While catching up on the last few FMLs, I noticed a rather interesting
thread regarding Modern Ferret and Ferrets.  Having an oportunity to opine
rather than proffer my typical erudition (or is that eructation? ;-)), I
jump at the chance.
 
The difference between Modern Ferret and any of the Fancy Publications
(Bowtie Press) stuff is the reason why I am no longer a photojournalist,
but now engaged in the money-sucking pursuit of a higher degree.  That
difference is the pursual of profit compared to the pursual of truth.
There is nothing wrong with profit, but not at the expense of truth.  I
feel Mary and Eric (Mary's the cuter of the two) at Modern Ferret do their
best to publish the most accurate information possible, and they certainly
publish retractions when they make mistakes.  I'm not so convinced about
Fancy Publications, simply because I have first-hand experiences with their
refusal to fix mistakes, and their continuing practice of publishing
misinformation of one sort or another.
 
Now, want to hear a strange coincidence?  I once worked for Scott McElhaney
who is now an executive VP for Fancy Publications (publisher of Ferrets and
Ferrets USA).  Well, not really for him; he was the asst.  city editor and
I was a photojournalist on the same newspaper.  I got to know him as well
as Mary or Eric; maybe better.  I used to tease him for always wearing a
tie, and he would jump my butt when I slacked off in my photography.  He
even once offered me the chief photo job on a Texas newspaper (back in the
stone age); an offer I refused because I had already committed to another
paper.  I was sorry I did, because Scott was a very good man to work for;
he would fight for accuracy and photos, two things I highly respect.  To
be honest, there is no doubt in my mind that Scott only desires truth to
be published in any media he is associated with.  But, even if he was
the editor (he's not), a major difference between Modern Ferret and
Ferrets/Ferrets USA is that Mary and Eric dwell with ferrets, quite
different from the editorial staff of Ferrets.  Mary and Eric are well
known, talk to vets, meet ferret people and live with the same heartaches
and frustrations each of us do.  Because of this, they can catch those
silly mistakes, and better understand the issues, that go over the heads
of a non-ferret owning editorial staff.
 
Which brings up the point about authorship.  The range of writers who
publish in Ferrets is actually LESS than what you find in Modern Ferret
over the last few years; count them up and see for yourself.  This is
amazing, since Ferrets pays a handsome bounty to writers and photographers,
which Modern Ferret could do, but then Mary and Eric would have to do some
serious dieting.  Also, I see the same authors over and over in Ferrets,
so I find the objection that Mary writes so much for Modern Ferret to be
rather obtuse.  Ferrets is published by a huge publishing corporation with
40-50 (?) magazine titles; they can afford to *LOSE* money on Ferrets over
a long period of time in order to corner the market.  Why do you think they
pay so much?  Or charge so little for their ads?  Every person who takes
that money, for any reason, is helping to nail the lid shut on Modern
Ferret's coffin.  They have the right, and some might need the money, but
that won't change the result.
 
The goal here is not hard to see--it isn't even hidden.  Mary and Eric took
the chance, put out the first ferrets-only magazine, took the financial
sacrifice and proved it could be done.  They were watched very closely by
Fancy Publications, who then made every effort to undercut their ad rates,
and offer heaps of money to siphon off the writers who were not getting
paid much at Modern Ferret.  Its cut throat, and maybe Mary and Eric will
someday have to stop publishing, get some sleep, and have 9-5 jobs that
pay well and have lots less stress.  Modern Ferret will be gone, and
Fancy Publications will still put out Ferrets.  Only now, Ferrets will be
expected to make a profit.  What will happen to the pay scales, quality of
work, or even quantity of work?  And if the magazine doesn't turn a profit
after the demise of Modern ferret, how long will it last?
 
Normally, I send an article an issue to Modern Ferret free of charge.  I
have even asked Mary and Eric to save their watches for the other writers,
and extra copies because I only need the one I pay for.  In the last few
months, I have been too busy to write both FML stuff (it actually takes a
lot of time to research the crap, you know) AND Modern Ferret stuff, so I
have put MF on the back burner.  Other people have been seduced by the
offer of quick bucks at Ferrets and have abandoned Mary and Eric.  The
result is, Mary now has to fill the pages of the magazine, and it is up to
her to do it.  Maybe those people who complain should get off their ass
and send in contributions rather than boo-hoo about all of Mary's well
researched and consistently accurate work.  As for all the photos about
Mary, well, it's one of my hobbies to see what color red her hair is from
issue to issue.  (Red is my favorite color).
 
I challenge everyone on this list, including myself, to set your butt down
and WRITE something about ferrets, and send it in--with photos--to Mary and
Eric.  Put your money where your mouth is, nay-sayers, and help fix those
problems you are so quick to point out.  Will you make hundreds of gilded
corporate blood-money dollars, like offered at Ferrets?  No.  But you will
be part of the best ferret magazine published on this planet.  Poems,
artwork, photos, letters, funny stories, articles; it all helps.  Maybe
they'll use it, maybe not; I wouldn't know, but at least they will have
more to pick from.  Sorry Mary and Eric; I'll be more consistent in sending
stuff in from now on.
 
Bob C and 19 Mo' Ferret Hemingways
[Posted in FML issue 2640]