From Aggregation to Contextualization: New Magazine Focuses on NewSpace
The jury is still out on whether it's just a small step for single publisher or the beginning of a giant leap for the larger publishing industry, but the first issue of Space Quarterly Magazine is now available free for download on the SpaceRef Press website.
And while recent online publishing efforts have focused on print publications developing online properties, this specific effort is from an existing and successful online publisher looking to develop a print publication.
According to Editor and Publisher Marc Boucher, the focus of the magazine is on providing "greater depth, analysis and context" than is possible with SpaceRef International Group online properties such as SpaceRef.com, the Commercial Space Watch, SpaceRef.ca or even SpaceRef partner NASAWatch, each of which are focused around the concept of "Space News: As it happens."
The new publication will use a print format and quarterly publication schedule in order to give editors and writers "enough time to research and offer well thought out analysis" according to the first issue Editors message.
First issue authors include Canadians Chris Gainor ("CASSIOPE - A New Canadian Science and Communications Satellite") and Elizabeth Howell ("Canadian Briefs - Moving Beyond the Shuttle") plus other authors including Ken Kremer, Dennis Wingo and Paul Kallender-Umezu.
Most noteworthy and informative are the contributions from Eva-Jane Lark ("The Accidental CEO: Eva-Jane Lark speaks with Jeff Greason, CEO of XCOR Aerospace") and James Ferguson ("Thinking Big: Canada's RADARSAT Constellation") so it's a shame that the second article is only appearing in the Canadian edition.
Initial reviews have been muted, likely because recent attempts at magazines of this type have not been generally successful. These include NewSpace Magazine (which postponed it's June 2011 issue after news stand distribution fell short of "what is financially feasible to justify printing" according to the July 25th, 2011 Space Review article "Lost Space") and Launch Magazine, which folded its print publication in the summer of 2009.
The first edition (although given away for free and lacking advertisements or any other obvious evidence of ongoing cash flow) is a useful introduction from a company with an ongoing interest in the area and the resources to make a long-term commitment to the magazine.
We should encourage them to come out with another issue next quarter.
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| Space Quarterly Issue 1 Canadian cover. |
And while recent online publishing efforts have focused on print publications developing online properties, this specific effort is from an existing and successful online publisher looking to develop a print publication.
According to Editor and Publisher Marc Boucher, the focus of the magazine is on providing "greater depth, analysis and context" than is possible with SpaceRef International Group online properties such as SpaceRef.com, the Commercial Space Watch, SpaceRef.ca or even SpaceRef partner NASAWatch, each of which are focused around the concept of "Space News: As it happens."
 |
| Space Quarterly Issue 1 US cover. |
First issue authors include Canadians Chris Gainor ("CASSIOPE - A New Canadian Science and Communications Satellite") and Elizabeth Howell ("Canadian Briefs - Moving Beyond the Shuttle") plus other authors including Ken Kremer, Dennis Wingo and Paul Kallender-Umezu.
Most noteworthy and informative are the contributions from Eva-Jane Lark ("The Accidental CEO: Eva-Jane Lark speaks with Jeff Greason, CEO of XCOR Aerospace") and James Ferguson ("Thinking Big: Canada's RADARSAT Constellation") so it's a shame that the second article is only appearing in the Canadian edition.
Initial reviews have been muted, likely because recent attempts at magazines of this type have not been generally successful. These include NewSpace Magazine (which postponed it's June 2011 issue after news stand distribution fell short of "what is financially feasible to justify printing" according to the July 25th, 2011 Space Review article "Lost Space") and Launch Magazine, which folded its print publication in the summer of 2009.
The first edition (although given away for free and lacking advertisements or any other obvious evidence of ongoing cash flow) is a useful introduction from a company with an ongoing interest in the area and the resources to make a long-term commitment to the magazine.
We should encourage them to come out with another issue next quarter.
Just a quick note that Clive Simpson, who has acted as Editor for Spaceflight (http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/) for the past decade, has just announced his intention to step down from the post at the end of 2011 according to a September 5th post on the UK Rocketeers website (http://www.rocketeers.co.uk/).
ReplyDeleteEditing a general interest space publication is hard work and we should all be thanking Clive for the decade of work he put into doing this.