"Magazine content" Topic

Lord knows I've complained about the dumbing down of the glossies. But I wonder how much this is a function of editorial policy as compared to lack of content coming in.

What do you think?

I can't imagine a magazine editor sitting on a good article rather than publishing it. But the definition of 'good' could vary, I grant you.

I don't buy magazines now I get it all on the internet, I don't suppose I'm alone in this.
I expect that a lot of those, who at one time would have submitted articles to magazines now just put it on their blog.

The thing is, a wargames mag should be about wargames….. not a history book. I would want to see more discussion of and comparison of rules mechanisims, and less endless reprints of "The Battle for XXXX"(*** insert any well worn name eg Hastings, Waterloo, etc) especially when they are attempted to be justified at the end by "This is how we played it …" but with no mention of what rules used, or how effective the system.

The opposite of what parrskool said – I want the historical background (even if fictional). I don't particularly want loads of 'eye-candy' but well written text that ties the game into both the history and the rules used and some clear maps/diagrams showing stages in the battle.

Probably why I don't buy wargames magz.

The thing is, a wargames mag should be about wargames….. not a history book. I would want to see more discussion of and comparison of rules mechanisims, and less endless reprints of "The Battle for XXXX"………

Agreed.

Doug

Give Battlegames magazine a try if you are looking for an emphasis on good content over eye candy photographs.

When the two main wargaming mags, Wargames Illustrated, and Miniature Wargames added color, I noticed a precipitous fall off in article content and quality.

Haven't bought one in ages due to that, so can't comment on their quality now.

I want interesting articles, history or game related and eye candy photos.

They still print magazines?

How many people have actually written anything for a wargames magazine? I think that's an important issue. All these little mags are entirely dependent on reader submissions, so it does no good to complain if you've never contributed.

I've beem writing articles for a number of mags for 30 years now. I had a regular column in MWAN and HMG, "Skulking in the Rear." Most magazines seem to have a small stable of regular writers who keep the thing going. Some are – obviously – better than others, and they write about things they are interested in. If there's no article about the War of the Pacific, that's 'cos nobody who knows anything about that campaign has bothered to write about it.

Editors vary in their tastes and styles. The previous editor of WI tended to think of written text as something to fill in space between the photos. The current editorial policy is much more professional, to the extent that they solicit articles and will turn down things that don't fit their needs. Then again, they pay well, and on time.

Most of the smaller magazines are purely voluntary, and so tend to scrape by on what they are offered. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; in its heyday MWAN published everything, including letters that said "Here's my resubscription check, keep up the good work!", which added to its charming air of amateur enthusiasm.

Times are hard for all print magazines, and that's certainly true for wargames mags. I've been told that the always-popular 'letters to the editor' sections disappeared because nobody ever wrote to him anymore – that's something that online forums have taken over completely.

If you have a blog article, why not send it to a magazine? You'll get far greater readership for it -- and you might get paid for it!

I for one still buy magazines, I work all day staring at a computer screen so having a decent magazine I can read of an evening is great, I prefer a mix of historical information and battle reports or game ideas.

The one area I find lacking is in Miniature Wargames magazine is the Dark Horizons section where the writer waffles on about personal things for the first few paragraphs which are yawn inducing, then goes on to list and list and list new products with rarely more then a sentence each, why do they not have game / scenario ideas in this section.

I only buy them for the articles, honey…seriously!

I realize that a lot of people are not buying mags nowadays because the info is free on line. But before the big jump to digital mags, a lot of the smaller publications were reliant on what readers submitted to them. Hal, at MWAN, always aksed for articles. [And he always sent you a thank you note letting you know when to expect it in print.]
I don't think an editor would sit on an article. I just think that the articles are not being written.

I just think that the articles are not being written.

Those articles are still being written. They're just going up on forums and blogs and other online places. You get greater editorial and content control, and can make a name for yourself with the online gaming community, as opposed to the ever-shrinking magazine-reading crowd.

Mako11, both had colour from the start I know as I own issue 1 of each. Do you mean when they became full colour?

Give me a hardcopy magazine any day. It's still very convenient to sit in bed or an an easy chair and read.

But, to the original question, I'm sure there's always an issue with enough QUALITY contributions.

And I, too, prefer wargames magazine articles with a wargame slant. I'm tired of the same old historical rehashes of the same famous battles. Give me a brief background but then let's talk about the rules, figures, a decent AAR of the gamer's battle, etc.

The had color covers, if I recall correctly, but most of the interior pics used to be black and white.

Possibly a few pages of color, but not enough to get excited about.

Content seems to have always been an issue. With today's digital publishing options, I am amazed that as many print magazines survive as do.

Magazine content=full 30 rounds.

LOL!