This past March I posted about a new and exciting barbecue magazine, BBQ World. Well, I received a letter a little more than a week ago that formally states what most of us in the BBQ world have long suspected -- it's toast.
To summarize the letter, the economics just didn't work. I must say that, while I'm disappointed (I was a contributing author), I am not at all surprised. It's no secret that the print world is giving way to the internet. When food magazines like Gourmet are folding it does not portend good things for magazines in general, let alone a new food publication.
It's too bad that the magazine couldn't make a go of it, and the handling of the whole situation was very poor at best. Just this past summer barbecue forums were replete with assurances that the magazine was continuing, with the second issue (yes, there was just one) due out next month. According to the letter, we subscribers can expect a refund within the next 30-90 days. I certainly hope that is the case, but the history of the company doesn't allow me much optimism. Case in point: Their site is still offering subscriptions.
What I can't understand is why they didn't just turn it into an electronic publication. They presumably had all the pieces in place, and it would have been much more feasible economically. Why just abandon the whole concept? I have to assume that there's more to the story.
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