Dear Ferret Folks-

It was a sad thing to come back from my last insane jaunt in Mexico to
the news. I don't know a great deal about the magazine industry, but I
do know that the life of a magazine is often just a flash in the pan.
Most magazines only last a few issues, and even the ones that we think
of as staples can shut down finally and forever with very little
warning. (Anyone remember when Life magazine stopped publication? It's
back with the same name after years of silence.)

I'm going to miss Ferrets. I liked having it in my hand, enjoyed the
pleasure it gave my little nephew Alex on long car trips. To this day,
I can't convince him that every picture of a ferret with a mask is
*not* Ping is He. Alex thinks Ping is on every other page. I will miss
the kid poems and pictures in the back...wobbly crayon drawings of
fuzzies from all over. Those pages were always, always my favorite
ones.

My contribution? Well, I guess it's only fair to take my part of the
blame for Ferrets failure to thrive. But I can see the bigger picture,
and I understand that when magazines stop being profitable, they stop
being published, period. It really is a matter of dollars and cents.
Ferrets just didn't make enough money. That's reality.

Like the vast majority of people, I don't like change that I don't
initiate. I don't. I wouldn't like being told "You can't have your
magazine, but you can have your money back." I'd want the *magazine.*
This is human nature. But when I think about things from the
publisher's point of view, I can quickly see that magazines are sold
to generate a profit. They are very, very rarely published by great
philanthropists who can afford to hemorrhage red ink in order to get
their agenda across. I don't expect BowTie to print Ferrets at a loss
for me, any more than I expect the folks at National Geographic to keep
printing that yellow-bordered magazine so dear to me. I can't imagine
*not* having my National Geographic every month...but some day, it will
close up shop. It will.

The really special thing about Ferrets was its editor, Marylou Zarbock,
who some of you know from ferret conferences. Marylou is quiet, but
oh, she is a fine listener. She listened to the things that the ferret
community said regarding what they wanted from Ferrets, and she did her
level best to bring those things into being. She made the magazine more
than a place to print advertising for hammie sets and glossy pictures
of weasels. She put some *there*, there, and she should be given
credit for that. What I'm seeing instead is angry folks demanding their
magazine back, but yelling "BowTie we hate you! We hate you!" It's a
contradictory message, and as a result I can't imagine that it will
have much of an effect in the long run. BowTie probably doesn't like
the "We hate you!" bit any more than any of us would as individuals.

It was a great ride, but it's over now. And what will the future bring?
I don't know, but I'm interested in seeing how the new e-zine will
develop. That's just the sort of project that appeals to me. And the
field is wide open, now, for the people with the know-how to start a
new magazine dedicated to our malodorous friends. I look forward to
that, as well. Heck, I still miss Modern Ferret! The interest is
there. What are we gonna do about it, Ferret Folks?

Alexandra in Ma

[Posted in FML 5865]