From: James Britt Date: 2006-05-04T02:03:12+09:00 Subject: Re: Red Letter - did I just got scammed? benjohn@fysh.org wrote: >>On 5/3/06, Michal wrote: >> >>>I feel I got scammed and considering chargebacking on the >>>transaction ... but I guess that it wouldn't hurt to get >>>"second opinion" before I do that. >>> >> >>I'd be interested in hearing more responses, but I don't think >>this would be a bad idea. >> >> >>>Thoughts/ideas? > > > *snip* > > I thought the Red Letter journal sounded great, and considered a sub my > self. I think the most likely scenario (having worked in small > companies) is that the founders have encountered considerable problems > of getting it off the ground. I don't think it's necessary to assume any > malicious action; I'm afraid it's really easy to ignore your customer's > problems when the creditors are trying to take your servers. Indeed. My experience with the Ruby Code & Style[0] webzine is that it is quite challenging to get a publication up and running. I have to believe the difficulties are compounded when trying to sell subscriptions & advertising while offering writers a fixed fee for material. There are numerous variables that all need to balance for the venture to succeed. Ruby Code & Style has taken a different approach. It's free to read, with revenue (so far) derived from advertising. And author payments are based on what we have in reserve, not what we hope to get. The down side, of course, is that initially there were no funds for the writers (or editors, for that matter). Nonetheless, we had outstanding submissions from respected members of the Ruby community. This helped get the magazine off the ground, and drew enough eyeballs to attract the interest of advertisers. I'm happy to say that we can now begin offering payment for new material. The current rate is $100.00 for new material (visit the site to get an idea of the typical length). My hopes, of course, are that the zine grows and attracts greater advertising and sponsorship, allowing us to offer more to the writers. The plan is follow a self-sustaining process, to never have to rely on creditors. I wish Red Letter all success, but I also want to remind everyone that Ruby Code & Style is here, now, and looking for readers and writers. It's driven by and for the Ruby community, and depends on your involvement; if you are interested in writing for us, please let me know off-list. [0] Ruby Code & Style: http://www.artima.com/rubycs/ -- James Britt Editor-in-Chief Ruby Code & Style http://www.ruby-doc.org - Ruby Help & Documentation http://www.jamesbritt.com - Playing with Better Toys