NEW ROADS
Meg Weaver's reports in her free online Wooden Horse News that Everything For Men and Everything For Women are new lifestyle magazines for those interested in autos, home, health, travel, money, fashion, sports, entertainment, or the arts. Published by Epic Media, Inc., the first issues are due in the second quarter, Rob Hill is the men's editor-in-chief. . . . Automotive Rhythms, The Magazine! is the latest venture of publisher Kimatni D.Rawlins who has added print to his "Urban Automotive Experience," blend of new cars, trucks and SUV test drives with music, entertainment, sports and technology. Automotive Rhythms, The Magazine! is in addition to internet, radio, television and 15 print publications and partnering web sites for Rawlins' growing enterprise. . . . Also from the Wooden Horse: STUFF is a lifestyle magazine for men. It is a "product oriented, pop culture magazine for guys.. Readers aren't as interested in what's hot now, but what's going to be cool next.". . . CORP! Corp Publishing LLC., focuses on issues of interest to senior managers in Michigan, including automotive & automotive suppliers, technology and economic trends and current business issues. Edward Deeb is the new editor-in-chief of this monthly title, which is due to relaunch with the March issue after a year's break.FUN ROADS
Popular Mechanics Auto Editor Don Chaikin, welcomes autowriters' nominees for the most fun-to-drive roads in North America. Chaikin is not concerned about scenery or amenities or roadside attractions. He's interested in high- performance driving pleasures and is looking for those stretches of blacktop that you find yourself driving over and over again when you're behind the wheel of a really responsive and rewarding vehicle. You can contact him at: dchaikin@hearst.com.BAD ROADS
After 46(!) years with the Oakland Press in Pontiac, Mich., "Wheels" Columnist and photographer Ed Noble got a cell phone call from the newspaper while he was testing a car in the Arizona desert. He was told the paper was doing away with his job and he was off the payroll. Phone calls from Ed about money owed him, separation pay, pension and other details attending his departure were not returned. At last report, the paper, acquired in 2004 by the Journal-Register Co. based in New Jersey, is dealing with Ed's attorney. Ed is now doing regular vehicle reviews for the Pioneer Press papers serving suburban Chicago and has been named auto editor for the Fort Worth, Texas Business Press. He will also take on other freelance assignments.AUTOWRITERS SPOTLIGHT
Pete Szilagyi and Pam LeBlanc have teamed up for a new monthly car review column, "Pete 'n' Pam", in the Austin American-Statesman. The column appears in the auto section Statesman Cars, produced by the newspaper's editorial department. LeBlanc was auto columnist for the McAllen (Texas) Monitor for five years before moving to the Statesman, where she writes the popular Fit City fitness column. She is a staff feature and travel writer. Szilagyi's weekly auto column has appeared in the Statesman since 1981 and has been distributed widely on newswires. A former associate editor of Dirt Bike magazine and founding editor of Motocross Action magazine, he has held several editorial and writing positions at the Statesman and other publications.PASSING SCENE
Tony Swan writes he is not ready to retire but is handing over the executive editor's reins at Car and Driver where he will remain on the edit staff as a senior editor. Succeeding him as exec is Mark Gillies, who moves from the same post at Automobile Magazine. Also making the same switch Michael Dushane. . . . Chris Walton has moved from Motor Trend to Edmunds.Com as Chief Road Test Editor. . . . Brian Corbert left Ward's Automotive Reports for GM's PR department. . . Cicely Bland is the new editor of the Atlanta Tribune. . . . James Donick, is now retired from IBM but continues as Vintage Sports Car editor. . . . Ford specialist Peter Sessler has moved to Florida. . . . Edward Loh is the new editor of Sport Compact Car. Replacing him at Import Racer is Tyrone Rodriquez. . . . Mike Folger now edits Washington CEO. . . . James Miles edits Vette Magazine. . . Travel and Leisure Magazine Espanol has relocated from Miami to Mexico. . Currently L.A. Bureau Chief for Auto Aficionada, former Road & Track editor John Dinkel says he is working his way up to dresser drawer. . . . Sue Elliott-Sink reports she now edits Primedia's custom publishing magazines: The Barrett-Jackson Experience and Overhaulin': The Magazine. . . . Automotive News correspondent and former staffer Laura Clark Geist advises publication of her book "Praying Through Cancer" has been moved up to April. . . . Jon Linkov notes that as of last October he has been Consumer Reports' Managing Editor, Autos. . . . In addition to naming the Audi A3 tops and other winners in 13 categories in its annual Winter Awards balloting, the New England Motor Press Association saluted Toyota PR assistant Antoinette Arianna with its "Camel Back" award, so named for the press' penchant for often untimely and burdensome requests that could be the proverbial "straw that broke . . .." NEMPA president Gerry Miles cited Arianna's "unwavering willingness and abilities to handle requests from the motoring press – regardless of the time and nature – with a smile or a laugh and a readiness that always presents herself, the products she represents and the company in a positive, professional manner."PIT NOTES
Viral Synergy is when technologies are wed to produce a communication with its own life. More than passing along a joke or clip, it actively seeks out its audience. A good example is promotion of the film, "The Ring." It is about a video tape that once watched, causes the viewer to die after seven days. A web site: www.7daysleft.com invites visitors to enter the mobile phone numbers and email addresses of friends. The friends receive an email inviting them to view the film's trailer. Seven days later they get a spooky phone call predicting death. The "prank" is revealed when the listener is invited to provide more numbers and email addresses. . . . . Less complicated is the city of Seattle's use of local bands for the "hold music" when citizens call city offices. They are given the opportunity to download or purchase CD's of the music they like. . . . . Toyota is one of three companies experimenting on Content TV . They are encouraging viewers to submit their own TV commercials for the products and will select some for production and viewing. . . . " ... print won't be distributed on paper in the next few years. If you look at the technology on the reading tablet in the three-to-five-year product-development window, it's amazing stuff. . . . When newspapers figure that part of it out, they'll sell their subscriptions that way. They'll put their money into editorial and they'll save the two-thirds of their revenue that goes on paper, newsprint and physical distribution, and they'll have a much healthier business." -- Irwin Gotlieb, global media guru in an interview with Advertising Age Executive Editor Jonah Bloom. . . . One of the top advertising "bloggers," Steve Rubel, has been hired by one of the largest PR agencies to use his skills to craft buzz for Edelmann PR clients. Perhaps not unrelated, a recent study reaffirmed that positive comments from a friend or relative are the major influence in the purchasing decisions for big ticket items, such as a car.
FEEDBACK
Freelancer Carl Goodwin writes: The London newspaper writer's quote ("death of the love affair" in last month's newsletter) demonstrates the difficulty that foreigners have in comprehending the dynamics of our market for automobiles. The enthusiasm for cars has never been greater and all you have to do for evidence of that is look in the pages of Vintage Motorsport, Classic Motorsport, Classic MG, Cavallino and the Veloce Today web site. . . . . What has made the U.S. market stagnate is the Global Economy and our national trade policy which is rapidly eroding the ability of U.S. consumer to buy expensive consumer durables."The aspiring autowriter who asked for help in getting started reports that the positive and negative advice received from the AutoWriters.Com newsletter has caused him to " re-evaluate my commitment to this craft. I believe I had an overly simplistic and even romantic view of what this would be and that I could somehow keep my day job and dabble in this on the side. I think I need to do a bit more soul- searching to see where my interests lie and thank you again for the help and guidance your newsletter and readers have provided."
MOTORING PRESS ORGANIZATIONS
The 13 regional automotive press associations provide information and background not easily found elsewhere. If they are too distant to attend their meetings, belonging usually gives you access to transcripts or reports of these events and other benefits.Calendar
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Glenn
Glenn Campbell
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