Seems like it’s time for an update on our next issue.
We’ve been quiet about it intentionally, since with Issue 2, we probably jumped the gun a bit, letting folks know it was at the printers and that it should be in the mail shortly. But what we didn’t realize is that for some, that meant a month crossing the country on snails, creating some anxious ‘cross fans!
So while we’ve kept a bit mum on Issue 3’s progress, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to improve our delivery and eliminate some unknowns as we ramp up for the upcoming season. As part of this “hard work” we’ve written some big (and painful) checks to the USPS and dealt with endless forms and meetings to make sure future issues are delivered in a more reliable fashion. And we’re contracting with a mailing service to take care of the bigger mailings. What does that all mean for you? Hopefully faster and more reliable delivery. Down the road, that means quicker hits of ‘cross love in return for your current patience.
Back to Issue 3. It’s at the printers as of last week, and with some luck, that means it’ll start mailing next week. And, with some more luck, once it leaves our printers, it won’t take a month for it to arrive in some easter locations. It’s going to be a new process for us again, so you never know, but we’re going off of what we’ve been told (and what we’re paying for).
Some folks have been asking about our intended frequency, as it’s clear not everyone just wants to be surprised. Well, our goal has been 4 issues a year for the first year, but not necessarily at exact three month intervals. The current goal is to be a bit more frequent during the season. To this end, while we’ve taken a little more time to work behind the scenes and get out Issue 3, Issue 4 is already coming together and should have a quicker turn around with an early September delivery. Looking further ahead, our Issue 5 should be in November. Looking further out, if all goes well, and we do our job and keep advertising and subscriber growth going, we may up the frequency. That’s the goal!
You can help us get there by continuing to the spread the word on blogs and forums that our mag is worth a race entry fee. Now is the time to get those “I keep meaning to subscribe” subscriptions in, as subscribers this week will still get in our initial Issue 3 mailing. Tell your buddies to get their own. There’s another reason to get those subs in now: one downside of going to a mailing service is that we won’t be able to send out back copies as frequently.
Stay tuned for our Contest #2 winners and updates into Issue 3. Get ready for a great season!
(What’s up with that cover photo? We thought we’d slowly give you a hint of what’s to come. Got a guess of what it is? Post your guess below)
