Ramblings...#1
by Timothy B. Anderson


I have to apologize for the state of Red Dog Journal (RDJ). It should be much more than it is: more content, lively discussion, timely essays, and pertinent opinion. I have been in discussion with several very interested parties about that same topic. As I may have indicated in the past, I am no website guru, and the funds just aren’t there to hire someone to make it better. Thus, I am left to my own tools and abilities, which are minimal to say the least. But there is hope, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. With a little patience all is attainable.

My vision for RDG is very-well conceived, and if there are any webmasters out there who would like be involved (or if you know someone) in working with me on the design and implementation of the site I would appreciate your contact. In exchange for your expertise and time, I can put buttons on both Red Dog News and RDJ, or we can possibly work out something else that can benefit us both. Red Dog News is now sent out to more than 8,000 bi-weekly readers, with a 40% open and a 37% click-through rate.

I recently called David Spivak to tell him that the latest issue of his magazine, FOCUS, was the best one he had done. It is. I picked up the first issue of that magazine when it was call inked. From that inauspicious beginning of just a few stapled pages, in a black-and-white format, to a full-color, 174 page major player. I am very impressed. Along with a lot of really good content, there are great free-lance writers throughout: John Bennette, Anthony Bannon, Stephen Perloff, to name a few. The layout has greatly improved since its inception and it continues to attract a wide variety of photographers to place ads and portfolios. Not only that, but Spivak has recently ventured in to book publishing, with his first publication due out very soon. Kudos, David!

As long as we are talking about magazines, I think it is time to remind you of the quality of one of my favorite non-photography(?) publications, The Fretboard Journal. Published by Jason Verlinde, it continues to excel in both content and quality. With articles and great photography about stringed instruments, this is a magazine where the writers are mostly instrumentalists themselves. This makes for authentic and personal writing. Keep it up, Jason!

That’s about it for now, readers, and I hope you have a great day. P.S. don’t forget to donate. Remember, for donations of $25 or more, I will send you an 8x10 of Red Dog, himself.