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From: mjg@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael Gingell)
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Re: serious problem facing independent developers
Message-ID: <893@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Dec-85 21:36:43 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.893
Posted: Wed Dec 11 21:36:43 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Dec-85 20:31:14 EST
References: <335@well.UUCP>
Organization: North Carolina Educational Computing Service
Lines: 37

> 
> (1)	AMIGA World ads are very expensive. Nearly $1000 for a one time 1/4 or
> 	1/6 page.
> 
> (2)	The lead times are unusually long. Today, the 11th is the deadline for
> 	the March/April issue. That means  if we  wanted to spend the money we
> 	couldn't get in until May (half a year away!).
> 
> 
> 				Perry (sittin on two products) Kivolowitz


Welcome to the real world Perry !. Amigaworld's advertising rates are
typical of all the more popular computer mags which are mostly published
by the same company - CW Communications. They may be a little higher
because of the fancy color production but not much. Of course you could
get a discount if you took a one or two year contract with them.

The fact is that just because you have a better program doesn't mean you
are going to make a fortune unless you also have business acumen and are
prepared to think big. If your program is really any good every $1000
you spend on advertising should bring in $5000 in sales. If it does not
then you are in the wrong business. And this is business you are in -
if you have fun writing the programs that's a bonus. (I think most Amiga
programmers have fun too of course).

My advice is, if you don't want to spend the money then find someone
else to publish it for you. And that is another big can of worms.
Alternatively start small and work up. Computer Shopper is a good place
to start - over 100,000 circulation and more modest ad rates and very
much shorter lead times due to their newspaper type format.

I supposed the world must be littered with the ideas of people who
thought they had invented the better mousetrap only to find they
couldn't sell it. Oh well ... keep smiling ... :-)

Mike Gingell  ....decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!mjg