Last week I came to a decision as I was driving home from my local
Credit Union where I had taken out a loan to pay off my credit cart
debt.
I just can't do it anymore. I am a fiscal dunderhead and can't seem to
make a profit from my admitted "hobby publication," Ca****ers du
Cinemart. Apart from the first issue of the zine when I was using the
copier at one job and mailing meter from another, I never managed to
break even on an issue. With each increased step of quality, the costs
grew. Sometimes these were offset by revenue from advertisers and
distributors (though individual sales were always countered by postage
costs).
With the combined decline of independent distributors, higher postage
and postage rates, and the lack of interest from advertisers, Ca****ers
du Cinemart has become a money pit for me. I won't be gauche and get
into my EBIDA, suffice to say that there's far more money going out
than coming in.
That said, after fourteen years of writing, laying out, editing, and
publi****ng Ca****ers du Cinemart, I have to throw in the towel.
The idea may continue in some form or another in the future. I'm still
not fully committed to web publi****ng for longer articles, holding on
to the idea that print remains the best medium for reading. I'm
looking into options of various "print on demand" services that will
eliminate some of the heartache and headaches of publi****ng and
distribution while passing on the cost to my faithful readers. For
that, my bank account will thank you. In other words, there may be a
Ca****ers du Cinemart #16, but it sure won't look or show up like the
last fifteen issues. The zine may be down, but not completely out.
I never got into zine publi****ng to make money, but I certainly didn't
get into it with the intention of taking out a loan every few years to
pay off the last issue or two.
Thanks to everyone for their continued sup****t. Stay tuned for future
developments!
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