Whoaaa ... Anglia Afloat?

[ExMemberBobdog]

What's going on?  Anglia Afloat have announced that from next year they'll only publish two magazines a year, one at the beginning of the season and one at the end.  Insufficient sales?  Not enough advertising revenue being raised?  Such a shame!

[deebee29]

Well i have to say I wouldn't be surprised if they lose subscribers if they treat everyone the way i was treated.

I subscribed to the online edition via the ipad app but after a couple of months I couldn't log on either on ipad or pc.

I contacted Customer Services several times giving account details, logon details and even payment information (I even sent copies of part of my bank statement showing the transaction) but they still said they had no record of me or my account, promised to get back to me but never did.

I gave up in the end ......doesn't fill me with confidence

David

[Mirage]

Hi Bobdog

 

Are they sending out any more this year? Where did you read this announcement?

 

Thanks 

 

Simon

[650xs]

got emial saying they are to only to do two  efforts a year ......................................

 

 

well not surprised.................................................

[Mirage]

Just cancelled my DD 

[ExMemberBobdog]

The info is on the Anglia Afloat Facebook page ... I think this year's issues are safe, it's from next year.

[JennyMorgan]

It's a mag that has never really found its niche, in my honest opinion. At one time it was all fashions and restaurants, then it was club news with photos of people that no one had ever heard of, or were remotely interested in, then it was boats that no one could afford within the subscription area and now, when it's actually become quite good, they go and pull the plug! Still, I haven't subscribed for several years so I don't suppose I'll miss it.

[SweetKingfisher1]

I had over time send letters to be publish, but not one letter had ever been printed     , so I gave up sending any more   .

 

Regards

Marina   

[loribear]

ohh dear wish i'd been aware of this a month ago, ive just paid for next years subscription, think i need to phone them up, as ive already paid for next year,     lori

[Chelsea14Ian]

I spoke with them at the start of November asking when i would get novembers issue,they said tomorrow 15 November.No talk of next year only two issues.I will speak to them again

 

Ian

[Oddfellow]

Norfolk Afloat lasted way longer than it should every have done in the first place. Then, in order to stay afloat because it's market was tiny, it had to widen it's appeal to the whole of Anglia. For me, this lost it's appeal as I simply was not interested in the Orwell and other Rivers. I certainly wasn't interested in club news, fashion and other pretty pointless content. 

 

It went through a pretty rough editorship (in my opinion) three/four years ago and has clearly not got enough sales to sustain it on its bi-monthly basis any more.

 

Peter is right about content. I don't think it ever found it's niche proper and the content just wasn't engaging enough to lure everyone (or anyone?) on a regular basis. We had been thinking of placing an ad in it, but if the publisher can't sustain six issues a year, the summary has to be that not enough people are buying it for the advert to be hugely effective anyway. I doubt that making it bi-annual is anything more than a two issue slide into it stopping it's print run for good. 

 

BUT, as an online magazine, it has a future in my view. Just because people won't shell out money for a printed issue, doesn't mean that it can't sustain itself as a free online resource supported by local advertising.  

[Poppy]

What went wrong IMHO was a prolonged period of editorship by somebody who appeared to be interested in 'Bling Boats' and the County set. It never seemed to recover. Other titles from the Archant stable also have canged for the worse. Trouble at top!

[Soundings]

Stopped reading it months ago. To me it seems to be about all these "great an good" people I have never heard of. Rubbish!

[diesel falcon]

Must have been my photo,s!!

[quo vadis]

Yes probobly

[650xs]

I have to agree too posh for likes of the real boater ........

 

 

rite I,m now orf to rite up on the wifes new fashion designer boat shoes ,what to wear at dinner while on deck in a force .5

 

then were orf to the the sivthhs to have nibble,s  at thar new stables / livery block ,just opened .............

 

joined by the drkes and otftera  and sithson -jones too  which I,m sure yer all have heard of....................... "great friends of mine ,yers too ????"

 

 

the nibbles are to be prepared by the well known chef from some whare in some narfolk village in Scotland,  with the only rustic fresh orgasnic grass with hint orf ole truffle and such ....urghhhhhhh.........

 

 

ohh don,t forget to look at the stocks and shars on back page and of coarse all the consultnats in how to and not to do ..................

 

 

with a hint of " how much for that house " with a little glimpse orf the river from the up stairs window learning forward balanced on bog view ....

 

 

rite now ive up set the ruong ones ..I,m orff...........!!!!!!!

[ChrisB]

The publication may not have done the boating industry a lot of good after it slipped into Archant's "County Life " format but I think it must have worked wonders for the dental hygiene industry. I used to skip the editorial page so as not to view the photographs. I had a Retriever who was 17 with cleaner molars.

[JennyMorgan]

AA once paid its primary contributors, then it took to relying on 'vanity' writers. Some interesting, good quality one-offs surfaced but the consistent quality from professionals such as 'Bowsprit' eventually deserted AA's pages.

There used to be a fine publication called 'East Coast Digest' but that eventually died too, great shame but as has been written, maybe an online version would be the way forward. There is so much of interest on the Broads, if you know where to look.

[Happy]

 I have had a subsciption to AA for a number of years and always looked forward to it, but over the past number of editions I agree with all that has been said.  I received my last edition on Friday and it was even worse!  Anglia Afloat, 'RIP'.  Regards Alan.  

[stumpy]

Couldn't agree more, Happy. The best bit was the Stern Post article which served to underline how much AA had lost touch with what should be their core readership. RIP indeed.

[BowWave]

Having worked on the magazine for over 5 years I have specifically stayed away from Broads forums - however I now feel that to ensure that 'everyone' understands what exactly is happening with the only local/regional printed boating title.

The decision has been made that Anglia Afloat will be published at the beginning and end of the 2015 boating season (read May & Oct), with monthly content published in the EDP and EADT. Current subscribers/recent renewals will be offered a full or part refund where applicable, or an offer of a subscription to another title; there may well be the offer of a copy of the 'new look' magazine when it is published next year. This notification was expected to have been delivered with all subscription copies but it would seem a singular letter will be posted to all subscribers this week.

I would like to thank all of those advertisers and readers who have supported Anglia Afloat over the past 11 years. It is extremely difficult  to continue to make specialist interest publications successful in today's marketplace. However what is very clear is that FREE products, whether online or in print, carry no loyalty. Online publishing, whether by 'page-turning' software or stand-alone website do not provide suitable impact or engagement for reader or advertiser.

Should any other developments come about I will endeavour to update the forum as soon as possible.

[JawsOrca]

Thanks for the official word there bowwave. I've always enjoyed it.. when it first came out it was part of my broads experience (Into lathams to grab a copy).. I'm a recent subscriber and although it has lots its focus recently, (i.e you could see how this forum works as an example how news, gossip and stories are in demand), I still enjoyed getting my copy in the post so I find it's sad that its being wound down.. hopefully you can resurrect it again sometime soon. Good luck..

[Chelsea14Ian]

I understand many people will now read on line instead of a paper copy,but like many others i think the mag did lose its way and tried to please every one.However i did enjoy reading about the broads,other areas (not Norfolk or Suffolk)were not of much interest to me.Perhaps as Alan suggested if it does come back,I would suggest it sticks to the broads.

 

Ian

[BowWave]

Unfortunately a boating magazine specifically covering just the Broads alone will never be viable - that was the reason for the expansion to cover the whole region back in 2007. There are not enough large boating businesses solely within the Broadland area who can afford to advertise regularly enough to make this happen. I certainly don't disagree that there is the content to be found here in Norfolk however it is commercially unfeasible to rely on copy sales in today's marketplace.

As a matter of fact our copy sales figures haven't diminished like many mags, however we have been affected by the same increase in costs as other magazines have.

No other boating title covers all boating disciplines like Anglia Afloat does, and no other national boating title covers the region's boating like Anglia Afloat does - and none of them will. I cannot hide the fact that I am saddened by the move... but you may yet find a phoenix rise from the ashes ;-)

[JennyMorgan]

I don't think that there will ever be a place for a local news magazine again, the speed of the web has been the death knell to that. However, if the content is well written, well photographed, in other words a pleasure to read, and the content & price is right, then maybe something will rise from the ashes, I hope so.