| Deadpool URL | bits.blogs.nytime... |
| Website | 8020media.com |
| Category | Consumer Web |
| Employees | |
| Founded | 6/06 |
| Seed Minor Ventures |
8020 Publishing is a media company that allows online communities to take an active role in creating its final print magazines. They have currently have two magazines JPG and the yet-to-launch Everywhere. They let their online users handle the heavy role of creating the content. They also let them critique and vote on the print content. However, 8020 Publishing still fills normal publishing roles like choosing themes, putting the magazines together and providing the final vote on all published content.
Their editors act more like curators letting their contributors the online communities provide the raw content. Taking this approach has provided them with a built-in magazine subscription audience not to mention two loyal online communities. It has even led to them receiving two industry awards in 2007, Circulation Innovation of the Year and Best Use of Viral Marketing for Audience Development.
8020 Publishing took over JPG in June 2006 and gave it a new website and updated the magazine in September 2006. In the seven months since relaunch they have reached a 15,000 paid circulation, 75,000 registered members and 5 million online pageviews per month.
JPG was originally launched in September 2004 by founders Derek and Heather Powazek. They used Flickr for community discussions, Gmail for submissions, Notifylist for the mailing list, and Lulu for printing issues 1-6.
8020 Publishing entered the Deadpool in January 2009. In an email to friends, CEO Mitchell Fox wrote:
“In the face of these extraordinary economic times, in a devastated advertising climate, we can no longer continue to operate the business due to lack of funds, and hence we have to close 8020 Media effective immediately.
There is no doubt that our company has done what no others have yet to do…that is, prove that the web and print can work effectively together, one supporting the other.
We’ve also proven that community generated media CAN be a powerful thing…and it can create spectacular media.
The riddle of having a sound web platform support that drives interactivity with a print product has been solved, however, none of us could have predicted the global economic collapse we’ve witnessed in the past few months. So our timing to grow the business and bring it to profitability through even the smallest amount of additional funding could not have been worse.
So, while we sit here at the precipice of profitability, the negative marketplace forces are too strong to overcome, and we must take this regrettable action.
It remains undeniable that the publishing industry MUST find a new model, and mass collaboration and participation in the media property is certainly now proven it can be the foundation of this new model (NOTE: This is NOT citizen journalism).
We’ve cracked the code on marshaling a community around a media property online and in print….and helping them become active , loyal, and engaged participants in both.
We do owe a debt of thanks to Minor Ventures for believing in us, and funding us to this point and to have even given us a chance to make this business successful, and for that confidence we’ll always be grateful.”
| Website | everywheremag.com |
| Tags | everywhere-magazine, everywhere, 8020publishing, community-publishing |
Everywhere will be a travel-based magazine that prints photos, stories and trips, around “authentic world experiences.” It is yet-to-launch.
| Website | jpgmag.com |
| Blog | jpgmag.com/blog |
| Stage | Live |
| Tags | 8020publishing, jpg-magazine, jpg, community-publishing |
JPG lets users submit photography content based on a chosen theme by the JPG editors. Themes range from titles like Fashion to Beauty Redefined to Embrace the Blur. Users can upload one image per theme, which are then voted by other users based on quality and theme-matching. JPG editors get to make final theme selections.
The JPG site has plenty of interaction around upcoming themes, submitted and published photos and stories. Users are encouraged to leave comments, vote and submit work. You can even add contacts and start making friends. If your photo makes it into an issue than you get a free one-year subscription plus $100.
JPG’s print issues come out six times a year, but issue content is available online at all times. Users can even download PDF versions of issues for free.
