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Cross Pollination: Fountain Pen Board supports the print mag, Fountain Pen Journal


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#1 david i

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Posted 13 August 2014 - 05:17 AM

August 13, 2014

 

Greetings,

 

I invite members of Fountain Pen Board to consider subscribing to a brand new print magazine for pen collectors, Fountain Pen Journal, founded and edited (among other functions) by my friend Paul Erano.   I've created this niche forum  at Fountain Pen Board to facilitate chat about articles from the magazine, with the first issue likely ready for printing within the next couple weeks.

 

fpj_fountainpenboard_header1.jpg

 

Amazingly, we've managed to score the domain name consistent with the mag's name, fountainpenjournal.com  The website is active, though still in quite rough form. The Journal website will host the famous secret group, the Black Pen Society.  A gentle paywall will be implemented in  time, allowing subscribers access to supplementary information for some of the pen articles, to older articles that had been offered elsewhere by some of our authors, and perhaps  archived PDFs of old EQPR and FPJ, once hard copy back issues are sold out.

 

Paul's written credits in our hobby include at least:

 

  1. Author of best selling collecting guide  Fountain Pens Past and Present
  2. Owner/Editor of EQPR: Erano's Quarterly Pen Review
  3. Contributing writer to Pen World International, Stylus Magazine and PENnant Magazine
  4. Editor Emeritus of PENnant Magazine, during a particularly successful run

 

Fountain Pen Journal embraces the trappings of a  fancy glossy magazine, while maintaining the grounded narrative of the old EQPR. The use of "Journal" leaves open many paths.

 

With Paul's exit from PENnant and founding of Fountain Pen Journal,  many regular contributors pf articles  to pen magazines and online message boards have stepped up to the plate, expressing interest in writing for FPJ, including at least the following (please contact me if you would like to be added to the list or have been listed in error).

 

  • Paul Erano
  • David Isaacson
  • Nicholas Ayo
  • John Danza
  • Pete Sacopolous
  • Rick Krantz
  • Roger Wooten
  • Michael McNeil

The first issue, due out soon, offers the following content:

 

  • Introduction to Wahl-Eversharp's Equi-Poised.
  • Peter Miller remembered
  • The Black Pen Society
  • The Pens of Paul Duclos
  • ... and more...

 

Fountain Pen Journal is very pleased to have lured to the project graphic designer Francine Conn, who produced the PCA's Pennant Magazine for 12 years.

 

The website and the magazine, along perhaps with this forum at FPB, will offer synergy for pen collectors interested in the material found in the magazine. Podcasts, links to and from Facebook groups and a close relationship to the Black Pen Society should spice the soup.

 

Subscriptions will run $25 per year (3 issues) with special website access included. The mag is being started on a shoestring budget, but still will offer a full color glossy magazine, with potential to grow as the subscription base increases. By word of mouth alone at the Washington DC Supershow last weekend, many people signed up.

 

In a gesture of faith in a mag that has yet to see its first issue in print, several advertisers have ponied up year contracts for the available three covers (front inner, back outer and inner), something that other pen hobby mags have not managed to do the last few years. Thanks to Bert Oser of Bertram's Inkwell, Syd Saperstein of the rebooted Wahl-Eversharp and Richard Greenwald (plastics, pen parts, repairs)  of http://www.richardlgreenwald.com .   Other interior advertising has been claimed as well.

 

Time will tell if Fountain Pen Journal thrives.  Offering Paul's proven approach to pen commentary and offering an alternative to cranky committee-managed niche hobby mags, I suspect readers truly will enjoy.

 

link-Fountain Pen Journal-link

 

 

regards

David


David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#2 david i

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Posted 13 August 2014 - 05:34 AM

BTW, do invite your friends to view this thread. More the merrier...

 

regards

 

-d


David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#3 JonSzanto

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Posted 13 August 2014 - 06:35 PM

I endorse this product and/or message! :)

 

Within the next day or so I'll make some time to spread the word. I also look forward to seeing Paul in SF, and hearing more about the project. I'll definitely be onboard, myself.

 

Thanks David...



#4 Mike Kirk

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Posted 14 August 2014 - 12:56 AM

Where's the like button.... Oh...wrong app...
I'm in! Let 'er rip!

Mike Kirk

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#5 Procyon

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Posted 17 August 2014 - 09:17 PM

I signed up several days ago.  Looking forward to it. 



Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar.  And doesn't.

 

 

Regards,
Allan


#6 JonSzanto

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Posted 23 August 2014 - 07:10 AM

Done. In person. With the Poobah himself. In San Francisco.

 

It was a good day. :)



#7 FarmBoy

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 12:13 AM

Even though Jon beat me to the sign up I too am a subscriber. The cost is about a bottle of ink and the preview issue looked pretty good.

We even talked about subject matter for a series of possible articles. I would have chatted more but I was occupied most of the show...

#8 david i

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 01:23 AM

Glad to hear  the mag gains a good reception even before its first issue arrives.  As the material offered grows and as the subscriber base grows, I suspect the page count will grow too. As it is, the pages are seriously packed for content compared to many mags.  What would you write about, Todd, or is it secret? ;)

 

-d


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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#9 AZuniga

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 03:03 PM

Proud to be among the very early subscribers from abroad...



#10 david i

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 03:44 PM

Keep those subscriptions coming, boys..  Paul picked up a bunch at San Francisco. I wonder if we can top PENnant's subscription base within a year or two?

 

-d


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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#11 JonSzanto

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 08:27 PM

I'd wish them both to flourish, and I'll be happy having two things to read instead of one!



#12 david i

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 08:31 PM

Competition indeed usually is a good thing.


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#13 JonSzanto

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 08:46 PM

Except for cases that imply that one will be a loser. I like scenarios where everyone wins.



#14 david i

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 08:51 PM

"Win" can be parsed at length. Competition tends to yield wins for the consumer, which is the most important win.


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#15 JonSzanto

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Posted 27 August 2014 - 09:03 PM

YMMV.



#16 Jerry Adair

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Posted 28 August 2014 - 12:23 AM

David
Is it your objective to drive PENnant out of business? If yes then that is unacceptable.
Jerry

#17 Hugh

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Posted 28 August 2014 - 03:27 AM

I think the "reason" is irrelevant Jerry, but I think we can rule out profit as the driver!! That David expects FPJ to exceed PENant in circulation tells me that they're targeting a wider base than just PCA members, even this board has around twice the membership of PCA. That tells me either PCA has failed to promote itself well or it just doesn't interest a lot of people.

PCA may feel some affect, it may be positive or negative. By opening up a larger reader base it may "wet" some appetites for more and PCA may do that, on that time will tell. Still I think a "new" inexpensive publication is positive, I'm also hoping to see two quiet different publications. On that Paul has A-grade credentials while we'll have to wait and see how Veley handles PENant.

 

Regards

Hugh


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#18 david i

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Posted 28 August 2014 - 04:31 AM

David
Is it your objective to drive PENnant out of business? If yes then that is unacceptable.
Jerry

 

Jerry, let's play out this logic chain. Is your objective to eat puppies?   If yes then that  would be unacceptable. ;)

 

-d


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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#19 david i

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Posted 28 August 2014 - 04:33 AM

I think the "reason" is irrelevant Jerry, but I think we can rule out profit as the driver!! That David expects FPJ to exceed PENant in circulation tells me that they're targeting a wider base than just PCA members, even this board has around twice the membership of PCA. That tells me either PCA has failed to promote itself well or it just doesn't interest a lot of people.

PCA may feel some affect, it may be positive or negative. By opening up a larger reader base it may "wet" some appetites for more and PCA may do that, on that time will tell. Still I think a "new" inexpensive publication is positive, I'm also hoping to see two quiet different publications. On that Paul has A-grade credentials while we'll have to wait and see how Veley handles PENant.

 

Regards

Hugh

 

I do stand by the notion that competition is good for the consumer.  No doubt quality  is better (more or less) and prices cheaper for fast food burgers because we have both McDonald's and Burger King.  Competition of course offers challenges to the business model of any business that previously  had lacked competition, but also serves to hone and improve that business, surely a good thing.

 

regards

 

David


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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#20 Hugh

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Posted 28 August 2014 - 05:34 AM

 

I think the "reason" is irrelevant Jerry, but I think we can rule out profit as the driver!! That David expects FPJ to exceed PENant in circulation tells me that they're targeting a wider base than just PCA members, even this board has around twice the membership of PCA. That tells me either PCA has failed to promote itself well or it just doesn't interest a lot of people.

PCA may feel some affect, it may be positive or negative. By opening up a larger reader base it may "wet" some appetites for more and PCA may do that, on that time will tell. Still I think a "new" inexpensive publication is positive, I'm also hoping to see two quiet different publications. On that Paul has A-grade credentials while we'll have to wait and see how Veley handles PENant.

 

Regards

Hugh

 

I do stand by the notion that competition is good for the consumer.  No doubt quality  is better (more or less) and prices cheaper for fast food burgers because we have both McDonald's and Burger King.  Competition of course offers challenges to the business model of any business that previously  had lacked competition, but also serves to hone and improve that business, surely a good thing.

 

regards

 

David

 

 

Generally what you say is true unless the market is too small or unable to be grown negatively affecting all in that field. Clearly (to me anyway) the market is underdeveloped when you look at the forum memberships so has great potential to expand. The question is why hasn't PCA managed to make more inroads in to what appears to be a large potential market ?

 

Regards

Hugh


Hugh Cordingley




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