NOIR Magazine for iPads and Tablets?

[Cammy May Hunnicutt]

Has anybody seen this, or contributed to it or anything?

http://noirmagazine.com

I can't figure out if that's a really cool idea, or a lame one.  The magazines of the future, I guess.  I don't have iTunes so I can't figure out how much it costs or anything.  But I was tickled by this "rating" stuff on the site.  Some how "infrequent mild" doesn't fit my idea of "noir".  :-)

Rated 12+ for the following:

• Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
• Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes
• Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References
• Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content or Nudity
• Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor

[John McFetridge]

Looks to be five bucks an issue for me in Canada. I wish them great success.

 

[Jack Getze]

Big names and journalists behind it, but I've always wondered if "noir" is as big a market as all these magazines and anthologies suggest.

[Linton Robinson]

Anybody have any idea of what percentage or penetration or whatever this kind of  magazine has in the audience or market?

[Richard Krauss]

Right the first time: very cool idea! It was a successful Kickstarter project. iPad requires the mag+ app to read it.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2020491455/noir-magazine

[Cammy May Hunnicutt]

Well, that makes it a lot more interesting, Richard.  For one thing, that layout is a lot more impressive.  One of the problems with magazines like this is hinky artwork and they've got some great stuff there.

And it also seems to show that there ARE people interested.  People who their money where their mouse is.

It does seem a little pricey, though, at five bucks.  But it looks like there are those who'll spring for it.

The format thing is more intriguing to me than the "noir" thing.  I guess there's no way to know if we're looking at the future or some yuppie fad with iPad mags.  I think I'll start poking around to see what's there in other genres.

[Martin Roy Hill]

Looks like a trend is starting. Here's another magazine dedicated to noir: http://needlemag.wordpress.com

[Cammy May Hunnicutt]

That's interesting to, Martin, because I'm familiar with WordPress publishing of fiction.  I thought that was an online mag, And I've seen it done a lot better... but then I see it's a blog to sell some REALLY pricey print mags.  Why they used Lulu is my question.  

Their cover with the girl holding the gun is a stock photo my publishers showed me for my "book" but decided to go more in the wacko vein (to fit the content).   I would think they could get original shots for something like that, the way that iPad one is doing.

[John McFetridge]

Needle was started by Steve Weddle (a good guy, he blogs at DoSomeDamage - full disclosure, so do I) when there were a lot of online crime fiction magazines specifically to be a print magazine. It's Lulu because there isn't really a market beyond friends and family of the writers and people who want to be writers. There's no one looking to spend money on short stories by people they've never heard of.

Although Needle did serialize a Ray Banks novel, whch was cool.

People keep saying there's a short story boom but then others say there isn't:

http://www.salon.com/2013/02/21/sorry_the_short_story_boom_is_bogus/

I don't really understand why someone would try and start something like this when you get almost zero support and five bucks is too much for people to spend, but I guess it's really a labour of love.

 

 

[Cammy May Hunnicutt]

Boy, I asked the right guy about that, huh?

Regarding shorts, I see a LOT of them for sale on amazon.  I don't know that they are big thing in magazines.  No magazines I read.  I understand that there used to be a lot of short fiction in periodicals.

So maybe what's happening is another one of those shifts that amazon and ebooks have brought about.  Short stories and novellas are very much alive on line. (I haven't published anything over 10.000 words, and read a lot of even shorter stuff for a $.99 or free).  

Not sure where that leaves these magazines.  (And I still think those guys should have gone on CreateSpace and Kindle instead of Lulu)