Dulcimer Players News demise
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hello! I'm the new editor and publisher of Dulcimer Players News, so I wanted to chime in on this wonderful discussion.
To answer the most pressing question first - no, I do not eat spinach. My mom's a nut for the stuff, but I haven't been able to develop a taste for it. For my dark green leafy vegetable full of iron fix, I prefer pesto. :)
The other more existential questions are a little more difficult to tackle.
For a little bit of context, like many of you, I was deeply saddened to hear that Ashley would be winding DPN down. I reached out in mid-May about the possibility of taking it on and keeping it going, and the transition happened very quickly. By the end of June we made the transfer and I reopened subscriptions.
I plan to continue DPN as the full color, glossy, quarterly print publication that it has been for many years, because I think there is still a place for print in a changing world. That said, as many of you pointed out, the music and media industries have changed drastically even in just the past 5 years, let alone 50, so it is clear that DPN must adapt in order to remain relevant. Just as musicians have recognized the need to maintain multiple revenue streams and manage a multitude of platforms to reach fans, DPN also needs to find more ways to reach many audiences.
What exactly will that look like? Right now, I have ideas but no definite plans. Doing more digitally could take a few different forms. Several of you commented that digital magazines aren't exactly appealing. I agree; many tend to be hard to read and enjoy, and I don't think they've matured as an industry. Some print publications (like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal) have successfully moved into a paywall system, which may be a better fit for DPN. Will there be a DPN presence on TikTok? I'm sure there should be.
Another important existential question is what makes DPN valuable? Or phrased differently, what does DPN have that Facebook groups, other online dulcimer pages, and even this forum don't? The way I see it, there's a lot of information on the web, but what the internet often lacks is perspective and curation. I think that is where DPN can help. Connecting the dots between disparate threads and groups, seeing patterns in transient posts, and collecting it in a digestible, appealing repository.
For the moment, I am focused on getting my feet under me with the print publication and as a first time small business owner. To figure out what's next, I want to hear from readers and supporters. I promise to be transparent and communicative about any changes.