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B&T > Media > High School Dropout To Launch New Magazine
Media

High School Dropout To Launch New Magazine

Analee Matthews
Published on: 19th June 2017 at 9:32 AM
Analee Matthews
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If you asked the average businessperson “Is launching a new magazine in 2017 a good idea?”, you’d almost certainly get a definitive “no” – perhaps a “definitely no”. It is usually then followed by “the magazine industry is in decline, and will never recover”. Looking at the news headlines and broad statistics, that’s a reasonable conclusion too.

So, why is a high school dropout launching a new title, into a category that hasn’t seen a locally-produced addition in 30 years?

“It’s part passion, part business” said Rob Bell, the man behind the launch of DIYODE magazine. The new publication has been designed to cater to the passions of DIY hobby electronics and gadget-building (also referred to as ‘makers’).

“It is true that as a whole, you can conclude that magazine sales are in decline. However, most niche magazines do not follow the same pattern,” Bell said.

“Most of the statistical decline can be attributed to the larger magazines such as Women’s Weekly or Woman’s Day. Their statistics, which show a decline of five to 10 per cent, tend to skew the overall numbers. They’re in decline. However, niche titles that cater to specific interests, are soaring.

“Of course, we also cannot disregard digital publications. I’m not going to say things aren’t moving to digital, but a printed magazine is still preferred by over 60 per cent of our pre-launch subscribers, suggesting our dual-strategy of print and digital offerings makes excellent sense right now.

“Now, this is an entirely new publication. Maybe people won’t like our content or our colours, or maybe we totally misread the demand, but there’s only one way to find out for sure.”

Bell said DIYODE has had an impressive response for its pre-launch.

“Despite still being weeks away from releasing our first issue, we’ve received thousands of pre-orders and subscriptions, and thousands of newsletter subscribers are keen to see what we’re going to deliver,” he said.

“Advertiser support has also been very promising, with some relevant retailers selling our magazine in their stores to compliment our direct and newsagent distribution. We have had very promising commitments from retailers in this unique space.”

Jaycar Electronics Group is one such retailer. Murray Roberts, communications manager at Jaycar, said: “We’re excited to see another magazine on our shelves that supports electronics and maker enthusiasts. We’ve seen Arduino take the world by storm, so it’s great to see an Australian magazine dedicated to this maker phenomenon.”

Altronics Distributors is also supporting DIYODE. Ben Lowe, marketing and website manager at Altronics, said: “It’s high time Australian makers had their own publication, and Altronics is thrilled to be supporting a magazine that represents a new generation of electronics builders.”

The first issue of DIYODE will be released on 1st July 2017.

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By Analee Matthews
I am a passionate freelancer with a love for words and images. I work fast and have the experience, creativity and attention to detail that means you get value for your investment - every time! A self-confessed "grammar geek" and "word nerd", I've earned a few cool accolades including 2015 Winner of the Health & Community Category in the East Gippsland Business Awards, 2015 Bronze Award for Digital Innovation at the Ausmumpreneurs Awards, 2014 Winner of Specialist Magazine Cover of the Year award at The Maggies, and Winner of Best App on a Mobile or Tablet Device category in 2011 by Publishers Australia. I don't mind a bit of microphone/stage action, and consequently have played the role of MC at the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 and 2016 Women's Health and Fitness Summit, and for six years I've MC'd at the Domain for the annual Mother's Day Classic in Sydney. I am currently based in regional Victoria after making "tree change" with my family. This hiatus from the big city life in Sydney is a means to reconnect with a simpler way of living that involves chicken-rearing, wide open spaces, a truckload of family time, and less stress - a chance to focus on the things that really matter most, as it were! The long term plan is to return to the big smoke , but we are always open to seeing where opportunities may take us.

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