Last week, we promised that once Smoke Signals subscribers saw our big news story, we’d let everyone else in on it – so here it is. It’s not the happiest news we’ve ever passed along, but…..well, you can see for yourself, in a reprint from the January-February issue of Smoke Signals Magazine.
For several years, we’ve been telling you that we have been dealing with a tough situation. The print edition of Smoke Signals, which is near and dear to our hearts (since that’s where everything began for us, on our old PC and desktop printer way back in 1994), has become a dinosaur over the years.
Over time, almost all of our valued print subscribers have “switched” over to the online edition available at Smoke Signals Online. We still have a small number of print subscribers, of course – everyone from people who don’t own computers, to people who are in prison without access to computers, to others who just prefer to be able to hold the magazine in their hands. And of course, those who purchase Smoke Signals at Tower Records stores.
To be very honest, though, that number is tiny compared to our overall readership. Almost all of our readers now get their monthly dose of Smoke Signals online. For a number of years, we have run the print magazine operation at a financial loss – subscription fees don’t even begin to cover the printing costs. And at this point, with so few print subscribers, that annual loss has become overwhelming.
And so, with much reluctance and a great deal of sadness, we have finally reached the inevitable conclusion. The print edition of Smoke Signals will be discontinued later this year; the final print issue will be the July-August issue. It’s not secret to anyone that newspapers and magazines in general have suffered economically over the last few years because of the advent of online editions – but we always hoped to be able to be the exception. It just was not to be.
We understand the angst this will cause among many of our remaining, loyal print subscribers – those who will have no other way to read Smoke Signals each month. Frankly, the primary reason we have operated the magazine at a loss for a number of years, is because of their devotion and dedication; we haven’t wanted to leave them “out in the cold.” (The other reason, we have to admit, was nostalgia; we’ve spent so many hours, days and months working to publish the magazine each month, that it was a very real part of our lives – one that was very difficult to surrender.)
However, unfortunately, the time has finally come. We know this won’t affect the vast majority of readers. But we still feel terrible about the remaining few. And so, please accept our apologies for having to make this inevitable business decision.
Magazine subscribers who will still have time on their subscription after the July-August issue is mailed, will be receiving information in the mail from us later this year, regarding a choice of a refund for unsent issues, or at the subscriber’s option, credits for online membership or other merchandise.
But most importantly, we want to assure everyone reading this that Smoke Signals is not going away. We will continue to do our best, in the online edition, to provide the information and entertainment we hope you’ve come to expect from us.
It has been our pleasure and honor to serve the smoking fetish community for well over a decade – and we have no plans to stop anytime soon.
Thanks as always for your continued support – and, we hope, for your understanding of this very difficult decision.
We’ll have more on this, here on the blog, as time goes on. But be assured, Smoke Signals is much, much more than the print magazine – and we’re here to stay!
