Friday January 20, 2012
Finally a change in e-publishing has arrived!
Almost one full year ago we announced the end of Stiffmag as a digital publication. As much as we wanted to offer you guys an option to view Stiff on your tablets and smartphones, ePub formatting just completely destroyed the look of the product. To make things even worse, the insanity of exporting for all of the different ebook readers required individual formatting and testing of nearly every device out there. It proved to be a nightmare. We finally abandoned ePub because of it.
The third thing to contribute to the complete failure of tablet device publishing was feedback from our own fans. We did demo Stiff on a popular 7 inch color ebook reader at events, but always got the same response. After many variations of “It needs to be on iPad.” were thrown at us, we finally discontinued the offering.
We pledged to return to e-publishing if proper tools were ever released for formatting. Apple has done just that with the release of “iBooks Author.”
Today we are very proud to say we are returning Stiffmag to the digital medium with the use of this new tool, and it is indeed being developed specially for the iPad. Issue 9 is now almost complete for printing, so we will now be directing attention to our first proper beta test of the platform.
Since many of you are wondering what the difference will be, here are a few key things we would like to point out:
Stiffmag on iPad will not be a converted PDF. It will in fact be a completely different layout and build than the printed version.
There will be hidden “easter egg” features.
Some elements will include playable audio so the device can actually read to you.
It may also be available on the iPhone if the smaller screen is stable for the files exported from the new software.
Android and other e-book devices will not be supported. (Programmers, feel free to make a similar editor to Apple’s offering, and we will be happy to revise this statement. The tools for exporting are just not there for us at this time.)
We are not planning to load the material through Apple’s iBook store just yet. It will instead be offered for download direct from us.
Finally, it is a beta test, and will be offered for FREE.
(Please allow us to repeat that last word.)
FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE!
There you go folks. We made a promise, and we are only as good as our word.
How do you like them Apples?
BIG changes are underway!
We are now 2 years in on Stiff, and it has been a blast. We love it so much, that we have decided to make it even better.
Stiff has been a quarterly publication since the start, and many of you have asked if we would ever go monthly. As much as we would absolutely love to do that, it just is not possible at this time.
Another option is bi-monthly releases, and today we are very pleased to tell you it is happening THIS YEAR!
To make this a workable option, the magazine will become slightly thinner on page count. Most of you will never even notice the difference, but it will allow us to keep subscription prices at the current cost.
Current subscribers will receive 1 free issue after expiration of their term, along with a renewal notice by mail.
Issue 9 will be released in early February to time things correctly for the rest of the year with this projected schedule. Release dates for following 2012 issues will be April, June, August, October, and December.
Finally, a word to our sponsors. Your contribution is critical to the future of this magazine, and we hope to see all of you continue with us as a bi-monthly title. Since we will be releasing more often, it allows us to again cut the per-issue ad pricing. All advertising costs will be reduced by 25% starting with the April issue. In other words, the current 1/4 page ad is priced at $100, and will shift to a $75 price. 1/2 and full page advertising will also shift accordingly.
We hope you are all happy with the changes we are making, and we thank all of you for the love you have shown us over the last 2 years. We hope to be around for many more to come, provided 2012 is not the end of the world!
Happy new year folks!
Happy Halloween from Stiffmag!
It has been an absolutely crazy month! We have been out on the road for the last few weeks and have had a blast. Our last booking for the year is now just days away, and we hope many of you can join us!
Fatality Ball http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=240176446039805 is booked for Friday, November 4, and is our year end event.
If you missed our appearances at Modern Film Fest, Roundcon, or the Miss Nightmerica Pageant, this will be the last chance to pick up discounted subscriptions or issues direct from us until January 2012.
But... the event is still a few days away. For now, we hope you all eat a lot of candy and rock out some awesome costumes!
Happy Halloween!
Issue 8 available!
The 8th issue of Stiffmag is now available! In other words, that’s the 2 year marker attained. If you ask if we want cookies, the answer is YES YES YES! We love cookies. You are all so thoughtful.
Enjoy folks!
https://www.createspace.com/3699579
Use code 7LAZH6L9 for a cheaper way to get your hands on Stiffmag in our CreateSpace shops. 50% off list price!
Monday August 29, 2011
New magazine to allow 3rd party contributions?
Things are coming together fast, and we have had many questions on this new magazine we are planning to launch this fall. One of the major questions has been regarding 3rd party submissions on models.
Since Stiff launched, all of the photography has been handled by Mystic and his team in Charlotte, NC. This is going to continue for Stiff, but only for Stiff. The 2nd publication which we are planning to launch in November will indeed be open to photographers and models outside of our local area.
Information is already available on preferred methods of submission for consideration, and we are still asking that models submit a printed portfolio for review. This is primarily to weed out the models that just have a passing interest. Any girl out there can submit via email, and the majority of those are not so good at following instructions with the legal detailes required by law.
With that said, here is a little information on what will be involved with 3rd party submissions for the new magazine on modeling:
You must be at least 18 years of age.
Printed portfolio material must be submitted prior to ANY other submission, unless you are an individual we have worked for in the past and have been requested to appear in a specific publication.
This is the review submission
Publication materials must be submitted on a physical disk media. (CD or DVD)
This is the publication submission.
Publication materials may not contain any nudity.
(Exposed private parts are a snake pit we prefer not to contend with. No naughty bits please.)
Release forms must accompany the publication materials submission, along with a photocopy of a photo ID containing both a signature and your date of birth.
(model and photographer release forms will be provided to you for review, and will also be posted on this website.)
Selection of final published shots will be chosen by Stiffmag owner D. Shane Trotter, compiled into a PDF document containing sample sizes of those images, and the model must obtain final authorization from the contributing photographer before final publication, and mail the document back to us for archival.
No materials submitted by mail will be returned.
No monetary compensation is offered or implied.
(In other words, your participation is voluntary.)
The final product will be offered here at stiffmag.com free of charge for this new magazine as a digital download. If you are a contributor and want to also offer the digital download on your own website, it will be allowed provided no alterations are made. The digital magazine must be complete.
Samples, also known as “tear sheets” will be provided to you for use on your own portfolios. We ask that you do not make your own.
You must agree that the release forms serve as a binding contract between yourself (both model AND photographer) and D. Shane Trotter, and any disputes will be conducted in the courts of Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States among a few other legal terms we have to place in the release forms.
In other words, yes you need to be able to read the documents completely.
November is only a few short months away, and we expect this new venture to generate a lot of interest. Stiff will remain as our “prestige” print publication, however this second title will be free and should do quite well.
More information will be posted as soon as possible.
Sunday August 7, 2011
Free tunes to feed your ears!
We are very pleased to present you guys with some crunch to feed your ears! Back in 2001 we were known as Box-13, and presented video compilations focused on the local and regional entertainment industry.
Now in 2011, we are primarily focused on print publication, and a whole new generation of bands and promoters have picked up the mantle.
We are very happy to be part of the promotion behind this, and hope many of our readers will check it out. Even though we did not directly organize this release, it does remind us of our roots.
Carolina Metal Summer Sampler 2011 is available at http://carolinametalcd.blogspot.com absolutely free of charge. Just click the link and download away. If you like what you hear, also check out the links on the comp disk site for links to Facebook pages for each featured band.
Sunday July 31, 2011
We declare war on ePub!
Digital magazine distribution is quite the pain! We have offered Stiffmag on ePub formats via Amazon since the launch, but stability has been an issue since the start. Since some of you follow us only on the digital medium, we have tried to keep it going, but it has finally reached the point of just pure annoyance.
The popular ePub formatting is great for standard books, or even magazines with light illustration. Stiffmag is heavily illustrated, and just does not translate very well in the conversion from PDF.
If the proverbial “powers that be” ever figure out a way to get illustrated magazines out that actually works well, we will revisit the option.
We are officially withdrawing from this medium with Stiffmag, but will be returning later this year with a second magazine that is designed especially for digital and mobile device distribution. As for Stiffmag, we feel it devalues the product to offer it any longer in a digital format.
Sunday July 24, 2011
Major news has just been posted to Shane’s blog regarding a second magazine title
Check out Shane’s blog page here at Stiffmag.com for a little glimpse of the future. It may very well involve a few bombshells!
Thursday July 21, 2011
Updates on Stiffmag issue 7 and Shane’s photo book “They Called It Graveyard Girls”
Stiffmag issue 7 is nearly complete, and has entered the final rounds of proofing. We expect it to be available for ordering
as soon as Monday July 25 on our own CreateSpace e-store.
The Stiffmag subscription page has been updated as of today featuring issue 7 as the current issue, so now is the time if you have been waiting for the new issue to subscribe. We expect our shipment for subscribers to arrive on or around August 1.
Finally, Shane’s own “They Called It Graveyard Girls” photo book is now available for ordering at CreateSpace, however the listing is for the UNSIGNED version. The offerings that will become available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ALL OTHER retailers will also be unsigned. If you want the signed version, please use the ordering option at
http://graveyardgirls.net. Pricing is scheduled to increase at some point on Friday July 22, but is still set at $10 for this book as of the time of this article.
If you are reading this after the price increase on the signed version, and just want the book, you can use promotional code 7LAZH6L9 for 50% off of list price at
https://www.createspace.com/3635880.
Check back here at stiffmag.com this weekend for a special news update from Shane this weekend. We hear there’s something big in the works.
Saturday July 2, 2011
Preordering opens for Shane’s “They Called It Graveyard Girls”
It’s official! Shane has indeed opened preordering for the retrospective “They Called It Graveyard Girls” over at the old http://graveyardgirls.net website. Preordering is priced at just $10, but the cost will increase with final release of the book.
From http://graveyardgirls.net: “The book is almost complete, and preordering IS NOW AVAILABLE! .13 girls will be features at 4 pages each, for a total of 52 pages of photos.”
Each copy sold on preorder, as well as all copies sold via http://graveyardgirls.net after the presale ends and copies sold at events will be signed and numbered by Stiffmag and Graveyard Girls creator Shane Trotter.
The final product will also be heading into the same distribution options as Stiffmag, however copies sold through these channels will not be signed or numbered editions.
To secure your numbered edition now, head over to http://graveyardgirls.net and click the PayPal “Buy It Now” button, and check out some of the sneek peek shots that have been posted.
Thursday June 23, 2011
Issue 7 of Stiffmag is coming very soon, plus 2 art books!
It’s that time again folks! We have been hard at work here at Stiffmag with the next issue, and it is absolutely jam packed with goodies!
Stiffmag issue 7 will become available in just a matter of weeks, if not days. Final art proofing is underway now, and proofing with the printing company will begin as soon as the files come back from Mystic.
We also have 2 art books to update you on. Yes, we said 2!
“They Called It Graveyard Girls” and “Stiffmag Xtra: After Dark 2” are BOTH nearly complete. We are expecting both to become available during July 2011. Pre-ordering may become available within the next couple of weeks.
To sum it all up, this means 3 printed releases are coming out in July! It is indeed a very exciting time for us.
Thursday May 19, 2011
Graveyard Girls book?
Shane has recently posted an image to Facebook as well as to the original domain of http://graveyardgirls.net confirming there is indeed a Graveyard Girls art book in development.
More details to come later. Until then, enjoy the teaser image.
*UPDATE* Interested in advance ordering? You can get something more than just a copy in return. http://kck.st/j9xQ04
Saturday April 30, 2011
Graveyard Girls coming to a stage near you?
(Updated May 8)
Download the pdf of the FAQ sheet and application form at
http://graveyardgirls.net/GYGshowapp.pdf
There’s been a little bit of a buzz over the last few days regarding a rumor, and that rumor was confirmed by Graveyard Girls creator and Stiffmag publisher Shane of the Dead just 2 days ago via his Facebook wall. The concept of Graveyard Girls IS INDEED planned to evolve into a stage event.
May 12, 2011 will be the first round of auditions for this new show, so today we will give you all a bit of an idea what he is casting for.
Shane is seeking, burlesque, fire, and belly dance performers!
Here are some things to remember if you are interested:
The concept of this show is classic burlesque combined with classic horror movies
Costumes and makeup are highly encouraged
Pole dancing or the common modern exotic dancing styles will not be used
Tryouts are to be limited to the equivalent of a bikini (Not all the way to pasties)
Tryouts will be held in PUBLIC VIEW at Ground Zero in Spartanburg, SC
Admission price of $5 will be charged at the door (All that audition will receive a refund after the audition period has ended)
Expect to remain at the club until ALL auditions have been completed (Leaving early forfeits the $5 refund on admission)
Be prepared to do 2 performances (Times will be spaced to allow for wardrobe changes)
Cameras may be present
ID IS REQUIRED
Please note that auditions will be limited to 5 performers on any given night. Confirm an available night before attending if you want to perform.
Auditions are ONLY being held on Thursday nights at this time, and ONLY at this location.
For more information and to schedule an audition, please email: admin@graveyardgirls.net
Saturday April 30, 2011
Stiffmag 7 to feature lower ad rates!
Hey folks! One year ago we made a promise that advertising rates would decrease as subscribers increased, and today we are proud to announce that promise has become reality. Advertising with us has become much cheaper, and below are the new rates.
Full page: $250 (Requires one full year commitment prepaid, $1000 total)
Half page: $200
Quarter page: $100
Advertising space is highly limited.
Artwork templates will be provided in .psd format (Adobe Photoshop) for 3rd party designers. Advertising design assistance through Graveyard Girls / Stiffmag approved art designers are also available at an additional fee.
Saturday April 23, 2011
Stiffmag 6 is here!
Happy Easter everybody! While the rabbit is bringing you all colorful eggs tonight, we have our own dressed in purple!
Stiffmag 6 is now available for ordering, but don’t forget the discount code to save 50% at our CreateSpace store.
Use code 7LAZH6L9 for a cheaper way to get your hands on ANY regular issue of Stiffmag, straight from our printing service, and shipped straight to you.
Of course, you can always save even more by purchasing a subscription.
We hope you all have a great holiday weekend.
Saturday January 29, 2011
Kindle edition to be discontinued?
After careful review of the feedback on the Kindle app variant of Stiffmag Digital, we may be ending publication on that specific medium. Over the last year we have tested this distribution ourselves, and have honestly found it to be useful for portability purposes, but the end user experience is not what it should be. The latest experience with issue 5 has proven to be a disaster with regard to just getting the issue published on the Kindle store, so it is time to re-evaluate the offering.
We are looking for a new digital distribution option to replace Kindle.
Sunday January 23, 2011
Discount code available for all issue releases now available.
As was promised with our notice early this morning, we have added a new discount code for every issue of Stiffmag to bring the price down for online ordering. List price is $12.50, and with a special promo code, you can knock 50% off of the list price in our own e-store.
Use code 7LAZH6L9 for a cheaper way to get your hands on Stiffmag, straight from our printing service, and shipped straight to you.
Please note that this online code is ONLY valid with our own CreateSpace listings and is not valid for any other online retailer.
Sunday January 23, 2011
Issue 5 is done!
Finally, issue 5 is finished, and will be available for ordering in just a matter of days. Print proofs have been ordered, and ordering will open the moment the previews have arrived.
We are also now announcing NEW PRICING for online ordering. Many online sellers have been offering Stiffmag for the last year, and honestly the pricing has gotten out of hand with a few of them. We want everyone to be able to get the magazine, and our own storefront with CreateSpace will be the venue.
Obviously, online ordering involves shipping costs, so we will be taking that into consideration with the new pricing. We sell the issues at our events for $10, and now you can get it online for the same TOTAL cost with a new promotional code that will set the per issue price at $6.25 plus shipping.
Subscriptions are still the cheapest route to take if you want every issue, but if you want to give us a test drive with a single issue, just check back in a few days for the special code.
