Seven Years On

The Coll Magazine has now been on the go for seven years.

The number seven has all sorts of portentous associations. The one that comes quickly to mind is the one with the itch. The magazine is a little different in presentation this year and, is, I hope, tentatively feeling its way towards corporate ownership. It therefore might appear scratchy in parts.

Pat Barr was not only editor and co-founding father (song, Pat, co-founding person) of the Coll Magazine but also, and essentially, the financial backer behind an idea that started after far too many Hyne Martinis way back in the summer of '82. Most years costs broke even; some years they did not. Pots and pans still can't get back into the Treshnish cupboard long after one over-ambitious print run failed to sell all copies.

A print run is always a critical decision for any publisher to make, Rupert Murdoch included. The greater the number of copies printed the lower the unit price. Latterly the Magazine's print run has stabilized at 1000 copies. This is a very 'specialist' print run and costs are correspondingly special. Yet our unit price is low. I have dared to add 5p this year.

At the expense of appearing boringly didactic, I have detailed below the costs of this issue. We have been extremely lucky in having some of the typesetting done for free by Sandy MacKinnon which will reduce the final figures. (Thanks, Sandy) Thanks also to our wonderful advertisers who contributed in the region of £400.

1000 copies. A5 size 48pps
Printing                                 £ 462
Cover                                   £   20
Stapling                                £   20
Reproduce Photo at £7 ea        £   42 approx
Reproduce Artwork at £S ea     £ 100 approx
Typesetting at £15 per page    £ 495 approx
Subscription insert                  £   32 approx
                              Total      £1139 approx

These are production costs only. Despatch and distribution extra.

Production costs would be radically reduced if the quality was not important but some advertisers - and subscribers and contributors - could withdraw support. Many a community has photocopied newsheets, generally once a month publications, but they are for a different purpose. The Coll Magazine by virtue of only being published once a year has taken on the difficult task of providing more reflective material; a distillation of local events, past and present, talents and thoughts that should be able to stand the test of time before lighting the fire.

I think that decisions ere long will have to be made as to which way the Magazine is going, and to that end I propose that a meeting be held in the Autumn for all that would like to be involved in its future.

Last March a fundraising event in the village Hall in aid of the Magazine raised £83 in donations and raffle money. Previously in Glasgow at a similar Coll Association function £47 raffle money was donated to the Magazine. I now feel that the Magazine belongs more to the Collachs than ever before. I hope that it will go on belonging.

My thanks to all who so generously gave their time, money, skills, advertising support and literary contributions to this seventh edition of the Magazine. Definitely a portentous number.

Mairi Crawford Hedderwick, Ed.