Ending my membership after poor treatment

[isysman]

Well wasn't sure where to post as the forum is hard to navigate.

This is where I posted most in the past so I'll out it here.

I've decided to leave the club when my membership expires in August. I joined about four years ago and in all fairness I haven't been to that many events. Events that stand out are the Silverstone 911 x 911s event last year and Porsches on the Pier in Llandudno earlier this year.

Anyway the reason for my membership was really because I had made an agreement with Porsche Post to print a series of articles on the progress I was making modifying my 997 Turbo. I agreed to write a series with Stephen Mummery and had two articles printed. When he stood down and Chris Horton took over for what now appears to be a temporary editorship, I made contact and discussed with him over the phone as to if I would be able to continue posting to which the answer was yes. I duly submitted my next installed in January this year, and the wait began. It wasn't published in February or March. I contacted Mr Horton who then asked for some more photos to support the work carried out. Although I was in New Zealand at the time I managed to supply the photos requested. The article was not published in April or May. I then contacted Mr Horton who was like the Scarlet Pimpernel trying to locate. He told me he was no longer the editor and that Chris Seaward had taken over.

I contacted Chris Seaward and he told me that it was safe to say that the relationship would continue. I told him about my next article in the works and he sounded interested. I contacted manufacturers of upgrade equipment and specialists in the Porsche industry telling them I was a contributor for Porsche Post and some supplied parts and others access to their premises on the understanding I'd write about my experiences. I was then told a little while later by Chris Seaward that he was not willing to publish my articles, as he couldn't give me a date to 'fit them in'. I then read in the July edition on page 16 a piece looking for 'contributors', 'especially technical articles'.

It's embarrassing for me to have to tell these companies that even though they provided their equipment and time that I can not provide my side of the deal.

I contacted Nick Hine to tell him of my experiences and disappointment. He responded that he would bring it up in the next GM, that was the last I heard from him. I followed up with another email to which I received no reply.

I'm pretty disappointed with the way things have gone and as a result I have decided to end my membership. Thanks to everyone who was involved in organising the 911 x 911s and other meets I attended.

 

[ChrisSeaward]

Good morning Terence,

I'm sorry to hear you are leaving the Club.

As I explained when we spoke on the phone in April and May, the summer months are a busy time for Porsche Post and therefore i was unable to guarantee when your pieces would be published. As many regular contributors to Porsche Post will know, it can take some time for articles to appear in print.

Making contact with companies for parts and workshop space wasn't something suggested by the Porsche Post team. In fact, receiving products/workshop space in return for magazine space isn't a concept the Club's Editorial sub committee are necessarily comfortable with.

I'm very happy to speak with you again by phone Terence if you'd like to do so. I am in the office until Thursday of this week (01608 652911) or at Silverstone Classic from Friday - Sunday if you wanted to catch up at the event.

Thanks,

Chris Seaward
Publications Manager

 

[Dylan1]

Maybe an obvious question - but did you have an agreement in writing that PP would publish your article ?

 

[isysman]

ORIGINAL: ChrisSeaward

Good morning Terence,

I'm sorry to hear you are leaving the Club.

As I explained when we spoke on the phone in April and May, the summer months are a busy time for Porsche Post and therefore i was unable to guarantee when your pieces would be published. As many regular contributors to Porsche Post will know, it can take some time for articles to appear in print.

Making contact with companies for parts and workshop space wasn't something suggested by the Porsche Post team. In fact, receiving products/workshop space in return for magazine space isn't a concept the Club's Editorial sub committee are necessarily comfortable with.

I'm very happy to speak with you again by phone Terence if you'd like to do so. I am in the office until Thursday of this week (01608 652911) or at Silverstone Classic from Friday - Sunday if you wanted to catch up at the event.

Thanks,

Chris Seaward
Publications Manager

Chris you make similar arrangements as do all magazines all the time. You arrange with car owners to show up and take photos, or write an article about their car. You go to a garage and they fit equipment and you take photos and talk to them about it. Don't try to make it sound like I was doing something untoward because that's not what was happening. No favourable mentioned were agreed or implied. Parts were for testing only. Magazines get parts in all the time for testing.

And Dylan having an agreement in writing, is not how the industry works. But if you count emails saying articles will be printed then yes I do. But it's neither here nor there if I had it in writing, it's the poor treatment that made my mind up about leaving. I've since written articles for other publications without any messing around from their editors.

 

[ChrisSeaward]

Hi Terence,

As I mentioned in my initial post, i'm more than happy to talk with you in more detail on the phone or in person should you want to discuss the matter further.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[garyw]

I have spoken with Chris recently ( he did called me) on a similar issue, these were article written about events that took place for the register, something that has always been done after the larger/regular register events.
I completely understand that space is precious in the magazine - and always will be if they continue to keep re-running old magazine articles..[&:]
I'm not going to knock the old articles but struggle to see why they would take priority when the members are writing articles on club events of current times.
However over the years even under Stephen I totally understand that some article are delayed and the summer months are the busiest in the year.
I'm in no rush to see them published but feel for the members that attended and may like to see their car or themselves in print.
I believe Chris and myself are totally cool on this now and I greatly appreciated him calling to update me.

I understand that technical articles on members cars are sought but Terence I can't help but feel that its not a members sort of thing your doing..?
" is not how the industry works" just makes it sound as if maybe the article was better suited to mainstream shelf magazines..
I remember reading the first articles and I was surprised at the time it didn't have issues with the clubs COC with Porsche cars, it really did seem like an undercover marketing exercise on behalf of some helpful and willing suppliers. The article was great and did open up a new interest to all owners, I also enjoyed the thread updates on the forum.

Had the article been directed via say the 997 Register secretary or even more so the modified Register then you'd of maybe had more assistance.
Sadly ending your membership because you haven't had an article published isn't really going to help the cause but I've known members leave for less. [:-]

Hopefully the article can be finalised and published and maybe used the car for some club events, to see what the additions have done.

 

[jdpef356]

Completely agree Gary

I recently spoke to Chris and and said I had a larger than 'Region column' offering for publication on our recent LAON Classic WOTY .

Chris welcomed our input but said he had some what of a back log of similar articles. That's fully understandable with 31 Regions and I'm not sure how many Registers wanting to get space in our great club publication. Nothing new in that so what can one do?

A very British thing - Join the Que![]

 

[Lancerlot]

Queue!

Just being British! [8|] Spell checker turn off, is it? []

I think you've summed it up pretty well, Gary.

Regards,

Clive.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I had a write-up carried over from May, as there wasn't space. In June we've had to cut an important article. No point getting upset, as the magazine can only be a certain number of pages.

Terence, it's just part of being in a Club of well over 10,000 members that we have a busy season when the weather's fine, and there's never enough space for topical articles, let alone technical ones!

It does sound odd, as a series of articles somehow "commissioned" about mods to one model would be of very limited interest to the rest of the club with different cars, or the majority of 997 owners who wouldn't modify their car! [8|]

 

[MarlowCrew]

In my humble, but heartfelt opinion Porsche Post is the best it has been in the few years I have been a member. That is not meant as a slight at the previous editors, but a complement to the current one.

Picking up on a couple of comments: -

#1. "...article was better suited to mainstream shelf magazines" I see no shame in having these sort of articles and personally I've enjoyed reading them in recent months[]. Porsche Post is in the unique position of being able and capable of incorporate this sort of content, plus our membership related content; the potential to trump anything on WH Smiths shelves.

#2. "space is precious in the magazine" and other comments to that effect. I'm guessing this is a great problem to have, long may that continue.

 

[isysman]

Thanks for the feedback all. If I'd been told they would be printed in the future that would have been fine. I wasn't I was told "I'm currently unable to guarantee when the article will appear... That does, I'm afraid, sound a little vague; however it is so hard to work lengthy articles into the magazine at this time of year."

I asked if it was too long I could edit it, if it was poorly written I could rewrite, but received no feedback. Then in the very next edition I saw an advert asking for contributors. Why ask for more articles if you can't publish all the ones you have and have a backlog? Think about how you would take that, I took it to mean thanks but no thanks.

In that same article there was a photo of a Carrera GT, for no other reason than it was a nice photo, they even admitted they couldn't identify the man in the photo! And a six page review of a Cayman which seemed extremely long to me.

Also I am aware that summer months are busy. I waited patiently last year with Mr Mummery between my articles because of this reason. My first article being published in August and the second in December. But seeing the advert for contributors was the moment I realised he had just told me to go away.

The fact is I submitted my article in February so there was no 'summer issues'.

Also each article/modification was to be carried out at a different garage so as to not seem to be favouring any particular place. The lowering of suspension was done at an independent in Brighouse (Revolution). I also carried out some work myself (fitting new mirrors and glass)

 

[Lancerlot]

I imagine you feel disgruntled a.) Because you have promised your suppliers coverage in the magazine in return for receiving a discount or privileges and b.) Have spent your time producing articles, that have yet to appear in print.

As regards a.) Editors have autonomy over content appearing in their publications and it is a mistake to promise something it is not within your power to grant.

As regards b.) Articles are submitted in the hope they will catch the editor's eye and be of interest to readers. In my experience - and I have written many articles for various magazines for most of my adult life - some get printed, others get dropped - it's just the way it is, no guarantees.

I can spend hours of my life I will never see again, compiling an article I think will change the world and it ends up on the editor's floor. But I don't throw my toys out of the pram; I accept it, keep trying and move on. As my old pappy used to say, "It's life - live with it." (Apologies to Brett Maverick and the late James Garner.)

Most people join the Club to enjoy and share their enthusiasm for the cars and join in the activities with similarly like-minded people. By the bye, I have enjoyed reading about your modifications.

Regards,

Clive.

 

[isysman]

Not 'throwing any teddys' am explaining why I'm leaving.

 

[jdpef356]

The only way I know to get an article published on a guaranteed monthly basis is to become a Register Secretary or Regional Organiser.

But even that does not guarantee your words will not be shuffled.[]

I really don't to see what you will gain by leaving? No doubt your article will be published in due course and we can all enjoy it.

Surely the best way to enjoy your Porsche is with like minded enthusiasts? If you are in any doubt what a great club this is get along to the
Club Stand at the Silverstone Classic this weekend. See:-


http://www.silverstoneclassic.com/

 

[markiii]

ORIGINAL: isysman


I joined about four years ago and in all fairness I haven't been to that many events.

Anyway the reason for my membership was really because I had made an agreement with Porsche Post to print a series of articles on the progress I was making modifying my 997 Turbo.

looks like the only reason he joined was to get published so he never really saw the value in membership anyway

 

[isysman]

There are other clubs to enjoy my car with like minded people, of which I am already a member. The reality is I work at sea and spend over half of the year out of the country so I don't get to as many events as others and as I'd like to. But it's this job that allows me to pursue my hobbies. I do like to write whilst I am away, it makes the time away from my car a little bit more bearable.

I was at the Silverstone Classic last year, enjoyed it very much, I was on track with the other 1250 cars. Unfortunately I'm going to miss it this year as I'm currently sailing around Hawaii. Although I don't need to be a member to go to that either.

When I decided to upgrade my car, I knew it was going to be quite an experience and I thought people would like to read about it. It was not for kickbacks or any other reason that anyone might want to believe. I never approached anyone and asked for any free equipment or reduced prices, I simply told them I was writing a series or articles for Porsche Post and if possible I'd like to take some photos and ask some questions whilst they do the work. This is how most articles are completed.

 

[garyw]

ORIGINAL: isysman
In that same article there was a photo of a Carrera GT, for no other reason than it was a nice photo, they even admitted they couldn't identify the man in the photo! And a six page review of a Cayman which seemed extremely long to me.

I'm somewhat with you regarding the articles and noticed the very same myself- and as you say they keep requesting articles..
This was part of my reasoning for my original complaint - but I'm not leaving the club []

Some have posted that they enjoy the magazine more now but to me recently its going off in a very commercial direction with seemingly more like a Porsche car marketing magazine and continued adverts- take a look towards the back and club members adverts(something that used to be well populated) and half of them seem to be traders.

To sacrifice space in the registers and regional columns, something that the workers do every month as volunteers but their space to be limited to allow additional adverts to me just seems wrong- but has always been the case since the money pot went dry... []

Talking of money- since the AGM we have no financial director, so what's going on there then ??

 

[Lancerlot]

ORIGINAL: garyw

Some have posted that they enjoy the magazine more now but to me recently its going off in a very commercial direction with seemingly more like a Porsche car marketing magazine and continued adverts- take a look towards the back and club members adverts(something that used to be well populated) and half of them seem to be traders.

To sacrifice space in the registers and regional columns, something that the workers do every month as volunteers but their space to be limited to allow additional adverts to me just seems wrong- but has always been the case since the money pot went dry... []

and it's late this month too! []

Regards,

Clive

 

[jdpef356]

ORIGINAL: Lancerlot

ORIGINAL: garyw

Some have posted that they enjoy the magazine more now but to me recently its going off in a very commercial direction with seemingly more like a Porsche car marketing magazine and continued adverts- take a look towards the back and club members adverts(something that used to be well populated) and half of them seem to be traders.

To sacrifice space in the registers and regional columns, something that the workers do every month as volunteers but their space to be limited to allow additional adverts to me just seems wrong- but has always been the case since the money pot went dry... []

and it's late this month too! []

Regards,

Clive

No doubt the words took longer to shuffle than normal! Why?


Too many contributions[]

Long may it continue.[]

 

[carreraboy]

Hi Terence,

Modified 997 Turbo article, bring it on, subject to reading any submission, I would love to publish any Members Modified Articles in the Modified Register Section. This has been a bit neglected over the last couple of month's, as I have been on Civic duty for six months, which ended today[]

Got my life back now, so Terry (can I call you Terry, bit modified!) if you want to email anything already prepared please email me on modified@porscheclubgb.com that should get me, or my mobile 07768 814264 and we can have a chat and plan the sequence .....

Look forward in hearing from you sson.

Thanks,

Des.