From Eric Rhoads, Publisher of PleinAir Magazine
I grew up listening to the Beatles on 45 RPM records, watching black-and-white TV before color TV existed, and, yes, I owned a Beatles wig and a 72 VW Bug.
My kids are mortified when I tell them I turned down a chance to meet Elvis backstage. Because their school bus driver played oldies on the radio, they know who Elvis is, and they love the music from my youth.
But they think I’m living in the past when it comes to technology. I type with one finger on my phone while they fly across the keyboard with both hands.
And they think I’m a dinosaur because I publish magazines for a living.
“Dad, don’t you know magazines are dead?”
“Apparently not,” I said, “because they just paid for three college educations.”
You’re Probably Thinking Print Is Dying
I get it. That’s what everyone assumed 20 years ago, including me. I was so sure the skeptics might be right that I launched the fifth digital magazine in the world, just in case. I’ve been publishing it for two decades now.
But the magazines that died were the ones built on news. You can get news anywhere, instantly, for free.
Ours were never about news. They’re about art, and art looks different on a high-quality printed page you can keep, fold, write on, and study, because people who love art love quality.
Here’s the part that surprised even me: 68% of our subscribers choose digital plus print. Not one or the other. They read it the moment it arrives digitally, then go deeper when the print issue lands. They shelve issues in order and go back to reference them for years. It’s harder to do that with digital. I can never find the digital things I bought years ago.
I can’t tell you how many people have told me, “I have every issue.”
Why Pay More for Less?
Some of you drive to the newsstand for every issue. We’re honored you’d go to that trouble. But here’s the thing: a subscription actually costs less than the retail newsstand price. (PleinAir® happens to be the top-selling art magazine in Barnes & Noble stores nationwide.)
So the real question is: why pay more, drive farther, and risk them selling out, when the better copy shows up at your door for less?
What I Saw Today
I walked into my chiropractor’s office this morning and there was Fine Art Connoisseur, sitting on the coffee table. As I flipped through it after another patient put it down, I was reminded of just how well done it is and how proud I am of my editor Peter Trippi, managing editor Brida Connolly, our PleinAir editor Kelly Kane, and the whole team. That’s not an accident. That’s 20 years of craftsmanship.
We Don’t Play the Games Others Play
My dad taught me to take the high road, even when it costs money. “All you have is your reputation,” he’d say. “Protect it with your life.”
When I hired Peter Trippi 20 years ago (thank you, Peter), I made him promise one thing: never sell editorial.
Here’s why that matters more than it sounds. I once heard about a collector who bought a piece because the gallery’s artist had a “cover feature” in a magazine, paid for with an ad buy. She thought she was investing in someone significant. She later learned the whole thing was manufactured. She asked for a refund and was left feeling used.
You should not have to wonder if an article about an artist appears because they are deserving or because they have the money to pay. And it makes you question every legit article too.
How can you trust it?
That never happens with us. When we tell you an artist is one to watch, or a trend is real, it’s because our editors believe it, not because someone wrote a check. We don’t sell covers or stories. We don’t even say, “Buy an ad and we’ll guarantee you a story.”
We want to sleep at night.
It sounds like trust is hard to find in art media right now. That’s exactly why we built it in from day one.
The Most Interesting Person in the Room
A reader once told me she never runs out of things to talk about at dinner parties because of what she picks up from our pages. “You make me look good,” she said.
How would it feel to be the one at the table who always has something worth saying about art? How would it feel to see people amazed at your art knowledge?
It’s Your Turn
If you’re not a subscriber, or you let it lapse, this is your moment.
Would it be a bad idea to try an issue and see for yourself?
→Yes, sign me up for Fine Art Connoisseur
→Yes, sign me up for PleinAir Magazine
P.S.
Years ago a famous art dealer told me, “Kid, I’ve seen art magazines come and go. Call me back when you’ve been in business for five years.” I called. He still said no. He’s gone now, but I’d love the chance to call him back and tell him we recently passed twenty years. That only happened because of subscribers like you who decided these publications are worth protecting. That’s the club you’re joining today. We’re more expensive than regular consumer magazines, but we assure you there’s a good reason.
