When New Magazines Go Old School

Here’s a point-counterpoint of the new and newer that’s left me scratching my head a bit. EPSPN Magazine and Stymie Magazine jointly announced a sports fiction contest, with the winner(s) gaining a highlight in ESPN, Stymie, or somewhere other than the tearsheet above the men’s urinal (or maybe there too, courtesy of the afore-mentioned bathroom print vehicle). The supposed deadline for notifications was “on or about July 15,” according to the rules posted online.

July 15th has come and gone. I called ESPN’s magazine editorial offices, left three messages, and haven’t heard a thing. No word back, not even a “not our department” return call. That’s not a healthy kind of arrogance, even if it’s just ignoring a call you have no idea how to handle, and it’s certainly not the kind of reader appreciation the print industry should be expressing at this juncture. I see issues getting smaller, not thicker, which means the print ad market isn’t supporting the editorial content like it once did. There’s nothing on the ESPN or ESPN Magazine websites that even acknowledges this contest, let alone an update on number of submissions, notifications or

The real story and timeline can be found on Stymie Magazine’s Facebook page. Not their website, mind you, but their other online home away from their online home. Turns out they didn’t get the submissions from ESPN editorial until July 18th (read down the update list), and they’re just now bucket-sorting them. So those of us who pushed to meet the deadline, met the length restrictions and otherwise played by ESPN’s rules will enjoy a much closer relationship with Stymie’s loosely-run and looser-knit community, while playing the waiting game.

And there’s the difference. Stymie, an online (until now) magazine, has an open line to its readers, makes them feel part of the editorial process, and lets them see the issues being crafted. ESPN, which I started reading when I felt Sports Illustrated wasn’t keeping pace with the changing face, faces and facets of sports, feels horrendously old school right now.