2008...

[dave u]

is make or break for TLW.

 

Basically, unless things really pick up financially I'm not going to be able to carry on much longer. I'm sick of constantly worrying about money and bills and shit, and unless I can start making this work I'm going to have to pack it in and look for a steady job with a regular pay cheque at the end of every month. The thought of that scares the shit out of me, as I've been doing this for so long I can't imagine doing anything else. But I see no alternative the way things are going.

 

Sales of the fanzine have been pretty consistent overall, I sell roughly the same now as I did when I started. That's not bad, considering how many fanzines across the country have come and gone in that time. The internet has killed a lot of fanzines, and although I'm sure it's had an effect on TLW, it's also helped in a way as the site has really helped promote the magazine across the world.

 

But when I started I lived with my parents, and didn't have any bills to pay or any family to support. It was fine then, money wasn't an issue. It's different now though. The cost of living has gone up a fair bit since 1999 too, but in that time there's only been the one price increase to £2.50. I've no plans to put it up again though, as I don't think that's the issue.

 

It's not about getting more money from the people who are already buying TLW, I need to either get more people buying it or find another way to get money in. I do the ressies reports for the Post and Echo, and even though the money is crap, without that extra cash I'd have had to pack TLW in a year or two ago.

 

Sales at the match are shit, and getting worse. I sell less than half what I did when I started, but the number of subscribers I have has helped to soften the blow a bit. I hit an all time low at the Pompey game though, when me and my dad sold 24 between us. A crowd of 45,000 and we sold twenty fucking four. Just what I needed before Christmas.

 

The fanzine is how I make my living, and the website is how I promote the fanzine. In an ideal world it would be the other way round. I'd make enough off the site to live on, and the fanzine would be extra cash rather than my only real source of income. I don't think that's possible though, even though the site generally gets around 50,000 visitors a month.

 

I'm not saying this to get people to make 'donations' to the site, as that side of things is actually ok. Between donations, the bonus ball and atk's ridiculous bets the hosting fees are being taken care of, and I can honestly say I don't touch any of that money myself. It's a seperate bank account that is only used for the running of the site. Dipping into that would be like stealing from the church plate!

 

On that subject by the way, I know I'm well behind on the bonus ball payments, but I've got a list of names who I need to send cheques out to and I will be doing that in the next couple of days.

 

I'm just fed up of relying on family helping me out. I drive a car that my dad bought for me and my mum insured, and I'm living in a house that my missus has more or less paid for with money she got from selling her own house. We furnished it with money from my parents. It's unacceptable really, I've got a little girl to support and I need to get my act together financially.

 

I either need to sell more fanzines, make money from the site, get more freelance work, or pack it all in and get a 'proper' job. I don't know how to do the first three, and I don't want to do the fourth, but I think I'm going to have to.

 

Sorry to be putting all my troubles on you in the festive season and all that, but I need ideas, or Steve Kelly won't be the only Liverpool Fanzine editor hanging up his keyboard this season.

[Rashid]

Whatever happens Dave you have to be thanked for giving all of us so many years of "something to do" and keeping us going so cheers for that.

 

It would be a real shame if you packed in the fanzine but with you having a missus and a kid to think about there really isn't much choice is there if push came to shove?

 

Lots of people have a "proper job" and a hobby in the background so I'd suggest (and I don't mean to patronise) is do less issues. Say do only 4 issues a year by internet only and keep the site going only if it funds itself. And fuck off standing outside the KOP selling fanzines and get in the pub and slag off the team selection with me at 2pm!

 

That way you still get to do what you love, still make money from the fanzine, and you get to work and start paying your bills!

 

Good luck either way mate.

[WeAreTheBest]

Sorry to hear that Dave, erm dunno what to say really. I'll try and think of some ideas but im shit at all that sort of stuff!

 

Good luck whatever mate

[Strontium]

Next time I try and pay for a copy of TLW with a 20 I'll just tell you to keep the change :thumbup:

 

I think I will definitely be taking out a subscription now though. It would be a crying shame if the fanzine disappeared. Maybe subscription only would be the way forward? I dunno.

 

Whatever happens, I wish you all the best Dave. For persistence alone you deserve a medal.

[ratcatcher]

Dave, put you and your family first, mate. No one except your immediate family, will.

 

I'd love to be able to give you serious suggestions but if your main income stream is the fanzine and it isnt bringing the numbers in, you have to consider the options. Believe me, I know what its like working for yourself.

 

Good luck,

[05 Milan]

Can we have an annual fee for using the website? That would clear out the wankers as well

[Spy Bee]

Whatever happens Dave you have to be thanked for giving all of us so many years of "something to do" and keeping us going so cheers for that.

 

It would be a real shame if you packed in the fanzine but with you having a missus and a kid to think about there really isn't much choice is there if push came to shove?

 

Lots of people have a "proper job" and a hobby in the background so I'd suggest (and I don't mean to patronise) is do less issues. Say do only 4 issues a year by internet only and keep the site going only if it funds itself. And fuck off standing outside the KOP selling fanzines and get in the pub and slag off the team selection with me at 2pm!

 

That way you still get to do what you love, still make money from the fanzine, and you get to work and start paying your bills!

 

Good luck either way mate.

 

Well said.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

TLW will never die. Even if I had to buy it off you and cut my hours in work, I would do it. Fanzines are becoming rarer, fanzines that tell it how it is are becoming even rarer. TLW cannot and will not be allowed to die.

 

(Only if push comes to shove.) We should all pool our ideas and see what we can do to make Dave's life a bit easier. He makes a lot of sacrifices.

[hamstrung]

Be sorry to see the fanzine stop. Really enjoy it. Must admit I have wondered in the past how you could make a living wage from it.

 

I don't have any practical advice beyond saying real jobs are shite and not something to be undertaken lightly.

[rondeco]

Can we have an annual fee for using the website? That would clear out the wankers as well

 

Good idea. 2.50 or a fiver a year.

[rondeco]

.

[rondeco]

.

[bossy]

I know the feeling Dave as I'm self employed and it's really tough when kids come along.

I have no real ideas to help either, although a subscription only site might help a bit.

Good luck.

[CrouchieBoy]

Can we have an annual fee for using the website? That would clear out the wankers as well

 

Good shout Milan... I would be up for that. whatever we can do to help mate

[hamstrung]

Good idea. 2.50 or a fiver a year.

 

How much could you make from that though? Inevitably you'll lose numbers, so even if you got 1000 people willing to pay £5, its not a lot of money.

 

Rashid's suggestion is probably the most realistic. Get a proper job and scale the fanzine down a bit.

[spider-neil]

charge an annual fee for the website. sorted.

[rb14]

Davey.

 

I'm glad you shared this. You need to move from this uncertainty and financial instability. Life's too short, particularly for someone as old as you.

 

Might I suggest you consider other markets. I know quite a few guys who like the older, more portly figure where fitness isn't quite so crucial. At like £3 per hour, you could be coining it in.

 

On a more serious level:

• Is the TLW shop as profitable as it might be? I'd be happy to buy gear from there, but in honesty the stock doesn't really do it for me.
  
• I'm guessing we need to take some of the pressure off you by putting pen to paper more frequently. Am I right in thinking the more articles contributed, the easier your life will be?
  

 

Finally, perhaps you need to just hear this, in case you weren't aware:

TLW is a brilliant magazine. Your writing and that of many of the contributors is excellent. I can honestly say that I really look forward to each new issue. Similarly the TLW Forums (fora?) are very very strong. The GF is an excellent place to drop in and have a good laugh; who could forget the excellent "My dishwasher smells of spunk" thread? I'm not sure what takes place on the FG and the *F, but presumably they're ok too. What I'm saying in a very roundabout way is that you MUST NOT lose sight of how much good comes out of your efforts. I'm totally made up to be a contributor to this site, the best player at tlw footie and to be a subscriber to the magazine.

[lfc4eva99]

I like the idea about the annual payment to use the services of the website, all of us spend hours and hours at this place, its only fair that we help out in its maintenance etc. Ive been a lurker for a while and have only started posting regularly during the course of this season but this place has a family like feeling, and loads of good banter..

 

Im an OOT so dont have much idea about the fanzines etc, so i wont comment on that. But Dave mate, As much as we all appreciate what youve done, am sure we all do, family takes precedence over everything, if you so see fit to reduce the time spent on this as another job would get you a better pay then you should do it, the website can support itself with the annual fees and am sure its maintenance can be done by some of the senior members or computer geeks :)

 

All in all, Whatever you decide to do in the future, thank you for giving us TLW and doing so much work which has helped a lot of us.

 

God Bless

 

YNWA.

[coop]

Dave i dont know how you get on with adverts or how you feel towards them but can you not approach the Echo regards sponsoring the fanzine or at least putting you in touch with someone who would.

 

I know you have spaces on top of of the website open for people to advertise and in all fairness this is the best way i can think of making the website self servicing but getting the companies intersted is easier said then done.

 

I dont think an annual subscription would work as whats the most you could charge someone £20-30 quid - how many people would actually pay that when they can join sites such as YNWA for free.

 

Approaching people like Carra who have business that they have recently started who may be intersted in publicity for there pubs/clubs plus its a great gesture for the fans.

 

Any guys who are out there who are highly placed within his or her workplace could try and sponsorship.

 

Another alternative maybe is to make the fanzine online only which would stop the costs of going to the printers etc but people would still need to subscribe to get the fanzine delivered to their email.

 

Any help i could give you in creating an online version of the fanzine would of course be offered no problem.

 

I dont know what peoples views would be recieving the fanzine via an email but at least that way Dave you keep the subscription costs coming in which go straight to the site and you havent the messing about stood outside you could even havnd out flyers at the game advertising the site and where they could recieve the fanzine.

[hamstrung]

Make the fanzine slightly porn based.

 

There's money in them there tits.

[coop]

Thinking about it more i do think making the Fanzine online only is an interesting idea as to be on here in the first place means that we have internet access so therefore access to an email account.

 

Doing an online version in shape of a .pdf document is easy to do and can still keep everything you would get in the paper version of the fanzine but without the printing costs.

 

People can still do there reports etc and still have a caption section and i cant see the problem of having it saved on the PC instead of on a printed document which other people can get their grubby hands on.

 

It would also mean you can put anything you want on it as it would be under the sensor of such as WH Smith etc.

[Malarkey]

Can we have an annual fee for using the website? That would clear out the wankers as well

 

Good shout, get a poll on the go. I'd be up for that.

[Stouffer]

A forum sub which would enable you to post would be a good idea. Could run alongside the current donations scheme.

 

Would still allow lurkers to read the site generating revenue from advertising and the shop for instance.

[Malarkey]

Dave noooo! I can change!

[stringvest]

Dave, I think Rashid may have a point. Reduce the number of issues, bring the quality and the quantity even higher, and sell hard via t'internet - on here and on other sites.

 

In the meantime, I would suggest that everybody who 'enjoys' their time on this site should contribute what they can afford at least once a year. I'm just about to put me money where me mouth is.

 

And last of all Dave, you shouldn't feel difficult about making money from this site - after all, if 99% of the posters weren't so fucking ugly (I'm including you in that ;) ) you could have set up a facebook type site and made your fortune.