Blah, Blah, Blah

So many useless blogs – so little time to read or write them – the grunting meanderings of the countless millions of Salinger wannabees – everyone screaming “MEMEMEMEME”.

I am dropping on my knees begging for a return to basic journalism. A return to syntax, spelling, grammar. An escape from OMG and WTF. Give me back my Vonnegut’s and Hemingway’s. Give me cohones, but with style and substance to go with the grit.

Most of all, complete sentences. I would kill for a complete sentence. Spelled correctly. With a noun, a verb, maybe even a nice descriptive adjective or adverb. Not asking much, but OMG, WTF – who do I have to blow to get some english around here?

Advertisement

Am I A Publishers Nightmare?

Dear Publisher,

I am a voracious reader – I should be every publishers dream, but I suspect that I am not. Publications prop their subscription numbers up by sending multiple copies of their issues to each member of my staff, resulting in a vast waste of labor (from the felling of trees to the fuel used to ship the logs, paper, waste, etc.), postage and time. I understand the desire to report great numbers of subscribers in an attempt to drive advertising sales. Without advertising sales, many of these publications would not exist.

I do not believe in complaining about a problem without offering a solution, but the fact is, I have no idea how to remedy this situation. I am not in the publishing business; or in the advertising/marketing business, but I am an irritated consumer – and I am vocal.

I deliberately do not purchase products advertised in many of the publications I receive multiple copies of each week. You must learn how to drive people like me to read your publications, buy from your advertisers, and support my “reading jones” without wasting paper and a myriad of other resources in order to (falsely) represent your subscription sales quotas. The challenges facing the print industry are great and varied, but they must be faced and faced soon – the next generation of readers are not looking at you – they are looking at their electronic devices for news and other electronic products for entertainment. But you already know the problems inherent with trying to reach this next generation.

I am not the next generation – I am a 56-year-old male, avid reader as mentioned repeatedly, married with grown children, with considerable buying power both personally and professionally – does that fit your ideal demographic? How are you going to find me now?