Is a Tarot Magazine possible?
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 10 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| Phantom Goddess |
10 Jan 2005 |
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I am studying Journalism at college and one of my hopes for the future would be to start up a magazine dedicated to the Tarot.
I have a couple of questions, I hope someone here can help me with this.
Have there ever been a tarot magazine before? How long did it last? Would it be worth the energy?
Thanks for helping me out. And hopefully I posted this in the right forum. ;)
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| dadsnook2000 |
10 Jan 2005 |
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That's just my opinion. When I started more seriously into Tarot a few years back there was one or two Tarot magazines, then they moved on-line using a reduced subscription cost (as I remember it). I used to have them on my favorites list but when they disappeared I took them off the list. I can't even remember their names now.
There are several/many on-line e-zines presently available, all or most are for free or for members of a list. I'm not sure how they make enough money to cover costs. They probably do it for nothing now until they get a reputation and can prove their value to associate with a "for profit" operation.
I'd take my time considering this unless you have nothing else to do and can cover the cost and time for maintaining a web-site.
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| HudsonGray |
11 Jan 2005 |
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You'd think there'd be enough interest to be able to get one back on the market. The last printed tarot magazine I remember was Tapestry Magazine. There's several New Age zines that have tarot columns in them, but not a full zine done just for tarot/divination. Strange how there's several Astrology only zines on the shelves though. Go figure.
ATA has a monthly e-zine that goes up - http://www.ata-tarot.com/reflections/ - though the December issue is still showing (I think they change it mid-month).
The downside to having a new magazine hit the market now is that it's harder to get shelf space for them, they're ordered in large quantities by the larger bookstores then the unsold issues are 'returned' by having the covers ripped off & sent back for a refund, the rest of the zine tossed into their recycle bins. It's sort of hard to make a profit when the stores deal in bulk & have bulk returns.
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| Kit |
11 Jan 2005 |
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Perhaps it would be worth you posting a poll about this to gauge the interest of the online tarot community, Phantom Goddess?
Raeven
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| jmd |
11 Jan 2005 |
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There have been and continues to be a number of magazines, journals and newsletters, from not only the various Tarot organisations, but also from various individuals and schools teaching Tarot.
One of the intent of the Association for Tarot Studies is to also begin an annual Journal, the first issue of which to appear later this year (some of the work for this has already been done, and a couple of papers already in place).
In terms of a magazine to touch the broader market, and though there undoubtedly is a market for it, I suspect that it would be more difficult to maintain than, for example, astrology. The latter has new details that emerges every year about each year, and is perhaps thus more geared to a magazine-type format. Tarot, on the other hand, seems more geared to be detailed in book form.
In some ways, there is an equivalent difference between the academic schools in the sciences - in which journals are the principal vehicle, and books secondary - and the humanities - in which the reverse is the case. Astrology, apart from teaching manuals, like the sciences, seems better catered for by periodicals; Tarot, apart from discussions of the insights presented, by book.
But perhaps this reflects more the type of interest I personally seek in reading about Tarot...
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| inanna_tarot |
11 Jan 2005 |
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I would also like to point you in the direction of the TABI online mag, that Tarot Association of the British Isles. Its free for all to look at, and is written by members (like my wonderful self! HAHA!). The current issue is the Winter one, but its got all the backissues online as well :)
http://www.tabi.org.uk/page.php?page=newsletter
Happy reading :D
Sezo
x
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| Ravenswing |
11 Jan 2005 |
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PG--
A few years back I ran and edited a tarot zine. There were about 8 columns a month. The centerfold feature was a review of a tarot artist's webpage. (Of course, one of the advantages of reviewing the webpage is you get the deck to review too).
It was a small thing-- only about 50 issues. No e-zine, all hard copy. If I did it again, I'd go for an e-zine. Cuts out all costs...
fly well
Raven
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| Moongold |
11 Jan 2005 |
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Personally I would love to see a hard copy journal of some kind, being still fond of reading paper things.
I think the comments JMD made about the preference for journals in science and books in humanities is generally correct.
However, there are some poetry/literature journals still on the market here. How financially viable they are - who knows?
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| Little Baron |
11 Jan 2005 |
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If you look in the advertisements section, there is a magazine advertised by Greyhound, which is a good read.
Yabs
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| jmd |
11 Jan 2005 |
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I did not in any way mean to imply, by the way, that the humanities lack journals - quite the contrary, of course (philosophical journals alone are in their hundreds!) and also agree that I too prefer the paper version of journals and magazines to only is electronic counterpart - each has its place.
In terms of magazines about Tarot, I also suspect that the balance between such an excellent publication as Manteia was, and the diverse range of current offerings, from the IPCS journal to those of the ATS, ATA, TGA, TABI (and others), there is a fine balance to achieve between the more scholarly to the more introductory and popular.
And then, of course, is the other question as to whether one wants to head in the popularly available via Newsagent-type magazine of whether, like the existing ones, it is partly a matter of knowing about them and subscribing.
There are some possibilities ahead... we'll see what emerges :)
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| Woodsong |
20 Jan 2005 |
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There was a nice online Tarot magazine up about a year or so ago -- it's since gone kaput. I believe a fellow in Austin ran it. It was pretty nicely done, it was getting decent traffic; I'm not too sure why he quit running it ... perhaps it took too much time??
I'd definitely try the online route first -- few costs, you get to build contacts, sources, and reader interest. If you're looking for revenue, there are a number of relevant ads you can place; the more traffic you pull, the more revnue you'll make.
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| NightWing |
22 Jan 2005 |
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I found it frustrating in recent years that there are news-stand magazines devoted to every conceivable topic or interest...but not Tarot.
I've wondered if a subscription-only quarterly journal of some kind would have broad enough appeal internationally, that it could be viable. There are, after all, some periodicals that only print two to four times a year, with a run of only 1000 or so, and seem to have survived for years. The key, I guess, is in the combination of ad and subscription income, and sometimes volunteer staffing. Examples of these include high quality college and university produced journals on history, poetry, anthropology, and the like, with no subsidy from the institution.
A decent, good quality, somewhat eclectic Tarot magazine would certainly interest me. My "dream" tarot-mag would include news, reviews, columns, historical research, design tips, articles on tarot psychology and spirituality, and so on.
My best wishes go with whosoever might launch such a project!
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| other |
23 Jan 2005 |
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Nightwing -- excellent rough analyses of the question of the Tarot Mag. Supply v. Demand, ad dollars, subscriptions and all that good stuff.
One of the things I think a printed, color quarterly has going for it is that, for me, Tarot is so VISUAL and really beautiful that I think it would be nice to be able to browse new decks and card meanings and columns with that advantage.
Plus, the mag could have 'catalogue quality.' That means that -- particularly w/ quarterly publications -- the reader holds onto the issue for a while, as a reference. Another argument to include comprehensive listings of decks and websites.
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| seneris |
28 Jan 2005 |
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In the Netherlands there's this tarot magazine named 'Cartavisie' ('visie' means vision, so vision of the cards I guess), but I don't quite find it a good read.
It's about reading with cards and oracles, but focuses mainly on tarot. Lots of advertising, ugly lay-out, lots of 'personal advice' and some info.
I personally find the lay-out so 'yuck' that I never really bother to thoroughly scan through it. There might be some usefull info in the mag I think, but I never got that far... It just screams 'money, money, money' from miles away.
I would want to find a more serious magazine...
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| NightWing |
15 Feb 2005 |
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Well, I'll be Wheel-of-Fortuned! I haven't noticed hundreds of responses here, with offers of assistance, articles, or subscription money toward a serious Tarot Journal or Magazine. Perhaps it IS true then. In the Tarot community, there simply is NO real demand for such a thing! Perhaps in another ten years or so...or not. I guess I'll blame the internet.(sigh)
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The Is a Tarot Magazine possible? thread was originally posted on 10 Jan 2005 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.
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