Disappointed in Woodcarving Illistrated Mag

[Daliab]

After starting a suspricption to Woodcarving Illistrated a year ago, I can finally give the publisher my feedback in one word.... DISAPPOINTED. In the last year, I have found nothing that interested me. I can find more "how to" information and fresh carving ideas off the internet than I find in this magazine. Understand woodcarving is a wide topic and hard for the publishers to hone in on each aspect in a magazine that is published four times a year, thus the reason for waiting a year before airing my disappointment. I don't see renewing my subscription after it runs out unless the publisher ups its game. Just my two cents worth that not everyone will agree with, and I can support that too.

[JerseyGirl]

When you are are trying to appeal to everyone, it’s hard to please everyone!

In a perfect world, there would be a magazine just for beginners and a separate magazine for every type of carver/skill level. But I don’t see that happening any time soon.

Unfortunately, many magazines are struggling (for a variety of reasons), which limits their content.

BTW: I don’t work for WCI but I’ve had experiences over the years with publishers!

[Daliab]

When you are are trying to appeal to everyone, it’s hard to please everyone!

In a perfect world, there would be a magazine just for beginners and a separate magazine for every type of carver/skill level. But I don’t see that happening any time soon.

Unfortunately, many magazines are struggling (for a variety of reasons), which limits their content.

BTW: I don’t work for WCI but I’ve had experiences over the years with publishers!

JerseyGirl, I respect your position on this subject. I knew when I wrote this it wasn't going to be looked upon favorable by all. Some may agree but afraid to speak up in fear of catching crap for doing so. I also agree that magazines like newspapers are struggling and many have gone bankrupt trying to compete with the internet. That's the reason for my comment. If they don't step it up, they to will fall off to the wayside. I didn't say I hated the magazine. I soften the message by saying I'm disappointed with their magazine content over the last year. Lots of room for improvement in my opinion.

[Randy]

I think you are right you can’t satisfy every one. I have been carving for a number of year and have been a WCI reader most all that time. I do not always fine subjects that I can use. But most of the time I enjoy an issue just seeing projects and reading articles. Even with my 30 + years of carving I still pick up tips and a few how to’s for thing others have found work. Hope you will continue to share here forum does not require you read the magazine.

[Merle Rice]

Hi, Daliab, Tell us here on the Forum what Carving Interests you have and maybe we can help you with your Interests . We Love to help one another , they sure Helped me a lot thru the years and continue to do so . Give it a Shot can't Hurt. Merle

[Daliab]

Thanks Merle Rice for your comments to my post. Most of the stuff that I'm interested in are from You tube videos from Doug Linker, DDalo, Kevin Coates, Blake Lunsford, Roger Stegall, scottcarvings, and carversworkshop to name a few carvers. For example, everyone of DDalo's videos are "fresh ideas" and simple to follow for beginner and novice carvers each week. They're fun to carve. Most of the carving articles in the magazine are rough and child like with little to no detail like the whale and the seaman in this issue. Look at any of the videos put out by the above carvers. DDalo and Kevin Coates don't even speak during their carvings yet easy to follow and have lots of detail. I want to learn to carve like folks in my carving club. Understand I have to take carving classes to get to that level but, this magazine isn't helping me get to that level. My 2 cents.

[JerseyGirl]

JerseyGirl, I respect your position on this subject. I knew when I wrote this it wasn't going to be looked upon favorable by all. Some may agree but afraid to speak up in fear of catching crap for doing so. I also agree that magazines like newspapers are struggling and many have gone bankrupt trying to compete with the internet. That's the reason for my comment. If they don't step it up, they to will fall off to the wayside. I didn't say I hated the magazine. I soften the message by saying I'm disappointed with their magazine content over the last year. Lots of room for improvement in my opinion.

No judgment here! I should have started with “I hear you…”. I was just trying to explain how hard it is to meet the needs of everyone (I know this from experience with my own carving website). Having said that, I LOVE Merle’s suggestion. If there’s something we can help you with, please do give a shout!

[Claude]

I agree with Merle - please provide some examples of what you want to see. The magazine editors can't provide it if they don't know more specifics about what you want to see. You can paste in some URL (links) to videos you want to see, or links to photos, etc.

Claude

[Daliab]

JerseyGirl, Carving folks on this website are a treasure chest of great information and willing to freely help any level carver asking for help. There, that's your feedback. My disappointment is with the content of the magazine over the last year, not the forum and members of this forum. The category that this thread was started in was "publisher-feedback". That's what I'm providing.... feedback to the publisher, not feedback to the member's of the forum although I welcome your feedback too. If members of the forum think the magazine is great, then say so but all I hear are crickets. So far, nobody has said so over the last five years. There is only one thread for 2022 and three for 2020 and a couple for 2018-19 timeframe. So, for me to initiate a thread in the publisher-feedback, that informs the publisher that I'm not happy as a paying subscriber may be welcomed by them instead of no feedback at all. I see, and get tons email ads daily to subscribe or buy a carving magazine from this publisher or buy from this woodcarving supplier. In response, I send emails to woodcarving suppliers when I get great prices/great customer service/ and great shipping on my orders. I also send feedback to those suppliers when they don't meet my expectations. I even announce it during my club meetings as feedback to club members. If the administrators don't like negative comments under this heading, then eliminate the publisher-feedback heading all together. Again, my 2 cents or should I say my feedback.

[Randy]

That is the purpose of Publisher Feedback. And I agree, if there is some
thing any of us feel we need to ask or share we should. I believe that can be good for the publishers. Other wise they are just guessing at what readers are looking for.

[Daliab]

That is the purpose of Publisher Feedback. And I agree, if there is some
thing any of us feel we need to ask or share we should. I believe that can be good for the publishers. Other wise they are just guessing at what readers are looking for.

Absolutely my intention of posting it. Thanks for your feedback too.

[Nebraska]

Just a few thoughts.

If you want to provide the publishers with feedback I would recommend emailing as they do not actively monitor the forum.

I have no dog in this I have never subscribed to WCI, I have glanced at a few articles usually shown to me by members of the local carving club.

What I’m reading is a comparison of apples to oranges. Video offers sensory input a magazine can’t match. So I can see why you would prefer that source. Video is a better technology for sharing information than printed media. Newspapers are dying and I have hundreds of TV channels to choose from there is a reason for that.

While I have watched videos to learn particular techniques I don’t believe duplicating work while following an instructional video will result in making you a better carver. I have meet to many carvers over the years who embraced that process and now only carve what the latest video offered. They become instruction followers and don’t develop creativity. You have to attempt projects you have never done projects that scare you a little to attempt because the techniques required seem beyond you. Use the instructor’s process but apply to your own subject matter.

Wishing you great luck on your journey to be the carver you want to be.

[Daliab]

Hey Nebraska, good to hear from someone in my neck of the woods. I gathered from the previous thread inputs that the publisher doesn't monitor this thread.
As for apples and oranges, I don't see that. What's the difference between learning tequinques via YouTube, or learning from WCI printed material, or how to books or learning from instructional classes? The idea is your still learning cuts and tequniques for future carvings. Now carving from roughouts is apples and oranges. I learn more from YouTube than cleaning up and adding details to a roughout where most of the work is done for you. I guess it's what do you want to get out of woodcarving and how proficient you want to be. Different strokes, different folks. To each their own. I agree with you about You have to attempt projects you have never done that scare you a little to attempt because the techniques required seem beyond you. It's only wood, it not like flying the space shuttle.
I don't believe the only way to learn woodcarving is by formal instruction. If so, why do schools have and offer college courses online? Thanks, I am enjoying my woodcarving journey.

[Just Carving]

I've been on this forum for a long time now. And I've been getting WCI mag since then too. I have all the issues and still go through them from time to time.

I can agree with you Daliab. I can tell you, in my mind, the older issues had more interesting info but also, a lot more advertising. Then, there was a much greater interest than there is now. Increase in the interest of carving comes in spurts but for the most part, it's status quo.

Daliab, all I can say is hang out here from time to time. I sometimes see things here and on the woodcarving pages on Facebook before I see it in WCI magazine. In either case, I learn just as much. For me, that's what it's all about.

Hope to see you around

BobL

[Eddy-Smiles]

After starting a suspricption to Woodcarving Illistrated a year ago, I can finally give the publisher my feedback in one word.... DISAPPOINTED. In the last year, I have found nothing that interested me. I can find more "how to" information and fresh carving ideas off the internet than I find in this magazine. Understand woodcarving is a wide topic and hard for the publishers to hone in on each aspect in a magazine that is published four times a year, thus the reason for waiting a year before airing my disappointment. I don't see renewing my subscription after it runs out unless the publisher ups its game. Just my two cents worth that not everyone will agree with, and I can support that too.

Daliab.... Last year when it came time for my renewal I seriously considered dropping my own subscription to WCI. Understand that I have been following the activities of the carving community for as long as I've been carving. I picked up my first carving magazine, "Carving Magazine" on my first visit to the Smoky Mountain Woodcarver's Shop in Townsend, TN. I immediately signed up for a two year subscription. Not long after that I discovered WCI on a Lowes magazine rack and also took out a subscription on it. With "CM" out of publication, WCI has been just one of a couple links to the carving community that I feel are necessary for my sanity and well being. At my age I don't get out much, in fact, I haven't been to one of my local club's meetings in almost 3-years. Some of the very same carvers that participate on this forum also are contributors to WCI and many times there are articles in the magazine on carvings they have posted here. I agree that YouTube and the host of carvers that provide video tutorials are a great asset but there is also something to be said about static tutorials where all you have to do is flip the page to go to the next step. No, every article published is not my cup of tea but I try to keep in mind that no matter how talented you are, how subject matter knowledgeable you are, and/or how long you've been carving, you can always learn something new from someone! This is just my take on it one and all are welcomed to agree or disagree.