Rspb & NE

[RossEM]

So no more pathetic articles and a stack of sponsored reviews and endorsements. What the money is being spent on is nice but you will never see a proper breakdown.

What's pathetic about the articles? I don't mind if the reviews are sponsored, if it draws revenue in that's a good thing.Those who purchase carefully aren't easily influenced.

If the news from the regions part was left out, everyone would be moaning "what does BASC do for us?" So that leaves the news, wildfowling news, shoot reviews and other bits like the vintage articles. I like all those bits. I certainly wouldn't miss the back page which is an absolute load of rubbish.

 

Having said all that, if the magazine was streamlined or published online, that would equate to a bigger fighting fund.

 

As above, a breakdown of spending is published annually - that's good enough for me.

[kent]

What's pathetic about the articles? I don't mind if the reviews are sponsored, if it draws revenue in that's a good thing.Those who purchase carefully aren't easily influenced.

If the news from the regions part was left out, everyone would be moaning "what does BASC do for us?" So that leaves the news, wildfowling news, shoot reviews and other bits like the vintage articles. I like all those bits. I certainly wouldn't miss the back page which is an absolute load of rubbish.

 

Having said all that, if the magazine was streamlined or published online, that would equate to a bigger fighting fund.

 

As above, a breakdown of spending is published annually - that's good enough for me.

 

Badly written, often plagiarised or poorly researched and mostly boaring to any who actually do that being written about on a regular basis. To be honest the internet has taken original thought out of many of todays scribes, you rarely see any pushing the boundaries these days no matter were its published its just recycled 4th time around stuff.

 

You make my point money and energy taken from it and put into the important stuff (like young shots and fighting fund) is way more important

[RossEM]

That's true, same with all the shooting magazines, there's very little controversial opinion vented, and also I don't remember ever seeing a negative review of a gun or any other bit of kit!!

[anser2]

What you say is true Rossem . I used to do s few reviews for the Shooting Times years ago . When I gave them a bad one it was never printed

[mudpatten]

I`ve done a few articles for the BASC magazine which were well written, certainly not plagiarised and neither were they boring.

 

How many have you had published Kent?

[Terry P]

I`ve done a few articles for the BASC magazine which were well written, certainly not plagiarised and neither were they boring.

 

How many have you had published Kent?

Surely that's a matter of opinion, what you find interesting I might find dull as dish water, well written or not, the BASC mag has become very dull, I only read the information on what they are doing, have a quick(due to the shortness of the section) read of the wildfowling section then its in the recycling bin.

Why they cannot give the option for it to be on the internet is beyond me, then as kent says more to spend on more relevant things.

[Grandalf]

Sorry, but I enjoy it - BASC magazine that is - getting to old for the other.

[mudpatten]

So why do`nt the two of you submit some articles which fit your bill?

 

I`m still interested to know how many articles Kent has had published, or indeed, how many he has submitted?

[kent]

So why do`nt the two of you submit some articles which fit your bill?

 

I`m still interested to know how many articles Kent has had published, or indeed, how many he has submitted?

To BASC none ever submitted. As regards writing generally quite a lot including sections in books. I haven't written in years now, things have become very different as to what editors will allow published- its like Don't upset the sponsors at all costs. Actual articles are more compressed in word count to allow more adverts and to be honest I find brevity should not replace perspicacity, its not my style.

Things cannot progress without anybody with the courage to question existing ideas or question existing ideas. You see it all over including here on forums. One of the greatest ever Angling writers in the States dropped out of a consultancy role with a top manufacturer as he believed his name had become more valuable to them than his advice and I could then see the change coming.

Really getting fed up with the Don't question or "upset the apple cart" one sided attitude generally in society today.

[Terry P]

So why do`nt the two of you submit some articles which fit your bill?

 

I`m still interested to know how many articles Kent has had published, or indeed, how many he has submitted?

I'm not interested in writing articles, I don't have the skill required but that does not mean i'm not entitled to my opinion on what is written. I find most articles these days are written by people more interested in self publication rather than writing anything of interest.

[anser2]

I am not a regular writer and may produce half an dozen articles in quick succession and then having said what I want to say it may be several years before I write again. This keeps my writings reasonably fresh and full of passion and I don’t just churn out article after article like so many . There was a phase when some editors knew little about shooting and this enabled some pretty poor articles to be published but gladly most of today’s editors seem to be more knowledgeable.. So when does an author write , hopefully because he has something to say , but also the attraction of several hundred pounds per article is a major influence for some.

 

Writing articles is something some can churn out week after week , but usually after time repetition and sameness start to creep in. But magazine editors like the consistency of knowing someone can reliably produce an article every week, week after week.

 

The content of many magazine articles seems in recent years to have fallen into two categories. Simple factual articles , like a report on the latest pheasant feeder or ABC articles that seem to assume the reader is not sure which end of the gun to put the cartridges in. Simple story articles , telling a tale of a day on the marsh seem to have become rare thing these days and while when one does appear some are good others show the authors inexperience. Just get hold of some of the articles in the Shooting times back in the 1960s and 70 and most show real quality in writing that hold the readers attention even if they are not of the readers main interest in shooting. But few UK authors can compare with the American outdoors writers. Today it seems photos are more important than content here in the UK.

 

Over the past 40 years I have written many articles for the Shooting times , Field , Gamekeeper and Countryside ( now defunct ) and a section in BASCs The New Wildfowler. Sometimes under my own name , sometimes under a pen name. I work for a conservation body and a pen name gives me freedom to write what I want without upsetting my managers. For the same reason I use a chat name in this forum. A well written article takes a lot of work and is not something than can be dashed off in a few hours. For me the germ of an idea has to be carefully thought about , the article written , then carefully reread and edited and spell checked before a draft version is completed. It is then send off to the magazine editor who may or may not want some changes and a proof version is returned to the writer to be checked and final version is produced. It is then sent off to the magazine and hopefully accepted ( not all are ) and the author waits in anticipation for several months and hopefully a check drops through the letter box. Sometimes not and you have to chase up the publishers.

 

These days most of my writing is for scientific papers on my research , but perhaps its time to get the pen out again.

Edited September 28, 2013 by anser2

[Penelope]

anser2, you know that I am now going to have to trawl through the New Wildfowler to see if I can see what chapter you have written.

 

I have been asked to write a chapter for an angling book dedicated to a friend who recently passed away from lung cancer, to which the proceeds will be given to Cancer Research.

 

Any advice?

 

I have written an article before for an angler magazine.

[anser2]

I will give you a clue the article has more to do with wildfowl than shooting. Its writen under my own name , but the Field and a lot of the ST stuff is under a pen name , Tideliner or Mudlark. Difficult to advise on another's writing , all i will say I would is keep it a bit light and do write beyond your personal experiance.

Edited September 29, 2013 by anser2