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Hey Wine Bloggers, Wanna Publish Something in Print?

Twitter has become the new wine chat room. What makes this so nice is that in Twitter we can link to whatever we want to, and no one complains about spam. Well maybe Gary V’s random spurts of love (did I just say that?) do from time to time feel spammy, but that’s besides the point.

This past week, conversations and debates have raged on from what wine jargon do we like/dislike to whether or not we should publish a book/mag. While I found the debate on wine jargon to be useful and fun (give me your definition of “bramble), it’s the other debate that I really must address right now. In December, during the Winecast Unfiltered podcast, I asked if people knew about the online, and now offline, magazine JPG. The basic premise of JPG is that by users voting on favorite photos, the magazine JPG is populated with the newest and most interesting photos found on the web. Each month, there are 3 new one-word themes that people submit photos to. After the votes are casted, the winners are included in the next issue of the print magazine.

The best part of this is the simplicity, ease of use, and how it allows professionals and more often non-professionals to finally see themselves in print.

Working together I think we can apply this system to the Wine blogging world too. Personally, I’ve felt for quite some time that the reason wine blogs are not taken seriously is that they are not in print. There is something about the ability to hold an object in one’s hands that somehow makes it more real and lends it an air of importance. I recently talked with Tim of Winecast.net, where we both agreed that the process to make this magazine would neither be simple nor fast, but if chip away at it little by little, it could be done.

So here are some ideas/thoughts/considerations - Please leave in the comments your ideas, thoughts and suggestions.

First the Goals

  • To develop an creme de la creme wine blogging community/site with strict requirements to have content accepted for publication.
  • To publish within the year a “Journal(s)” compiled from original content based on a per issue theme, available for purchase through online, and possibly, offline retail channels
  • To raise the overall profile of wine bloggers in the non web based wine geek world

Here’s what I see as the first steps to creating this.

  1. Find a name - I suggested to Tim to use the Wineblogger.info domain, but I think Tim was right this needs to be a unique item that will only showcase the best of the best, and therefore needs its own identity. We need a name that will be used only for this project. I know Tim registered “Vinomag”, though I think we need more suggestions.
  2. Build a site - First things first, before we start producing content in print, I think we need a site to develop the idea and to run some online trial themes. I think before we produce any kind of print product, we should use the wonderful world of web 2.0 to our advantage.
  3. Form a Editorial Board - This idea is thanks to DrDebs, and basically means that we need to have a Editorial Board that rotates members at some predefined interval. To start, this board would draft the entry requirements/methods, and after we start publishing, they would have the final say on what is printed and what is not printed. Since our goal is to raise awareness of wine blogs as a whole, we need to make sure the level of writing is at the highest level possible.

I hope that this site/project will be something that everyone can contribute to. My thoughts are that current board members will be required to participate in the monthly/quarterly/otherwise theme. At the same time, someone who is new to blogging can have the opportunity to submit articles to the themes with the chance of being selected for the final publication. The only requirement I do feel is important is that bloggers who contribute will have to have had at least 1+ years of blogging under their belt and be posting on a regular schedule. This will help narrow the field down to those who are serious. After that, it will come down to quality of writing.

At this point, this is a very rough sketch, as promised in the past weeks twitter chat. I hope that we can develop this idea and mold it into something that everyone can agree to and that will help wine blogs to achieve a higher level of recognition.

Thoughts, questions, criticisms…have at it…Tim anything to add?

Ryan Opaz

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Posted in the Category: Wine 2.0 - Marketing

Viewing 37 Comments

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    Sorry to be chiming in so late--beginning of the semester. I think this idea is well worth pursuing, even though there are a lot of (excellent) questions that need resolving. I think I agree that having something to hold is not necessarily the big thing--and I suspect that some kind of quality control/vetting is. My suspicion is that if wine bloggers really put an effort into writing something longer than a blog post and of magazine quality they could do it--and that the resulting publication would in fact be better than any of the wine mags currently around in terms of diversity of opinion, regional coverage, etc. And though it might be seen as elitist, I feel strongly that selectivity is key--with all the disappointment that that might cause, etc.
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    Sorry to be chiming in so late--beginning of the semester. I think this idea is well worth pursuing, even though there are a lot of (excellent) questions that need resolving. I think I agree that having something to hold is not necessarily the big thing--and I suspect that some kind of quality control/vetting is. My suspicion is that if wine bloggers really put an effort into writing something longer than a blog post and of magazine quality they could do it--and that the resulting publication would in fact be better than any of the wine mags currently around in terms of diversity of opinion, regional coverage, etc. And though it might be seen as elitist, I feel strongly that selectivity is key--with all the disappointment that that might cause, etc.
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    Thanks Bill for your insight, anything we do do is going to need that personal touch since that is what I think draws people to blogging., I agree lifestyle pieces make sense...and the avoidance of dry antiseptic notes....
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    Thanks Bill for your insight, anything we do do is going to need that personal touch since that is what I think draws people to blogging., I agree lifestyle pieces make sense...and the avoidance of dry antiseptic notes....
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    Ryan,

    As a "non-blogger", but avid reader of Catavino, I applaud your desire to put something like this together. It is obvious by the previous comments that there is a passionate group of wine bloggers out there with good ideas.

    As a reader, the articles that are of most interest to me are "wine lifestyle" oriented. I don't simply want to read tasting notes about wine. I want something deeper than that. You have provided posts that touch on the lifestyle and I think those are the best. You are so lucky to live immersed in a major wine producing country. I enjoy the stories about your experiences and want more. Like Gab's post on the visit to the cava producer. It's evocative and takes me away from Minnesota to a wine dream world. I love going to that dream world. Oh, and if you can make me laugh, even better!

    What I don't want is the Parker experience, which basically consists of very dry , dare I say antiseptic, notes about this wine and that. BORING!!!!! Thanks for asking me to provide feedback.
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    Ryan,


    As a "non-blogger", but avid reader of Catavino, I applaud your desire to put something like this together. It is obvious by the previous comments that there is a passionate group of wine bloggers out there with good ideas.



    As a reader, the articles that are of most interest to me are "wine lifestyle" oriented. I don't simply want to read tasting notes about wine. I want something deeper than that. You have provided posts that touch on the lifestyle and I think those are the best. You are so lucky to live immersed in a major wine producing country. I enjoy the stories about your experiences and want more. Like Gab's post on the visit to the cava producer. It's evocative and takes me away from Minnesota to a wine dream world. I love going to that dream world. Oh, and if you can make me laugh, even better!



    What I don't want is the Parker experience, which basically consists of very dry , dare I say antiseptic, notes about this wine and that. BORING!!!!! Thanks for asking me to provide feedback.
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    Ryan,

    I think you're on to something here. Though, I think taking more of a book/lulu.com approach might be the way to go as opposed to baselining against Jpg

    If you look at a couple of the recent essay-driven wine books that have come out ("Wine & Philosophy" and "Questions of Taste" for example) I think collating a book around essays from bloggers that is governed by an editorial board with topic oversight is very doable. In fact, I think there's an audience for it, as well.

    But, I think topics need to be curated and I think some professional editing assistance from elance.com or elsewhere is probably required. When you think about it, there aren't too many bloggers doing long pieces.

    The other notion is to potentially tie this to some sort of philanthropic effort i.e. all proceeds benefit something or somebody. That gets around the annoying issue of profit and work for hire, etc.

    Overall, I'm not sure if you're going to get much validation from wine blog readers. I think more than anything this is one of those shots in the dark you have to take based on instinct.

    I like it. Good, progressive thinking!

    Jeff
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    Ryan,


    I think you're on to something here. Though, I think taking more of a book/lulu.com approach might be the way to go as opposed to baselining against Jpg



    If you look at a couple of the recent essay-driven wine books that have come out ("Wine & Philosophy" and "Questions of Taste" for example) I think collating a book around essays from bloggers that is governed by an editorial board with topic oversight is very doable. In fact, I think there's an audience for it, as well.



    But, I think topics need to be curated and I think some professional editing assistance from elance.com or elsewhere is probably required. When you think about it, there aren't too many bloggers doing long pieces.



    The other notion is to potentially tie this to some sort of philanthropic effort i.e. all proceeds benefit something or somebody. That gets around the annoying issue of profit and work for hire, etc.



    Overall, I'm not sure if you're going to get much validation from wine blog readers. I think more than anything this is one of those shots in the dark you have to take based on instinct.



    I like it. Good, progressive thinking!



    Jeff
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    Becky - I think that your points are good, but the idea I'm thinking of is to take on topics that are more timeless, and to allow our writing to shine. A chance to do something a bit different.

    1Winedude - I agree with the eliteism issue, but I would look to make this a situation where we have a magazine/book/review that is the best of the best. Kinda like the Wine Blog Awards. As to your third point if wine books are in Demand, and not wine mags are not, maybe we should publish a book or two.

    Justin - Your right and the amount of work to do a full scale publication would be daunting, but what I would like to see is people building an idea with web 2.0 ideas like LULU.com first and then if the demand is there, looking to different ideas/ methods.

    Jill - I thnk we can find a way to get retailers and industry types into this, just a matter of disclosure and discussion as to how we do it.

    Lot's to think about. One thing though I would love to hear comments from possible readers of a such a book, not just people who want to be published in it! Any non-bloggers have an opinion about what they would like to buy?
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    Becky - I think that your points are good, but the idea I'm thinking of is to take on topics that are more timeless, and to allow our writing to shine. A chance to do something a bit different.


    1Winedude - I agree with the eliteism issue, but I would look to make this a situation where we have a magazine/book/review that is the best of the best. Kinda like the Wine Blog Awards. As to your third point if wine books are in Demand, and not wine mags are not, maybe we should publish a book or two.



    Justin - Your right and the amount of work to do a full scale publication would be daunting, but what I would like to see is people building an idea with web 2.0 ideas like LULU.com first and then if the demand is there, looking to different ideas/ methods.



    Jill - I thnk we can find a way to get retailers and industry types into this, just a matter of disclosure and discussion as to how we do it.



    Lot's to think about. One thing though I would love to hear comments from possible readers of a such a book, not just people who want to be published in it! Any non-bloggers have an opinion about what they would like to buy?
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    It is an interesting idea, Ryan, and certainly one with some genuine merit. My first thought beyond the difficulties in deciding what the content would be (and what general theme it would follow...reviews...education...commentary...who is the intended audience?) is how would it be distributed? I see the JPG offers paid subscriptions through the website but does it get any bricks & mortar distribution? Even if limited only to online paid subscriptions, managing that alone would be a substantial undertaking.
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    It is an interesting idea, Ryan, and certainly one with some genuine merit. My first thought beyond the difficulties in deciding what the content would be (and what general theme it would follow...reviews...education...commentary...who is the intended audience?) is how would it be distributed? I see the JPG offers paid subscriptions through the website but does it get any bricks & mortar distribution? Even if limited only to online paid subscriptions, managing that alone would be a substantial undertaking.
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    I think that RichardA makes several good points.

    I also think that the idea, in general, is an intriguing one. It needs some work.

    Some thoughts / words of caution - I don't mean any of these negatively, I offer them in what I feel are the best interests of things to seriously consider for this endeavor:

    1) The printed world of journalism is very different from that of on-line blogging. Printed media from disparate sources requires a) a common voice/tone of the publication (with just enough room for originality among the various contributors), b) a well-defined target audience, c) perceived value over-&-above what could be gathered and collected by the target audience from free sources.

    2) Hence the need for some sort of editorial board. However, there could be an (undeserved) air of elitism generated by this among the wine-blogging community, depending on how the content is judged and selected.

    3) I agree with RichardA's statements about printed media NOT contributing significantly to a lack of respect for wine blogging. Blogging, and wine blogging in particular, is subject to a) lack of editorial control over quality of published content, b) misconception (or total lack) of established and easily-understood credibility on the subject matter (which, for wine consumers, is even worse in the case of wine than in many other areas), and c) popularity of the subject matter. Wine books are in high demand. Wine mags are not. If we were blogging about life improvement or personal finance, we'd probably be singing a different tune altogether. I would personally proffer any of these as more significant contributors than lack of printed media.
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    Ryan, I think it's an interesting idea to pursue (even though I'm disqualified :)). One difference I see between JPG Mag and the usual wine blog fodder is that they are specializing in images which aren't like wine blog topics in that they don't get beaten to death within 2 weeks of first hitting the internet. They're more timeless. I'm sure your Editorial panel could find some timeless themes for this project as well--photography comes to mind, wine travel pieces, reviews, etc.
    As for credentials, etc I think Richard has a point... Also, if I may play devil's advocate, another point that was made in the Winecast Unfiltered was that one of the advantages bloggers have over print media is the immediacy of the medium which you'd loose in this kind of format.
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    I dont have a problem with commercial operations being involved. The punter has to know where to buy the wines recommended from and the best way to appreciate the processes involved in their making is from a producer for eg. So as long as the relationship is up front I cant see a problem.

    Traditional print media interviews wine makers and producers. The blog format allows a more direct approach.

    Perhaps any producer supplied content could be moderated/tempered by an independent review of the wines involved from another writer?
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    I think that RichardA makes several good points.


    I also think that the idea, in general, is an intriguing one. It needs some work.



    Some thoughts / words of caution - I don't mean any of these negatively, I offer them in what I feel are the best interests of things to seriously consider for this endeavor:



    1) The printed world of journalism is very different from that of on-line blogging. Printed media from disparate sources requires a) a common voice/tone of the publication (with just enough room for originality among the various contributors), b) a well-defined target audience, c) perceived value over-&-above what could be gathered and collected by the target audience from free sources.



    2) Hence the need for some sort of editorial board. However, there could be an (undeserved) air of elitism generated by this among the wine-blogging community, depending on how the content is judged and selected.



    3) I agree with RichardA's statements about printed media NOT contributing significantly to a lack of respect for wine blogging. Blogging, and wine blogging in particular, is subject to a) lack of editorial control over quality of published content, b) misconception (or total lack) of established and easily-understood credibility on the subject matter (which, for wine consumers, is even worse in the case of wine than in many other areas), and c) popularity of the subject matter. Wine books are in high demand. Wine mags are not. If we were blogging about life improvement or personal finance, we'd probably be singing a different tune altogether. I would personally proffer any of these as more significant contributors than lack of printed media.
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    Ryan, I think it's an interesting idea to pursue (even though I'm disqualified :)). One difference I see between JPG Mag and the usual wine blog fodder is that they are specializing in images which aren't like wine blog topics in that they don't get beaten to death within 2 weeks of first hitting the internet. They're more timeless. I'm sure your Editorial panel could find some timeless themes for this project as well--photography comes to mind, wine travel pieces, reviews, etc.
    As for credentials, etc I think Richard has a point... Also, if I may play devil's advocate, another point that was made in the Winecast Unfiltered was that one of the advantages bloggers have over print media is the immediacy of the medium which you'd loose in this kind of format.
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    I love the idea of doing an internet-based publication (at least as a testing ground for print...though print isn't very eco-friendly, is it?).

    The one thing I fear: I'm a blogger, but I'm a retailer. Would I automatically be disqualified from participation due to my commercial background? Or is there someway to integrate industry folks (retailers, wineries, etc.) without blurring the editorial/advertising lines? I would hate to have to sit on the sidelines on this one, but I could see this as a logistical necessity once standards are articulated.

    Just figured I should raise this early on.

    Jill
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