entirely as they would rather just get news faster on-line.

As someone who grew up on motorcycle magazines, reading every word cover-to-cover, no one is more saddened than I am to announce we are going to have to revamp the publication and move to an electronic format. Because this new effort will have to be all-volunteer, this is going to be a slow process as we put a new team in place.

We will be working on refunds for the balance of your magazine subscription but ask for patience as we figure out all the logistics required. Unfortunately, this is going to be a manual process and will take several weeks. A follow up letter will be mailed mid-June with refund details.

Thank you for your support; we had six great print years. Words cannot express my appreciation and respect for Editor Bill Shaw and his endless teams of volunteers who have worked so hard on the print edition of the magazine.
 

Another_Rider

Premier Member
#2
From Mike:

The short version of this announcement is that the print version of the magazine cannot be sustained at the current cost of publication and is no longer in print.

While a lot of knowledgeable people have worked endlessly on a variety of possibilities to stop the losses the print magazine has been incurring, the reality is that without the volume of the big magazine publishers we would have to double the subscription cost of the magazine to cover production and postage and that just prices us out of the market, even for our most ardent supporters. In talking to readers whose subscriptions had expired and were eligible to renew, none were willing to pay more and most were already saying they were eliminating print magazines entirely as they would rather just get news faster on-line.

As someone who grew up on motorcycle magazines, reading every word cover-to-cover, no one is more saddened than I am to announce we are going to have to revamp the publication and move to an electronic format. Because this new effort will have to be all-volunteer, this is going to be a slow process as we put a new team in place.

We will be working on refunds for the balance of your magazine subscription but ask for patience as we figure out all the logistics required. Unfortunately, this is going to be a manual process and will take several weeks. A follow up letter will be mailed mid-June with refund details.

Thank you for your support; we had six great print years. Words cannot express my appreciation and respect for Editor Bill Shaw and his endless teams of volunteers who have worked so hard on the print edition of the magazine.
Hello,
It is bad news, but also a reflection of the times. The INWR Porsche club moved away from the print format to a web-based digital version of Uber Alles a few years ago. Members need to log in to read it. Maybe a similar scheme could be used for Premier members to access The Iron Butt Magazine.
--Chelsea
 

chaskilli43

Premier Member
#3
Sorry to hear this, if I have any refund due just apply it to the IBA operating budget.
My wife and I do a small genealogy newsletter and we are trying to keep it going but we know that its days are numbered, as Chelsea says , it is a reflection of the times.
Thank you and all the people at IBA for all that you do.
Charles
 

Rusjel

Premier Member
#4
I couldn't believe the value you folk have provided with this publication and frankly am surprised you persevered as long as you did.

Thanks for a great mag.
 

ravenranger

22798 now 580
Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#5
+1 on the kudos for a great job and sadness for the ending of it.

Also, +1 on putting any refund towards operations or development of an electronic format.
 

kwaka

Premier Member
#7
All understood but having every Iron Butt mag since day one it is sad for me to see a great publication cease to be. As a very tactile person, I will miss the smell and feel of the mag and all the great copy hidden away there within. Reading "stuff" on a screen just doesn't have the same "feel" to it.
Must say though, congrats on what was great value for money (even if I did pay more in AUD terms :)) and alway found some snippet of information to use or assist in my LD riding adventures. Guess I'll just have to get used to the new format.
Good luck and best wishes on the transistion.
 
#8
Even though the IBA magazine may have to cease in it's PAPER publication form, why not continue with it in DIGITAL form (PDF), which has ZERO publication cost?
 

pihlo

12 Days? 12Days!
Premier Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#12
Because I only get the last paper version I would ask if there are pdf versions of earlyer magazines....
 

JON12A

IBAUK's retired Shop Keeper
Premier Member
IBA Member
#14
Any news on the new Digital Mag ?
Winters here and we are soon to be hunkered down and could do with some reading material.
Its grim up North ! ya know
 

kwthom

=o&o>
Premier Member
IBA Member
#17
It's disappointing that there is as yet no alternative to the magazine.
One might again look at Ira's post - the one that begins this thread, with words provided by Mike:

<...>Because this new effort will have to be all-volunteer, this is going to be a slow process as we put a new team in place.

<...>Words cannot express my appreciation and respect for Editor Bill Shaw and his endless teams of volunteers who have worked so hard on the print edition of the magazine.
What few articles I did read were highly informative, but that seems to be the (unfortunate) premise. Yet that same scenario is playing out in other forms of motojournalism.

If those that did subscribe were only a fraction of the membership, and that the IBA membership in general is but a miniscule fraction of the motorcycling community world-wide, this means the six year run was a noble goal, but an unsustainable one.

I've not yet seen the 'call to arms' for articles for the new endeavor. Perhaps considering what articles the reader might want to contribute to a new all-volunteer electronic publication may be a better use of time than reading Tolstoy or Proust.
 

FJRPilot

Brit Butt Rallymaster RBLR1000 routemaster
Premier Member
IBA Member
#18
The main reason I became a Premier member here in the UK is for the magazine which I always looked forward to receiving . I'm not going to need priority notice for events in the USA and unless I win the lottery will probably never be entering the IBR either. If there's no digital version of the mag coming along any time soon I don't think I'll bother renewing my premier membership. Sorry but there you go. :(
 

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#19
The main reason I became a Premier member here in the UK is for the magazine which I always looked forward to receiving . I'm not going to need priority notice for events in the USA and unless I win the lottery will probably never be entering the IBR either. If there's no digital version of the mag coming along any time soon I don't think I'll bother renewing my premier membership. Sorry but there you go. :(
Sorry to hear that. Thank you for your support of the program to this point.

Quoting the Premier information page:

"The Premier Program has helped finance the legal defense fund (for the protection of our name), the Iron Butt Magazine and helps support vital IBA record keeping, as well as the IBA forum."

So the program supports a variety of IBA activities. I should point out that the ride certification program is a break-even operation at best.

Also from the information page:

"The yearly donation (please note, this is really basically a donation to support the club!) for the Iron Butt Association Premier Program is $40."

I would hope you reconsider at some time in the future.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association