Football culture magazine Thin White Line seeks crowdfunding to kick off in August
A new football culture magazine is set to kick off in August following a crowdsourcing campaign reaching out to future subscribers.
A limited edition of Thin White Line has been circulated among potnetial sponsors and the media, while the campaign video featuring TV presenter George Donikian calls on football fans to pledge their support. The campaign has so far raised $4,766 worth of subscriptions so far and aims to reach a target of $7,500 by August 20 to go to press.
Editor Ian Kerr, who is based in Melbourne, said the monthly publication will feature interesting and unusual stories behind the game ranging from academic studies to frivolous travelogues. Content will be produced by emerging writers and photographers in Australia and around the world who have a passion for the sport.
The 100-page matt-paper publication was designed by art director Cameron Colson of Microcosm Design.
“Colson has created a magazine that is visually engaging without sacrificing the importance of the written word,” Kerr said. “Our goal is for the magazine to feature the best football writing and photography. Lofty aims perhaps, but what point is there in aiming low?”
While the magazine will only be available in hard copy initially, Kerr believes in the prospect of expanding into the online publishing space.
“We’re big believers in the beauty of print, but pragmatic enough to understand that digital delivery may be the only way for us to reach some subscribers,” he said.
In addition to the crowdfunding campaign, Thin White Line is seeking contributors and sponsors for future issues. All proceeds will help pay the magazine’s writers, photographers and illustrators as well as their printing and postage costs, Kerr said.
Kerr said the magazine was founded as a labour of love by a small group of people and he has so far funded the publication. His day job is at a business association where he produces an in-house trade magazine, however Kerr declined to disclose any further details.
Did George say a “new six monthly magazine”? As in two issues a year? Wow…
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Magazine? Where is the digital component? Crowd source some developers and create a responsive format which everybody can read on any device 😉
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Calling it a ” football culture magazine” is far from helpful. Their are four football codes played in Australia. The best way for them to build a following would be to identify it as what it is, a soccer magazine.
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But it’s a football magazine Lindsay. We know what they’re talking about, even if you don’t.
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Okay, so this is obviously the soccer-kinda football as opposed to the other codes. Although I can understand that they want to just call it ‘football’ because that’s the term most of their audience would use.
But I think a print-only magazine is half-baked in this age, especially considering the demographic they’d be chasing, the followers of soccer/football.
A fab-looking mag is a cornerstone but the need a tablet edition which takes advantage of the medium for interactivity, embedded video, step-by-step plays explained etc. And they need an online presence where fans can come _between_ issues too.
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Ah, so it’s a soccer magazine, why didn’t you say so? Wow $7,500 is going to get you a real quality publication. Why don’t they just Blog to their niche audience?
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@ Wiseheimer… I’d hardly call soccer a niche audience. Or football or whatever it’s called.
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