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pixel8
Joined: 29 Mar 2006
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 Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:08 pm Post subject: Free english magazines |
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Are there any free monthly english magazines anywhere eg. hotel, cafes, tourist centers?
I'm looking for restaurant/school/shopping indices... as well as current events/happenings.
Thanks. |
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ilovebdt
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Location: Nr Seoul
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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| If you live in Seoul you can pick up K Scene and Seoul magazine at most hotels, restaurants and tourist offices. |
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pixel8
Joined: 29 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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Will look out for them.... I only managed to find monthly TheBeetleMap.
| ilovebdt wrote: |
| If you live in Seoul you can pick up K Scene and Seoul magazine at most hotels, restaurants and tourist offices. |
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ilovebdt
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
Location: Nr Seoul
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| Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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| pixel8 wrote: |
Will look out for them.... I only managed to find monthly TheBeetleMap.
| ilovebdt wrote: |
| If you live in Seoul you can pick up K Scene and Seoul magazine at most hotels, restaurants and tourist offices. |
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Not the nicest of places, but you can def get both at the tourist office in Itaewon underground station.
Ilovebdt |
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StAxX SOuL
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: London
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 2:39 am Post subject: |
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Gecko's in Itaewon always has a number of K Scene available as you go in... The Loft, also on the main street in Itaewon has also started with them on the bar... and Route 66 in Hongdae
Honestly though, it's so poorly written... the one and only thing its good for is the more cultural and theatrical goings on... |
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pixel8
Joined: 29 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 4:55 am Post subject: |
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Just realised that I already had a copy of K Scene on hand without noticing, it was too thin to be noticed. It's bi-weekly.
No mag with really elaborate indexes of restaurants, pubs, shopping, etc? I used to have such mags in Hong Kong, China and Thailand and they really helped jump start. |
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Nemesis
Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 5:15 am Post subject: |
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| StAxX SOuL wrote: |
Gecko's in Itaewon always has a number of K Scene available as you go in... The Loft, also on the main street in Itaewon has also started with them on the bar... and Route 66 in Hongdae
Honestly though, it's so poorly written... the one and only thing its good for is the more cultural and theatrical goings on... |
Hey, I'm the Editor of K-Scene. I just joined them 3 issues ago.
I agree it **was** poorly written. That's how I got the assignment (can't call it a job, as its pretty much a voluntary thing). I sent a letter to the publisher complaining about how shamefully bad it was.
Seen the last two issues? First had a cover with young artists against a Matrix background. Most recent had a cover of an old dude in Kahoi Dong battling government ineptitude. My objective was to make it a good read that is worth picking up (for seven years previous it has been anything but).
Sorry to throw this thread off-kilter. Just wondering if you think it's still "so poorly written." |
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bigverne
Joined: 12 May 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 6:16 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| My objective was to make it a good read that is worth picking up |
Then why are the features in the magazine so tired and stale. In the latest issue, you have an article on the success of the Korean film industry. This subject has been done and dusted, and the writer adds little new insight to what has been said already. Why not try and do something original?
There are occasionally well written, original peices in there, but they are few and far between. |
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StAxX SOuL
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: London
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 7:19 am Post subject: |
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| Nemesis wrote: |
| StAxX SOuL wrote: |
Gecko's in Itaewon always has a number of K Scene available as you go in... The Loft, also on the main street in Itaewon has also started with them on the bar... and Route 66 in Hongdae
Honestly though, it's so poorly written... the one and only thing its good for is the more cultural and theatrical goings on... |
Hey, I'm the Editor of K-Scene. I just joined them 3 issues ago.
I agree it **was** poorly written. That's how I got the assignment (can't call it a job, as its pretty much a voluntary thing). I sent a letter to the publisher complaining about how shamefully bad it was.
Seen the last two issues? First had a cover with young artists against a Matrix background. Most recent had a cover of an old dude in Kahoi Dong battling government ineptitude. My objective was to make it a good read that is worth picking up (for seven years previous it has been anything but).
Sorry to throw this thread off-kilter. Just wondering if you think it's still "so poorly written." |
Last edition I picked up had the Headrush feature in it, but I couldn't say which no. it was. I'm not complaining about the editing per se although numerous required edits, normally falling into the grammatical category, seem to have evaded the eagle eye.
Ultimately there's only so much one can do in a role as much depends on the contributors and staff writers. It's a free magazine, I'm assuming contributors receive no remuneration and as a result you're not going through the same process that ensures the quality in a commercial magazine. There seems no real central theme to the writing either, the mag really needs an identity, in the same way that the FHMs, Cosmos etc have a specific style of journalism catering for their audience.
IMO the step you should take with the magazine is to slowly turn it into a paid monthly. Its a niche; let the poorly written competitors remain free, but I'd much rather pay 3,000W for a well written magazine which has the benefits of commercial backing thus allowing a wider range of features and better staff writers. It should be the goal of any independant magazine to establish itself within the free market before moving into the paid sector, not only ensuring that those contributing are justly rewarded, but also providing the target audience with a superior read.
I'll send you a PM, I'd be interested in discussing some ideas and possibly contributing to the magazine. |
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chiaa
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 7:32 am Post subject: |
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Should have seen the K-Scene two editors ago. 
Paid monthly will never work in a million years. Two print runs and it is going to be out of business no matter how good it is. |
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StAxX SOuL
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: London
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 8:38 am Post subject: |
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| chiaa wrote: |
Should have seen the K-Scene two editors ago.
Paid monthly will never work in a million years. Two print runs and it is going to be out of business no matter how good it is. |
Care to elaborate?
I'm not simply in favour of slapping a price tag on the cover - of course nobody would buy it - the magazine would require a thorough revamping from the ground up, from the content to how certain issues are approached and even a reduced frequency. A comprehensive business plan would be another essential because the price tag is the ultimate goal. I'm talking as someone who has launched an B5 glossy magazine and gone from securing local clubs, bars and eateries for the launch issue, to L'Oreal for the back cover of the second issue.
As things stand the potential readership is much more than K-Scene is currently enjoying. If English Language newspapers such as the Korean Herald can exist in the paid publications market then there is also room for a magazine to do the same. You just need someone steering the ship, who knows exactly what they're doing, and can do it wth conviction. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 9:22 am Post subject: |
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| StAxX SOuL wrote: |
| chiaa wrote: |
Should have seen the K-Scene two editors ago.
Paid monthly will never work in a million years. Two print runs and it is going to be out of business no matter how good it is. |
Care to elaborate?
I'm not simply in favour of slapping a price tag on the cover - of course nobody would buy it - the magazine would require a thorough revamping from the ground up, from the content to how certain issues are approached and even a reduced frequency. A comprehensive business plan would be another essential because the price tag is the ultimate goal. I'm talking as someone who has launched an B5 glossy magazine and gone from securing local clubs, bars and eateries for the launch issue, to L'Oreal for the back cover of the second issue.
As things stand the potential readership is much more than K-Scene is currently enjoying. If English Language newspapers such as the Korean Herald can exist in the paid publications market then there is also room for a magazine to do the same. You just need someone steering the ship, who knows exactly what they're doing, and can do it wth conviction. |
It would be interesting to see if it works with the magazine, but when you cite the Korea Herald or other English-language papers as a guidepost or an example that it could be profitable, bear in mind that Koreans (many buying it for English-study purposes) are the bulk of the subscriber & newsstand buyer base of Korea's English-language dailies. Without them, the KH or the KT or the IHT/Joongang Daily wouldn't survive. Not on a purely native English-reader subscriber base, they wouldn't.
EFL readers (i.e., Koreans) with their special interests and their special requirements, they aren't an afterthought or an add-on market segment -- they're the core readership that carries, makes or breaks those publications. How would they factor in the plans to overhaul this magazine to make it paid & profitable?
The OP talks about English-language magazines in Hong Kong, Thailand and China that he's seen, that he likes and which presumably are profitable. However, I just don't think that Korea is "there" yet. I won't say "never in a million years", but not right now. But were the idea to succeed one day, I don't really see it happening through some all-volunteer, DIY, flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants operation. (Not to say it would't be fun to be young enough to want to give it a good try despite the odds!  ) Rather, it would probably take a big ugly (foreign?) publisher with their own deep pockets, brains and brand clout. But really, I don't even see that happening. So maybe Chiaa's right. |
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StAxX SOuL
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: London
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| StAxX SOuL wrote: |
| chiaa wrote: |
Should have seen the K-Scene two editors ago.
Paid monthly will never work in a million years. Two print runs and it is going to be out of business no matter how good it is. |
Care to elaborate?
I'm not simply in favour of slapping a price tag on the cover - of course nobody would buy it - the magazine would require a thorough revamping from the ground up, from the content to how certain issues are approached and even a reduced frequency. A comprehensive business plan would be another essential because the price tag is the ultimate goal. I'm talking as someone who has launched an B5 glossy magazine and gone from securing local clubs, bars and eateries for the launch issue, to L'Oreal for the back cover of the second issue.
As things stand the potential readership is much more than K-Scene is currently enjoying. If English Language newspapers such as the Korean Herald can exist in the paid publications market then there is also room for a magazine to do the same. You just need someone steering the ship, who knows exactly what they're doing, and can do it wth conviction. |
It would be interesting to see if it works with the magazine, but when you cite the Korea Herald or other English-language papers as a guidepost or an example that it could be profitable, bear in mind that Koreans (many buying it for English-study purposes) are the bulk of the subscriber & newsstand buyer base of Korea's English-language dailies. Without them, the KH or the KT or the IHT/Joongang Daily wouldn't survive. Not on a purely native English-reader subscriber base, they wouldn't.
EFL readers (i.e., Koreans) with their special interests and their special requirements, they aren't an afterthought or an add-on market segment -- they're the core readership that carries, makes or breaks those publications. How would they factor in the plans to overhaul this magazine to make it paid & profitable?
The OP talks about English-language magazines in Hong Kong, Thailand and China that he's seen, that he likes and which presumably are profitable. However, I just don't think that Korea is "there" yet. I won't say "never in a million years", but not right now. But were the idea to succeed one day, I don't really see it happening through some all-volunteer, DIY, flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants operation. (Not to say it would't be fun to be young enough to want to give it a good try despite the odds! ) Rather, it would probably take a big ugly (foreign?) publisher with their own deep pockets, brains and brand clout. But really, I don't even see that happening. So maybe Chiaa's right. |
You hit the nail on the head in the second paragraph. You are not abandoning the K Scene core readership of ESL teachers, rather you are structuring a magazine that satisfies their requirements whilst embracing those of Korean English speakers.
Sure, they can buy imported magazines and read about US or UK culture and aspire to it, but its not quite the same as authoring a magazine from that perspective which actually embraces everything Korean too. Of course, it wouldn't be an overnight transition but slowly you develop these concepts and expand the readership to the Koreans well enough educated in English language. Perhaps the biggest underestimation in your post is stating that Korea isn't there yet. The central part of business is to identify opportunities ahead of time, and have yourself perfectly placed to capitalise, not wait until it is clear to the world that the market is perfectly positioned, and then compete against a mass of other publishers, many of whom will have considerably more resources than you - that's an opportunity lost.
I don't see why it would need the deep pockets of a publisher either. All one would require would be a skilled and dedicated team of writers with this same vision. Without a major overhaul it will continue with its mixed identity with writers on their own page. That's one of the fundamental problems, nobody has sat down and given the magazine a clear direction and relayed this to contributors - of course it won't go anywhere in its current form.
Hey I've got tons of ideas and plans for how to make this a reality based on my education and experience at launching a magazine. I'd launch a magazine myself to fill this niche but I don't possess neither the time or the resources to do so in a foreign country, and it will be a whole lot easier rebranding the already well-established K Scene. Anyway, I've sent a PM to Nemesis to discuss some more, so hopefully he gets back to me. |
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chiaa
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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| StAxX SOuL wrote: |
| chiaa wrote: |
Should have seen the K-Scene two editors ago.
Paid monthly will never work in a million years. Two print runs and it is going to be out of business no matter how good it is. |
Care to elaborate?
I'm not simply in favour of slapping a price tag on the cover - of course nobody would buy it - the magazine would require a thorough revamping from the ground up, from the content to how certain issues are approached and even a reduced frequency. A comprehensive business plan would be another essential because the price tag is the ultimate goal. I'm talking as someone who has launched an B5 glossy magazine and gone from securing local clubs, bars and eateries for the launch issue, to L'Oreal for the back cover of the second issue.
As things stand the potential readership is much more than K-Scene is currently enjoying. If English Language newspapers such as the Korean Herald can exist in the paid publications market then there is also room for a magazine to do the same. You just need someone steering the ship, who knows exactly what they're doing, and can do it wth conviction. |
People are very careful with their money here. You are competing with other forms of entertainment, magazines and books. No offense to the K-Scene (they are damn nice people) but people put down Cosmo which we sell basically at cover price. Cosmo has international Exposure with a print run over 1,200,000 issues per month vs. a Seoul magazine with maybe one or two real professional writers writing about places and situations they cannot investigage correctly because they don't speak Korean and it has a print run of 10,000 to 15,000. Now think about it, you have a free magazine with a print run of 10-15k what do you think is going to happen once the magazine is no longer free? Print run is going to go down drastically. Then when the print run goes down drastically, advertisers are not going to be as willing to fork out advertisment fees for something that only reaches a few thousand (if they are lucky) people. Soon enough the magazine is no longer in existence. Magazines are not made so they can get subscription or cover stand money, they are made to get adversiting dollars.
I always allow self-published authors to place their books on our shelves with us getting nothing from the sale. I even give them good shelf spots for a few weeks. Unless one of their friends come in, they do not sell.
I am not trying to be cruel but all I have mentioned is my experience of doing business in Seoul.
Sorry for the ramble. |
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StAxX SOuL
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 1:05 am Post subject: |
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No offense taken Chiaa. You obviously have some experience in the Seoul magazine market given your store so input is always welcome.
The intention however would be to drastically increase the print run before adding any kind of cover charge. Like I said, its not an overnight thing, it'll be about exposing the magazine to a lot more people over the coming year and beyond. This is the time when you need to build your consumer loyalty by developing features, writers and various other contents. If you do your job with this, when you add a 3,000W cover charge, sure you'll lose some of your print run but you've also got a hardened consumer base who are willing to pay 3,000W because you've forged that relationship. Having increased the circulation substantially prior to this move your advertising revenue has increased, thus you've acquired capital which can cater for a number of months at reduced circulation and reduced advertising revenue. Then it's about pulling through.
The issue which exists which US and UK imported magazines is that as much I will read the FHMs and Maxims back home, I'm reluctant to here because I'm not in that loop. The goods within are all stocked back home, and the vogue, but they're of little relevance in Korea, besides keeping me informed on the trends back home.
As for the writers issue. There's always room for bringing a bilingual Korean on board, and that's the point of having a writing team as opposed to random contributors. The increased circulation which you acquire before any decision to price the magazine can be sent the way of the writers thus allowing for the assembly of a star studded cast who are proficient enough to sustain the price tag. |
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