After months of discussion, exploring possible alternatives, debate, and heartache, we have come to the difficult decision to phase out the printed edition of the Gypsy Journal. As we have shared with our readers in the last few months, rising printing, and especially mailing, costs have reached the point that we are making less than four cents for every printed issue we send out.
Actually, that figure is just based upon the cost of printing the paper, getting it shipped to us from our printer, and paying for envelopes and postage. It does not include the cost of fuel to pick up the paper from the shipping company or to take the stuffed envelopes to the post office or any of our other expenses. Factor that in and we are losing money. Obviously, no company can afford to do that indefinitely.
As a result, starting with this issue, we will no longer be accepting new or renewal subscriptions to the printed version of the paper. Only for our digital issue. We will continue to publish the printed issue until sometime next year to fulfill the bulk of our printed subscriptions. When the time comes to discontinue the printed edition, any remaining subscriptions will be transitioned to our digital edition, or we will issue a prorated refund on any issues still left on a subscription, at the customer’s preference.
We know this will disappoint some of our subscribers, just as it disappoints us. And we know that we will lose some readers, which we deeply regret. Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life in the newspaper business – more and more daily, weekly, and specialty newspapers are folding every year.
To clarify, we ARE NOT going out of business! We will continue to publish our digital edition, and as the transition goes along we will be improving it with all color photos and live links to the places we visit. Here is a link to our new digital edition, which was sent to our digital subscribers yesterday. Give it a look and let me know what you think.
If you are a print subscriber and would like to switch now, please e-mail me at editor@gypsyjournal.net. We appreciate your support in the past and look forward to continuing to share our travels and more of this wonderful country of ours with you for a long, long time.
*****
On another note, I reported the other day that our Splendide2100XC washer/dryer combination had not been drying well and had reached a point where when it entered the drying cycle, all of the lights would start flashing and it would stop working. Terry tried a self-cleaning procedure one of our readers had shared with her a while back, and I wanted to give you an update. It worked perfectly.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Empty the washer.
2. Set dryer time to off.
3. Set wash cycle to #11 and add a cup of bleach on the first cycle only.
4. Press and release Start button.
5. When water stops entering the drum, push and hold the Start button until the green lights come on and then go off, then release the button.
6. Press and release the Start button again and more water will begin filling the drum.
7. When water stops entering drum, push and hold the Start button until green lights come on and go off, then release the button.
8. Move the selector to cycle #2
9. Press and release the Extra Rinse button
10. Press and release the Start button and allow the machine to run through its cycle. The water level should be at ½ to 3/4 of the drum.
11. When the washer stops, clean the lint out of the drum and repeat the procedure two more times, for a total of three cycles. Each cycle takes approximately one hour and 45 minutes. It is recommended to do this every three months to prevent future lint buildup.
We were surprised how much lint was hiding between the inner and outer drum that came loose and was deposited inside the drum to be easily removed, and how well the dryer is working now. Even after cleaning both ends of the dryer vent first there was still no air flow out of the vent on the side of our motorhome before Terry did the self-cleaning. Now it is blowing hard enough to keep the louvers wide open. I’m not sure if this will work on all Splendide models, but it’s worth a try and a lot cheaper than a service call from an RV technician.
Have you entered our latest Free Drawing yet? This week’s prize is an audiobook of Mountain Angel, the first book in my friend Suzie O’Connell’s popular Northstar Romances series. To enter, all you have to do is click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening.
Thought For The Day – I’m supposed to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Nick, I like the new format for the digital edition very much! I used to be a print subscriber but had to drop that when we began to travel a lot. The print editions were just not getting to us. I looked at the digital edition at that time and as far as I could see it was a digital version of the print edition which was hard to read. Now that you have formatted the digital edition for the screen and I can read it without a lot of zooming and un-zooming I will sign up for the digital edition! I’m sure this move will upset some of your print subscribers (I have to admit fondness for the feel of a “real” newspaper in my hands) but hard copy is just not practical for those of us who move around a lot. Bravo! Bob
I am a fan of the digital newspaper. I am in the process of converting as many of my magazine subscriptions as possible to the digital format as well. I just don’t have the room to store them in their physical formats, but I can save them digitally on the computer for quicker future reference and access if so desired.
Although you will probably lose some subscribers, I think that you will actually gain in the long run. I know that it has to be easier on the two of you to get an issue ready for delivery. No more finding a printer, picking up and hauling those papers around, and then slepping them to the post office.
I think it’s a wise business decision and one that I would have made long ago. (I know the newspaper man in you wanted to keep the “hold it in your hands” version.
I think you’re making a very tough but wise choice The majority of most people out there today get their information from the Internet highway
As pointing out before your time and everything factors together has to be worth money
in reality you’re love for writing could probably even allow you the comfort of adding a special article as something comes up unexpected such as the kites festival
Or something special that just presents itself
About the only time I sit down and read a newspaper Is usually when I go in to a coffee shop and somebody spend the money to buy a physical newspaper
And to be honest with you even that’s getting harder and harder to find
As an example the next time you go to a restaurant in the evening that has a newspaper stand out there which is rare see how many are left over
So other than that I get it on my phone
As you probably know there are some newspapers that will give you five or 10 free copies and then ask for a fee to continue the month or the year subscription depending on the publication
And that’s to say nothing of newsweek. times. And the likes,, It seems that they’re getting smaller as well
So congratulations on joining the Internet highways and byways
As the editor and chief of the daily Planet Mr. Perry White would say get me the story
As I’ve stated before I’m a fan of things that are free,,,free is always good
I sure hope you have a counter on that site it would be an interesting how many hits it will get
I’ve never read gypsy Journal printed our digital
But please let me say I’m pleasantly surprised very interesting and it’s amazing the things that you have covered and uncovered
I’m a bit technologically challenged, and I have no idea how I would find your digital version. Perhaps you can explain this to me, and maybe others. Do we have to have an app, or will it come on our kindle? It would be something I would want to go to on a regular basis, so I would like to know this. I’m sure I will be willing to change over as soon as I am satisfied I can get to it with ease.
At least be honest and just say Screw You I’m making so much money on my books that those of you who supported me all these years don’t matter any more! When this e-book bubble busts, and it will you will wish you had stayed the course you were on. But by then none of us will be interested when you try to do the printed paper again. I won’t be renewing.
Sandy, just click the link to it in today’s blog.
I have a digital subscription but have not received your last several newspapers. A friend of mine tried to reach you by email about renewing her subscription and didn’t hear back. Have you been having troubles with your server and/or lists?
Thanks for the Splendide cleaning instructions. My machine is older and doesn’t have some of the cycle/lights/etc., but I will try adapting the instructions to it. I have nothing to lose. Good luck on the Gypsy Journal going completely digital. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I love the print issue and will miss it. I have a lousy internet signal presently and will try to download to my tablet to give it a try.
We have been receiving the Gypsy Journal digital for over two years and love it. We keep every copy on the computer and it is good ref when we are in the areas that you have written about. Glad to see you make this hard change. As far as the Splendid goes we are looking forward to trying your cleaning method. Keep up the good job and see you in Seaside around the 1st or 2nd of the month!!!!!
Well Nick we are a little older than you but we only subscribe to digital magazines
and blogs. No interest in reading papers, just read on our phones, tablets or notebook computers.
Cheers from Canada.
You know, I can see why some might be unhappy about this but why get nasty? I mean seriously, if a printed version is so important to you, get the digital version and print it out! Geesh, it’s not rocket science.
I’m glad to see that most of your readers are taking this in stride. This should make an amazing difference in your quality of life. Good for you!
I understand the change to digital edition and enjoy it. My only concern for you is that the paper version was a great advertisement for you as many of us passed our papers copies on to others and they then went on to become members. Perhaps you might consider having the past digital versions available on line or maybe samples of editions to entice new members. Just a thought.
Nick just email me how much profit you might make off Joe (post #6) for 10 years and I will send you a check for that amount.
Your first Gypsy Rally in Casa Grande, AZ was great. I enjoyed the presentation by the retired policeman (now deceased) who talked about the many free/cheap city and state parks in Nebraska. I’ve stayed at several of them.