Bitch's fate is in your hands
First the bad news: The print publishing industry as a whole is staring into a void. Across the board, newsstand magazine sales are in a slump, subscriber numbers are down, and paper and postal costs continue to rise. But it's not magazines like US Weekly or Vogue that you'll see disappearing from the newsstands—they have the parent companies and the resources to weather industry ill winds. It's the small, independent magazines like Bitch that will disappear, because the odds are already stacked high against us. And simply put: We need to raise $40,000 by October 15th in order to print the next issue of Bitch.
Now the good news: While it's true that $40,000 is a lot of money, we know the number of you Bitch supporters is in the hundreds of thousands. And we're asking each of you who values independent, nonprofit media and intelligent feminist cultural analysis to contribute what you can to ensure that Bitch thrives. And while we can't say what form Bitch will take in the future (our direction will depend, in part, on your feedback), we can say that we've been hard at work to find an innovative publishing model that will allow us to maintain the spirit and integrity of Bitch while also reflecting the changing world around us.
As a nonprofit, reader-funded media organization, our fate really is—and always will be—in your hands. We don't need a parent company. We just need you!
::: Please help us continue this important work by donating and sharing this message :::
UPDATE: Get banners for your site here!
UPDATE: Here's the transcript of the video:
Bitch Video Transcript
(music)
Bitch
Feminist Response To Pop Culture
Save Bitch
(music cuts out)
Debbie: We are coming to you from the Bitch headquarters in Portland, Oregon to share some bad news that we’re hoping you’ll help us out with.
We’re holding here the current issue of Bitch that was just released a couple weeks ago, and this issue might be the last issue.
Andi: The fact is, we need to raise $40,000 by October 15th.
D: And we know that sounds like a lot of money, and it is a lot of money, but that is about the cost of producing one issue of Bitch.
(music)
A: We were going to tell you about the minutia of the publishing industry and how that consistently impacts Bitch in a negative way.
(music cuts out)
D: But the important thing is that you know that in every step of the way in the magazine publishing world, Bitch, as a small publication, as an independent publication, and as a feminist publication is at a disadvantage. And everybody probably knows by now that the magazine industry is declining. Bitch has been lucky to fly in the face of those trends for quite some time now, but we are finally seeing those trends affecting us. And so your support as donors is more critical than ever.
A lot of people don’t realize that we are a non-profit and that we depend heavily on donations from our supporters, and a lot of people also don’t realize that the bulk of those donations come in the form of $10, $20, and $30. So, any amount helps.
A: You know, if you have a lot to donate, that would be fantastic, we would never turn that down.
D: When we became aware of this financial crunch, we sat around in our staff meeting and brainstormed different ways to share the news with our supporters.
A: We thought about highlighting the many fine magazines that in the past year or two have folded because much like us, they are in a constant state of financial precariousness.
[Shows magazines that have folded: Punk Planet, Clamor, No Compromise, Stay Free, LiP, Herbivore]
We also thought about just having our staff dogs sitting here on the coach, and focusing only on the staff dogs and their sad puppy eyes to get you to give us money.
[Picture of staff dogs, “We needz ur dollarz 2save Bitch”]
D: What we decided to do instead, to keep this campaign really transparent and hopefully to motivate people to keep checking back and spread the word is to make a thermometer in the shape of a wiener dog.
A: And then of course we came up with all sorts of wiener related puns like, “Help our wiener grow,” “Our wiener needs to get much bigger…”
D: “Feed the bitch to save Bitch”
[Bark bark]
A: “Wiener people going to realize that independent magazines need money?!”
[laughter]
A: The wiener dog graphic is very cute though, so if you can, get to the website and check it out, you’ll not only hear a lot more about the details of this particular situation and why we need your help, but you will get to see that very cute graphic and in fact, help the wiener dog grow.
(music plays)
A: So subscribe
D: Donate
A: Support
D: Keep Bitch alive.
A: Thank you.
D: We love you.
[Laughter]
D: It always goes back to the love.
Save Bitch
Donate Now!
www.bitchmagazine.org
(music cuts out)
Directed, Shot and edited by Dawn Jones
Written by Debbie Rasmussen and Andi Zeisler
Art director Briar Levit
Music by Bitch for the Birds.
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good luck
Debbie & everyone at Bitch--
Good luck navigating these troubled waters. We still need vital voices like yours.
Dan Sinker
(formerly known as editor, Punk Planet magazine)
Thanks, Dan
I still cry when I see that last Punk Planet cover! RIP PP.
Yes! Give Bitch money now!
This is a really fantastic little video - I mean really, great job. To the point, sweet, funny and sad. I sure hope it gets the job done, because the thought of a world without Bitch is enough to push me over the edge.
C'mon everyone... let's all make it happen!
Save Bitch!
Bitch has kept me sane during some pretty crazy times in my life as a feminist. Bitch has always been there for us, now we should be there for it! Donate now! Save Bitch!
Plus, the wiener dog is seriously soooo cute. Don't you want to see her grow? I know I do.
i'm always willing to fight
i'm always willing to fight for the under (wiener) dog!
give what you got!
together we are powerful.
Spread the word ...
Bitch has weathered storms before ... hopefully this one will be be weathered, too.
Do everyone on the feminist wide web a favor ... get the word out! Post the above video elsewhere ... whether it be your own website, blog, social networking page ... whatever.
The independent media that remains must continue thriving despite these storms. Given the political and social climate we have to put up with daily, Bitch is needed now more than ever. Otherwise we will have more and more little people growing up to be like ... ah ... just visit this site, for one and that site, for another and you will get the ideas.
On another note: I got an email from make/shift yesterday also asking for $donations$. Perhaps you should consider combining efforts somehow?? Even though I also love make/shift and want to see it grow and thrive, one should not have to choose between giving to Bitch or make/shift only to see that Bitch is the one ending, for real. There seems to be more at-stake here this time around.
I sent the same email this week.
I work on Radical Teacher, a feminist, anti-racist, socialist magazine for educational workers, and we are in the same boat. I sent an email very similar to this one yesterday--we can make our next publication payment, but after that we are in very choppy waters. I wonder how this will all shake out. I'm relatively new around these parts--is there a place where independent print publications are sharing strategies?
Indy print pubs
There is a place where indy print pubs share information!
One is a listserve run by CLMP. That's an org for "literary magazines" but honestly the issues are the same as indy mags and there is a lot of overlap.
Then, there is still kicking an old listserve from the IPA (Independent Press Association) days which is at Independent_Publishers@yahoo.com
What Debbie says is true, folks. If you love print magazines, you have to subscribe and donate. Hey, even if you love your blogs, you should donate to them if they have a donation button. We love these publications because people are working full-time to curate and write the materials. Those folks need to get paid!
Jo Ellen, Executive Director and Editor of Zeek: A Journal of Jewish thought and culture
Sounds like a merger would
Sounds like a merger would be in order. Sometimes desperate times create opportunities for the bold.
Excellent idea, booniesgrrl.
Excellent idea, booniesgrrl.
Here's my blog entry about saving Bitch: http://www.kerrikanelos.com/?p=89
other indie media projects and donations
yes!
i'll be heading down to southern california next week for some fundraising/outreach. in LA we're organizing a make/shift + bitch film screening and discussion. on that trip, i'm sure there will be lots of discussion about how to create systems of mutual support for independent media projects. because yes, i wouldn't want anyone to have to choose between bitch and make/shift, or bitch and left turn, or bitch and color lines... there are still a number of critical and needed voices in independent media, so we need to find a way to ensure that we all survive!
Paypal
any chance you gals could set up a Paypal account for us to donate to? Would be much easier for me (otherwise I can't do it until tonite) and I expect for others as well...
Sending good vibes your way!
PS: Sometimes, when I'm in Borders, and there's a huge row of cosmo-type mags, I cover them all with copies of BITCH. I lurve you guys.
paypal
yep, we're trying to figure out a way to incorporate paypal into the site -- we're hearing from lots of folks that they'd prefer to donate this way.
and thanks for the bitch-at-borders interventions : )
I am telling everyone I know
I am telling everyone I know to help by giving a few dollars. I just gave some myself. Best of luck and I hope that Bitch never has to close down shop.
subscription?
Hey, would it be as helpful to get a subscription? I would like to do that. I mean would that money go towards production costs?
yes! subscribing is totally key and important
Absolutely! Subscribing is a really important and helpful way to support Bitch. Newsstand distribution is a losing proposition for independent magazines, now more than ever before, so the more people who get their Bitch directly from the organization, the better.
Perhaps subscriptions on the donate page
It might be good to add a subscription form or link to the donate
page.
There may be people who check out Bitch for the first
time. They might not donate yet, but be willing to subscribe
or buy a back issue or t-shirt (I can't seem to find if they are still being sold).
What's the future?
I really admire the magazine you put out, and would like to help out, but I think an important piece of information is missing here: what's the future?
If you succeed in raising this $40,000, does that get us one more issue of Bitch, or does it cover a temporary cash shortfall? Are we putting off the inevitable (however tragic), or are we investing in the future of this magazine?
I don't mean to be negative, but I think this is information people deserve when they consider making a donation.
good question!
I can't say precisely what the future holds—as Debbie wrote in the body of the blog post, the future of Bitch as an organization depends a lot on reader feedback—but donations are DEFINITELY an investment in the future of the organization. I say "organization" intentionally rather than "magazine," because there are serious questions about the future of print media and how it fits into Bitch's mission of whip-smart feminist media analysis and movement-building in the face of a rapidly changing landscape, both financially and technologically. The discussions and planning going on at Bitch HQ are all about that, and that's what has led to the creation of this here brand-spankin-new and much-improved website, and the podcast, and the Feminism In/Action discussions that Debbie has been hosting around the country.
There is so much rich discussion about this to be had, and so many things to be said, but the nutshell of it is that Bitch is in this for the long haul—and though we all hope that a print magazine will be able to remain a component of our work, as an organization we have to remain committed to our mission, which, after all, is not to put out a print magazine but to analyze the media-driven world around us through a feminist lens in the service of changing that world for the better. And we're going to do that in whatever ways work best. And we're asking for your support while we strategize about what ways those are, as well as for your input on what you'd like to see.
So, I agree, readers and donors absolutely deserve that information. And yes, donations are investments in the future for sure. Exactly what the future is depends on a lot of things, including your ideas!
Save Bitch Magazine! Facebook Group
For any social networking fiends out there, I've created a Save Bitch Magazine! Facebook Group. Hackneyed response to social/political issues? Sure! But we're going to milk the Facebook outlet for all it's worth. Here's the link for anyone who's interested: http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=28135766023&ref=ts
Alternative, feminist media is vital
I just donated and joined the (albeit unofficial) facebook group.
Bitch magazine got me into communication studies and helped make me the feminist I am today. IT CANNOT DIE.
I promise to get a subscription when the $40,000 mark is reached.
Idea
If Bitch cannot raise the funds in time for October 15, you should look at it as an opportunity. Almost every generation is deeply rooted into the internet and viral marketing has never been so simple. You should take this opportunity to turn Bitch into an online magazine, reducing your cost and enabling you to target a larger audience. Your options are endless.
H
please set up a paypal
please set up a paypal account, to give donors an option.
strategizing to expand beyond print has been in the works...
Yes, our options are endless and indeed it is a very exciting time. The new, more-robust website, the podcast, and the Feminism In/Action discussions Debbie has been hosting are all part of making sure that Bitch continues to fulfill its mission whether print makes sense as an option or not. More to come!
Those of you with websites and blogs...
Please check out the banners I made to help spread the word! There are an assortment of sizes...let me know if there's a common size not represented.
The banners are here: Save Bitch banners for your websites and blogs
Briar
Support the media you love. Pass it on!
I just donated as well (and as a broke-ass activist, if I can donate, you can, too).
I hope everyone who loves Bitch will give as much as they can, today, right now, like NOW... to save this absolutely vital magazine. When it comes to print pubs, it's really the only gave in town for cutting edge, smart, snarky, fun-to-read, important, critical feminist media analysis.
We can't let Bitch go the way of Punk Planet, Clamor, StayFree!, Lip... you get the picture. Support the media you love. Pass it on!
Do it now.
Ditto on all of the Bitch lovin' supportive comments. My heart hurts thinking of no more Bitch, and further, how that's representative of unfortunate and overwhelming trends in the world of media. Here in DC, we are seeing what we can throw together. At the very least, we're spreading the word around to donate! Whatever the outcome is, the money raised will go Bitch's necessary articles and boo-yah insights, whether they are in print or electronic form.
word.
Keep us abreast of any DC
Keep us abreast of any DC plans! I'd love to be involved. (Because work, grad school, and a thesis just don't keep me busy enough.)
LOVE the video, LOVE bitch magazine
i'm spreading the word and getting my donation together. any chance i can get a closer look at that chart? i want to get a better idea of the dire effect hot pockets are having on the indie mag market.
you guys always crack me up.
fingers crossed!
Support through back issues?
I've been meaning to buy back issues for some time. Will this help you?
Hey Chicago Bitch Supporters!
Email me if you're interested in putting our heads together to plan something in the area to raise cash!
Tattoos are HOT!!!!!!!!!!
GOD YES!!!! If I get to see more hot tattooed girls I'll donate everything!
Seriously though - kill the print, become an online-only mag. You will save a fortune.
Keep the Print Mag!
I'm spreading the word in every way I can, and I'll be donating as soon as the end-of-month paycheck comes through!
I know that the most important thing is for Bitch to survive in some form or another. There have been a few calls in the posts here for Bitch to become an online-only mag. While I would of course support that if it's what has to happen, I want to make a plea for the continued existence of the print mag in some form. I love the print mag; I prefer it to any online format. I'm one of these people who will never buy a "Kindle" and resists the silly idea that print media is doomed.
So please, even if it's a direct-mail, subscription-only set-up, keep the print version of Bitch coming!
I love print!
I love print too! I need to carry Bitch with me on the subway. If you kill the print please, please, please educate us all on how to subscribe on different devices. I might even buy a Sony Reader or Kindle if that's the only way to read you on the subway.
PRINT MEDIA IS NOT DEAD!
i like to touch and feel and smell my bitch. my fingers are crossed and my subscription is in the mail.
grow, weiney, grow!
subscription?
if someone hasn't subscribed yet and does, does that help? does that count towards what you need to raise?
Subscribing helps!
Yes! Subscribing is crucial to a 'sustainable Bitch'. When you buy off the newsstand, a chunk of that money goes to the store and the distributor...if you subsribe it all goes back to the magazine. (also, see Lisa Jervis' comment above)
love the web presence, love the print more
I don't want you to think the calls for web-only represent everyone. I am online at least 50 hours a week, so it's not like I'm a technology hater or anything, but I prefer to read this kind of content in print, by far. It's just...weightier.
I renewed my stepmother's sub, donated, and blogged, btw. Best of luck!
Love the posts, love yours more
Print is dead, but that entails the fluff mags and newspapers who serve the valuable purpose of litter box lining. Can't use People and Globe for that either huh...Print is dead because most of the magazines around simply don't care. They are advertising vehicles and although we puny humans are slow witted and easily led, even we can see them for what they are.
I work in IT by choice and a complete geek, not a Luddite! I too love the print mag more. Print has a tactile presence, covering more senses. I remember where I am reading Bitch! and an article grabs me. Sometimes I notice unrelated things like what kind of night it was at the coffee house, the kind of coffee I had, lots of unrelated things that combine to make Bitch one of the few emotional reading experiences I have. I can bring a laptop into Starbucks (well, why don't more indy coffee joints open in Beaverton?!) and it is great as well and definitely got my fur on end (Palin Tshirt post from Briar) technology makes a better situation awareness tool, good for aggregating information, mining data, research, yada. I don't curl up to a good online connection to read when it isn't work/school related.
Bitch! still needs to keep upping the ante with it's web presence. The embedded media and Bitch Radio are good examples. I will support Bitch! no matter if they can continue print or not.
"Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future."
Jonathan Criswall - Plan 9 from outer space.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
We are a fat activist and performance duo out of Toronto doing some touring in the next few weeks...Maybe we can collect some dollars in an envelope and then mail it down? We also throw tons of events here...maybe we can throw a fundraiser? Can we just do it and then send you the $$?
Yes, you can!
Thank you! Yes! We would be thrilled if you threw a fundraiser and sent us the money! Really, could an organization turn down such an offer from the heart? Please let us know when it is so we can post it to the site. Thank you again. Our address in Portland, OR is 4930 NE 29th Ave, Portland, OR 97211.
Edmonton's Only Feminist Radio Show!
Hello Bitch,
My name is Jocelyn Saskiw and I produce a weekly feminist news radio program called 'Adamant Eve'. We use a ton of your articles and info in our show. You have given us a lot in the past with your kick-ass magazine. It airs every Friday at 5:30-6:00 pm and is available on-line. I'll air your message every Friday until the 15th of October. I hope it helps get the word out.
Ciao Bellas! xo
In Solidarity,
Adamant Eve
aside: yay cjsr! yay adamant
aside:
yay cjsr! yay adamant eve!
Save Bitch!
Bitch! I just realized how awful life would be without you.
I've donated what I can -
please don't die.
I'm helping the wiener grow!
Hi Bitch,
Just wanted you to know that I blogged for you:
http://queeringdomesticity.blogspot.com/2008/09/save-bitch.html
And bought a subscription for myself and a separate one for my best friend...so she stops stealing mine. :-)
xo,
meaghan in DC
Shameless Mag Wants To Help Any Way We Can
We totally know how it is and we're so willing to help!
If you love indie mags and want to see them survive, please give in any way you can and spread the word. Independent print media, now more than ever, is much too important to lose.
Save Bitch!
The world needs you! I've been reading Bitch for years and have always learned from it; your voices are important and I hope you raise the money you need. I have donated what I could and have also blogged about this and put a banner on the top of my site; I hope it helps.
http://menstrualpoetry.com/save-bitch
I got your backs, bitches!
Hi!
I wish you guys the best of luck! Bitch has meant so much to me over the years, and I will seriously cry if it goes under. I host a monthly sex positive confessional non-fiction reading in Chicago, and would love to use it to raise money to fund Bitch if the bar I do it at will let me!
Thank you so much for existing, and hopefully continuing to exist!
Robyn
www.myspace.com/sundaynightsexshow
We just blogged
We just blogged it:
http://evilslutopia.com/2008/09/calling-all-bitches.html
And we're on our way to subscribe and donate right now. We'll join the facebook group too, cause every little bit helps, right?
tax deduction?
Since you guys are a non-profit, can a donation to Bitch be deducted as a charitable contribution on your (US) taxes? I'll be donating one way or the other, but if it does cut your tax bill a bit, publicizing that can only help push people over the edge into giving cash.
YES--Tax Deductible
Bitch will send you a receipt and thank-you in time to use for tax purposes. Deduct away!
yes, all donations are tax-deductible!
and your thank-you letter will say so as well, and be your receipt.
CALLING ALL HUMANS-JOIN ME IN GIVING TO THE BEST BITCH EVER!!
Wow…I simply cannot let another excellent, smart, funny, off beat, indie mag that brings a smile to my face when I most need it go out of print. Can you? Well I got an idea... since I could not get my employer (boo hissss) to match my donation earlier this year (yeah ...they said they would, but didn't, losers) I guess I may have to double up or tripple up on my donation now….GREAT IDEA SO EVERYONE JOIN ME. After all, I have so many sweet memories of BITCH and you do too! BITCH was the first to alert me that Abercrombie and Fitch selling/marketing thongs or the 10 and younger crowd (yes, butt floss for tikes), and on the next page tackled/analyzed various issues/subjects in depth like Mormon feminists, sex trade debate- empowerment or not, cultural icons, herstory, origins of wonder woman or chick superheroes, and bunch of other stuff and all things that make BITCH bitch - the feminist response to pop culture. Anyone out there remember the Pretty Pony debate? Very funny reporting from both angles. So BITCH, I am going to donate now, because I need you and we all need you! christa fabiani xoxo
Jeepers
Well I'm certainly never visiting Jezebel again. When did they go from guilty pleasure gossip blog for girls to self-important faux feminist windbags? Eeesh!
http://jezebel.com/5050695/the-struggles-of-bitch-magazine-are-neither-s...
I love you, Bitch. Stay strong... I'll happily donate! I'll also post a blog about your fundraiser tomorrow.
Not Much of a Surprise
Tracie Egan is one of the biggest, pettiest assholes I have ever seen online. She doesn't have a clue what feminism is; she thinks it means being able to fuck around. If you follow her on Jezebel, you will see the misogynism rear its ugly head almost daily. Except for Judge Judy, Tracie seems to view most women as bitches and competition.
But the wonderful ladies at Bitch owe her a bouquet of flowers. Thanks to that nasty post on Jezebel I donated cash and so did many of my friends. She's introduced a whole sea of us to your magazine, and we will help it thrive and survive.
I'm pulling out all the
I'm pulling out all the stops and donating as much as I can. "Bitch" is the only great feminist magazine out there, given that "Bust" is all ads nowadays and "Ms" has sucked since circa 2002.
I dread the day when the only magazines for sale are "People", "Entertainment", and 20 others with different names but virtually the same content.
Saving my bitch
If there is anything else we can do, please let us know. I will donate on pay day, and I put your video on my blog and also a banner....
Here's hoping not to lose this great mag...
Sent word out to other sites
As a long time fan (ordered the first edition through the comic shop I worked at!), I am pretty bummed to see this. So I sent a shout out over to, http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ The lovely Sarah just let me know that they are on it for tomorrow's blog and will send out the word ya'll need some help.
I'll also give the heads up to a few author/review blogs I know. Pretty sure they will jump in as well.
I hope it helps, at least a bit.
Blog it.
Publish a blog. It's less wasteful and less expensive. Seriously. Not being an ass, just honest. You can still accomplish your main objectives. I think small publications that haven't taken to the web are just vanity projects, like big oafish 'zines.
I support all kinds of feminist/leftist projects but why should I help you print something that you can do online? My dollars are better spend at the food bank or with NARAL or defeating that moron Palin.
I wanna help
Bitch is my favorite mag. It's part of my monthly budget. I dedicated an entry on my blog (although I'm not sure it actually gets read), and I'm going to do my best to give Bitch a fraction of what it gives me every month.
I love you Bitch
Why not just pull the print
Why not just pull the print edition and go with the web presence?
Most of your audience has an internet connection.
I don't agree!
I don't agree! I think the website is a great addition... but not a replacement!
I don't know what I'd do without Bitch to keep me company on the bus or when I'm at the beach or park in need of a good read. Please don't pull the print!
I love the print version
I'm adding my voice to those who definitely would be disappointed to see Bitch go to an online-only version. Yes, I spend a ton of time online, but the way I read online is completely different than what I do when I'm in my backyard, on the train, or even just relaxing on the couch (no laptop here). When I read online, I read quickly and kind of aggressively, hurrying on to the next thing. When I'm holding a book or magazine, it's something I do to relax and immerse myself in, taking plenty of time to savor what I'm reading. I love being able to take a new issue of Bitch with me on vacation, or even just on public transportation. Getting each new issue is like a mini event!
I've also been able to turn many people on to Bitch by sharing the hard copy. I've always taken old copies to work, where I know a number of people who've ended up subscribing after first reading through an issue I'd left in the studio.
Whatever the case, I love your work, and very much want to see it continue.
Doing what I can!
Though I've only been reading for less than a year, BITCH is pretty much the best thing to have stumbled upon. I've blogged about it, am matching donations, and will have my employer also match any donations I make. A friend is also organizing a benefit in our hometown to help out. As she says, BITCH = Oxygen.
Bitchin'!
I've been posting the link everywhere I can (forums, blogs), telling anyone who will listen and screaming it from the roof tops!
Hope it helps! I've checked this website twice today and both times the weiner was longer than the last! Now that's support!
Spreading the Word
Sent an invite for the Facebook group to all my friends on there, will be donating ASAP once I get paid. You guys helped me survive through high school without going crazy, and I definitely owe you one.
print v's online
I know this may not be the most pressing concern right now.. . we should all just be focused on the goal of getting enough $$ to print the next issue, but I thought I would add my ideas about the future...
I don't think any of us could survive without a print edition of Bitch, but perhaps it could come out less? Like quarterly? That could be a really good compromise to keeping it in print as well as expanding the online/ podcast/ multimedia empire!!
The quarterly issues could be a little larger than the monthly mags, with longer features and more in-depth analysis. As for online, I think Bitch would have to be more than a blog... with rotating articles from contributors, paid similarly and laid out like a print edition (with proofreading and graphics and forethought often overlooked on most blogs)...
As for the ad-free debates that have been raging elsewhere,
I would gladly pay more for Bitch, or donate periodically than have my eyes bothered by some lame car ad while I try to read about issues that are inherently as much against capitalist systems as they are patriarchal systems. For anyone that ever accuses Bitch of being feminism 101 yet refuses to link the capitalist system with patriarchy.. well.. you must have been playing hooky that day.
Bitch is real, it has integrity, and we need to keep it alive!!
http://jdr-writeon.blogspot.com/
Bitch is currently quarterly
Bitch has been quarterly since about 2002. There were about two or three issues a year when I started reading it about 1999.
Perhaps in the future, print editions could be scaled back? I'd hate to see that happen, but I'm not sure any kind of independent publication can keep up with the ever-increasing production and now-annual postage costs. Bitch is by no means alone. The great alternative music magazine No Depression went online only back in June. A friend told me that the Tori Amos print fanzine Little Blue World is ending as a print publication this winter on similar grounds. But with so much fan content about Tori on the web, I am not sure that will be a big loss. Bitch, on the other hand, would be. Am definitely in the "fight" to keep Bitch alive!
All the best!
Here's hoping that Bitch makes it! Keep fighting the good fight! :)
thrilled to see that over night $10K has been raised
I live in Scotland and only get the mag when I see it at Borders. But as soon as I get paid I'm getting a subscription.
The Internet is great but print is better for longer more considered analysis of our situation in my opinion and I can read it on the loo!
mary
Spreading the word
I posted this link on my Facebook page (most of my friends are Bitch lovers, too) and also am spreading the word at work -- a Women's Studies Center where Bitch is prominently displayed on our magazine racks. I'll donate as soon as I'm paid later this month.
Re: Spreading the word
I also posted on Facebook last night, and by this morning already had a reply from a friend in Europe saying that she had donated too :-)
I will support Bitch in any
I will support Bitch in any form it takes, online, print, whatever - we need more feminist analysis in this world - but, my God, I love it as a print mag. Love the website, love my feminist blogs, but a print magazine can be so much more thoughtful, and well-written, whereas sometimes blogs can be stream of consciousness crap on a page. I donated what I could - even one more print issue would just, well, rock.
I will spread the word! Keep Bitch alive!
Bitch: YOU ARE MY SALVATION
I live in the UK and we have NOTHING remotely resembling the genius that is Bitch magazine... I can't tell you how important this publication is to me. Bitch reminds me that there are loads of other switched-on people out there who have the same politics and gripes as me. Bitch inspires and motivates me. Bitch makes me feel less alone. As Bitch is an imported mag over here, it's a bit hit and miss as to when it actually arrives on the news racks. I've been desperately searching for it for ages now, with no idea of the situation... SOB! I will be donating! BITCH CANNOT DIE!
We need you in print!
We didn't have this kind of warning for Clamor, Punk Planet, etc. -- two magazines I still want to pull out of my bag every time I'm sitting on the bus! -- and I hope you raise enough to publish the next issue and many more after that. Yes, the internet is home to lots of discussions about feminism and pop culture and activism, but -- as Latoya pointed out at Racialicious -- it's vital to keep these voices in print as well (http://www.racialicious.com/2008/09/16/help-us-keep-bitching/).
We've got your video up here: http://www.utne.com/2008-09-16/Media/Bitch-Magazine-Is-in-Trouble.aspx?b.... Good luck!
beyond print vs online
I'm really happy to see the back-and-forth among y'all about print vs. online (and of course thrilled beyond belief by the outpouring of support!), and I wanted to add both some opinions and some information.
First of all, many many options are being/will be considered for Bitch's future. It's not a matter of either/or, nor are we talkin' online-only as in an online version of the magazine that duplicates the print version. Online media and print media are different (as many of you have noted), with different strengths and weaknesses—whether the print mag is around or not, the site will always be more than its digital doppelganger. We've long been working on a more robust website (and you see the results of that work right in front of you, and it's only just begun), and that's just the beginning. (Check out the newly posted episode 2 of the podcast!)
Then there are the content formats that are neither print nor online: the lecture series happening in Portland this fall, the Femnism In/Action discussions that have been happening across the country since early summer. So there's plenty this organization can do that's neither print nor online.
That said, I personally love print for all the reasons folks have already expressed in this thread—it's portable and tangible, and I think both of those are important. Also, for all the talk of the web being more accessible than print, it still requires expensive equipment and a monthly service to use. Library access has been vastly expanded over the last few years, but it's a different and important kind of accessibility that anyone with $6 and change can walk into a bookstore and get Bitch (or anyone at all can walk in and read it for free while standing in front of the newsstand). We can send copies to shelters and prisons and conferences and other places where the web won't really cut it and our content can be useful. That kind of accessibility is hard to give up.
So keep the opinions coming—and what would you want to see beyond the print mag/online dichotomy?
print!
Don't let BITCH become "just another website." I love seeing BITCH validated by its presence at Borders---I love that its available to people who don't specifically seek it out on the web.
Plus, sometimes I get busy and I having BITCH come straight to be door ensures I don't ignore it!! :)
Beyond the print mag/online dichotomy
Hi y'all-
First off, thanks Bitch staff for the transparent approach to Bitch's financial situation! Your honesty, weiner dog, and weiner dog puns are much appreciated. To respond to what Lisa put out there in a recent post and offer some thoughts on Bitch's direction - I would love love love to see Bitch offering more spaces to explore the connections between feminism and race, class, capitalism, imperialism, etc. I think making those connections is a crucial step in eradicating the monster systems, healing from their impact, and creating new ways to live. for real. I would also love to see Bitch put more focus on organizing as a way to combat dominant forces in pop culture and to promote "counter-stories" and feminist struggle.
Judging from Debbie's Feminism In/Action discussions and from the subject matter/inclusiveness of the Bitch blog, it looks like Bitch is sorta heading in the direction I described above. I think that the more deliberate Bitch, as an organization, is about this (I guess by 'this' I partly mean taking steps beyond critiquing pop culture and towards supporting organizing efforts), the better. For example - based on the Feminism In/Action discussions thus far, could there be a suggested structure or set of questions or format for peops to adapt and use in their town/city? Debbie seems ubercool but I don't think she can come to all of us!
I don't at all mean for these thoughts to detract from the short-term need to raise alot of cash but this seems like a good time to put ideas out there about Bitch's direction. There's a heck of a lot of momentum behind Bitch (10k worth last time I checked!) and I think it'd be helpful to keep in mind that Bitch is and can continue to be so much more than a magazine! So no matter what, it's not gonna die!
-Maria from DC
The plight of powerful publications
Try and say that five times fast... As you said in the video, so many powerful voices have been silenced within the last few years, due to money and resources. I hope to get to work with yall to move forward, and I hope that Bitch is able to break on through to the other side.
Walidah Imarisha
Former editor, AWOL Magazine
Your community will pull you through
So sad to see all those dead mags. But it's amazing to see the outpouring of community here! In the end that is what is going to carry Bitch through. Not to say that other magazine's didn't, but I never saw this kind of community rise to the occasion.
I also worked for one of the mags that you held up in the RIP section of the video, and while it was a great magazine it never could have brought out such love and support that you've seen in the past few days.
Have faith in your readers!
Wishing you the best!
I made a donation today. As you can imagine, I love print media and hope Bitch makes it through this difficult time. We need you!
you got it!
Just sent some chow for the weiner dog. Please don't follow me into magazine publishing oblivion.
Love,
Carla
I love Bitch. This news
I love Bitch.
This news makes me incredibly sad. I look so forward to every new issue as a breath of fresh air and am really disturbed that such an important, relevant and vital contribution to feminist expression may disappear.
Sent money, blogged,
Sent money, blogged, twittered, and facebooked about it.
And as a graduate student studying women, media, and technology, I don't think you can simply say, "let's just make it a web-based publication!" I mean, it's something to discuss, and I love the new website, but I also think that print and web are more than just mediums for content -- they work differently, businesses structure their financials around them differently, and people respond to them differently. The require different kinds of writing and different kinds of support staff. They are not equivalent.
I'm on the web probably 12 hours a day during the week, and several hours on the weekends. I love the blogs, love the podcasts, love the site, and I would still be sad to see Bitch-the-magazine-made-of-paper go away.
Try Contacting Women's Colleges!
I just sent in my donation (and recently renewed my subscription for two years), and I have to say that while I am excited about the possibilities for Bitch in the digital world, I agree with previous posts that there is nothing quite like the print version. I discovered Bitch just a year and a half ago while browsing the magazine racks at Borders, and I fell in love. What I think surprised me the most was how I didn't already know Bitch existed, particularly since I attended an all-women's college (Bryn Mawr!). So my question (and it may be a silly one) is have you tried contacting student organizations at women's colleges around the country for support? My assumption is that you would introduce yourself to a very large new contingent of readers if they aren't readers already, and fundraising efforts could then take place at those institutions where there would be lots of support!
All the best for a fabulous magazine that always incites intriguing and important discussions.
re: Save Bitch Magazine
I donated - I can only do $10 - but it's something. I posted it to Seattle's Ladies Who Lunch music industry listserv and sent emails to Three Imaginary Girls and Free Williamsburg asking them to pass the info on. I posted a bulletin on my myspace and emailed everyone I know - and asked them to pass it on.
I sincerely hope you raise the $40K - and hope Bitch gets saved in the long term as well as the short term - I saw you guys at the release of your book in New York (remember the fire drill?!) - and recognize what you do is really important.
Good luck!
Question
Hi There!
I just donated some $. It wasn't a huge amount but I know every bit helps. Bitch is incredibly important & I would hate to see it disappear. I also posted the banner on my Livejournal and I think it prompted a couple donations! so yay!
I am curious about one thing though...... So, if you raise all the money and put the issue out are you going to have to do this again to put out the next issue after that?
hope my question makes sense.
good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep the print magazine!
I will continue to support Bitch in whatever form it takes, but please keep the print magazine! I spend all day on a computer at work, the last thing I want to do is stare at a computer screen in an uncomfortable office chair at home! Reading a print magazine is so much more relaxing and practical. The magazine is portable - even if just to go to the couch or another room, in a way a computer is not. Plus it can be shared, passed around, articles cut out, etc. Although pretty much every business needs to have an on-line component these days, for me it is an addition, not a substitute. Who really sits and reads anything lengthy in front of a computer? No one gets War & Peace on a Kindle
Also, all of the people here advocating for being on-line only are (by definition) on-line. All of the people who, for whatever reason, read Bitch entirely or mostly in its print form are NOT represented in these opinions. They are all happily reading their magazine somewhere, completely unaware that this discussion even exists. So we are only hearing from part of your audience.
Also, what about advertising? I don't know how much of your income advertising represents, but I would assume that on-line ads don't pay as well.
As for other comments, I LOVE the love it/shove it section and would like to see more. I also enjoy the longer articles that are able to get really in depth with a subject. I have been sad to see that the letters section is getting shorter (probably due to the existence of the website). And you used to have a page called "where to bitch" or something like that, whatever happened to it? I really enjoyed having all of the info needed to respond to something right there in one place. Also I do not especially care for most of the interviews and the music reviews. Both of which seem to have gotten longer lately.
SAVE BITCH!
I'm so confused....
just last month you were sending around an email that said, "For the first time in our 12-year
history, we’re not in a financial crisis..."
what happened???
complicated, but kinda very simple
In some ways this is oversimplifying it, but basically, a recent issue did not sell as well on the newsstand as others historically have, so a check that was expected from our distributor is not coming, and that—combined with the usual cash flow issues that plague the magazine industry in general—created an immediate shortfall.
The background on all this is that Bitch operates without any financial cushion. We have always been a hand-to-mouth shoestring organization, making due and doing the best we can with scarce resources. So even though over the last year or so we have emerged from the crisis that started in 2004 when our (former) distributor stopped making their payments to us and eventually went bankrupt (costing us $80,000 that we were heavily depending on), the fact is that we're always kinda close to the edge and when things go wrong, we don't have savings to hold us over.
This is yet another reason why we are committed to developing the organization into a multimedia, multi-strategy one, so that we can continue to provide a forum for analysis and a spark for discussion no matter what else happens.
Good Luck
We need magazines like Bitch badly. I've given what I can and wish it was more, but I will pass on the word.
Fingers crossed for all of you at this difficult time.
Paypal
Here's another request for Paypal; I'm unable to donate without, but would love to if you could get Paypal set up!!!
action/ ideas
Im so sad about this - but bitch is loved, this is going to work out I just feel it in my bones!
I emailed everyone I knew, posted bulletins, made it a big topic @ a ladies in business meeting, & posted a blog:
http://www.goodgirlsandgeeks.blogspot.com/
I plan to donate tomorrow after I make some bank deposits.
So - what if you offered some cheaper advertising options to growing businesses to help reach you $40,000 goal?
Or reaching out to your current advertisers to see if they'd be willing to donate some product for an online silent auction?
just throwing stuff out there.
xo
Bonnie