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mui

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Sawasdee ka

I am shocked at how many emails i have today with ladys that speak about the thread about nail magazines .

I think i used the wrong word in calling the mags terrible because of lack of tutorials /photos /editorial and are full of advertising .

Maybe if i had used the words crap rubbish awfull rip off sick of looking the advertiseing which are the words that ladys in your own country use maybe we could have understood each other better.

The one thing that i know i am right about NOW is there is a market to capture by making a right balanced magazine not 90 percent product advertising and using the other near 10 percent editorial giving free plugs as one lady emailed to the advertisers .

If a magazine can get some sort of balance and you do not have that now MAYBE they will have a bigger customer base because there are many techs like me that will not spend our money on the product advertising magazine it is like a free copy give away .

Sure all the techs that write they like to see the products and new product lines AND PAGES OF ADVERTISING you do not need to learn any thing u do not need to look at tutorials you know it all already BUT for a new nail tech and some one like me only 10 months as geeg said b4 who is craving education the magazine offer us NOTHING just photos of products we are NOT ready to use huh realy whAt use is the nail magazine to us .

More important if i am right you are only having 2 magazines for nail in uk what are you doing in a magazine for education for the nail tech that you want to sell product to huh .

Please do not speak to me about schools you will not go to school everytime a new tecnique comes out they should be in the magazines and the magazines should be there for the girl that has done her foundation or college course as a refreshment AND HELP HER .

Magazines have to be interesting and nail magazines have to have balance to capture the nail tech market if they are happy to have only experienced nail techs that like looking at products nail techs that know it all then already they are doing a very good job .

If they want to ever capture a new customer base of up and coming techs they DO need to make change .

Thank you to all that sent me email with kind words .

Mui from Thailand
 
Mui,

I don't think anyone is standing up for the amount of advertising found in Pro rags. I think everyone concurs that they want more juicy info.

However, I don't think that most of the UK nail techs (who the magazines are actually designed for) are realitively content until some more changes can take place.

It simple economics Mui, the subscriber base for pro techs is not a large market. The cover price and subscriptions do not make a great deal of money for the magazines. It is only the advertising that keeps them a float.

More tutorials and nail stuff=more work=more cost in producing the magazine that means they need to make more money. If the subscriber base is so small, the only way to do that is to increase the advertising!

Advertising is a great way for nail technicians to see whats new, whats out there, whats hot. Like going to a trade show it keeps you current on what other suppliers are offering.

Anyway. I am not standing up for the advertising qty vs content qty, I am saying that sometimes a bitter, mean, and negative outlook isn't a very fair one. Sometimes a little understanding is what is needed.
 
Mui,

please can I reply to this without you jumping down my throat LOL.

Firstly, I do not know any nail tech who values their profession who would profess to "Know it all".

As was previously mentioned - the market for nail magazines in the UK is very different to your market.

Lots of our nail techs get inadequate training through our colleges and when they have finished and have been using sometimes very poor quality generic products, they are looking to the magaizines to see what else is out there for them to try.

If you are looking for magazines then have you tried the US ones - they may be more to your liking.

We are happy with our magazines and if you dont like them then dont read them.

Please do not take offense at this message as none is meant but please accept that you may be giving offense by constantly criticising our very valuable publications.
 
i like the mags the way they are ,all english mags are the same really arent they, its just the way it is, no point in stressing over it life is too short, take care love dee
 
Y'know I actually like to see the ads in the mags. I dont even care that they take up whole pages.
Sometimes the nails in the ads are a bit poor and it actually makes me feel quite superior, lol!
Sometimes the ads feature beautiful works of art that I aspire to. (As well as fantastic photography).
But, the one thing that has always annoyed me and continues to do so, is the postage-stamp sized pics that we get in the features on the 'real' techs work!
I am only speaking for myself here but, this is why I subscribed to all 3 UK mags - to see the fabulous work of other techs out there.
What I have ended up doing more recently has been to merely 'flick' through my mags and because of this I had decided to narrow my subscriptions down.
My decision has now been made for me due to the take-over of Nails.
One last point ... nearly finished :rolleyes:
Alex Fox ... What were you thinking woman!!!
You have given us a fabulous opportunity on page 21 of Scratch, to win a day with Leighton Denny and its not even promoted as a competition! ... I nearly missed this!
Keep up the good work though Alex, I think we all like comps and giveaways, ... and fantastic opportunities like this!.
And to you other guys out there ... come on, express your opinions, its how we'll make changes.
I'm sure none of you can hand on heart say that some months, you havent tore open your eagerly awaited magazines ...only to toss them aside moments later and mutter that 'Theres nothing in this months'. I know I have! I'll shut up now :o :o :o
 
i know when i get my monthly nail mags i read them cover to cover,
then i go through the magazine again on the internet and look up all the adverts on their web addresses to see their websites products etc personally the adverts can be an added bonus because you can do a bit of surfing after you have done a bit of reading.
just my thoughts
 
Dear Mui

You sadden and shock me with your disgust of UK trade magazines.

Have you seen Scratch magazine yet?

If my magazine is so awful, then I apologise to you. I am writing firstly for a UK -based market, which I beleive to be on the whole quite pleased with the format I offer. However I am extremely keen to offer valuable information and inspiraitonal imagery from abroad. This is a mission I am working on.

It is extremely difficult, as Sam Sweet has justified well, to produce a magazine without advertising. No - it is impossible. Simply not enough techs will subscribe to a publication, therefore the advertising rates keep it alive. We are a tiny market, not like consumer magazines which enjoy 250,000 readers. No, we are small. However I have made it another mission of mine to offer as many editorial pages as I can in every issue - therefore in Scratch you will get on average 50-54 pages of editorial ina 92 pages issue. This is much more than other UK mags. (trade mags have to pay for postage on every issue- another cost that consumer mags don't have in the same way.)

I try to keep the balance right and try to keep it interesting and informative. I did not see your original post- but assume that you have been horrified by my magazine and I am so sad about this.

I love my job, my industry and my magazine and hope to offer the best I can within my means. I will endeavour to do a better job as time evolves and am more than happy to take criticism from techs who want to see it get better. This makes sense.
I can never produce a magazine without advertising, and let's be honest, advertising is extremely important. It gives you, as techs, an opprtunity to see what a supplier has to offer and follow it up if it takes your fancy. The blend of advertising and editorial is a match made in heaven and right for this type of magazine.

Please do not judge too harshly. The people behind trade magazines are doing it because they love it and want to be the vehicle for information and inspiration which we believe you all strive for. (We know we don't always get it right!)

I will make sure you see Scratch soon and hope it makes you believe in the UK market and its mags.

Kind regards to you from a well-chastised editor

Alex Fox
 
Just wanted to say Alex, your magazine is one of the best, no actually i think it is the best. I've seen the others and they are good and informative but i do prefer the layout of your magazine. As you say you can't please everyone with what you do, but i believe you have got close to perfection with yours.

I would prefer to have a lower cost to me by having advertising, plus you get to see new products and websites so you can look at all knew things to do with the industry. You have more tutorials i think than most so really you can't do any more than you have.

I think Mui you should give Scratch a chance, you can't expect it to have everything you want in it all the time. Sorry you feel this way.

We must support each other in the Nail industry as we are ALL NAIL TECHS. Lets get back to just giving good old fashioned posts that reflect our opinions without upsetting everyone. Just try to be more constructive, everyone's entitled to their opinion.

Just my two pennies worth.:D
 
I am the editor of Nail Biz magazine, another trade publication in the U.S. for the nail industry. Nail Biz is business-based and provides solutions and strategies geared toward helping nail techs make more money. If you're interested in a free subscription, simply email me at [email protected].

Regards,
Wendy
 
Dear Talented Talons

Thank you a million times over!!!!!!

What a lovely, kind and friendly post!

I am delighted you like Scratch.

Mui has given me a kick up the behind and given me much food for thought - it's never good to stand still - so Thank you Mui for making me seriously consider how I can beter Scratch adn try and keep the masses happy.

It appears that to kepp Thai techs happy is my new challenge!

Thanks Talented Talons and every other kind tech and industry guru who has been kind about Scratch

the team really appreciates it!

love Alex Fox
xxxxx
 
Alex Fox said:
It appears that to kepp Thai techs happy is my new challenge!
I am probably going to get slated for this but Alex - why would this be your new challenge??? We are British and Irish readers, British and Irish teks and British and Irish subscribers and WE LOVE YOUR MAGAZINE! Keep us on our toes by all means, but we are talking one person in Thailand who doesn't like ads....hello.... you have had plenty of British girls tell you they love them and the mag - don't mean to be prissy but surely this counts for something....???:?:
 
Hi Mrs Geek

Point taken!!!!

I was just trying to say that I would love all techs in the world to find more than 4 pages of Scratch interesting.

You are so right -

The British and Irish techs have been delicious about Scratch and it means everything to me. To keep my subscribers happy at all times is my mission!!!!!!!!!

Sorry if I offended - it was not my intention

Alex Fox
editor
Scratch

oh - yes - new phone number for Scratch office is 01763 263 113 - we are now in a new editorial office in Office 2, Shepreth Wildlife Park, Station Road, Shepreth, Herts SG8 6PZ

that's if anyone wants to send us nail designs, news stories and pictures of their nail salon!

www.scratchmagazine.co.uk
 
no offence meant from me or taken - just wanted you to know that YOU AND THE MAG ARE APPRECIATED GREATLY AND I am sure that there are others like me - that found more than 4 pages to look at!!!

BTW Happy new sCRATCH hOME!! May you all be very happy there! ;)
 
Hey stop by sometime

I can offer you more than a coffee!

You can share time in the wilderness with monkeys and tigers

Now how cool is that!

love Alexxxxxxxxx
 
Alex,

Could I receive a complimentary issue of Scratch? John Hauk introduced it to me but I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy.

Wendy Woodward
Senior Editor
Nail Biz Magazine
23202 Haggery Rd.
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
 
Alex,

Please, please, please don't change scratch!

I was shown the magazine a while ago and immediately started my subscription. I now eagerly await each issue and after spending the first couple of days going from cover to cover and back again (often in awe at some of the nails!) i log on and check out the websites in the advertisements.

I've discovered sites that i possibly wouldn't have, products that i may not have and further articles/write ups on sites.

Oh and i can also see what Mr & Mrs Geek have been up to....

So please, its the best (in my humble opinion) mag i've seen don't change it! You arm us techs with info and sites, if people don't want to read the adverts skip past them there still plenty of pieces in there.

Just one request............................ please could we shorten the months so i don't have to wait so long between issues??

Taz
x
 
Mrs Geek said:
I am probably going to get slated for this but Alex - why would this be your new challenge??? We are British and Irish readers, British and Irish teks and British and Irish subscribers and WE LOVE YOUR MAGAZINE! Keep us on our toes by all means, but we are talking one person in Thailand who doesn't like ads....hello.... you have had plenty of British girls tell you they love them and the mag - don't mean to be prissy but surely this counts for something....???:?:

Ditto 100% Alex, WE LOVE SCRATCH IN THE UK!
 
Ditto there Alex, you can't please every body, but us girls here in the UK think it's a Fab Mag.................
You and your team are doing a brill job, so keep it up babe xxxxxx
See ya at the next Show and Competition............xxxx {{{{HUGGS}}}}}}
 
Alex

I feel the same as the other geeks about this one your magazine is wonderful full of information and i also read it from cover to cover and back again :green:

So please don't change it
 
I love Scratch too, but...... and I know that everyone is tired of me saying this... I would still like to see one UK mag that is more consumer focused - however financially impractical this apparently is! I was told in another thread that this was virtually impossible, but I never let anything go that easily :D

Also, on another point about advertisements. How do some companies get away with so obviously airbrushed photographs of their products? How is this not against the Trade Descriptions Act in this Country?
 
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