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Starting with the April 2010 issue, we will merge Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine into one publication that features thicker and larger paper, a new design, and strong writing from a stable of world-class woodworkers , plus the same staff of editors you have come to trust.
The new magazine will be called Popular Woodworking Magazine and it will be published seven times a year. If you are a subscriber to both, or to Woodworking Magazine only, a cover wrap will explain how this change affects your subscription. The April 2010 issue mails to subscribers at the end of February and will be on newsstands everywhere in March.
Why are we doing this? First let me tell you what isn’t happening here. To a cynic this might look like a desperate act to stay in business. It’s not. Both of these woodworking magazines have posted solid profits year after year and are some of the best-performing publications for our parent company. That is the honest truth. While many of my friends in the media business have been furloughed or laid off in the last year, I’m not particularly worried about my job (knock wood).
So what gives? Well, the staff decided to merge these two magazines because we think we need to change the way we do business so we can grow and serve the woodworking community for many years ahead. In short, we are going to branch out even more into the Internet, DVDs, podcasts, social media and book publishing.
While the magazine is still the heart of this business , I do believe my veins are filled with ink and sawdust , we need to adapt to grow.
What are we changing? Like I said above, we’re going to print the new magazine on thicker, brighter and larger paper. Plus we’ve redesigned the magazine in a way that blends the nice color photography of Popular Woodworking with the understated look of Woodworking Magazine.
The changes, however, aren’t only skin-deep. We’re taking your favorite authors from Popular Woodworking , Adam Cherubini, George R. Walker, Bob Flexner, Michael Dunbar and David Charlesworth to name a few , and adding them to the no-crap, conventional-wisdom-be-damned reporting in Woodworking Magazine. You’ll also see even more content online , from articles to blogs to video , and how the Internet content enriches and deepens the woodworking knowledge printed in the magazine. In short, every story in the printed magazine will have online content that allows you to dive deep into the aspects of woodworking that interest you.
I’m not going to kid you , some changes might unsettle you at first. Woodworking Magazine readers might be shocked to see some ads and color photos. Popular Woodworking readers might stumble when they encounter our willingness to venture into unexplored areas of the craft.
But rest assured, I think you’ll like the result. This magazine is put out by exactly the same staff that produced both Woodworking Magazine and Popular Woodworking. There have been no staff changes or reductions. I’m still the editor. Steve, Glen, Bob, Megan, Linda and Drew are all sitting at the same desks and doing their damndest to inform you about the craft.
So when the April issue arrives, take a close look. We have lots of interesting stories planned this year. (I can’t go into too much detail here because this is a competitive business.) And after you’ve read the issue, let us know what you think about the changes. We’re easy to get in touch with , our direct phone numbers and e-mail addresses are in every issue.
When it comes down to it, we’re just passionate woodworkers who want to continue writing, building and reading about woodworking for the rest of our lives. And with your support, we’ll all get to do that until they scrap the printing presses for good.
– Christopher Schwarz
